Case 01: Peaceful Death

The day was slightly chilly; the first indication that fall was nearing. In addition, a few leaves here and there were shedding their dull green coat but attaining a brighter, bolder look.

A petite girl stands on the ledge, hands holding the railing for support. Her hair whips her face as the mighty winds blow. Her wispy hair masked her tear stained cheeks perfectly.

The navy blue blazer covered the arms-length marks she engraved. Her knee high socks hid the bruises she inflicted and her buttoned up shirt sealed away the torturous days. But her eyes, her eyes held the pain she felt. What once was bright, lively even, is now dull, dark, like an abyss.

Slowly she let one hand go. Lifting her head up high, she let out a shaky breath. A finger unraveled, then another, and soon her right hand laid by her side. Biting her lip, she tried to hide the smile that was forming. She leaned her small stature forward inch by inch. Slowly she felt her feet leave the edge and the falling sensation took over.

A noisy crowd soon encircled the dead girl. Onlookers gossiped with shock as they stared at the soft smile that was plastered on her face. The smile made her pale, bloody face look peaceful. But everyone, everyone knew her days were anything but.

When the men in blue arrived, the crowd around the girl dispersed like the Red Sea. “What do we have here?” the lead detective asked a nearby officer.

The detective had a loud, powerful voice, one that screamed authority. His face was one that matched his voice. With a solemn look that shadowed his long face, he is often mistaken for being older than he truly is. His name, Kim SangHo; but to many around the office, he is nicknamed, Solemn Fist.

“A suicide. She jumped from the roof. Easy case,” the officer snipped. His voice dripped with glee. After spending a few weeks on the job, the lowly officer had already come to the conclusion that he disliked long and messy cases.

The detective glared at the foolishness of the officer, “There’s no such thing as an easy case!” he snarled, causing the officer to shrink behind his notepad. Detective Kim then proceeded to walk towards the scene of the crime, leaving the smaller officer behind.

The case was soon dismissed as a suicide and brushed under the rug. “Suicide” became the only word going around campus, but of course the wads of cash the Chief of Police had a major role in this story. After all Seoul Arts High was a respectable school and the principal was keen on keeping their image “clean.”

And so with that, the case was dismissed.

Case 02: Clipped Wings

It was a cold, bitter day. The harsh winds nipped at the students as they trudged to school. Ice covered the grounds making it extremely dangerous for cars, bikes, and especially walking pedestrians.

However, a certain sprinter cared not for the slippery roads. As he raced down the icy slopes, the cold wind slapped his cheeks, turning them a bright pink.

He loved the adrenaline pumping through his veins, the wind beating against his face, the freedom he tastes as he lets go of his worries and his problems. He felt as if wings would sprout from his back and lift him high off the ground and so he ran faster and faster.

But his wings were quickly clipped with a crash and a boom. A car slipped off the icy road and collided into the poor sprinter. The young boy was to never run again.

A year from that fateful day had passed and the young runner now sat in a wheelchair; his legs completely destroyed by the accident. No one knew that the young man suffered from a disease, a disease that would soon claim his life.

The school day had just ended. Students piled out of the school in packs, gossipping and laughing. The holiday break was just around the corner and they were all thrilled about the upcoming lesson free days.

As the hour went by, less and less students filed out until there was only one student left, the sprinter. Wheeling his chair to the edge of the school pool, he stared into the chlorine filled water.

He quickly blinked away his tears. “Real men don’t cry,” he softly scoffed to himself. The sprinter slowly but surely lifted himself off the chair. Letting out small, shallow breaths, he inched away from the arm rests.

His body plunged into the pool with a small splash. Painfully, his lungs filled up with water. Later that evening his body floated to the top waiting for someone, anyone to notice it.

Sirens were heard late into the night, blaring through the sleeping streets of Seoul. Detective Kim stared at the big white school with dark eyes. “Bad vibes,” he muttered to himself.

Case 03: How Far Will You Go?

Asphyxiate: to cut off ones circulation.

More, more! the girl shouted in her mind as she tightened the rope around her delicate neck. The high, the exhilaration she experienced felt absolutely liberating.

She slowly let the harsh rope unwind from her white neck. As it fell onto her lap, the red-purple blemishes screamed boldly against her pale complexion. Exhaling a satisfied sigh, she let the high overtake her.

A huge smile was plastered on her lips as she giggled around with her friends the next day. With a choker securely in place, her dark secrets from the night before were hidden. However, what she was not aware of was that everyone knew of her strange hobby.

But those rumors or talks never reached her ears for she was one of the “Untouchables.” So with her perfect hair and polished makeup, the girl navigated through the halls conversing with friend to friend.

Too bad she didn’t know of the death that awaited her. Ignoring her mother’s cry, she ran straight to her room and locked the door. She had stumbled across a website the previous night that guaranteed the highest of highs. She could hardly wait.

Taking out the rope she had used just the night before, she excitedly bounced in her seat. Never had she done it two days in a row. It was far too dangerous, I mean she still valued her life. Although the website guaranteed it was one hundred percent safe, it was the comments that really sealed the deal.

Making a loop with the rope, she tied it over her neck. Slowly she pulled on it harder and harder, until it was at her desired tightness. The instructions had said to make a quick harsh pull with all her might and release after a few seconds.

This near-death experience would give her the best high of her life so she did as it said and pulled tightly. Unfortunately her high was not achieved. Instead, she obstructed her circulation. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head; her hands dropped to her side and her excited expression stood frozen in place.

Although her death was no surprise, no one had expected it would come so soon. But in the end the only ones who shed real tears were the Untouchables.

Case 03: Also dismissed as a suicide.

Case 04: You Reap What You Sow

Plip Plop, the pills were dropped. Fear emitted from her body. She anxiously glanced around, wondering if anyone saw her. Stirring it quickly, she hoped it would dissolve and not leave a trace.

“Maid, where’s my tea!?” her mistress shrieked irritably.

The Queen disliked how she must ask for everything. Why couldn’t the workers just learn her routine? Clicking her tongue, she held out the palm of her hand, waiting for her drink to arrive.

“Is my bath prepared?” she asked before taking a sip of the freshly poured tea.

“Yes,” the maid answered hastily. The Queen nodded her head in approval. While she held the cup in one hand, her other worked on the zipper of her skirt.

She stepped out of her skirt and left it lying on the floor for the maid to clean up. Staring at the mess the girl had left, the maid accidentally let out the smallest of smirks.

Leaning against the edge of her extremely large bathtub, she closed her eyes and wiggled into the warm water. Baths relieved her of stress. They were liberating. Plus, she loved bubbles.

The bath water felt so cozy, snuggling her in warmth. I’ll just close my eyes for a few seconds, she thought.

“Ahhhhh!” a screech echoed loudly throughout the small mansion. “My poor daughter,” the woman wailed as she clutched onto the bathtub that held the dead girl. She continued to flail and scream as the police dragged her away.

Why the police? The dead girl liked her privacy so she usually kept the door locked and so, in order to check in on the Queen, many phone calls had to be made,

“I want an autopsy done!” the woman said through her sobs. The black mascara that had looked stunning on her just moments before now streamed down her cheeks. Black tears stained her powdered face.

“Ma’am this case is as clear as day. Your daughter died from falling asleep in the tub,” an officer remarked at the tearful mother but she only harshly glared at him in return.

“We are quite a wealthy family you know. Someone could have done this on purpose!” she screeched while sniffling into her handkerchief.

“Ma’am, there is no need for such a procedure,” the detective tried to reason. She must have watched one too many dramas, Detective Kim scoffed in his head.

“NO!” she shrieked at the top of her lungs. “I demand an autopsy be done!” she cried once again.

The Superintendent put a hand on the detective’s shoulder. “Just put the daughter down for an autopsy,” he sighed. The detective opened his mouth in protest, but when he thought about it for a little while, he agreed.

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