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I work as a crime scene investigator and let me tell you it’s not as fun or easy as the media portray. Long hours at random locations. Most of which smell horrible. You need to bag everything hoping you picked up something relevant to the case and take at least ten thousand photos at different angles. Not to mention all the sketches and diagrams you need to make with accurate notes. The DNA you send off to be tested doesn’t come back for months and most of the time doesn’t even help the case you’re working on. But it’s a job. Most of my career has been documenting drug dens. Drug crimes in my area are way higher than any other kind.

I was called to a scene of a death caused by unknown circumstances. It was a sight none of us would ever forget. A ghastly scene and we still haven’t been able to unravel the mystery of it. It was a murder. What else could it have been? It wasn’t possible that death happened due to natural circumstances.

I found myself standing beside my boss, burdened with all my gear but for once not feeling the weight. I stared unable to say anything for a few minutes. Out of the hundreds of dead bodies I’ve seen this one stopped me in my tracks. I was looking at a young girl stuck inside a tree. Literally stuck inside a tree. Her upper half limply hanging out with both arms and the rest of her body still inside the tree. There was no hole someone cut to shove her inside. She was too fresh to have the tree grow around her. It was like a video game glitch with an NPC being halfway inside a wall. This was reality and things like this just didn’t happen.

We did the normal routine of taking photos and documenting the scene. However, everyone was silent. We only spoke when necessary. Something like this was so mind-boggling I felt as if everyone would want to talk about it to get answers. Instead, we all averted our eyes as much as possible from the dead girl.

In the end, a good chunk of the tree was cut out to retrieve the body. To our horror, there wasn't much left. Only an inch of her body was inside the tree. The rest was missing. It took days to finally painstakingly separate the two of them to find out how little we were working with. I had access to the autopsy photos. For a few hours, I looked through them trying to understand what I was seeing.

The parts of her that should be inside the tree were missing. It appeared that the wood had naturally grown around her flesh instead of it being perfectly cut away for her. She was easily identified as a teenager who worked a midnight shift at a gas station. Another confusing fact is that her workplace was located two hours away from where she was found dead. And she was on camera leaving the building one hour before she was found. There was simply not enough time to transport her, let alone cut her apart and pose the body.

“Have you ever seen anything like this before?” My boss asked as I was in the station looking over the photos

I really shouldn’t be looking at them as often as I did. There wasn’t must else to learn from just staring at the photos. My boss crossed himself when he looked down at the photos even though it had been ten years since he’d been inside a church. I shook my head. On my time off, I’d been looking up strange deaths online to find nothing like this. Nothing real. Just plenty of fake videos that got my hopes up.

An even stranger part of this case was how this was the first time someone asked me anything about it. I was the one pressing others to answers and asking for the photos to study. The office felt so silent and somber. Everyone worked away in hushed tones. I understood that such a terrible thing was enough to unnerve all of us, but everyone working on the case acted as if they were ignoring it. Some leads were being followed up but any time something related to solving what the hell happened to the girl, people became pale and quiet. My boss accepted my head shake as an answer. He gave the photos one last look and left me standing in the break room.

No one wanted to talk about what happened. And I don’t know if that was the reason why the second death happened.

The second strange death call ended up being for a body inside a building. The deceased was an elementary school teacher. He was loved by everyone and not a soul had any reason to what him dead. He left behind two children and a loving wife. The problem was, he lived in the next state over. His wife refused to believe it was him until she came down to look at the body. He was asleep next to her, then in the morning, hundreds of miles away stuck inside a parking garage ceiling with parts of him missing.

The station worked double time following up on any lead. Every available man stayed late at the station or on the move grasping at any kind of straw possible. Finally, some test results came back. When they landed on our boss’s desk, none of us believed it. The lab tested parts of the tree to see if there was anything inside the wood like glue that may have helped keep the poor girl in place. The results came back as human DNA mixed perfectly with the tree. I noticed the wood looked a bit darker, but how the hell did the DNA get there? Did the blood seep in and stained it somehow? Because of the results, more pieces of the tree were cut out to be tested.

They kept finding human DNA mixed into the wood. Far too deep for just blood getting slightly absorbed. The traces finally ended and we added how much of the tree had been contaminated. With some effort and math, the lab determined the DNA mixed with wood was equal to the same amount of missing from the girl.

They then tested the cement of the car garage finding the same results. Again, no one could even begin to offer up theories of how this was possible. It was as if somehow, those bodies became a part of the material they were found inside.

We were just getting over that shock when the worst happened. Another body had been found. All twisted up like a pretzel inside and outside of the front of a car. My boss wasn’t on the scene but I knew he wouldn’t be. The victim had been identified by him after all. It was his car and his niece.

I’ve met Becky a few times. I didn’t know if I would be able to document the scene if I knew the victim. But I found it like any other job simply because my mind refused to believe this was the same bright and lively girl that attended some Christmas parties. She played piano and my boss always bragged about her. He loved her like a daughter. He and his wife wouldn’t have children, so they spoiled Becky as often as they could.

And yet... He walked out of his house to get to work and saw her face half clipped into the front of his car. I don’t know how he would ever be able to get over the grief. A neighboring department took over the case due to how many officers simply could not bring themselves to go to the scene.A floor of support came to the family, and still, not a single person spoke about the details. They all just shook their head with haunted looks on their faces muttering how tragic a young life had been cut short. I felt determined before to solve this case, but now I wanted nothing more but to figure out the reason behind what was happening.

I decided to take copies of the reports home. Every waking hour outside of my normal duties became dedicated to this case without any progress. On my days off I found myself at home staring at the information I already knew completely forgetting to eat.

No matter if I looked at it from every angle, nothing made sense. There was no method anyone could use to arrange the bodies in the places they were found in. Even if there was, to do so in such a short amount of time was another thing making these cases impossible. I wasn’t ever going to solve this on my own. I needed more eyes on these cases. No one would believe they were real though.

I was staring up at the ceiling, thinking in circles when I heard my doorbell. I sat up, looking down the hallway heart suddenly pounding. No one should be at my door. If I was needed for work, they would just call me. A feeling of dread overtook me when the doorbell rang again. Grabbing my phone in case I needed to call for help, I slowly made my way toward the door. The front door had a frosted window that didn’t let me see who was waiting well enough to know if I was in danger or not. I opened the door only a crack to try and see who might be outside.

“I’m not buying anything.” I said trying to be stern but my voice was shaking.

Two people stood on my doorstep. One man built like a club bouncer wearing a suit that was far too small for him. Most of his face behind a set of sunglasses. Overall, he looked displeased with the world. The second man was tall but thin. His suit fitted him much better.

“We’re not selling anything. May we come in and talk?” The smaller man asked as he ducked down and brought his face closer to the opening. The action made me step back a little.

He had a calm smile. And a soft voice that could put anyone at ease. That worried me. There was something too nice about his manner. As if he tried just a little bit too hard to be pleasant.

“No, I don’t think you can come inside.”

I closed the door right away but he already had slipped in a foot to stop me from shutting it. He then got closer as if he wanted to tell me a secret.

“It’s really best for you if we came in to speak about these cases of yours.” The stranger said in a low voice.

Our eyes met and a chill went down my spine. They both had a menacing air about them under all that fake kindness. The fact that they knew about the cases and were wearing suits made me think they were of a higher pay grade than myself. FBI or something like that. I really hoped they were the Feds taking over the case and just dropping by to make sure I stay silent. If I was stupid enough to talk to the wrong person about these cases, I could tip off the killer. And they didn’t know if I was a talker or not. It was a valid theory about who they were, but it all felt wrong. Official agents would have already introduced themselves and shown me badges. They had done neither. Letting them inside was a very bad idea but I felt as if I would get some answers from them regardless of the danger.

Relaxing my grip, I opened the door and the first man came inside.

The second needed to duck down to fit through the frame. I led them to the living room and the thinner one flopped down on the couch, placing one leg over his knee. He looked far too relaxed. The bigger one just stood behind the couch staring. I sat down in my comfy chair I recently found on the side of the road. I noticed the thinner one had cream color hair the same shade as my couch. I’d never seen that shade on someone before. He seemed like the type of guy that companies sent to put forth a good first impression. Soft brown eyes could charm anyone, but I just didn’t trust them.

“I suppose we should make some introductions Mr. Garcia. We know your name and occupation but you don’t know ours. I go by Jackalope, and my friend over there goes by Nessie. Unfortunately, we can’t tell you who we work for or what we do.” He started and gestured a thumb over at the silent man.

“Jackalope? Is that like, a code name or something?” I asked, eyebrow raised.

“Secret agents have codenames. Do we look like secret agents to you?” Jackalope asked leaning in conspiratorially. It felt like he was teasing me.

“What else should I think?” I replied annoyed.

He gave his hand a wave and leaned back. At first, I thought he was digging around his pockets for some cigarettes but he pulled out a large round sucker. I waited for him to slowly unwrap it. Once it was in his mouth and his hands in his pocket he carried on.

“Getting down to the reason why we’re here. We work for a company that has an interest in these kinds of cases. We studied them before. They stopped very shortly after we heard about them, and so far, we have not been able to gather that much information.” He explained speaking around his candy.

"This has happened before? When? Where? How did it stop?” I asked my body starting to tremble over the thought of it all.

These unnatural deaths happened somewhere else. And they could be stopped. I just needed to know the reason why they started in the first place.

“I can’t outright tell you, but I can give you some hints. We have a working theory of why they stopped, so hint number one. What is the strangest aspect of these cases?”

He pointed a finger at me while his partner remained silent watching us. It was clear the strangest aspect was the mixture of the DNA and the body's placement. That didn’t explain why they stopped. If someone or something could put them inside solid objects they would keep going. No, what was even stranger than that was the lack of press on these cases. Not a single newspaper printed the story beyond the fact a body was found. These events should be all over the internet and yet not even people working on the cases wanted to speak about them. Whenever my co-workers tried, they got a distant look on their faces and tried to avoid the subject. It was a terrible sight almost beyond human understanding and no one reported about it anywhere.

“No one wants to talk about it.” I said finally.

“Bingo!”

Jackalope waved his finger looking happy I arrived at the answer. The more people talked about what was happening, the more it was going to happen. The thought nearly made me sick. I thought of Becky, all twisted inside that car. She was such a kind person and never should have died so soon. If these cases went on more innocent people would become victims of this strange tragedy.

“Are you here to warn me to stop talking about all of this?” I asked meekly.

“What? No! We want you to keep talking. Spread this far and wide. Post this online anywhere you like. It doesn’t matter if people believe you, as long as they know about these cases more is going to occur.”

The man sounded all too happy to explain the reason for his visit. It made rage boil up inside me. I shot to my feet, knees shaking.

“Do you want people to keep dying?!” I snapped at him.

Giving me another kind smile he waved both his hands to motion me to sit back down. Looking at the bigger silent partner I decided that was best. I could toss Jackalope out, but not the other man. He waited until I felt calmer before speaking again.

“This is going to happen if you speak about it or not. The problem is, we can’t figure out where or when. It happens so randomly we are lucky to be able to arrive here so soon. We just need to study these events while they are going on to solve them. We want to stop them, but that requires sacrifices.”

“I’m not going to sacrifice anyone!” I replied without thinking.

He looked at me as if he was dealing with a troublesome child. Running a hand through his tied-back hair he paused to try and think of the right words to explain what he wanted to say. I understood what he was getting at but couldn’t stand the thought of it.

“That is a respectable answer. I know you don’t want to be the cause of someone dying. But this could save a lot of people in the future. If we could just study one or two of these events while it was happening, we could put an end to them once and for all. If you can’t burden yourself with this task, we can find someone else. Although, it seems as if you are the only one working on this current set of cases willing enough to do it.”

“Why can’t you two say something then? Scared to get fired or something?” There was more venom in my voice than needed.

I was confused scared and angry. Most of my rage sputtered out when I watched both men look at each other. When Jackalope looked back at me, he had an expression I couldn’t place. Something forlorn and almost distraught. Taking a hold of the stick of his sucker, he bit down and started to chew the remains of his candy making me flinch.

“Do you know why we’re called Nessie and Jackalope? Because those creatures don’t exist.”

I felt a chill go through me as cold brown eyes stared me down. I knew now there was something much more going on than I originally thought. These men may be working for something way bigger than any government. And for a small moment, I didn’t think either of them was human. When the air between us settled Jackalope placed both hands on his knees to start to get up from the couch.

“Well, it’s been nice chatting with you. You have a nice and comfy couch.” Standing up he looked at the other man and gave a silent sign for him to start walking toward the door.

“It’s just an old ratty couch.” I said feeling as if I should correct him on something.

“Sometimes it’s a special thing to become old. And to able to own older items.” He replied with a smile.

He was strange. I was scared of what he represented but, in a way, I didn’t dislike him. He did his job very well by winning people over with his nature. I walked him to the door, his partner already outside.

“You don’t need to do this if you find it too difficult. No one would blame you, so don’t worry about it. We’ll find the answer at some point.” Jackalope said pausing at the door.

He rustled in his suit pocket and took out another sucker, but instead of eating it, he held it out for me to take. He then suddenly leaned in very close and I was positive he was going to unveil some secret knowledge of the case he didn’t want his partner outside overhearing.

“Do you know where to buy the cream flavors of this brand of lollipops? I've been looking all over.” He asked in a low voice.

I brought my hand up to my mouth to turn a small laugh into a cough hoping he didn’t notice. Taking the candy offered I found this man stupid but endearing in a strange way.

“I’ve seen them at the dollar store.” I told him and his face lit up.

Giving me a small wave, he trotted out the front door closing it behind him. I was left in the hallway staring with a sucker in my hand and a lot to think about.

I could be the reason why someone died horribly. And the reason why loved ones would be suffering for the rest of their lives because of the death of another. But if I didn’t do this, then it would just keep happening until someone accepted the hard task of spreading information about these deaths.

I thought about it for a long time. And what was really best in the long run? There was a chance I post this and nothing happens. No new cases come up and it just all ends on its own. While out shopping and still deep in thought, I noticed a small display of the same brand of suckers Jackalope liked. Mixed in were the cream flavors he was after. Buying a few on a whim I decided then and then I would be the one who said something about these cases. Even if only one more person finds out about them, it felt like I was actually doing something.

I’ll update again if any new information comes to light because of my actions.