The Mysterious Disappearences

8/14/2019 The Mysterious Disappearences

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The Mysterious

Disappearances

By Ambikesh Mishra


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The Mysterious Disappearances

I

Edward Sanchez, Sera Sanchez, Allan Tait, Ronnie Martin and Jack Gibbs

were ready for their official visit to the two haunted villages. These five had been

studying in the famous Denver institute of detective arts for several years and

this was their first practical assignment which was a test that would decide their

future. These young kids who were aspiring to be detectives were about 16

years and it had been their childhood dream to uncover an unsolved mystery.

Gourd village and the Spirit village, popularly known as the twin haunted

villages were the destination of this small group. Recently, a class of university

students went on a camping trip to this location and every member of the group

disappeared without leaving any trace. It was therefore assumed that they were

taken by angry spirits who had punished them for trespassing into their holy

land. There was also a legend that some hidden treasure left by the Frenchduring their brief stay in the province was buried somewhere in the vicinity of the

two villages. Many unsuccessful attempts had been made to find those precious

rubies, amethysts, diamonds and gold coins. All of these expeditions had

resulted in failure and at least one of the crew had gone missing which had

scared the other members, compelling them to pack their bags and leave the

place at once. A thought of paying a visit to that area was considered to be sheer

lunacy.

The detective club had conducted extensive research and had collected

much data about the two villages and the nature of the disappearances throughvarious sources. They were totally abreast with the prevalent facts. As far as they

could conclude, these incidents were the work of a vicious murderer rather than

an angry spirit. They had been ordered by the detective school to investigate

further into the matter and dig out the truth. After days of planning, the group

was finally prepared to leave for their dangerous journey to the two haunted

villages.

Got everything ready?Queried Edward

Yeah, I have packed all the necessary equipments we shall need. Our bus will

arrive shortly as well. It will drop us at a nearby town; the two haunted villageswill take 3 hours of walking to reach.Allan replied heartily

Dont call it haunted. It stirs up a nasty feeling. Remarked Sera

Someones getting scared!Taunted Allan

Sera spoke in a cold voice:

Oh, do shut up. Its time for us to leave.

They proceeded towards the door and locked it from the outside. Everyone

hopped on to the bus and the vehicle jolted forward. It was dusk when they set

out and the pleasant warm atmosphere brought in a cheery mood. For a while,


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the students forgot that they were heading towards the lions mouth and talked

to each other merrily. Time passed quickly and it was dawn when the bus finally

stopped at the Argus bus stand in the outskirts of Shropshire town.

So we have to walk from here?Jack asked the bus driver

Yes, just proceed on this road. It does not deviate anywhere and shall take you

straight to the entrance of Gourd village. Replied the bus driver

Thanks for the journey!Jack replied merrily

The bus took a U-turn and sped back and eventually disappeared from vicinity.

So now we are all alone, arent we? No turning back now. Sera spoke suddenly

No. A real detective must face the angers and we shall face the ones bravely

that head our way. replied Ronnie jauntily

Well spoken. Now move along, it will be a long journey.

A brief uneasy silence pursued which was broken by the chirping of a bird. It was

pleasant summer morning and the flowers were in full bloom creating a merry

atmosphere. However this wasnt true in the case of the group. A worried

expression was clearly visible on everyones face. It was Jack who spoke first:

Hey Ed, dont you think this environment doesnt match with the atmosphere of

a haunted village?

No, you are right. Everything seems so ordinary. I didnt expect this as well.Edreplied

The hard concrete road gave way to a narrow stony path covered by the

undergrowth bending into an avenue. Time passed and after walking

continuously for several hours, the group reached a cliff with a tunnel which dug

through it and seemed to be the only way through. The tunnel entrance was

very dark from the outside and the group hesitatingly and with caution

proceeded towards it. Jack searched through his rucksack and took out a torch

whose light he directed towards the darkness illuminating the path ahead.

Allan was a computer freak with immense experience of working outthings with the help of his handy laptop. He was a short boy of about 51 with

ruffled hair, an upturned nose which supported the burden of his sleek and

stylish spectacles. On the contrary, Jack was tall about 62 in height, muscular

with equally ruffled hair, small blue eyes accompanied by large eyebrows. Jack

had a hard exterior but his friends had known from the beginning that inside his

hard exterior laid a heart of gold. Edward or Ed as his friends called him was

neither tall nor stout of about 56 in height, with spiked black hair, large brown

eyes and he was known for his brilliance in deduction on several occasions. But

except for these rare times, he was rather dumb. Sera were the oldest among

them of about 18 years of age, long black hair, fair skin and small blue eyes.From the outside appearances, no one even the canniest of detectives would


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have been able to deduce that she was Edwards older sister. Her duty was not

only to solve mysteries but also to look after her brother. She had a photographic

memory and could remember whatever she saw very distinctly in her mind.

Ronald or Ronnie Martin was about the same height as Jack with long brown hair

neatly tied into one pigtail. He had round chin and had a fair complexion. He

belonged to Eds category but his brilliance in deduction was seen more often

than his friend. When one looked at the bigger picture, a thought would

immediately cross ones mind that the detective school had blended some of the

most promising talents into one united group that would be able to tackle any

assignment that was hurled at them.

II

We have been walking for fifteen minutes. This tunnel never seems to end.Jack

said impatiently

As they bent around a corner a ray of light came gushing in bringing anexpression of relief on everyones face.

According to my calculations, this tunnel is 1.5km long which takes to the Gourd

villages entrance where we are standing right now. See those shabby pillars with

a welcome sign?Allan explained

There must be some other way to get to this village. The tunnel was so creepy.

No wonder a few ghosts may be lurking around somewhere in the midst.Jack

spoke shivering

Come on Jack. There are no things such as ghosts. They only exist only in apersons imagination. Anyways there cant be any other way to get to this village

as I have observed that all the electrical and telephone wires run to your right.

Generally poles are used to transfer electricity and they are only made to run

through a tunnel if there isnt any other way. Moreover as you can see this

village is surrounded by tall cliffs on both sides which cant be scaled even with

the help of proper mountaineering equipment. Common lets not waste our time

here. Theres an inn around the corner. According to my research its the only

place in the whole village that allows visitors to stay.

Gourd village looked to be a small village with about twenty huts, one local innand the remaining area was used for cultivation. The inn was not what one would

rate as five- star. I hadnt been painted for several years and its wooden roof

probably leaked when it rained. There was quite a large garden in the inns

premises which any observer would have termed as well maintained. The

building was bathed in sunlight and showed no sign that it could be haunted.

Sera gently knocked on the door and spoke in a polite manner:

Hello! Is anyone there?

There was no reply and the group anxiously waited for several minutes.

It doesnt look like that the door is locked.

Sera cautiously opened the door and the group stepped into the inn. The place

seemed deserted and showed no sign of life. It was well furnished from the inside


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with a dining table in the far corner of the room and a door which probably to the

tenants rooms. The detectives scattered and started observing different parts of

the room. Suddenly several people wearing masks with countless dot like

punctures appeared from nowhere and surprised the group and sacred the wits

out of them. Allan was frightened to such an extent that he screamed and

jumped over Jack.

HAHA got you!Shouted one of the men wearing those strange masks

Just look at those pale faces! We really scared them, didnt we?Spoke another

one

They untied there marks and removed them. Each one of them was bemused but

this was not the case with the detective club. The still stood there still and

perplexed. It was Ronald who spoke first:

Just who in the world are you?

Oh dont be scared. We saw you coming this way and we thought of this littleplan to entertain you as well as ourselves.

Entertain us??Allan posted his query in an angry tone

Yeah, dont be angry with us. We are a just a TV crew and have come here to

make a film. We are making a TV show called Finding the mythical treasure. Its

the next big thing. But first, we would like to introduce ourselves. I am Ville, the

director. On my right is Rob, our camera man. Beside him are Amy and Joan

forming the support staff. On my left is Kyle who is the producer of the show.

I want to apologize for Allans rudeness. He is not his himself when he is

frightened. I am Ed, beside me is my sister Sera. These are Jack and Ronnie onmy right and I think you will probably guess who Allan is. We are representing a

detective school.

A pleasant conversation would have followed but the mood was disturbed by the

entrance of an old man whose facial expression showed no signs that he was in a

very chatty mood. He was bald and his whole body was covered in wrinkles and

his face looked droopy from every angle.

His voice echoed through the large reception room of the inn:

How dare you abuse the holy masks, you fools? Give me those; I didnt rentthem to you so that you can play jokes on others using them. You will induce the

wrath of gods upon you and my inn as well.

Ronnie spoke politely showing deep respect towards the venerable gentleman:

Sorry to interrupt sir but we five are from a detective club and have been sent

to solve the murder mysteries of anyone who has dared to look for that cursed

treasure. We intend to stay a while at you inn.

Eh? Those intruders were spirited away, not murdered. Anyways, you can stay

at the inn but dont meddle in our affairs.

III


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It was dusk and the sun was about to set. Ronnie, Sera and Ed had spent

the whole afternoon exploring the village while Allan was locked up in his room

busy working on his laptop while Jack had craft fully gathered information about

those strange and sacred masks. Jack had just entered the inn and was passing

in front of Joans room where he presumed the whole of the TV crew had

assembled. A quarrel between the members had resulted after a brief

conversation and Jack could easily distinguish what they were speaking. It was

Joan who spoke first:

I have solved the mystery of the strange symbol we found behind the

photograph which that university student had taken. I know where the treasure

lies.

Common Joan, spill the beans. We want our share. All of us have taken the risk

of coming to this dangerous place inhabited by those crazy masked

worshippers.Kyle spoke

When it comes to treasure, I dont share it with anyone. So you forget about it.

Anyways, I am tired of this brooding so I am going out in the garden to get somefresh air.

Jack quickly stepped sideways and in front of Allans room and slid the key

into the lock and opened the door and with equal briskness stepped in and

closed it from the inside.

What are you doing Jack?Allan asked curiously

Wait a while until Ed and the others come back. I have just overheard an

interesting conversation between the TV crew.

After a few moments, the three tired members of the detective group

came back and were astounded to hear Jacks story who described the whole

incident he had witnessed or rather listened to with all ears, very briefly.Everyone engrossed in working out what Jack had told them quietly proceeded

downstairs to dine with the members of the TV crew who were still rumbling

quietly how Joan had betrayed them. Dinner was served by a lady whose name

the detective club came to know as Katy assisted by a young girl about their age

whose name was Ruth.

Want more curry, Mr Ronald?Ruth asked

No thanks. Bye the way, your cooking is really good.Ronnie spoke heartily

Thanks. I dont get that sort of compliment very often.Ruth replied

Katy and Ruth gathered the plates and went t over to the kitchen disappearing

from the view.After fulfilling their appetite, everyone went back to their rooms where sleep

overcame them.

Peace reigned and in the garden and a cool breeze accompanied by a sweet

scent of flowers had rejuvenated the spirit of Joan who was sitting all alone on a

wooden bench. The soft rustling of leaves had created an amiable environment.

A hand holding a sickle cautiously proceeded in her direction and then true

peace reigned with the slush of blood.

IV


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A dark and gloomy night gave way to new daw with bright sunshine beaming

into Edwards room breaking his sound sleep. He yawned and looked at the clock

beside his bed. It was 7o clock in the morning and at this hour he would

generally be asleep in his house at Denver. After staring at the clock for some

time, he finally decided that it was wiser to get up from bed and share his views

with the rest of the group. Recollecting what he had managed to work out the

previous night, he knocked on Seras door. There was no reply and so he

presumed that she must have gone for a walk in the garden. So, half asleep he

turned the knob of Ronnies door and soon found that he too wasnt in his bed.

He found it really annoying that everybody else had woken up at an earlier hour

than him. Before he could sit and brood on this issue, his attention was caught

by a figure which just passed by the window. He unbolted it and as he did so lost

his balance and fell on the other side on some creepers which acted as cushion

and saved him from bruising himself. It was Rob, the camera man of the TV crew

who came to his aid.

Thanks.Ed spokeHe noticed the worried expression on his face. An unusual uneasiness was

present on Robs face.

Whats the matter? You seem perturbed.Ed asked

Its Joan, we havent seen her since last evening.Rob replied with his voice

stuttering a little bit

We had a little quarrel and then she parted with us and went over to the garden.

Mr. Gordon, the owner of this inn claims that she has been taken by the spirits as

she had committed sacrilege by looking for the holy treasure. Rob continued

At this moment Ed was joined by Sera and the others who jumped over thehedge and destroyed a very beautiful sunflower that was about to bloom.

Did you hear about that gibberish about a ghost kidnapping that Joan

woman?Jack asked

To me, its plane as a pikestaff. She has been murdered.Ronnie commented

All eyes focused on him except for Eds who seemed to have grasped the

situation with ease.

Lets see. Joan was in the garden when she was murdered. Right?Ed asked the

others

Yeah. Mr. Gordon says that he saw her sitting on the bench over there, next to

that grassy path.Sera repliedMaybe we can find something useful over there.

By the way, get our first aid box, we may need it.

How can a first aid box be useful to help a murdered person?Jack asked

hoarsely

Just do as I say Jack, you will soon realize what I intend to do.Ed replied calmly

Jack hurriedly rushed to the door where he nearly collided with Mr. Gordon who

stopped him, much to his annoyance.

Where are you off to, young boy?

Jack noticing a sickle in his hand forgetting all his polished manners shouted:

What the hell? Whats that?


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Surely you know that this is a sickle. I use it to trim the hedge.Mr. Gordon

replied like a priest replying to a disciple

Reacting to Jacks hoarse voice, Ronald also came running where Mr. Gordon was

standing with the sharp sickle in his hand. He noticed an unusual shine on it as if

it had been recently cleaned with sand paper and washed thoroughly.

Mr. Gordon, may I ask you one question?Ronald asked in his polite manner

Go right ahead.Mr. Gordon replied looking bemused by the whole situation

I saw that sickle in your hand kept over the cupboard next to the dining table

last night. At that juncture, I was observed it thoroughly after noticing that it had

a Japanese hologram on it. It was totally rusted but now it seems very clean and

sharp.

Mr Gordon grinned.

Oh that! I too was very surprised to see that it was clean in the morning. I had

broken my older sickle a few days ago and was quite pleased that someone

cared so much for me that he had cleaned and washed this rusted on.

A very likely story!Allan whispered into Ronnies earJack appeared with the first aid kit and handed it over to Ronald who took out a

bottle containing some sort of fluid. He poured some of it over the sickle and

bubbles evolved.

You see! This fluid reacts with blood to release oxygen clearly pointing out that

this is the murder weapon!Ronald explained weighing each word in his mind

before speaking

Well done Ronnie, now where could the murderer have hidden the body?Ed

asked with excitement written all over his face

Hey guys come and look over here.Seras voice boomed from another part of

the garden

Distinct marks were visible on the muddy soil similar to what a wheelbarrow

makes. Ronnie poured some more of the fluid near the bench where he supposed

Joan had been the previous night. Bubbles formed again bringing satisfaction to

him that his theory was quite feasible.

Suddenly Edward commented from behind:

Of course! Thats how the murder must have taken place.

Startled by Eds sudden speech, Jack spoke disbelievingly:

Common Ed, throw a little light on the case. How can you say whos the

murderer.He never said that he had found the murder. He just wants to elaborate how

the murder had taken place.Allan explaining the situation clearly to his fathead

companion

Joan after that feud with the other members of the TV crew came here and sat

on this very bench. Meanwhile, someone treaded quietly behind her and using

that sickle killed her. As a result some of the blood spilled on to the ground which

that the special fluid just illuminated. If you carefully observe, youll notice that

the ground has been recently turned over to hide the blood traces. Now we will

probably come to know where the body is hidden by following those wheel

marks. A wheelbarrow was probably used to carry the body away from the crimescene.


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But thats crazy! Why should Joan be murdered?Kyle spoke

Sorry for intruding in you private matters. But I overheard your little talk last

night. I clearly heard that Ms Joan exhibited no intention of sharing her little

secret about the treasure with you. Maybe that was a threat to the murderer so

he got her out of the way.

You mean to say one of our crew members are the murderers?

I never said that. Everyone in the village falls under suspicion. We cant count

anyone out. You are no special suspect. Anyways, lets not waste our time here.

We must find that body.

Pursuing the tyre marks left by the wheelbarrow, after a long walk accompanied

by the members of the TV crew, the young detectives reach a cemetery much to

do their surprise. Instantaneously a little cry escaped from Eds mouth:

Of Course, thats it! What an ingenious idea to conceal the corpse in the

cemetery where no one would ever think of searching for it there.

Without paying much attention to young Eds little explanation Mr Gordon starts

minutely inspecting the graves. He makes an interesting discovery and calls over

the tenants of his inn.

Look here amateur detective kiddos. Some freshly turned soil.

As he was speaking, a young man with long black well combed hair appeared

from the bushes that were just in front of the tunnel that led to Spirit village. Mr

Gordon spotted the entrance of this stranger and greeted him warmly.

Ah son, come on! We have some work to do. Bring me a shovel.

What do you want a shovel for, dad? I came here to give you those sacred

masks you askedfor. Replied the young man

Sir, sorry to interrupt but who are you?Sera asked in a querulous tone

The young man replied cheerfully:

I am Richard, the son of the innkeeper Mr Gordon. I also own an inn on the other

side of this tunnel in the Spirit village. I came over here to give my dad those

masks he had asked me to deliver as he wanted to rent them to some visitors

who had shown interest in visiting the spirit village.

You need to wear the mask to enter the Spirit village?questioned Ronnie

Yes, in fact you do need to be in possession of the sacred mask if you wish to

enter the Spirit village otherwise the oracle, our spiritual head will prohibit youfrom entering the town as it would anger the spirits. I also just took off my mask

when I was in the tunnel. I can show you the mask since you are really curious.

OH MY GOD, LOOK HERE!

Mr Gordon and the TV crew members had been busy digging the grave which Mr.

Gordon had claimed to be recently laid down. A dim figure with blonde hair and

pale face lied in that grave with fresh and deep injuries around her neck.

Hmm, so its Joan. Cant say I am surprised. smirked Amy

How can you say that! Your friend has just been murdered.Jack replied to

Amys remark

We should call the police at once. Jack see to it at once.Ronnie ordered takingcharge of the proceedings.


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Focusing his attention towards Mr. Gordon he spoke:

You see, this woman has been murdered, stabbed to death and you still believe

that this is the work of a spirit.

Before Ronnie could complete what he was about to saw, few cops accompanied

by Jack and Ruth, the girl form the Gourd village in walking towards the scene

where the victims corpse had been found.

The police are here already. I never knew the clutches of law were those quick

to sniff a crime.Ed spoke surprised

This is no time to Joke around Ed, we are facing a very serious situation.Sera

replied coldly totally appalled by her brothers humorous approach towards the

whole situation

What are these kids doing at the crime scene? They can destroy important

evidence. said the inspector

We are special detective team sent by the Detective School of Denver to

investigate the mysterious disappearances of the university students who camehere in hunt for treasure. We are fully authorized to undertake the task of the

observation of the crime scene and find the person who is behind these brutal

crimes through any means possible. Here are our badges. Explained Ronnie

Very well, then I shall assist you in your investigation. I have been in charge of

this case since quite a time and I must accept that I have been totally ruffled by

the nature of these so called disappearances. I think you have found the body of

on such victim.

Yes we have inspector. We also believe that the missing university students met

the same fate as the TV crew member we found and have been concealed in this

very graveyard. I am sure there corpses will be found if we dig up all thesegraves.

Very well, I shall do that as well. But I strongly advise you to be on your guard

as a murderer is somewhere in the vicinity.

Thank you inspector, we shall take every precaution to prevent injuries to

ourselves and prevent any more murders from taking place. Anyways, how did

you arrive so early?

This young girl, Ruth reported the whole scenario to us and we set off for here

at once.

I thought you would require police assistance when you uncover the body so I

reported the incident as soon as you left Ed. explained RuthThank you very much Ruth for your presence of mind. It prevented wastage of

time and probably another murder. replied the inspector cheerfully

Common everybody let the police handle this from now. We will be hurdle her so

lets go. said Jack

In the meanwhile, Richard, Mr Gordons son and keeper of the inn at Spirit

village departed back for the Spirit village though the tunnel .The TV crew and

the students of the Detective School also departed from the scene back towards

the inn. If one was on a holiday, one would have admired the natural beauty of

the picturesque locality but in this tense mood, everyone had a grave look ontheir faces. It was afternoon and everyone was hungry as they hadnt eaten


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anything since the last night. Allan was buried in his laptop even while he was

walking searching something through the laptops wireless internet connection.

Soon lunch was served by Ruth and Katy, the housekeeper who tried their best to

rejuvenate the spirit of the party who were in no sort of merry mood after what

they had seen a few moments ago. Ed barely gulped a single biscuit while his

stomach was actually throbbing for a real big meal and a delicious desert. Finally,

after a heartless lunch, the TV crew separated and went up to their respective

rooms whereas the detectives decided to plan their course of action in a small

meeting at Seras room.

V

The bright sunshine had given way to a grim and cloudy weather with an

insignificant drizzle starting to pour down. An observer may have expected that

such weather would have brought more desolation to the young detectives but

on the contrary they seemed to have recovered from the nasty shock of

witnessing a corpse lying on the ground. Melancholy existed even in the heartsof detectives who were supposed to have a skin made of stone and should not be

affected by atrocities. However, this was their first practical experience and even

aspiring detectives can be shaken by such an event taking place right in front of

their eyes. But time being the great healer had covered those small but painful

wounds.

Edward had finally found his appetite and had just finished devouring the

remains of the delicious meal which had seemed so tasteless to him at lunch.

Ruth had sent it up to Seras room as she thought that Ed being a teenager

should have eaten more if he wanted to remain healthy. They were supposed to

discuss their plan after lunch but Allans presence being indispensable haddelayed the meeting as he had not come out of his room after lunch. Sera had

fallen asleep after the tiring trip to the cemetery while Ronnie and Ed were

pondering over the recent turn of events. Till now they had been thinking that

they were here to investigate a stagnant crime which took place long time ago.

But their misunderstanding had been cleared after the recent murder of Joan. It

generated a thought that a murderer was on the loose and he/she had to be

stopped before another crime took place. A tap on the door broke Seras sound

sleep and she yawned in her bed.

Its me, Allan. said the voice from outside the door

Come in you dumb head, why rousing the whole place up.Jack spoke in histypical hoarse voice

The dory opened and Allan came in with a look on his which suggested that he

had made a remarkable discovery.

See this photograph.

He produced a crumbled photograph of a shovel.

Is this some kind of Joke, Allan?

Look at the back of this photograph and youll understand. Notice this symbol

and the word treasure scribbled beneath it. I found it in Joans bedroom when I

made a thorough search of her things just now.

You are more cunning than I thought. But I dont understand the meaning of thissymbol. It looks like the digit 8 has been rotated clockwise by 90 degrees.


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Jack showed the symbol to the others:

Hmm, so what have you concluded from it Allan?asked Ronnie

I was browsed the internet regarding it and found some very interesting

information. This symbol was used by the militarys special forces during the

Second World War. The teams identity had been kept in the dark as they were

working discreetly on developing a lethal weapon for biological warfare. However

when the Allies won the war before they had anticipated, the need of such a

dangerous weapon that could well have destroyed their own ranks subsided. So

they closed the operation. That accounts for why they built the Gourd and Spirit

villages in such remote areas surrounded on all sides by cliffs. They wanted to

conceal this project from the world. And how cleverly have they done this.

Just what is this weapon you are talking about?

This is the centre where a stronger species of smallpox viruses were being

developed by the military for warfare motives. Smallpox as we know was an

epidemic during that period of time and killed millions of people around the

world until the intensive vaccination over the globe finally eradicated the

disease. Its use in the war against the enemy would have led to the most horrific

of deaths. To conceal this fact, they created a plague cult, a few of their

members we are already acquainted with. Those freaky masks which all of us

noticed had dot like punctures all over it resembling the rashes, a smallpox

patient has all over his body. The plague cult scares away any stranger who isclose to learning this buried secret. There is no real treasure here.

Wow! You sure have done your homework. This opens up a new prospective and

throws some light why those so called disappearances or murders have taken

place. said Sera

To go deeper into this whole matter, we must pay a visit to Spirit village. But the

problem is that we must be in possession those holy masks in order to enter the

village or we will be prohibited from entering. Mr. Gordon the innkeeper rents

those masks but the TV crew has hired most of the masks leaving only one to

him. Another one is available, that of Miss Joan. Only two of us can go over to

Spirit village through another creepy tunnel which the only route for us to getthere.

Ok, well decide now who will go to Spirit village while the rest of the group

stays here. Heres a match box.Ronnie shoved it from his pocket

He took out two matches and burned them, took the other matches out one by

one until only five remained inside along with the two burned ones. He spoke:

Well each draw a match stick from its rear part and the ones wholl get the

burned ones will go to Spirit village.

The group sat down in a circle and one by one drew a match form its box. Edswas the first one but he drew out an intact match. Jack and Allan followed suit


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and drew a match but like Ed managed to find an intact one meaning none of

those three would be going for that trip to Spirit village. This clearly pointed out

that the responsibility to wade into the territory of cult maniacs was in the

shoulders of Sera and Ronnie. The discussion closed here and the meeting ended

with satisfactory results and everybody returned to their rooms with each person

knowing what he had to do next day.

VI

Another long day had passed and after an early breakfast, the detectives

were on course to the spirit village. The whole group had decided to accompany

Sera and Ronnie to till the exit of the tunnel as they perceived that travelling in

numbers was always better. They were midway through the tunnel when they

heard footsteps ahead from the spiral staircase. It was not a dark tunnel and

there was plenty of light streaming from artificial bulbs which were embedded at

equal distances on the roof. This fact had taken off some of the anxiety fromtheir minds. After taking some brisk steps they soon found out that the TV crew,

like them were journeying towards the Spirit village as well. Deep fog had been

prevalent that morning and visibility out in the open was drastically low. One

couldnt see a few metres ahead of him but such a problem was not a cause of

worry inside the tunnel as the mist hadnt penetrated inside as yet. Though the

bright and sunny weather as it had been the previous two days would have

provided a chirpy environment, the group still seemed in high spirits. They

joined the TV crew and walked beside them as they decided that even greater

numbers wont do any harm to their security. No one had spoken a word until

now but the silence was broken by Amy who started boasting about somethingand from the look on her face one wouldnt have guessed that recently a tragedy

had stunned this group with one of their fellow members being murdered. Finally

they arrived at the exit which revealed a foggy scene in which nothing could be

seen. At some distance from entrance stood two men wearing those plague cult

masks with a staff in their hands and dressed in white robes. Between them

stood a man with grey hair with a similar mask but his outfit suggested that he

was a higher tier official than the other two. The groups perception was right as

the two blokes on his side introduced him:

The oracle orders you to wear the masks in your possession of if you intend to

enter the Spirit village. Those without the holy masks will be denied entrance.May luck guide you Ronnie. You take care as well Sera.Allan wished them good

luck

Meanwhile the TV crew were busy putting on their masks while Amy requested to

hold on to Robs video camera.

What do you want it for?asked Rob

I have figured out where the treasure lies and I am going to shoot a film

projecting me as I approach the treasure. And dont worry, as soon as I find it Ill

share it with you but the profit I get from selling this film on the big screen, Ill

keep for myself.

All right Joan but handle my precious camera with care.


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With these words the conversation ended and Ed, Allan and Jack started for their

return Journey while Ronnie and Sera despite the fog found their way to the inn

of Spirit village owned by Mr Gordons son Richard whom they had already met

at the graveyard. This was a similar sort of inn like that in Gourd village with a

beautiful rose garden built all around it enhancing its beauty. It was quite cold

and Ronnie along with Sera sat down on a table next to the window to have a

warm cup of coffee. The window presented a view of a magenta coloured wall

with vines overgrowing and the dampness had seeped in and destroyed all the

lustre which it must have once possessed. From the outside it resembled a

religious haven. They queried about it from Mr Richard who was attending to

their wishes.

Who lives in that awkward looking place there?

Thats where the Oracle lives. Nobody except him can enter that holy building

and if someone tries he will face the anger of the spirits. Dont potter around

there. Otherwise youll get into trouble.

There were agricultural fields with electricity poles around them surrounding the

Oracles temple. As they were observing the scenery, they saw a faint figure with

a camera in its hands loitering around in the open. They didnt pay much

attention to it and quietly sipped their coffee.

Ed and Allan had separated from Jack who had parted ways with them to

question the locals to gather any sort of information while they examined the

geography of the place. As they were examining the hills, one fact which caught

their eye was that the cliffs had been dug further making holes which didnt

seem a result of natural weathering, but that a shovel had been used to make iteven more difficult for scaling.

Doesnt that look strange to you? Ed asked

Not really. replied Allan

Why?

The army which founded these two villages would have wanted to make this an

inaccessible zone so they must have scorched the cliff to make it impossible for

climbing.

Then if they wanted to really isolate these two villages then why didnt they

demolish the tunnel as well?They wanted to keep the option of further research into the biological weapon

open so maybe thats why they never closed the tunnel and drove the

inhabitants out.

Then where exactly is this research facility which you are speaking about?

I dont know. I am bewildered as much as you are.

They continued to stroll around minutely observing things and their eyes were

beginning to hurt as spotting something in such low visibility took a toll on the

most precious sense. As they reached the west corner of the village after finding

their way out of the wilderness of the swampy rice fields they found a damstanding magnificently with all its pride.


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What a weird place to build a dam!said Ed

What the hell did they need a dam for? It doesnt even look as if it is functional

and is just a showpiece.

Recently, many disadvantages of multi-purpose projects faced harsh criticism

for causing environmental damage and anti-dam activists forced the government

to close many such dams all over the country. But I dont think any activist must

have reached this remote place. You know, things just dont seem to fit in.

Maybe you are right but lets not hang about here. Theres nothing more to see

more to see and we have already scouted the whole area without finding

anything worthy.

My gut feeling doesnt quite agree with you Allan. Lets hope Jack comes up with

some news.

They returned to the inn again wading through the rice field ending up drenched

with mud. Jack was having a peaceful lunch with waffles and pancakes scatteredon the table and him pouncing on them like a hungry wolf. Allan and Ed looked

disgruntled seeing him feasting like this while they were out in the cold

negotiating their way through wet ground.

What the hell are you doing?shouted Ed

Having my lunch, cant you see?

We agreed on you talking to the locals.

I accomplished the job given to me with sincerity so I have earned a well

deserved lunch, so stop your whining.

So tell us what you found?Not a single person knew too much about the plague cult or the murders. All of

them were behaving like simple innocent peasants living peacefully far from the

worries of the world.

That doesnt get us anywhere. We are back to square one.

So thats why you should stop worrying and relax.

Ok.

The inn of the Spirit village was in total chaos. People were running hither and

thither. Sera had just finished her coffee and was going back to her room when

she was met by Kyle, the producer of the TV crew on the way.You are a detective arent you?he asked

Yes I am.Sera replied as she didnt want to debate on the topic

Then help us find Amy. Shes missing.

When did you last see her?

She was out in the fields hunting for the treasure. She was supposed to be back

an hour ago.

Did you look for her out in the open rice fields?

Thats where we are heading to. Please accompany us and assist us in the

search.

Ill follow you.


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Sera met Ronnie on the doorway and asked him to come along as well. The

search party hunted for Amy everywhere with mist being a huge hindrance but a

after a thorough search she was not found. Disappointed and tired, Kyle, Ville

and Rob along with Sera and Ronnie after a fruitless search came back

somewhere in the evening. Night fell and after dinner everyone went straight to

bed.

VII

Next morning the mist had finally scattered and had given way to a bright and

sunny morning and Amy still hadnt returned till breakfast. There was no sign of

concern over the TV crews face. On the contrary they seemed bemused that

Amy had been struck down by the curse of the treasure as well and it was up to

them to finally latch on to the precious booty. Mr Richard presented a camera on

the breakfast table and asked if it belonged to them.

What a bad condition my precious camera is in. That Amy will pay for this. saidRob

If she is alive, then only your wish will come true. remarked Ville

Perhaps we can check the film which probably Amy recorded to find what

happened to her. suggested Ronnie

Good idea, kid! Lets plug it into my laptop right away.

Amy appeared on the screen speaking the following words:

Sorry for the camera shake but I cant hold steady with one hand. This is a really

exciting hunt for treasure. I have found the exact location where it lies. Up in

front is an avenue which leads to the paddy and rice fields. The deep fog hasmade the path invincible and I am barely being able to manage my way through.

Here to my right is a stack of branches and up in front the rice fields I have been

talking about all along. Ill switch off the camera here to save my batteries. I will

continue to anchor this show as soon as I get more near to the treasure.

That was all. The tape was blank after this meaning it hadnt been switched on

after that. Ronnie quickly raised a question pointing towards Mr. Richard:

Where did you find this camera?

I found it kept on the doorway, this morning. Someone had left it there.Do you know who left it?

It could have been any of the locals. Knowing that you are the only ones using

these weird gadgets, he would have left it on the inns doorway.

Common Sera, we have to find that avenue and the pile of branches and then

well get a clue about the whereabouts of Amy.

The door swung open and the two set of on the paved path that was barely

visible the previous night but now it shone with all its glory in the bright

sunshine. They had to jump over the hedge as it had overgrown and jammed the

gate. The rice crop was dancing with the gentle breeze and the tree leaves wereswaying along with the soothing wind. Sera and Ronnie took a short cut to the


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only avenue that was in existence in the village. The scattered ray of light made

it very difficult to spot something on the ground which was half in the shade

while the other half was covered with sunlight. They noticed the pile of branches

where Joan was standing and distinct foot prints were implanted on the muddy

ground from which the crop had been recently harvested. But much to the

bewilderment of the two, the footprints disappeared in the middle of the field.

What, those footprints are only to the middle of the field as if someone had

been lifted up in the air. said Sera

A perfect delusion to cover up a crime and make it look as if the victim was

taken by the spirits. Dont you think so as well?

Huh?

Think Sera. Our murderer has been stuck to his plan of covering up his crimes

by making it look as if ghosts and gods had taken away that person. I am a

hundred percent sure that Amy fell victim to this maniac as she had sealed her

fate by discovering the some sort of forbidden secret.But we got to know what this secret is if we have to uncover this mystery. Do

you think that Amy has been murdered as well?

Yeah, I think so.

Wait, I got it, how the murder must have taken place.

Really Sera, how did you figure it out so quickly?

Its simple; the murderer left too many clues. Amy wasnt murdered here. She

must have fallen victim somewhere else. He just came here and made all this

footprints himself to deceive the police and convince everybody in the village

that she was taken by the gods for committing sacrilege.

Spill the beans. How was the killer able to conceal his footprints after reachingthe middle of the field?

It was easy to figure that out! He simply walked backwards. Did you notice that

the field is still quite wet? See over there at the edge of the field.

Yes, theres a rubber dinghy kept all covered with mud.

That was used by the killer to negotiate his way to the middle of the field. Then

he simply lifted the dinghy on to his back and walked backwards creating that

illusive impression.

Quite a clever way to deceive someone.

Yes, but it doesnt change the fact that two murders have taken place and we

havent been able to get one step closer towards the murderer.I have got a hunch that its the oracle thats behind this. He lives in that strange

looking temple and wears a mask all the time. Plus nobody has seen his face.

Quite true, but we have no evidence against him.

I have a plan in my mind to lure the oracle to pour all his secrets out. Whats the

time?

9:30 AM

Good, thats the time the oracle shows up and sees visitors. Lets pay him a

visit.

Retracing their path Sera and Ronnie went back to the inn where rumours hadalready spread about Amy being spirited away with her footmarks disappearing


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after she was in the middle of a field. Ronnie knew that trying to convince the

locals about what really happened will surely result in a futile effort. However,

the crowd had not gathered to gossip about the disappearance but had come to

worship the holy oracle who was just about to step out of the religious haven.

The door of the shrine opened and the oracle dressed in the same way as he had

the previous day conveyed something to Mr Richard through sign language.

Ronnie whispered to Sera:

He uses sign language to communicate. Now why is it so?

Before she could reply Mr. Richard interrupted her speech:

The Oracle has handed down his judgment for the five persons who committed

blasphemy by disturbing the tranquillity of the holy treasure by attempting to

pillage its grand wealth. Two of them have already faced the wrath of the gods

and have been spirited away to hell while the other three by the command of the

Oracle will be banished from Spirit village forever and will not be allowed to set

foot on this holy land ever again. The Oracle also prophesizes that tonight in

Gourd village another person will be spirited away by the gods.

Ronnies patience ended when he heard the last line. He spoke in a feebly as he

was always did when he was flushed with anger.

You are claiming that another murder will take place tonight. As the Oracle is

prophesising such an inevitable event, then surely he is the one murdering all

the people around here.

You fool! You dare accuse the Oracle for committing such atrocities. You will be

struck down by a bolt of lightning right now!shouted one of the villagers

The Oracle made some signs with his hand that his apprentice Mr Richard

spontaneously mediated it to words:The Oracle speaks that a holy man like him is nothing in front of the gods. He

cannot interfere in his affairs and spiriting away of those ghouls was the will of

god. But to satisfy your curiosity, you can watch the tunnel entrance from the

watchtower till tomorrow morning and see for yourself that a person will still be

spirited away in Gourd village despite him not leaving his shrine at all.

Thats fine by me. Common we are off to the watchtower.

The crowd dispersed with an expression of understanding on their faces.

Meanwhile Sera suggested to Ronnie:

Maybe, we should telephone Ed about this and warn him to stay on his guardand prevent this murder from happening. There are cordless phones in both the

inns so contacting them wont be a problem.

Good suggestion. I will do so while you take up you position in the watchtower.

Keep a close watch and record the names of whoever passes through the

tunnel.

Ok.

Ronnie opened the door and found the inn deserted and helped himself to the

cordless phone which was kept at the desk next to the inns register. He opened

up the telephone diary which he found in the tables drawer. After searching awhile for the Gourd inns number he finally found it on the special numbers


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list. He rapidly dialled the number and waited for the response. It was Mr

Gordon who picked up the receiver at the other end.

Halloo.

Is is the Gourd village inn?

Yes, who do you want to speak to?

Edward Sanchez, one of the inns guests.

Wait a minute; Ill have to call him from his room.

After a brief interval Eds voice came through the telephone.

Yeah, sis what do want?

Its me Ed.

Oh Ronnie, whats up?

Ronnie explained the whole story of the Oracle and his prophecy briefly including

the details of Amys disappearance and waited for Eds reaction:

Ill keep an eye on everyone around here. We cant let another murder happen

right under our noses. You keep watching the tunnel and keep in contact through

telephone. We have a cordless one here. You have the same type?Yes, I am speaking through a cordless phone as well.

Thats good. Bye for now.

Bye.

Ronnie walked briskly back towards the watchtower which was only a metres

away from the inns entrance and found Sera already busy with the binoculars

scouting far off places.

We have to watch the tunnel, not the stars.remarked Ronnie

Thats what Eds company does to a person; otherwise you would never have

dared to talk to me like that.

Really, but we should really be concentrating at the tunnel.

The sky had darkened considerably and clouds were hovering in the sky. All of a

sudden it started to pour down followed by lightning bolts dancing in the sky. A

similar atmosphere was prevalent in Gourd village as well. Ed, Jack and Allan

were brooding on a chair when an ecstasy in Eds manner made the other two

guys fall from their chairs.

Whats the matter Ed?queried Allan

Hey, the inspector said he will be digging up the graves today and inspect the

bodies today, didnt he?

Yes.Then Ill pay him a visit.

Hey Ed, wait for us.

Before they could even twitch a muscle Ed grabbed an umbrella and shot out of

the door. Since there was no other umbrella around Allan suggested that it was

wiser for them to stay indoors than getting drenched by following their pip

squeak friend. Meanwhile Ed had already reached the cemetery after running at

a pace after which even Carl Lewis would have been a little hesitant to

challenge, the young racing champ. The inspector and some other cops had

taken shelter under a large banyan tree surrounded by dead bodied covered withtarpaulin to prevent them from coming in contact with the water.


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What are you doing in this rain?the inspector shouted

I came to ask you about your investigation.

Yes, we found the bodies of all the missing university students. Astonishingly,

we also found a young lady with a broken neck who had most probably recently

died due to asphyxiation.

Asphy.. what?

Choking, I mean. the inspector cleared his throat

So whats astonishing about this discovery?

The interesting aspect of the matter is that I saw her the other day when that

girl Joan had been murdered, standing there, trembling like a leaf with rest of

that Hollywood group.

Let me have a look at her.Ed spoke hesitatingly

Here. The inspector uncovered the face of one of the corpses as Ed treaded

quietly towards it. He caught a glimpse of the face and immediately recognized

the pimpled face of Amy. She was stone cold and her face was pale.

Ed reeled as he could not understand the gist of the whole mystery. He spoketotally distraught as the umbrella was blown away by a strong surge of wind:

But how could this be? The woman had been murdered in Spirit village. So how

come her body be here?

You know if I were you, I would head back to the inn and change my clothes. If

you stay here, Im certain youll fall victim to a nasty cold.

Ed stood motionless and still. He was so deep in his thoughts that the inspectors

words seemed to him like a dream. A lightning bolt which fell on a nearby tree

set it on fire which made Ed run amok as he had unconsciously fallen down right

in front of it and a burning branch had fallen right on top of his coat. Although

the rain had extinguished the fire, Ed still scared to death ran or rather flew witha speed which would have certainly won him an Olympic gold medal had he been

racing in the athletic arena. However the stony path which acted as Eds

competitor won a consolation prize as he got bruised by some protruding twigs

which lied in the path. He banged open the inn door making Allan and Jack jump

up in the air once again but this time making a new record by reaching a height

of 10 inches off the chair.

Whats the matter with you?Allan spoke totally aghast at the spectacle in front

of him

Quick, wheres the telephone.

He snatched the cordless phone off its stand redialled the number of Spiritvillages inn but no one answered the phone. After trying a couple more times,

Ed gave up.

Somethings wrong, nobody is answering the phone. We must check up on

Ronnie and Sera. I feel something bad has happened.

But we cant go in this rain. Well be soaked and wind wont allow us to get

much far.

I have sturdy raincoat, I can check up on your friends. Said Ruth who had been

listening to their conversation closely

Thats very kind of you.


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She went back to her room and came out wearing a blue raincoat. She opened

the inns door and disappeared into the heavy rain.

VIII

Anxiety and desolation had crept into the atmosphere of Gourd villages inn as

no news from Ruth had arrived up till now. The rain had stopped and had left a

very chilly temperature right in the midst of summer. It was round about evening

time when the telephone finally rang. Ed quickly pounced on the receiver.

Hello, is it you Ruth?asked Ed

Yes. I hadnt been able to call before as rain had clogged the telephone network

for a brief while. Atchoo she sneezed

Bless you! So why hadnt Ronnie or Sera or anybody else at the inn there

answered the ring.

As I told you, the network was jammed so it may have seemed to you as if the

phone on the opposite end was ringing but in reality it didnt utter a single

sound.So where are Sera and Ronnie?

They have just finished their dinner at the watchtower and are continuing their

observation. Ronald said that hell call back later on.

Meanwhile, a faint sound of glass breaking from one of the inns rooms attracted

Eds attention. He asked Ruth to hold on as he climbed the stairs and stopped in

front of a door which had been left slightly open. He knocked softly but received

no response so he blew open the door only to witness another horrifying

spectacle. On the bed, he saw Mr Kyle lying motionless. He had been stabbed in

his heart through a white sheet of cloth. The window panes had been shatteredand small glass pieces lay scrambled on the floor as blood trickled from the

producers body. He gazed though the broken window but so no trace of anyone

whatsoever in the vicinity. Jack who had been perturbed by Edwards sudden

change in manner finally caught up with him.

Oh my god!

Egad! The Oracles prophecy was true. added Allan

Oh yeah call it a prophecy instead of a clod blooded murder!

The boys informed the landlady about the recent event and the police was

instantly called in. They had been on their toes since the strange disappearances

but had been dumbstruck up till now by the sheer cleverness of the crimes andhad failed to prevent yet another murder from happening. It was the same

inspector Dobbs who came to investigate the crime scene. After sealing of the

victims room, he called each resident of the inn to the dining room and started

questioning them one by one. The three detectives listened closely to the

answers which were quite uninteresting and brought them to yet another dead

end. Ed broodingly headed towards the recipients desk and slowly dialled the

number of an inn across the tunnel. Ronnie answered:

Hello?

Ronnie let me get you abreast with the whole situation.

Ok.


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Another murder has taken place. Mr. Kyle, the producer of the TV crew was

stabbed to death while he was asleep. I was talking on the phone with Ruth at

that time. Say sorry to her for the sudden abruption of our conversation.

I will but I cant see her anywhere right now and whats more no one went

through the tunnel the whole day. The Oracle has a rock solid alibi so we cant

suspect him anymore.

I am not so sure. Well anyways, Ill call you again tomorrow morning.

Replacing the receiver in its holder, Ed retired to bed like the others who had

been advised by the police to get some rest. They would return in the morning

for further interrogation.

IX

The night of the murder had given away to yet another dawn of bright sunshine.

None of the inns residents had managed to get a sound sleep and some of them

had been so frightened that they kept the lights on the whole night so that no

murderer could crawl and stab them in the dark. They would not have had such

an apprehension about the whole situation if the police had been obliging

enough to apprise them about the true fact that Mr Kyle had been murdered

when the lights were glowing with all their strength, up in his room.

Nearly every inhabitant of the inn left the bed early to bathe and take

soothing walk in the morning sunshine to reduce the burden of such disturbing

events that had pursued since the murder of Joan. Such a mood was prevalent inthose young minds of Jack and Allan but this was not so in the case of their

companion, Ed. He had been preoccupied the whole time trying very hard to find

the smallest bit of lead towards solving this bewildering mystery. It was quite an

irony to see Ville and Rob in merry and cheerful moods. Their intimates had been

brutally murdered but this fact didnt make them wince even once. Quite

contrasting to the whole atmosphere, they seemed to be the merriest souls on

earth. The others around them were stunned to see this sort of attitude towards

fellow crew members. They had finally driven home the true reality about these

two men that they were from no angle conscientious or believed in ethics.

Far from the gossip about Rob and Ville, Ed had been pondering on theissue of the Oracles alibi. He knew that the Oracle was behind all this mess but

the big snug was that he didnt have any proof. How he had managed to escape

to Gourd village, commit a crime and disappear into thin air was beyond him.

There were four pieces in this jigsaw puzzle which had a very conspicuous link

between them which none had been able to discover. Joan had been beheaded

with the help of a sharp sickle and then cunningly buried in the local cemetery.

The plan to get rid of Amy had been descent but a professional eye like that of

his sister Sera instantly figured out the whole plan. The third murder was more

sophisticated in terms of planning. The Oracle had predicted it in the Spirit

village. Since there was no one who used the tunnel which was the only way toget to Gourd village, the previous day. Of course, an accomplice of the Oracle


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could have sneaked in accomplished his tasked but this was impossible as no

one in the Gourd village except his friends was in possession of this fact. The

only telephone network that connected the two villages had been the cordless

receivers in the two inns which could have been used without them noticing it.

So this option was out of question as well. The reason that drove his suspicion

towards the Oracle was the simple fact that he had deliberately created a very

sound alibi for himself. Time had been passing quickly while Ed had been

pondering on this issue and after a quick glance towards the sun; his brain

cranked up and started functioning with full capacity. Light dawned upon him as

he figured out a way to unravel the whole mystery. These wild shots are often

wrong so Ed wanted to confirm his theory before putting it forward in front of

others. Grabbing up that old receiver, he dialled Ronnies number or rather the

Spirit inns number.

Hello Ronnie. If you are on a cordless go to the tunnel and stand facing away

from it and tell me on which side of your hand do you see the sun. Said Edward

Have you gone nuts? asked RonnieDo as I say and quickly. Ed spoke austerely

Ronnie not willing to argue any further followed his friends commands and

paced his way towards the tunnel as a brief silence ensued, The sun is on my

right hand side.

The sun is also on my right hand side. So I was right all along.Ed said joyfully

What are you driving at?

Ill explain it you right now. I am just coming over there to unveil this mystery. I

will accompany the two remaining TV crew members along with Jack and Allan.

You and Sera call everyone you find along with the police to the inn.

He replaced the receiver and tottered out of the room into the living apartments.

He drove out Rob and Ville out of their rooms by persuading them by saying that

their presence during the uncovering of the murderer was indispensible. After

some pleading, they finally agreed to follow Ed. The whole group comprising of

Ed, Jack, Mr. Gordon, Allan, Rob, Ville and Katy finally set off for their destination.

Ed and Allan constantly murmured something to each other during their journey

through the tunnel when Allan buried himself in his laptop while walking and

typing simultaneously.

They received a warm welcome from Sera as they made their way to Mr.

Richardss inn. After everyone had settled down Edward began his speech. MrDobbs, the inspector spoke first:

So boy, you have found out who the criminal is?

Yes inspector. These murders were master planned and committed by the

famous Oracle.

What? Are you sure? Do you have any evidence?

Yes. Did you wonder why Mr Kyle was murdered in a very hap-hazard manner?

Yes, there were fingerprints on the knife which were probably of the killer.

Did you send it to the laboratory?

Of course but we have already tried comparing it with the fingerprints of the

people present in the inn. None of them were a perfect match.


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They did not match because none of them is the murderer.Ronnie spoke from

behind

You are right. The reason why the TV crew had been exiled from Spirit village as

they had sought entrance to the Oracles temple or to put it this way they had

tried to infiltrate the building and had been caught by the Oracle red-handed.

So why would anyone murder somebody for just sneaking into a building.

asked Jack

That well know after we dig a hole through the temples wall. But first, I must

tell you about the clues I had.

Yes please, Im listening very carefully and writing it down. It will be handy

during the prosecution of the culprit.

The first clue as I pointed out was the crudeness in the way in which the last

murder had been committed. After being exiled, Mr Kyle had found something

interesting about the temple you see from this window. He boasted about it in

public which wracked the nerve of the killer. He knew that his mouth had to be

shut up quickly so he engineered yet another crime. He even dared to usedetectives as alibis positioning them in the watchtower. All the while we thought

that the tunnel was the only link that connected these two villages. However,

theres another way one could pass from this side to the other.

What?? Theres another way from here to get to Gourd village without using the

tunnel.

Yes. The second clue about this alternative road to reach from side to another

was the position of the sun. Thats why I asked Ronnie to stand facing away from

the tunnel and inform me about the direction of the sun.

So what has the sun got to do with it?

Ronnie took charge of the proceedings from here:Do you want to know who the killer is?said Ronnie spicily attracting the

attention towards himself

You know as well?the detective seemed surprised

Ruth, you committed these crimes didnt you?Ronnie pointed his finger

towards her direction

WHAT!! How dare you accuse me.

You can confess now as we have figured out all your little tricks.

But... I was here with you in this very inn and talking to Ed when the murder

was committed so how could I have teleported to that place?said Ruth shaken

by Ronnies wordsCommon lets dig a hole in that darned wall. said Ronnie without listening to

any of Ruths remarks

Have you gone mad?

No. Youll soon know what I and Ed are driving at.

He grabbed a hammer and a punch and set off on his mission while the others

followed him in a state of total confusion. Following the grassy path which led to

the Oracles shrine, he chose a suitable spot on the temples wall, placed the

pointed end of the punch on that particular spot and handed it down to Jack who

hammered it with all his strength. After a few sharp noises, deep crack

appeared which soon widened. The wall finally gave away and collapsed in frontof them after sustaining such heavy blows.


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NOO! cried Ruth as the smoke which had enveloped around them started to

clear.

The view which presented in front of everyone brought astonishment on

everyones face except for the detectives who were grinning benevolently with a

sense of satisfaction. In front of them lied the view of Gourd village whose

greenery bounded by the cliffs shining in the bright sun appeared like a diamond

enclosed in case.

You see. This is the other way to get to Gourd village. Ruth posing as the Oracle

frequently used this door to our right to create a perfect alibi for herself. I bet

theres a jet pump installed somewhere in the hidden room which the door leads

which draws out groundwater and pumps it out on the other side which has been

carefully craft fully engineered so that it resembles a dam. Now I would like to

tell you how Ruth always managed to deceive the superstitious village people by

giving the impression of a person being spirited away while in reality she

committed a cold blooded murder. The first murder which took place after we

came here was that of Joan who had found out this very secret which I have justuncovered. If one takes an aerial view of this whole place which is quite

impossible with a helicopter because of the terrain but only is possible now days

with the help of satellite technology, he will find that the whole mountain had

been dug through in a shape of an eight rotated by ninety degrees to create a

biological research centre. It was shut down after the Second World War due to

sophisticated reasons which i neednt go into. But a tragedy happened and the

stronger species of small pox virus which was being developed at the centre

which was located somewhere in the real Spirit village leaked and spread havoc

among the populace. The credit of all this research goes to Allan who promptly

found out what I wanted on our way through the tunnel. Maybe he can explainyou better. Said Ed

Small pox being a highly infectious and horrible disease spread very rapidly

causing a number of deaths in the real Spirit village. By my emphasis on the

word real you might have understood that the place we are standing isnt the

original Spirit village. So the news of the deaths in the Spirit village spread to

Gourd village as well who didnt want to come in contact with the sick patients

sealed off their side of the tunnel, thus also sealing the fate of the villagers of

Spirit village. continued Allan

How horrible, I never thought someone could such an inhuman thing like that.

said SeraThe fate of the victims who were prevented from getting any medical assistance

as they were quarantined is not yet known. So as to bury their sins, the previous

generation of the Gourd village divided into and named one part as Spirit village

and this secret was not passed to the future generations and it died with the

passage of time. Apparently, I may be wrong about this statement as I am sure

that Ruth had very bit of information about it. All this I had collected from one of

the novels written by an author named Roderick Kendrick who was probably a

survivor who managed to escape the Sprit village before the sealing took place.

His work was considered to be fiction but when I set my eyes on it I immediately

understood that truth was written on every line of his novel. Carry on Ed and tellus how Ruth cleverly worked out her plans. he said pointing out to Edward


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Ok, now all would be wondering how I figured out the truth about the two

villages.

Yes please, tell me about it. I am still bewildered by it. replied the inspector

As I pointed out earlier, the position of the sun proved mu theory. As you can

now witness from the broken wall that these two places are adjacent to each

other. If they had been situated and connected by straight tunnel, when looking

at the sun facing away from the entrance I should have seen the sun on my right

hand side while a person facing away at the other side would have seen it on his

left hand side. This illuminated that we were facing the same direction. The spiral

staircase in the middle of the tunnel made us loose our sense of direction and

gave the apprehension that we were travelling in the same direction while in

reality we were taking a U- turn and heading back in the direction from where we

came from. This latter half of the tunnel must have been constructed afterwards

when the Gourdvillage had been split into two and given separate identities.

Now whoever found out this secret must not be able to reveal this secret to the

world. So as to shut his mouth, Ruth acting as the Oracle simply murdered them.I notice that Ruths sleeping room was adjacent to that of Joans and one could

clearly overhear the voices from the other room. When Ruth came across this

fact that Joan had uncovered the secret of the mysterious symbol engraved on

the back of the photograph found in the belongings of the missing university

student, she acted briskly and beheaded her with a sickle while she had gone out

in the garden to take a breather and disposed off her body in the graveyard.

After she had found out that we were planning to visit the false Spirit

village, she conveniently used the concealed door of the dam to take a shortcut,

pose as the Oracle and meet up with us at the tunnels exit along with Mr.

Richard in order to keep a close watch on us as her principle was that each andevery outsider was a threat. Soon she found out that Amy had too figured out the

location of the treasure i.e. the location of the real Spirit village and had been

filming the scene while she overpowered a skinny and frail Amy and strangled

her. She committed her first mistake here but burying her body in the Gourd

villages cemetery despite knowing that her secret hiding place had been already

discovered. All the show she put to look like it was another disappearance was

easily discovered and notified to the police through a secret document sent by

Sera. But something happened after this which wrecked the iron nerve of Ruth.

Kyle of the TV crew smuggled himself into the secret room of this so-called shrine

which was totally unexpected on the part of Ruth who had till now crafted eachof her murders to the very last detail. But her ingenious brain functioned briskly

and sought out a plan which could create a perfect alibi for herself completely

relying on a foundation of sand i.e. formulated a plan based on the false fact that

this U-turn tunnel is the only course which could be taken to get to the other

side. She found the golden opportunity she needed when I requested her to pay

a visit to Ronnie and Sera. This time she used the tunnel and after a brief

conversation with my sister Sera picked up a cordless phone and used her secret

Ruth to get back to Gourd villages inn. I heard her sneeze on the phone. She had

probably got wet despite the raincoat and had caught a cold while making her

getaway. All this while, she also calmly conversed with me on the phone. She hadpossessed much grit and determination but she had a phobia for the police and


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she knew that she would have spilled the beans in front of them if exposed to

eye to eye conversation so she formulated such a sophisticated plan. So Ruth,

will you confess now?asked Ed after his lengthy speech

You have got me know. Yes, i confess to all the murders which I have committed

but this was Gods will. I was destined to protect my familys secrets. My

grandfather had been one of those men who had sealed the tunnel and he had

been made the guardian who had to prevent this secret from leaking to the

world. This would have resulted in catastrophic epidemics and in Armageddon

with the leakage of the virus which was a hundred percent fatal. I was my

grandfathers heir and I took over as the guardian and committed murders one

after another without any hesitation as I was protecting the world acting by

Gods intentions. My grandfather also instructed me to pour this holy water over

me filled with those fatal micro-organisms if this truth was discovered and shall

do it according to his wishes.

Before anyone could twitch a muscle, she uncorked the test tube ad wasabout to pour it over herself when Jack landed a strong uppercut onto her jaw

and knocked her unconscious while the test tube became airborne. Allan despite

his small stature leaped into the sky and grasped the bottle without spilling even

one drop. He put the cork back into its rightful place and handed it to the

inspector.

Dont you understand?Ronnie shouted addressing Ruth

What do you mean?she said sobbing after regaining her consciousness

The only selfish reason that your grandfather had been to protect himself from

the sin he had committed by locking those poor souls to a frightful death.Common lets me show you something. He just dragged you into his own mess.

X

He made his way through the tunnel followed by the whole group with Ruth

tightly clutched by the inspector. Through a dark and narrow passage they

reached another opening which hadnt been there earlier.

When did you find this thing, Ronnie? asked Allan

When Ed asked about the suns position, I suddenly remembered Sera tellingme about the strange appearance of one of the walls. I immediately understood

what she meant to convey. Thanks to her photographic memory, I was able to

find the exact spot which she thought was dubious and I immediately mined my

way through it. Look for yourself what lies across this dark dungeon.

A grand view presented itself with beautiful green grass laid down like a

carpet and maple trees in full bloom all bathing in the sunshine. The tranquillity

of the whole place struck everyone as special. On the far horizon after the steep

plain, they could see the debris of the old research centre covered by cute small

cottages. This was surely a heaven on earth.


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You see, your grandfather was wrong that when he told you that the disease

was a 100 percent fatal. There were survivors who thrived despite being isolated

from the world.

What have I done?she collapsed onto the ground crying quietly as the

inspector carried her away followed by the inn owners leaving behind the

detectives all alone. After a lengthy silence Sera asked:

What should we do now?

We must have a long vacation at this very spot. We truly deserve it. replied

Ronnie


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The Mysterious Disappearences

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