Street Fighters' X Files Ch. 2
By Kumori
The wail of a siren pierced through the night. The alley was swarming with
police cars. Chunli could hear their radio cracking even before she reached the
alley. There was ambulance parked right outside the alley. The red lights
flashed against the walls like the fireworks. Chunli showed her identity card
to one of the policeman who immediately led her to the spot where the body was
located.
“Who was the victim?”
“A woman about 25 years old,” the policeman showed Chunli the victim’s
identity card.
“Who found her?”
“A woman lived nearby heard a scream coming from the alley and decided to
call the police,” the policeman looked through his notebook. “I have her
telephone number…”
“No, no, is okay.”
Chunli pulled opened the plastic cover that was used to cover the body,
“What caused her death?”
“I’m… I’m… not… not… sure…” the young man stammered. “The only thing I know
was that, there was no obvious injuries. However, we couldn’t find the cause of
her death,” he paused, noticed that Chunli wasn’t mad because he couldn’t find
any useful information, he heaved a sigh of relief.
“Over here, Chunli,”
Chunli smiled apologetically at the policeman and walked towards Cammy.
“Find something?”
“Not exactly, but is kinda weird,” Cammy paused and pointed something to
her.
Chunli followed the direction of her finger.
Something soft, red, half-eaten, Chunli touches it: blood, dry blood.
“Looks like a heart…” Chunli muttered.
Cammy nodded in agreement, “Yeah, some half-eaten heart…”
“Should we…”
“Yes, take it back.”
“Hey! You!” Cammy pointed to the young policeman, who had just spoken to
Chunli. “I want you to pack this up…”
Chunli tuned off the rest of their conversation. She sighed, wandering off
to the other side of the alley. In front her, the sky was green and palest
pink, shading to ultramarine in the west. The last stars were going out, the
first light was touching the wall of the alley. Something shone under the
light. Out of curiosity, Chunli plucked the thing. Under closed examination it
looked like the scale of a fish… except that it was bigger and it changed
pattern of multicolored sparks, twinkles, and flares.
She turned it the other way; some flesh was stuck onto the scale. Chunli
fished out a small plastic bag from her pocket and carefully she dropped the
scale inside. The scale shone eerily under the light. All of a sudden
everything seemed to go clear and cold for Chunli. It maybe because of the cool
breeze that touched Chunli or was it some omens.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chunli sat in her office, studying the file of the victim.
Name: Tammy White
Age: 25
Sex: Female
Date of Birth: 10th December 1974
Running footsteps were heard outside the corridor, Chunli smiled and folded
her arms, waiting patiently for the arrival of her ‘guest’. Cammy burst into
the office and glanced at the place distastefully. An ordinary office
constructed with a corner desk, a computer and filing cabinets.
“Why don’t you decorate it? It’s naked, ” Cammy pointed to the bare wall.
“Because I can’t,” pointing to the file she was holding to, “Is this the
report?” Chunli chuckled good-naturally.
“You aren’t going to believe this,” Cammy sat onto the armchair heavily,
causing the chair to screech under her weight. *I’m not that heavy* She sighed
and handed the report to Chunli. * Maybe some diet will help *.
Chunli opened and glanced through the report quickly. Her face was a mixture
of emotions: excitement and curiosity.
“Jeez, I don’t believe this myself… Is all too…” Cammy waved her hands,
searching for the right word, “…… weird.”
“And… the half-eaten heart?” Chunli spoke so softly that as if she too was
afraid of the answer.
“DNA and blood test showed positive. Yup, I’m afraid to say that the
half-eaten heart belongs to the victim,” Cammy clutched to her stomach. Just
thinking of the half-eaten heart made her feel sick. “Well, that’s all for the
report.”
Hands supporting her chin, “You may leave now… No… I mean, wait! What about
the scale?”
“Scale? Oh! Well, further test will have to be done.” Cammy paused,
“Chunli…”
“Mmm…?”
“Take care,”
“Thanks… I will.”
"Don't work too hard. The salary isn't that good..." Cammy joked
and left the office immediately.
As the door was closed Chunli flipped opened the file that contained the
post-mortem report. The first page showed the photograph of the woman taken at
the alley. Her eyes were closed; she seemed to be asleep. You see, death had
not stolen her beauty. That’s how Chunli had felt then; she could have lit many
lives with her beauty had she just been given the chance. Chunli shook her
head. * What a pity *.
No injuries, no struggles. Her death was indeed a mystery. Her heart was
extracted directly from her body. Yet there was no sign on how her heart was
extracted. Her body wasn’t dissected. The missing heart had caused her instant
death and yet it was impossible for a particular someone to extract one’s heart
without using any weapons or tools. Something strange was happening…
The icy breeze that had blown through the alley earlier that morning felt as
if it had taken a detour into Chunli’s office. And her windows were all closed.
A cold sweat broke out on her forehead.
Or maybe… … just maybe … …
The murderer wasn’t a ‘someone’ but a ‘something’.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The child seemed to be all alone now. She crawled out from her hiding place,
looking for her mother. * Please, let me find her * As if answer to her
prayers, the girl found her mother lying montionless on the floor of the
bedroom, head rolled to one side.
“Mommy?”
No response.
“Mommy, wake up!” * no please, no, this isn’t going to happen *
“Mommy, I promised, I will never, never misbehave, I will never, never lie,
but you got to wake up,” she shook her mother harder. Her mother was as dead as
the floppy doll she was holding.
“No… …” tears rolled down her cheeks, she let out a strangled sob that echoed
in the vast stillness of her house like the cry of a wounded animal.