STAY AWAY STRANGER
By: Ranican Zapanta Short StoryAll events take place in (2023)
two years ahead of the time this was written.
(October 12 Thursday 4pm)
Black Rubbish bags rustling in the harsh wind.
Finnigan walked down the riverbank toward the forensic team. He was a man in his thirties with the look of a NSW corrupt politician.... The stench of death got potent as he approached the murder site. The forensics officers were clustered around a garbage bag with its contents spilling out among the reeds.
“For all these years working here, I still cannot get used to that odour” he said, as he shined his tactical flashlight into the bag.
The forensic photographer who wore a white jumpsuit, a pair of gloves and a surgical mask, didn’t hesitate to shift Finnigan out of the way to shove his camera inside the bag.
“Hey! Just tell me to move!” Finnigan exclaimed. The photographer shrugged their shoulders as a response, eager to take their photos.
The forensics photographer ruffled their camera out of the black bag, with blood and small pieces of matter on the extended shutter lens, leaving a messy disarray It was obvious that Finnigan was fed up with the photographer’s disreputable behaviour
The bag contained a deceased corpse or parts of one.
‘Mutilated until unrecognisable’ as the news articles would say. Portions of the body scattered around the tall grassy field, haphazardly placed into other rubbish bags, as uncovered by the rest of the forensic team. Although, you could conclude that the open field by the water was a conspicuous hiding place for mutilated parts, some may argue that it was deliberate.
“Approximately five Rubbish bags in total” shouted a member of the forensic team.
“Yes! I can count that with one hand, thanks for the insightful information!” Finnigan scorned back.
A small vehicle pulled up overlooking the area of investigation. Out came two youthful faces of eastern Asianic descent, Ellie with her recent work acquaintance Conan with his excessively curly hair They exited their car wearing flattering office attire like juvenile twins attempting to appear formal. Ellie slammed the door and trotted her way up to Finnigan disregarding the caution tape.
“Hi Alice! I like the fringe.” remarked Finnigan caustically, with a shallow attempt to wave.
Ellie raised her stylish sunglasses onto her forehead, “It’s Elliot!”
“Let me work on this homicide case! I jog around these parts every day; I know this place like the back of Conan’s hand.”
Finnigan peered down at Ellie, scrunched his face, and formed a wrinkled forehead. A prolonged “yeaaah! I don’t think so, stick to filing the abduction cabinets”. Ellie’s fist clenched sternly; as her lips shut tight, having released muffled screams of frustration as she stomped toward Conan posted from a far.
“What an absolute prick, we cannot stay in the missing persons unit any longer, you didn’t even mention the card, let alone your panic attack this morning.” Conan sighed.
(October 12th 6am)
The daily lap around the nature park commenced.
Usually done in the afternoon, Ellie insisted she would run mornings from this day forward, better to be safe than sorry. Two of the youngest members to be part of the missing persons unit. Jogging alongside each other to keep fit from weight gain and sitting around filing investigation papers.
Running was an escape for Ellie, focused on her body and her physical wellbeing, she sharpened every breath, every inhale and exhale. As for Conan’s narcissism, jogging was a way for him to vent rather than exercise.
While both run to admire the natural flora and fauna of the Nepean River, their scenic route was always accompanied with Conan’s minor Gossip.
“I heard that we were chosen based on our psych results last Sem, how desperate is the department that they have to steal from the student body?” Conan Laughed.
Ellie, who usually attempted to care, didn’t this time.
Conan continued to chatter away Ellie’s breath started to accelerate. The sun softly tucked itself into a pillowy bed of cotton like clouds. Both the internal and external heat escaped from Ellie as the glacial wind suddenly sliced through her physical being.
She shattered.
A voice in her head in constant repetition.
The voices mimicked her pulse.
The endless echo chamber had taken the shape of a downward spiral.
Both came to a drastic stop on the path, Ellie was breathless with her head placed down with her icy hands gripped onto her buckled kneecaps.
“I can’t do this”, Ellie quivered with her shortness of breath.
“Is everything ok? “Conan mumbled for reassurance.
Ellie’s usual routine, hijacked by a swarm of her own negative thoughts. Her chest tightened and constricted her regulated breathing pattern. Immobilised for a short moment of time.
“Yesterday’s Interview”, whispered her collective unconscious.
The clouds in the sky reminded her of the cotton balls.
Fragments of the interview whispered itself into Ellie’s ears as she was steadily regaining her breath.
“I’m the stray.” Ellie opened up to Conan.
(October 11th Wednesday)
Cotton balls in an alcohol solution used to clean up the wounds of the frightened and frail kidnapped victim, tremulous in the sterile interview room. Ellie couldn’t stop reflecting on the uncanny card the victim struggled to pull out her pocket.
Calling card (2023) Red Marker on cardboard 6 x 4 centimetres
“This is for you,” said the abused victim. “Before I was released, it mumbled for Ally.” she stammered, simultaneously pulling out a calling card from her left pocket, and out onto the metal table.
“My name is Ellie sweetheart, are you sure that’s what was said?” Ellie Trembled.
The woman in her late adolescence locked eyes with Ellie and nodded without hesitation, surer than if it were an innocent child.
“That is some heavy shit!” Conan sneered. Both Ellie and Conan leave the interview room to discuss the calling card.
“This has to be some sort of practical joke, right?” Ellie questioned, as her exhausted hands started to shake. Conan put his warm hands on hers.
“Hey, no matter what you do, don’t report this with our superiors just yet, we’ll show the forensics team. This is to our advantage! What we need for the department to take us seriously.” Conan replied.
Ellie yanks her hands out of his, “this isn’t about having the upper hand in the investigation, this is about the killer knowing who I am.” She was stressed. In one quick motion, Conan went back into the interview room and ravaged the SD card from the interview camera and into his coat pocket for safe keeping. He raised his index finger to his lips once the young woman in the room looked at him.
Then returning out to see a distraught Ellie in the corridor, semi genuflecting.
“There! We can say we forgot to put a memory card in the camera. A mistake us amateurs make” The ‘us amateurs’ was accompanied with his signature quotation marks that he does with his fingers.
Ellie was disappointed. He slowly placed the SD card into her bag, along with the calling card. Tapping the bag, “that’s for you to watch later El.” With a mischievous tone.
(October 12 Thursday 6pm)
Ellie and Conan sit in the parking lot of Five guys.
“I’m sorry, I know how much you value your health, but isn’t this burger delicious?”
Conan said with a mouthful.
“Yes, it’s great! we’ll just burn it all off tomorrow.” Ellie answered.
“Oh Ellie, I can’t run with you tomorrow, I got asked out for early morning coffee. I want you to find a new jogging spot, I want you to be safe.” He replied.
He offered her a firearm from his glove box for self-defence as she went on these early runs.
“Take this, your kickboxing skills won’t be enough.”
In her state of desperation, she accepted the 9mm pistol that Conan had stolen from his drunken uncle, as his uncle was a Private Eye, a ‘Magnum PI’ doppelganger from the 80’s.
“This thing works?” Ellie asked as she felt the heft of the firearm.
Conan winked.
(October 13 Friday 5am)
The daily lap around the nature park commenced.
This time without Conan.
The sudden shift from afternoons to now mornings. From running with a partner, to now without.
Ellie knew that Conan could no longer carry her psychological baggage.
Ellie couldn’t resist running the Nepean River, so she disregarded the blockades and crime tape.
Again, attempting to recalibrate herself for efficiency. Sharpening her body, meant to sharpen her mind. She was more determined and more focused than ever Engaging with her core breathing pattern during these runs.
Unfortunately, she was weighed down by a sidearm that was placed uncomfortably in her bike shorts. She had her jumper pulled over the protruding outline, as her tight shorts gripped the gun leaving a silhouette.
She continued to run down and around the Nepean River to admire the view, she stopped by where the body was found.
As she had gotten close to the riverbank, she noticed a bright light reflecting from the twigs closest to the water There was a small piece of paper sticking out like a diamond. Ellie picked it up, hoping it was only litter.
It was another mysterious card placed under a heavy pebble:
“Returning Stray?” - Stranger.
Ellie gasped and dropped the card once she had read it.
She clenched her eyelids, “this isn’t real, this isn’t real, this isn’t rea...”
One curious eye opened to see the fallen card on the ground. Again, the card had the same red lettering as the one she was given two days prior.
Ellie picked the card back up for a closer look, it was still the same. She placed it into her other pocket. Ellie couldn’t grasp that this was planned; the card was placed for her, only hours after the forensic team had cleared the body
She looked around to see if anyone else was around. No one else would be, as she herself was trespassing.
(Some people in the position of fear, would call a loved one, or would choose ‘flight.’)
Ellie instead gripped onto her firearm. Steadily taking the firearm out of her bike shorts. Holding the weapon with proper form as taught by the academy. The eerie feeling of being stalked was prevalent, paranoid the stranger was still around, possibly hidden in the tall grass like a snake watching their prey
Stray vs Stranger (The Present)
Ellie takes a brief second to take her shoes off to avoid heavier footsteps. She places them behind a tree stump for later, continuing down the path on guard.
She was so accustomed to running this path, that she never paid closer attention to what was really surrounding her, even if she felt as though she did. Ellie was beginning to take in the finer details of the trees around her, seeing it as potential opportunities for strangers to watch her. There were lizards placed on rocks, silently looking back at her She was glad she was here during daylight.
Ambling down the path, barefoot with her gun aimed arm’s length from her face, she hears the snapping of leafless twigs in the distance. The end of the path led to the Nepean River’s flood Canal; that intertwined with the surrounding nature, water had not run through the Canal tunnel for years.
Ellie was not eager to investigate what was on the other side. While inside the tunnel was dark, the other side had a large beam of sunlight, shining on more forestry areas. As she was entering into the tunnel; she was doing it lightly, being mindful of rusted metals or stones that could hurt her feet, simultaneously looking up and holding a firearm.
Ellie had more control of her nervous breath, but the voices like conjuring bad spirits and bad ideas, were slightly phasing through her mind. Thoughts of Conan, the
Photograph taken of the Nepean Flood Canal 2021
kidnapped victim, and the homicide investigation. All being linked to her and this very moment.
Again, she paused, then continued to keep a quiet breath as she put one silent foot forward after the other, mindful of the sharp objects within the dimly lit tunnel. She counted each step until she reached closer to the light.
Ellie had taken another step, her foot lightly pressing onto a piece of broken glass, as it was too transparent for her naked eye. She tried her best to not scream, releasing a slight whimper, as her fingers clamped over her mouth to suppress her reaction. She raises her foot to take the glass out, shaking from the painful sensation.
Snap* Snap*
More twigs could be heard. Ellie was now able to see clearly on the other side of the tunnel from a distance. She could see a bright white figure, ghost-like in nature, holding black rubbish bags. The brightness was still too harsh for Ellie to see the finer details, she squinted and rubbed her eyes to fix her blurry vision adjusted to see the light again.
There stood the forensic photographer, wearing goggles, gloves, and a mask. Just without the camera, but a bloody mess all over their white jumpsuit.
The stray now had the advantage to sneak up on them. The stranger was too busy filling the bag up with limbs of a hacked-up corpse. She chose this opportunity to approach the stranger with her gun placed up in a stealthily manner.
As the stranger was already on their knees looking down, packing up their murder victim like someone who was late for a flight. Ellie was close enough to point the cold metal barrel onto their head.
Click* Ellie takes the safety off and clocks it. “Hands up on your head!”
The stranger’s eyes lit up as they paused their movement, recalling back to their abusive past where one would place a cold metal tyre iron close to their head, later beating them for not listening.
“I knew you would find me stray, only you could. I thought the cards would keep you away, but it did the exact opposite.” the stranger smirked with their raised cheek. “but then stay- away are two contradicting words, put together to mean one thing.” the stranger continued.
“I’m not here for your mind games, why am I addressed as stray?” Ellie retaliated.
“No one takes you seriously, No one can even say your name, you are nobody, but Ellie… I made you somebody.” the stranger laughed.
The voices in Ellie’s head began to circulate, voices of disappointment, fear, and anger, taking longer for her to respond. She shakes her head to brush them off.
“Do you not want to see who I am?” the stranger continued. Ellie replied with an unsettling “no”
“Finnigan can” she continued, finger on the hesitant trigger
(October 14th 6am)
The daily lap around the nature park commenced.
This time without the stranger
This time with Conan, even if it was a Saturday