The stench of death clung to the trees, wrapped itself around the bushes and plants of the forest that night. Tangling its heavy tendrils with the fog that was as ancient as the forest itself. Cleverly weaving and twisting itself into the fog in such a way where one could not tell where one started and the other ended. Somewhere deep in this old forest a hooded figure strolled through the deep underbush, their hands stuffed casually into the pockets of a faded hoodie, as they softly hummed the tune of Smash Mouth's All Star. If the hooded stranger noticed death’s sinister appearance in the forest that night, they did not seem to mind its intrusion at all. The juxtaposition of such carefree demeanor amongst the eerie darkness in the forest that night made the presence of the stranger all that more odd. 

The reason for death's presence in the forest that night was also deep in the forest, not too far off from where the other intruder wandered. Artfully placed behind thick shrubbery, the corpse was clearly the work of a professional. Strategically placed in a way so that the body would only be found three days later by a friend of the victim while helping the search and rescue team called after the parents came home to find them gone. 24 hours worth of messages left on the phone discarded on the kitchen table. The corpse itself was a thing of garrish beauty, pale, porcelain skin death making the already doll-like features of the girl just that more surreal. Dark hair draped down over slender shoulders, the tips curling slightly as they gently brushed against the ground. At first glance, it would look as if the poor girl was simply sleeping, her skin practically void of and marks that would indicate a brutal murder. If you looked closer, however, faint purplish bruising scattered itself around the base of her neck was visible, matching marks also circled her wrists, which were daintily placed over her lap. Nevertheless, none of these marks would explain how the girl died. That would not be disclosed until later during the autopsy where it would be learned that she passed away by suffocation. Judging by the marks on her neck it was done using a plastic bag which was covered over her head.

The humming comes to a stop suddenly leaving the forest in a blanket of silence. The stranger has finally found what they came for. They didn’t do anything at first, standing over the thing casually, their hands still stuffed into their pockets, head bent down in the direction of the thing on the ground. Then they crouched, their weight shifting to the balls of their feet, arms absentmindedly resting on their knees. While their eyes were hidden underneath the shadow of their hood and the blanket of night, you could still somehow see the trail of their gaze running slowly along the shape of the thing. 

A pale hand reached out and brushed slender fingers along the hairline of the girl. The hand continued its path downward reaching the base of her neck where the faint bruises lay. Moments passed while cold fingers slowly traced the pattern of purple on pale skin. The hand then retracted and a soft chuckle filled the air, above the corpse the stranger was affectionately shaking their head. The stranger wrapped one arm around the girl’s shoulders, their other arm moved towards her legs, gently looping them over their forearms. With considerable ease the stranger lifted the girl, bringing her to their chest and straightening. They looked down at the girl, “this is going to be fun” the stranger murmured to themself. The humming resumed and the hodded stranger set off, walking back to where they came from this time with the corpse in tow.