Case File

I love going to work with my Aunt Melanie. I hang out with cool ass-kicking agents and get credited with an internship. I don't know how many strings were pulled to get me this gig but I've been coming here since I was small.

My parents died in a house fire when I was two. My Aunt Melanie took me in. I guess I was some sort of prodigy or I didn't like school because I never finished Kindergarten. Anyway, she "home schools" (it's an online program) me from her work, and in return I'm her investigative team's ordinary teen citizen consultant, titled by myself of course.

The job sounds glamorous. But in all actuality, it's really a bunch of people drinking far too much coffee, gossiping like middle school girls, and occasionally getting a bad guy.

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I jump when a folder is dropped on the desk next to me. "Got another one," my Aunt says to the people sitting at desks in this same cluster, her team. "Delanie Darling,"

"I'm starting to think this guy has an Alphabet fetish," that's Agent Daniel. He is big and broad and at least six foot eight. But, unless he is out in the field, he is the nicest guy on the planet.

"Alphabet fetish?" A voice asks coming up from behind me, Max. Aka the love of my life. He's a good ten years older than me at least, but the youngest on the team by about fifteen years. He won't tell me his age but he looks like twenty-nine, he only started here within the past few years.

Aunt Melanie sighs, "Yeah, killing teens in alphabetical order, or at least attempting, Amelia and Carter are still alive,"

"On the alphabet thing, it isn't just their first name; Amelia Anderson, Bethany Baker, Carter Carrow and most recently, Delanie Darling," Daniel explains.

"You should out out a warning for teens with a double E name," I butt in.

Aunt Melanie sighs, "Luna, please,"

Max saves me, "No, no Melanie she's right. If we know this guy is killing in this specific way we should try and make everyone aware." Then to me, "Good job kid,"

I blush at his praise. Just then, Rachel comes in. She's the team's medical examiner. Usually she does dead bodies but, for this case I assume she is talking to all the victims and treating their wounds.

"Tetanus," she says walking over to sit in Max's empty chair, "They all have tetanus in their blood and cuts. It has to be rusty scissors,"

"Okay so warn teens with a double E name about a man attacking with rusty scissors?" Max confirms. He runs off to public relations to get a news segment.

Rachel nods, "And it looks to me like these kids are taking big blows to the head, none of them can remember anything,"

"Or the suspect is emotionally scarring them," Daniel says.

"I have a question," I say, raising my hand.

"Yes Luna?" Aunt Melanie sounds very on edge.

I put on my best pleading face, "May I please go and meet the victims?"

"No"

"But I'm the same age as them!" I protest. "Maybe I can get them to remember something or I can assure them that they're safe!"

"Luna..."

"She can come with me" Rachel volunteered. I shot her a grateful smile. "I could use some help anyway"

==========

As we descended to Rachel's examination room, I asked "You're not really gonna make me do paperwork right?"

She laughed, "I said help not paperwork. I actually want your opinion of their state of mind. I'm not sure I understand what they all mean"

"Wait so I'm like actually helping?!" I squealed. The last time this happened I was ten and all they needed was for me to get a paper that slid under a counter.

"Yes Luna, as a matter of fact, you are vital. I need a teenage brain," she laughed at my excitement.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!!" She only nodded.

We got to her office and she sat down at her computer. She motioned for me to sit across from her. She typed for a few minutes and then she printed a few things. I sat bouncing in my seat slightly.

Rachel placed four pictures in front of me, "Okay, who do you want to start with?"

"Who was the first to be attacked?" I ask, looking at the four pictures of the victims. They are all happy and pre-accident.

"Amelia Anderson" she tells me, sliding forward a photo of a girl with long brown hair in a cute braid laughing. It doesn't look like she knew the picture was being taken.

"After her?"

"Bethany Baker" Rachel slides a head shot toward me. The girl has perfect makeup and short, curly, blonde hair. She isn't smiling but she looks content to be there. A big red Deceased stamp covers her face.

"After her?"

"Carter Carrow" this picture is of a boy with nice hair. He clearly took the picture himself. I find it hysterical the only pre-accident picture the FBI could find was a selfie.

"And then Delanie Darling, right?" I remember Aunt Melanie's case file.

"Yup! This is her" Rachel shows me a girl with multi-colored hair, a nose ring and really thin eyebrows. This one's a selfie too. There's a Deceased on her too.

"Might as well go in order" I say, rising from my seat. "Can I talk to Amelia first?"