The Bizarre Detective Agency

Chapter 137: Phantom Shadows in the Forest

Anna cautiously examined the charred body, frozen in a prayer-like pose in the rain. Her movements were like those of a child, curiously reaching a hand toward a lion's cage.

No breath, no heartbeat—the body was dead.

Anna froze for a moment, then, as if startled, darted back toward the hut and slipped right through the closed door.

The bright, steady light of the fire cast a welcome warmth, chasing away the chill.

Lu Li was tidying up the hut. The overturned pot had been set aside, the stones around the fire pit were neatly restacked, and the scattered hearth had been rebuilt and the fire relit.

Lu Li had put away the bedding, wiped the floor around the fire, and wrapped up the suspicious chunks of meat, setting them aside in the same corner as the pot.

"Take the body outside and bring in some firewood," Lu Li said to Anna, who had just flown into the hut as if escaping a pursuer.

The remains of the homeowner still lay by the door, while the boy's charred body hung on the wall. Lu Li felt no revulsion, but leaving them inside the hut felt wrong. It was better to move them outside.

The remains of this strange family might even scare off any unwanted guests.

"Alright," Anna nodded. Using her powers, she pulled the branch from the boy's mouth, lifted his body, and then gathered the remains by the door. The smaller fragments, scattered by the wind into the corners, weren't worth bothering with.Anna pushed the door open a crack, but a gust of wind and rain flung it wide open. The hut was plunged into darkness again. Anna shut the door, and the fire's flame steadied.

As a ghost, she didn't actually need to open the door to get in.

Anna carried the bodies to the shed, grabbed an armful of firewood, and hurriedly left the dark space, returning to the hut through the main entrance.

"I'm back!" Anna announced cheerfully.

Clatter!

Crack!

The door shuddered, and the sound of something falling echoed from outside.

Anna froze, staring at her empty hands.

"Strange... I'm sure I grabbed the firewood... Where did it go?"

Lu Li, who had finished tidying up, walked over to the diary. He picked it up from the floor and said without looking up, "You're a ghost, Anna. The firewood isn't."

"Oh... Heh-heh." Anna gave a sheepish smile and scratched her head. She flew toward the door, then remembered it was solid, floated back to open it, gathered the scattered firewood, and carried it into the hut.

Lu Li tossed the diary to Anna, who had just finished stacking the wood. He took the damp logs and arranged them near the fire to dry. "Next time, pay closer attention when you read the diary."

"Huh?" Anna tilted her head, confused. She took the diary, realized she was holding it upside down, and flipped it over. Floating closer to the fire, she opened it to the first page.

[September 13. My name is Reina. Mom said if I learn to read, I can keep a diary. I asked what a diary is, and she said it's a place to write down things you want to say but don't. I didn't get it. So Mom just told me to write whatever I want].

The handwriting was uneven, but the deep impressions of the pen evoked the image of a little boy sitting at a table, clutching a quill and painstakingly forming each letter.

[September 14. Betty is silly. I saw her chase her tail lots and lots of times. Doesn't she get dizzy?]

[September 15. What should I write about?]

[September 16. I don't know what to write about].

[September 17. I took Betty to the park. She ran so fast I almost lost her. There were a lot of kids there, just like me. I met Rachel, Johnny, and Ben. They liked Betty and played with me. Mmm... I think I get what a diary is now].

After reading the first page, Anna turned to the next and saw dozens more entries just like it.

Ordinarily, the easily bored Anna would have enjoyed reading such simple stories, but right now, she just wanted to understand what Lu Li was getting at.

She glanced up at Lu Li. He had taken a flask from his backpack and set it near the fire to warm. Then he picked up a piece of stale bread and began to eat.

Flipping through the next few pages, Anna reached a point where the handwriting changed. The neat letters gave way to a messy scrawl, riddled with errors.

[April 8. We're going to Belfast! Mom says it's better there than here, but I don't know what that means].

[April 9. I couldn't sleep for a long time. Mom said I was too excited and told me to sleep because we're leaving tomorrow].

[April 10. The carriage is so bumpy...]

[April 11. I heard the grown-ups say there's a swamp up ahead... What's a swamp?]

[April 12. I'm so sad... I don't know what happened. Dad and Mom ran inside, grabbed me, and we ran into the woods. The ground was all wet. Is this the swamp? There are so many bugs. It was good we found a house before dark. A family just like ours lives here, with a little boy!]

The entries stopped for several days, and when they resumed, the handwriting had changed again.

[April 15. Mom said this is a diary, and you can write anything you want in it. I want meat!]

Reading this, Anna felt a chill as a terrible realization dawned on her.

Reina and the boy weren't the same person!

The diary belonged to Reina. He and his family had fled here and found shelter with another family. Then the diary fell into the hands of the boy...

And the meat...? Anna kept reading and soon found her answer.

[April 19. We treated the guest to some meat. He cried so much, I didn't like it. But soon we'll make meat out of him!]

"So that's what Lu Li meant..." Anna whispered, her gaze drifting toward him.

Lu Li stood by the window, his face reflected in the glass. He was gazing outside as flashes of lightning illuminated the swamp.

"If it weren't for the Six-Armed Savages, and if Lu Li hadn't figured out what was going on, they would have attacked us, too..."

Anna glanced down and realized she had unconsciously turned to the diary's final page.

[A storm is coming. Dad said there's no prey today, so we have to eat what's left. I hate storms].

[A guest came! Hooray! Dad and Mom will definitely treat him, and I'll get to eat meat again!]

[But the guest will get the best piece, and I want some too...]

Another line had been added to this entry, likely written by the boy just before the Six-Armed Savage burst in.

Anna whispered the words aloud: "When uncle gets back, we'll eat the meat together..."

A bolt of lightning split the sky, illuminating the swamp in a deathly pale light. At the edge of the forest, where the trees met the marsh, a massive figure appeared, an axe clutched in its hand.