The News[]
The gruesome remains of two unidentified bodies in later stages of decomposition were discovered earlier this morning in the local woods area near an orphanage of Saint Duma.
The police report signs of foul play. A blood-soaked diary was also found in the hand of one of the bodies. Due to the blood coagulating, the content of said diary is difficult to discern and is yet to be revealed to the public.
DNA analysis indicates the legitimate filiation between the deceased. The director of the orphanage has refrained from making any comments. His or the staff's involvement is currently under investigation.
State and county officials are urging anyone with information to please come forward!
The Diary[]
?/? He is gone.
1/1 The counselor gifted me this. She said I should write something down once in a while. No one ever gifted me anything. Feels nice.
2/1 The nights are getting windy. Snows like hell. Can't even see past all the blizzards. Feels like the world ends just right beyond the yard.
?/? Can't sleep. And they won't fix the damned windows. It’s too loud at night; I can't even hear myself think.
?/? Sometimes I wonder about what the future brings; what would we do after we're out? Yorik is older than me. He'll be leaving soon, in December. But what about me?
2/17 I think that Yorik's lost it. He’s much quieter than usual and won't talk to the others. Maybe I should talk to him?
?/? Caught him staring through the window all night long. Asked what he was looking at, but he didn't answer. He just stared at me.
9/18 It's been four months since he left. But I don't blame him, actually. Just jealous I wasn't the first to do it. Who knew he had what it takes in him? Lucky bastard.
?/? Not quite sure how he's done it. The bastard broke the window; this much is certain. But the place is still six stories high. He couldn’t have just jumped out and ran away.
Wish I was around to see it; I guess I never really knew him well.
?/? We’ve been on full lockdown since May. At night, you can’t even take a shit without permission. But now that I think about it, something doesn’t add up. He didn’t even take his clothes.
He couldn’t just run away in his birthday suit.
?/? We've had a bunch of runaways before, though no one really cared. Some never come back; others are caught in 2 weeks. What can an orphan really do on their own anyway?
Then what difference does it make with Yorik?
12/24 When Christmas comes around, everyone always eases up a bit. A new guy moved in; he’s nice. It’s funny that today Yorik was supposed to move out. Sure, what a big coincidence! Bet they didn’t even write Yorik off as missing, and they collectively decided to just forget about him.
Easier that way, isn’t it?
?/? This building is old and decrepit. It outlived two wars. I’d say, give it a few more years, and it will collapse on itself. But then what? They’ll build another.
There is no escape. For now.
?/? You can hear the wind blowing against the concrete at night. How it slips in through the cracks, travels around the space between the walls, and eventually gets out.
I wish I could fly away. Anywhere but here.
?/? When I think about Yorik, the only thing that comes to mind is how he would stay dormant for weeks. What was on his mind that day?
?/? I found something today. A phone, it was hidden behind an embedded brick. Just below the window. Is this even his? Never knew Yorik had one.
Then again, it’s only natural that he’d try to hide it.
?/? It’s odd. I can’t distinctly remember how and where I got this phone. The more I try to remember, the more I forget. Can’t say why.
I can’t even remember when my brother’s birthday was.
?/? I wanted to know why he was looking through that window, so one night I decided to stand there. The exact spot. I glanced through it.
Next thing I knew, I had this phone in my hand.
?/? I can’t even say if it’s really his phone. One day I decided to turn this thing on, only to find absolutely nothing on it. I don't know what I was hoping for.
Then why would someone hide an empty phone in a place like this?
?/? Today I checked the place again. And just imagine my surprise when I found something. I’m not big into tech, so I don’t know what it is. Some sort of card.
Was it always there?
?/? They don’t tell me about him anymore. Why wouldn’t they tell me?
?/? It’s been weeks, so I sought help. Checked in with the counselor, but she said she knows no Yorik. The audacity of that bitch.
I thought she was different, but I guess the right word is indifferent.
?/? What happens when we die? Do we finally get to «move on» or do we just drift away, like the wind, never to be seen or heard from again? I don’t know.
I feel afraid when I think about this.
?/? I asked her this same question today, and she said, "As long as there is something or someone that reminds others of us, we will live." I argued that there wasn't much that one could do in a place like this and that most of us didn't have anyone left who would remember us fondly.
She just sat there, looking at me. Perhaps she was trying to come up with something to reassure me.
?/? When it seemed like it couldn't get any worse, the pictures appeared. I checked the phone one day, and there they were. The only person who knows about this phone is me, and I didn't do it. Or at least I don't remember doing this.
Who’s taken them, and how did they end up here?
?/? There is a man in those photos. I can’t make out the face, but I can clearly see the figure. Don’t know how I didn’t catch it earlier.
Who is this guy?
?/? It doesn’t make any sense. I checked the pictures again. Nothing out of the ordinary at first, but then I’d take a better look at the jacket. That’s when it hit me.
It was Yorik’s jacket, the one that is hanging in his closet right now.
?/? It’s you, isn’t it? I know that it’s you. You’ve abandoned me; I never even got to say goodbye. I know this much is true.
Now, they are the only thing I have left of you, brother.
2/18 They don’t remember him anymore. None of them do.
And they won’t even remember me.
Coroner’s Report[]
Decedent: John, Doe.
Race: Caucasian
Sex: male
Age: 18
Type of death: suspicious, unusual or unnatural; found dead.
Description of Body: clothed
Eyes: brown
Hair: white
Mustache: n/a
Beard: n/a
Weight: 123 lbs
Height: 5’9
Body Temp: 12.3°F
Date and Time: February 19th, 4:49 am
Rigor: yes
Liver color: undetermined
Marks and Wounds: Open wound to the cranium, frontal bone, and right parietal bone. Severed atlantus. Multiple fractures of the spine and upper and lower extremities. Lacerations of internal organs. Numerous scratches and hematomas on the back as a result of the body being dragged. Fingers and toes completely fractured. The cadaver’s face is missing; crude marks of fingernails can be found on the sides of the head, indicating that the face has been forcefully peeled off, most likely postmortem.
Probable Cause of Death: A fracture of the cervical spine.
Manner of Death: Unknown
Disposition of Case: Autopsy ordered: yes
Pathologist: ###
Pictures:[]
