Blue Forest (Part 1)
It was July. Summer was over, but the warmth still lingered. A few hours ago it had rained, then stopped suddenly, leaving the air thick and humid—enough to make anyone sweat. I was sitting in my shorts, half-dazed, watching weird cat videos when the phone rang. It was Deputy Chuck.
"Rosh, get to the warehouse behind the temple near the Blue Forest. Quick. Something happened near the mountain."
I groaned. It was supposed to be my day off. But in emergencies, exceptions are made.
I'm also a deputy in the village of Blue Forest. It's called that because at night the trees glow blue in the moonlight. Some say the glow comes because this place is the eye of the Young God.
As I got dressed, I glanced out the window. Two old ladies were whispering on the street, faces tight with curiosity. I walked past them, catching only one fragment: "He's going to that place…" They looked at me as if I was already doomed.
I shook it off, grabbed my cycle, and pedaled down the path toward the Young God's temple—it was the easiest way to the mountains. Puddles from the rain splashed beneath my wheels. As I chained my bike, I noticed the people near the temple staring at me in my blue police uniform.
For a second I wondered if something was stuck to me. I even patted my butt, thinking maybe I'd sat on something embarrassing. Kids nearby burst out laughing. One called, "Mister, you're into weird stuff, huh?"
I sighed and kept going, dodging puddles as I climbed the hill. Ahead, I saw Chuck waiting. We're the only deputies in the village. The captain was there too, tall with a white mustache. Even at a distance, I could see Chuck sweating bullets, and the captain's usual calm replaced by unease.
When I finally reached them, Chuck spoke. His voice was tight.
"I've called the forensics. There's been… an incident."
To be continued.