Flaws And Feathers [PUBLISHED]

Chapter 1

© Jojo B 2018

All rights including those in copyright in the content of this story are owned by Jojo B. It's Illegal to steal and/or copy.

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Flaws and Feathers

Chapter 1

Rotting twigs and dead leaves crunched under our footsteps. The earth was damp, the soil itself saturated with moisture. It was almost like a sponge, that cushioned each step we took. The army of trees surrounding us, stretched upwards, as if trying to caress the clouds with their barren branches.

Our family owned several acres of land, as well as a fairly decent sized house and a cabin near the lake. In summer it was quite nice to go out for walks under the green canopy, but right now, England was showing just how miserable the weather could be.

"No, no, no, please don't rain," I looked up at the sky and begged, once I felt the cold droplet splash against my cheek.

"The clouds can't hear you, Vienna," my sister Gwen murmured as she quickened her pace. "I guess this serves us right for not bringing raincoats."

She was right. The two of us had thought the rain might let up on the short trip from the house to the cabin. It usually took exactly seven minutes, through the woods, but clearly anything could happen in that time.

"No!" I cried when the heavens broke loose, and I took off running down the dirt path towards the cabin, chin tucked to my chest and shoulders hunched, as I tried to conserve body heat.

Gwen ran just a few steps behind me, our heavy Dr Marten boots treading in the muddy earth. The rain began to soak through my thick jumper, and my hair was sodden in just moments. My eyes were narrowed to the point where I could barely see anything, which was probably what led to me tripping over something solid and crashing down in a messy heap.

My sister came to a stop beside me, but her attention was on something else. Both of us were breathing heavily, neither of us very sporty individuals. Cold was seeping into my muscles and I desperately resisted the urge to shiver.

"Vienna," Gwen spoke quietly, fear in her voice.

"I'm fine, I'll live," I huffed as I slowly got to my feet, muddy twigs and dead leaves hanging off me.

"Vienna, look," Gwen repeated urgently.

I sent her a confused look, seeing that Gwen's glasses had fogged up. She quickly took them off and rubbed them on the cuff of her damp sleeve, before returning them to her face and pointing at the ground with a shocked expression. I followed her finger to the shape that looked very much like a human being.

"Oh my God," I breathed, my chest constricting in fear. "We found a body."

I took a step back, realising that was what I had tripped over in my haste. A dead body. It was a boy, covered in mud and...missing a shirt for some reason. He was lying on his back, the rain washing some of the mud away to reveal intricate tattoos over his torso and shoulders.

"Gwen," I sent my sister a wild look. "I know I always used to say stupid things like 'what if one day we find a body in the woods?', but I didn't mean it. This can't be happening. Gwen! Are you listening?"

I could see she was trying to stay calm, but her shaking hands gave her away. She was just as terrified as I was. There were so many questions running through my mind. Who was this guy? How long had he been here? How did he die? And if it was murder...which was probably the case, where the hell was the killer?!