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Mystery, crime, murder, unsolved cases. Contribute your own tales of crime to Criminal.
Gotcha (Pt. 2)
Chapter 3 I jumped as the screen door slammed shut. Apparently, I was so deep in thought I didn’t hear the door open. Hunter emerged onto the back stoop in his sock-clad feet, still in his pajamas with his head hosting the "straight out of bed" look. The boy had hair for days and when he refused to shower or comb it, it turned out to be more of a rat's nest than anything else. He had a cup of juice in his hand and was looking out past me into the yard. We were southern California kids which didn’t mean we ever saw snow, but it meant we enjoyed the beauty of it more than most.
By Lindsey Cooper8 years ago in Criminal
Gotcha
“Oh my god! He’s dead! How could this have happened?” my brain screams. And yet, she’s continuing the CPR, in and out and in and out. The artificial breath for an artificial body that is no longer inhabited. She looks up at me, eyes wide in a panic, continuing to push and push on his chest, as if he’s going to start coughing and come out of it like “GOTCHA! HAHA!” But he’s not. He’s not waking up, his face, bloodied and wounded from the collapse and from hitting his face on the trailer that holds the car. And all I can do is stand there and watch her proceed to pretend that she wants to breathe life back into that body. Pretending that her keeping the boys away is for their own good. His son, so young, only ten, fresh out of the shower stares through the window of a neighboring RV. His eyes mirror the feeling I have in my heart, the feeling of mistrust and failure to bring to light the honest truth: she killed him; and now, no one will ever know.
By Lindsey Cooper8 years ago in Criminal
Murder Mystery
The detective kicked his shoe against the desk. He was tired of being one step behind the killer. Enough was enough. He sat back down in his chair and began to read through the files once more. "There must be something I had missed," he thought to himself as he reached for the cold cup of coffee. Taking a big swig of the stale drink, he looked at the crime scene photos once more. It wasn’t enough. Something was missing. He sat back up and grabbed his jacket. The crime scene was only a few blocks away. He burst out of the office and saluted his receptionist as he left the building.
By Kiana White8 years ago in Criminal
The Strike
It was a late night and I had just gotten off work. I had to do the late shift again. "Ughh I'm so tired." That's what I always tell myself, and yet nothing ever changes in my life. I'm tired of everything I do, and my routine still never changes. I have all I want and everything I need in life. I'm still not satisfied. I feel empty and lost. So I decide to leave my cute and tidy little apartment and go on a vacation. I really need it. So I pack my bags and take my car out when my phone rings. It's my mom who I never talk to because of so many issues and I just don't even like her. She's so annoying and I just...ugh, I can't. So I decline her call and she texts me saying she wants to see me one last time because she has like cancer or something. But I don't want to see her. I can't. She ruined my life and I don't want to relive those moments. I text her saying that I don't want to see her end of story and that she needs to just leave me alone. My younger sister loves her and just adores my mom because she doesn't think she abandoned us. She thinks she left because my dad and her didn't get along. Truth be told, my dad is amazing and super sweet, but my mom didn't love him anymore even after 20 years of marriage. One day she just left, and now she tries coming back into my life with her 20-year-old boyfriend who is 24 years younger than she is. Absolutely gross. It's not my job to judge. I just try to keep my younger sister in check and she tries to keep me in check. So I text my sister that "I'm leaving town and going to Lake Tahoe and won't be back till Monday." She texts me back, "Alright love you" because she was probably dead asleep and I woke her up. I decide to leave at night because I want to get there in the morning and sleep in. It is already 11 and I still have two and a half hours of driving until I get there. Lucky me.
By Nicole Partridge8 years ago in Criminal
The Known and the Unknown
It was a humid day in June when Luna Smithers decided she wanted to have ice cream with her boyfriend of one year, Luis Martinez, at his house. She pulled up to his house in her powder blue Corvette. She noticed that his car was the only one in the driveway, so his family must have recently left because they were there when she called. She took a breath and stepped out of the car, taking the tubs of ice cream out with her. As her black strappy sandals hit the ground, she got a feeling in her stomach. It felt like flutters, but not of butterflies, more like the rugged wings of moths who are searching for the light of day after years of darkness. She doesn't know why she had this bad feeling about being here since she is actually here often. She shakes it off, her long chocolate brown curls swinging right along with her head. She goes up to the red wooden door, with the seemingly menacing bull door knocker looking her directly into her eyes, and she texts Luis to come to the door.
By Tiana Covington8 years ago in Criminal
The First One
The Last One I sat at the table, waiting patiently for the cop to walk in. For the questions to start. Why did I do it? How many? When, where, what time? I wasn’t afraid. I knew what I’d done. I knew it was wrong. I knew none of them deserved it. That it should have been him, and only him. But when it came to him, I couldn’t. The interrogator walked in then. He was tall, handsome, clean shaven, had unmistakable green eyes, a confident stride, as if he knew exactly what he was doing. His hair was long for a man but not too long and he never looked at the ground, always straight at me. Straight into my piercing grey eyes. Making sure I knew he was in charge, not me. I had no control. I turned myself in, making it clear I was putting my life in their hands.
By Alyssa Martin8 years ago in Criminal
Escape
You walked in and my world stopped. Not in the good way that you'd think. Not because I was so in love with you that setting my eyes on you once again would make me melt in your presence. It stopped, because I had finally escaped you and now... now you found me. You didn't lay your eyes on me yet as I pressed myself into the booth of the diner. You were slowly looking around and I knew if I make a dash for it at that moment, I would be caught for sure. I glanced around for a low key escape route, every other glance I would look at you. Your face slowly started to reach my section, I could see the scowl on your face and eyebrows furrowed as you concentrated, searching for me. I only had a matter of seconds before you'd finally see me. Desperately, I slid under the table out of sight from at least where you were standing. I took a few deep breaths and closed my eyes, focusing on the sounds around me, trying to calm myself down. Through the clinking of silverware on plates, lively chatter, and sizzling of the grill, I hear you, your footsteps as they approach my table. I quickly open my eyes and see your shadow from the sun shining through the window come into view. I tuck my feet as close to my body as possible, hoping that you didn't know I was there. As you slowly passed by my table, I could feel my shoulders get less tense and I knew I had to make a run for it. I got down on my knees and peaked out to see where you were, to make sure I had enough time to make it to my car and go. You were still strolling down the aisle slowly. I quickly slid myself out from under the table and ran towards the door, not looking back. I ran quickly to my car, unlocking it as I scurried through the parking lot. I heard the diner door open and shut quickly and fast footsteps behind me. As I reached my car I swung open the door and threw myself in before slamming the door shut and locking it. I placed the key in the ignition and started the engine, quickly throwing my car into reverse and backing out, hoping no one was behind me. I backed out and started racing through the parking lot. When I reached the exit, I saw you for the last time standing in the middle of the only way in/out of the parking lot, smirking at me. I knew in your head you were thinking that you had won, because you always did in the past, that I wouldn't dare hit you with my car, even if that meant going back to your hurtful hands and harsh words. I wouldn't do it because I am weak, a coward, stupid, but you were awfully wrong. I slowly lifted my foot off the break and before even blinking I slammed my foot on the gas and accelerated forward. You didn't have time to think before the front end of my car came crashing into your body, throwing you over my car and onto the asphalt. With tears in my eyes, I was the only one smiling now as I sped out of the parking lot.
By Skyler Blasingame8 years ago in Criminal
The Green Hat
The water seeped enticingly through the woman’s toes as she waited for night to fall and the moon to peek out from behind the dark gray clouds. Her dyed pink hair was slightly wet from the heavy mist that had descended on her way to the lake, but it was quickly drying from the heavy wind. She probably should return soon, but the moon was so beautiful at the lake, it was worth a possible soaking.
By Emily Pierce8 years ago in Criminal
Thirty Minutes
Thirty minutes. Half an hour. One thousand, eight hundred seconds. It can fly by, or it can be the longest amount of time. My wife and I were visiting relatives for the holidays. It was a cold, snowy December morning. My wife had gone shopping with my grandmother, and my grandfather had asked me to pick up his briefcase from his office. I put the address in my GPS and made the trip across town.
By Linda Belcher8 years ago in Criminal
Sofia: Part 5
Sofia woke up with a massive headache pounding through her skull. She wondered where it had originated because she hadn't been drinking last night with Daviel. In fact, the last thing she remembered was him passing out on top of her before her mind went dark.
By Sharlene Alba8 years ago in Criminal
