The Whispering Lake

The full moon cast an eerie glow over Whispering Lake, its still waters reflecting the dense forest that surrounded it. Detective Emma Reeves stood at the edge of the dock, staring into the dark depths below. The air was thick with the scent of pine and something else—something metallic and familiar. Blood.

“Where did they find her?” Emma asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Right here,” Officer Daniels replied, shining his flashlight on the water’s surface. “The diver pulled her up an hour ago. Same as the others—hands tied, throat slit, and that damned locket around her neck.”

Emma nodded, her heart heavy. This was the fourth body in as many months, each one bearing the same gruesome signature. The Whispering Lake Killer, the press had dubbed him, though Emma knew there was nothing poetic about the horrors she’d seen.

She turned away from the water, her eyes scanning the shoreline. “Where’s Dr. Miller? I need the preliminary report.”

Daniels gestured towards a small clearing where a medical examiner’s van was parked. “He’s just finishing up. I’ll get him for you.”

As Daniels walked off, Emma took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. She’d seen too much death in her career, but these killings were different. The victims were all women in their late twenties, just like her. And that locket—it wasn’t just any piece of jewelry. It was a vintage silver heart, identical to the one she had worn as a child, a gift from her mother.

Lost in thought, Emma barely noticed the soft crunch of footsteps behind her. She turned quickly, her hand instinctively reaching for her gun.

“It’s just me,” a familiar voice said.

Emma exhaled, lowering her hand. “Darren, you scared the hell out of me.”

Darren Blake, her partner of five years, offered her a lopsided grin. “Sorry about that. Thought I’d find you here, trying to piece it all together.”

“Any leads?” she asked, though she already knew the answer.

Darren shook his head. “Nothing concrete. We’ve interviewed everyone connected to the victims—no links, no motives. It’s like he’s picking them at random.”

Emma’s jaw tightened. “No one kills like this without a reason.”

Darren watched her for a moment, his expression softening. “You okay? This one… it’s getting to you.”

Emma looked away, back towards the lake. “It’s the locket. My mom gave me one just like it when I was ten. I lost it when she died. It’s just… strange.”

Darren nodded slowly. “You think it means something?”

“Maybe,” she said, her voice tinged with uncertainty. “Or maybe it’s just a coincidence.”

Before Darren could respond, Dr. Miller approached them, a clipboard in hand. “Detective Reeves, I’ve got the preliminary findings.”

Emma snapped back to attention. “What do we know?”

“Cause of death was exsanguination from the throat wound. Time of death was roughly forty-eight hours ago. And, as with the other victims, the locket was placed postmortem.”

Emma frowned. “Anything else?”

Dr. Miller hesitated, glancing at Darren before speaking. “There’s one more thing. We found a note inside the locket, folded up so small it was almost missed.”

Emma’s heart skipped a beat. “What does it say?”

Dr. Miller handed her a small evidence bag. Inside was a piece of paper, worn and yellowed with age. Emma carefully unfolded it, her breath catching as she read the single line scrawled in faded ink:

“You shouldn’t have forgotten, Emma.”

The world seemed to tilt beneath her feet. She felt Darren’s hand on her shoulder, steadying her as the note slipped from her fingers.

“Emma,” Darren’s voice was urgent, “what does it mean?”

She shook her head, unable to tear her eyes away from the lake. Memories she had long buried began to surface—memories of a shadowy figure that haunted her childhood, a man her mother had warned her about before she died.

“It means,” she whispered, her voice trembling, “he’s not done with me yet.”

The realization hit her like a cold wave. The Whispering Lake Killer wasn’t just targeting random women—he was coming for her, and the bodies were just the beginning.