🚧 This story is under construction. 🚧

The bus ride home seemed far longer than usual with Elsie and her friends on board. It was in this moment that Jessica greatly regretted not yet attempting to acquire her driver's license.

Just a couple of years before, Jessica had graduated from a lengthy schooling that stuck her in the same vicinity as Elsie's prissy clan. They had been your classic group of school bullies. Appearing as polite, popular, and academically well-achieved kids in the presence of their parents and teachers. But behind that farse, they were just blatantly cruel and conniving. Seemingly to exist primarily to torment other peers close to their age who did not fit up to their standards, or those they deemed a challenge to their authority.

Jessica, being everything that Elsie wasn't, was singled out as a regular victim.

You would think, with years passing, maturity would start to blossom. Perhaps the harsh reality of adulthood would gnaw at the errors of their ways. But not for Elsie. Or her group of friends, which had thus far remained as the same flock of girls Elsie had gathered for herself through high school. Admittedly Jessica hadn't changed much either since graduating. And being on the polar opposite of the social spectrum, still residing in the same town, had kept her an occasional target of taunting.

Despite being seated at the very back of the bus, Elsie and her friends were prominent and so loud that Jessica found it difficult to ignore their senseless conversing. Jessica had her earbuds in, with her favourite heavy metal band playing, but dared not raise the volume to drown them out and draw attention to herself. The girls chatted and giggled loudly among each other. The topic changed so frequently that surely it would be hard for anyone to keep track of what they were talking about.

Jessica thought it unusual that they would even consider using public transport. After all, Elsie loved to drive about the neighbourhood obnoxiously in her bright red, new model jeep.
Maybe, even with her sheriff daddy mopping up after her, all the speeding and parking fines had finally accumulated too much?
Jessica grinned to herself. That idea was incredibly satisfying. Even if it did mean their paths needed to cross.

Hoping to avoid eye contact, Jessica took another discreet glance at her nemesis. Elsie truly hadn't changed at all since finishing school, even in her appearance. Her hairstyle, fashion choice and makeup were still worn exactly the same. She even wore the same shiny silver necklace with a blue raven charm, delicately hanging around her petite neck.
As always, she gave off a dominating, overbearingly confident vibe that caused Jessica's teeth to clench in distaste.

Elsie's hand waved expressively as she bragged on and the stooges she chose to surround her reacted excitedly. Jessica could not recall the name of the other three girls with her, but they were all just sheep really anyway. Each of them mimicked the other, sacrificing the idea of originality, to desperately fit into the charade of popularity. Between them, they dressed in a nauseating rainbow of pastel colours. Their blonde hair was tied up into ponytails and modified with streaked highlights of colour, low-hanging sweaters, dainty jewellery, expensive mobile phones, and perfectly painted nails. Each of them wore shorts with barely enough material to be considered so, but undoubtedly cost three times as much as Jessica's full-length jeans. Apparently, the chilly weather was irrelevant as far as fashion was concerned.
The multiple, high-end store-brand bags bundled at their feet suggested they had surely spent the full day, or at least the majority of it, at the shopping mall which was located in the next town over. 

Eventually, Elsie noticed Jessica's existence and whispered something to the girl sitting to the left of her. She snorted and laughed as Jessica turned away and pushed the button for the next stop.
She honestly was not in the mood for a confrontation right now.

Jessica plucked the little speakers playing music from her ears and stuffed them in her pocket. She pulled her collar up and nestled further into her coat, pulling strands of her dark hair free. Staring out the window, she watched the flicker of trees and vastly distanced lights zoom by through the misty glass. With the exemption of the town centre, houses out here were few and far apart with chunks of marshy wilderness and large empty blocks of land in between. Most of the suburbs surrounding this one were far more populated and built up. Many potential home and business owners being turned off by the low-lying areas that were subject to the occasional flooding. And also the over-generous population of mosquitos and other buzzing insects. For Jessica, their annoying presence was meager compared to Elsie.

"Still cleaning tables for a living Jessica?" Elsie mocked loudly in the background.

Jessica did not verbally retaliate. But offered a casual shrug as she lifted herself from the moquette-covered chairs. Working at the diner wasn't exactly a high-end career. But at least it paid the bills. Elise probably had never had a job in her life. 

"She's such a freak." Elise sneered, obviously disappointed with the lack of response.
But Jessica laughed at that, leaving Elise with a confused frown.
If only they knew how true that was.

The bus came to a stop and Jessica stepped off without looking back.

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It was a frosty night. Spring was on its way, yet the temperature still dropped drastically along with the sun. The air was cold enough to see her breath and she felt her ears throb in protest from the temperature change. Truthfully Jessica needn't depart this early. There were still two more lengthy stops before the route deterred off from her destination. But she'd had more than enough of Elise and her minion's presence, and she enjoyed the walk alongside her favourite place anyway; Thaddeus Swamp.

Jessica ambled leisurely along the edge of the shadowy thoroughfare, the crumbling asphalt crunched enthusiastically under her boots.

Often on her wander home, she would stare down into the grungy water and empty her thoughts. Usually, it was dark and desolate, but sometimes the moonlight would sneak through the thick overgrowth and reflect upon the water's surface.

Normally it was quiet this time of the night. Only the insects and frogs calling broke the silence. She found it fascinating how the trees grew out of the water; the spindly limbs twisted and curved. Some drooping back down into the deep, others reaching skyward and growing thick coverage that concealed much of the light above.

People often complained about the stench of rotting leaves and putrid water. But to Jessica the wetlands were beautiful. It felt eerie and lonely. But also felt earthy and real. There was life here, but also the whispering reminder of death.

Jessica's gaze drifted distractedly out into the distance. Tonight, her place of peace was shattered by the commotion from the other side of the swamp.

Even from here the bright floodlights and flashing red and blue from police cars broke through the trees and danced wildly, breaching what would otherwise be a still night.

From one of the few openings amongst the trunks Jessica watched men in uniforms splashing about in the shallows, flashlight beams flickering around them as they searched. A couple of cadaver dogs barked excitedly.

Jessica had already heard the discovery reported on the radio earlier at work. Human remains had been found, and just within the last hour identified.

It had not taken the news long to spread among residents. It travelled fast in this relatively small town. With the town's forensic capabilities being poor at best, the police originally did not have enough parts to get a positive identification and we're obviously still searching the area for remaining pieces.

Jessica imagined what remained of the body had been swiftly picked apart by river-dwelling critters and buzzards. Despite how still and barren the swamp seemed; Jessica knew that under the surface there was life abound.

Occasionally, in this town that seems so isolated from any other, people had disappeared without a trace left behind. The fact that someone had been found had caused quite the hype.

It had been a young girl, Khloe Auburn. Apparently recognised only by the shreds of clothing they found along with her.

Jessica did not know the primary school-aged girl personally. But the Auburn family had become renowned in the short time they'd frequented the area for owning a huge amount of land and estate.

Daryn Auburn, Khloe's father and the most recognisable of the Auburns', would no doubt be in the spotlight for a long time yet.

Jessica decided against lingering at the swamp on this occasion and headed back up along the roadside towards home. With any luck, the authorities would scoop up what was left of the girl and Jessica's sanctuary would swiftly return to the peaceful paradise it should be.

She was just about to cross the road where the swamp land finished and semi-rural suburbia began, when a loud crackling from the bracken behind her stopped her in her tracks.

As Jessica walked a bit closer the bushes rustled frantically. A small black figure bolted from where it had taken shelter and stared up at her with huge wide eyes.

The thin scraggly form of a frightened cat, most likely a stray, arched up. Its muscles tensed, readying a quick getaway, as she lowered herself down to its level and softly encouraged it over.

It slunk, ever so slowly and wary, edging closer to sniff at Jessica's outstretched hand. Its tiny pink nose touched her fingertips with the tiniest hint. But that little wisp of touch was all Jessica needed to see into his mind.

She felt the curiosity, the uncertainty, but above all else; the fear. He was spooked. Really spooked. His senses were on high alert in a way a flighty prey animal became around a predator's presence.

In a quick motion, their link cut off as his head flicked around in the direction of the water. He let out a conflicted mew before his ears twitched and he dashed out of sight.

As Jessica brushed the dirt from her knees something moved again in the corner of her eye. She stopped and turned slowly as she tried to locate the figure.

This time, it was far too big to be a cat. But whatever it was had already melted into the darkness.