A Murder Has Been Discovered
I hike into the wild, steep mountains to the west with a group of men at night, by moonlight. The mountains are vast and rugged. We are enjoying the wonders of the place when one man exclaims he has found a body! We all hasten to have a look, and I can only stand a brief glance at the sight. It is the pale, cold body of a woman, completely drained of blood, life and color, looking almost like a marble statue in the moonlight. It is completely severed at the waist, and the arms and legs are missing. I am stricken with profound grief and shock, and turn away, saying we must go home and report the murder.
As we turn back, the path gets more dangerous. It is as if we hadn’t noticed the danger on the way out, but just getting back to the main trail from the precipitous site of the murder is pretty scary. Heading back toward the town in the valley to the east, I meet a man who is just starting out in the direction from which we are returning. He extends a hearty greeting and is obviously in the mood for a great solo hike. I warn him not to go further, saying a murder has been discovered, and urge him to turn back.