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Chapter 5 - Torture

Annabelle had always been a peculiar child. She preferred the company of shadows and silence to the boisterous laughter of her peers. Her interests, strange and macabre, grew darker as she aged. What began as a fascination with horror novels evolved into a secret life that no one could have predicted.

In the quaint town of Ravenwood, Annabelle appeared to be just another quiet, introverted girl. She excelled in her studies, was polite to her neighbors, and never caused trouble. But beneath her innocent exterior lay a sinister passion: torture.

Annabelle's first victim was a small animal she found injured by the roadside. She brought it to the abandoned shed in the woods behind her house, where she carefully tended to its wounds—only to inflict new ones. The pain in the creature's eyes was exhilarating to her, a dark thrill that nothing else in life had ever given her. She knew it was wrong, but the wrongness was part of the allure.

As Annabelle grew older, her urges intensified. She began to target those she deemed deserving of punishment: the school bully, the neighborhood thief, and even a corrupt local official. Her methods were meticulous, her plans flawless. She would lure her victims to her shed, where she had set up a soundproof room designed for her gruesome work.

Annabelle's genius lay in her ability to blend in. She never left any evidence, and her victims were never reported missing. She selected those who were already marginalized or whose disappearance would be overlooked. Each session was an art form, a dance of pain and control that she perfected over the years.

Despite the increasing number of disappearances, no one ever suspected Annabelle. She was the last person anyone would think capable of such horrors. She volunteered at the local animal shelter, attended church every Sunday, and helped her elderly neighbors with their groceries.

One evening, Annabelle's luck nearly ran out. Detective Marcus Holloway, a sharp-eyed investigator with a knack for noticing patterns, had been following the trail of missing persons in Ravenwood. He felt an uneasy suspicion about the unassuming Annabelle, whose name appeared more than once in his investigations. Yet, there was never any concrete evidence.

Determined to uncover the truth, Detective Holloway decided to follow Annabelle. He trailed her one night as she made her way to the shed. Hidden in the shadows, he watched as she expertly handled her latest victim. The scene was both horrifying and mesmerizing, a glimpse into a darkness he had never encountered before.

Despite the horror he witnessed, Holloway knew he needed more than just his word to convict Annabelle. He needed irrefutable evidence. So, he retreated, planning to return with backup and a warrant. But Annabelle was clever. The next day, she sensed something was amiss. She felt the eyes watching her, the subtle changes in the behavior of those around her.

Without hesitation, Annabelle packed her things and vanished into the night. She left no trace behind, just as she had always done. The shed was empty, her tools gone, and the town of Ravenwood was left with a mystery that haunted its residents for years.

Annabelle moved from town to town, always changing her name, and always adapting her methods. She continued her dark passion, always one step ahead of the law. She became a ghost story, a legend whispered among detectives and criminal psychologists—a girl who loved torture and never got caught.