Im a witness to a murder that happened 30 years ago, I think it's finally time I've come clean. (part 3)

content warning: suicide, self harm, body horror, abuse, and violence.

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The echoes have gotten stronger, my abilities to see the other side have grown the last few days.. I can't believe the things ive seen but I know they are real. they have to be real, I dont know how else to talk about it. but thanks to this. ive come to witness what I believe to what truly happen to 23 year old college student Vanessa hobbs.. and why ill be doing whatever I can to make up for what my mother has done.

Last night, ive come to witness more echoes then just Vanessa and at this point I had seen nothing but visions of love, a family celebrating a young mans graduation, or a proud mom hugging her daughter on her first day of high school. but yesterday*, I began to have visions of the other emotions.... and the first time I saw Vanessa suffer, something from now on she would only ever feel. I was visiting my friends dorm room who was on the first floor of the wing, where I saw the hanging body of a young man. he looked to be around his early 20s. in the middle of the room, a rope hanging from a once existing fan, the sloppy patch up on the ceiling from where the hole used to be. I didn't stay very long, I made some some excuse that my father had needed to speak to me but the truth to it was that I had felt drained after every second I was in there, some echoes felt powerful, some felt warm and comforting, but I hadn't at this point felt something as draining as this. sitting outside the room in the hallway is when I first saw the creature ive come to terms as the bereaved. these humanoid entities covered in sackcloth, it had that I think are attracted to the sorrowed nature of these echoes. I always wondered why the air felt so much thicker than the rest of the building. who would have guess that three floors under me, someone had taken their own life.

Walking back up the same stairs I had fallen on just days ago, I heard the sound of footsteps running down the stairs, the sound of the metal guard rail being pulled and tug with the squeak of a shoe quickly turning. the sounds that were getting closer and closer until nothing. no one was running down the stairs. I was standing at the first step, the door to the entrance of the stairwell behind me, when I heard the door Fling open and crashed against the painted concrete of the building. the sound was so loud, It traveled up and back down the stairwell and rang in the echo. my hands raced to my ears to shield them from it. the air was thicker, and I had felt it become so much closer. I can feel the heat of my breath leave my body, the chill itself revealing my every breath.

the cold itself was shocking but the smell, the stench of death covered the entire room. I could smell the rot and the air tasted like metal. when the thud of the bereaved right in front of me made itself known. it had no interest in me, I dont think it noticed that I knew it existed. its face stained with tears as its jaw was pulled back to its throat, its eyes drooping down to its cheeks as the yellowish tint of what was a pupil swam around in any direction in its eye. its nose was rotted, like a ghoul there was this hole in the middle of its face. this was the first time ive seen one of those creatures up close and I was so interested on what had its attention.

I did what every one who had a death wish in a horror movie would do, and I followed it. it was slow on its feet and passed through solid wall like it was water. dragging its feet against the ground, the legs and feet bent a wrong angles with its toenails overgrown and rotted. its arms outstretched like it was reaching for something that was always so near but never close at all. they were covered in bandages that were bleed through and rotted. its voice raspy and low. "Im sorry... im so sorry... please forgive me..." the sackcloth covered its body but I could only imagine what that would have been. I was speechless. to think no one will ever believe what im putting into words here. they haven't seen what ive seen and im sad no one ever will.

I followed the bereaved a group of three people, one of them was Vanessa, the women in braces and a young man, he was taller then the two, his arms clung to Vanessa holding her from behind. he showered her face and neck in kisses holding her tight only letting her go as the women in braces told them to knock it off.

"listen melody.. just because you can't handle normal affection doesnt mean I can show my girlfriend some..." he spoke to her. his voice firm and loud. his dirty blond hair covered by a red cap.

"do that shit in private... its disgusting..." melody spoke with a soft lisp. her braces blocking her from speaking without the lisp she's been made fun for.

Vanessa looked down, caught between the two arguing, she was embarrassed and softly grabbed the sleeve of her boyfriend's sweater.

"melody..." Vanessa softly spoke. "we've been best friends for years, you're the reason I even wanted to attend this school was to be with you.. why do you treat Ralph like this. he's done nothing to you" she confronted her. behind the sleeve and shoulder of the man next to her.

"because he's not good enough for you. ive seen the way he acts around here and hoesntly I dont understand why you even feel for that idiots words" melody blew up.

the echo faded.. the bereaved faded and the clouds covered the sky.

it had been getting colder, and the airs been getting much thicker...

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End of part 3 of 5.