Page 101 of Sinister

PART II

29

THE RADCLIFFE HERALD

8 April 1896

OF MAD MEN, GHOSTS, DEMONS AND THE DEVIL

MYSTERIOUS ABSENCES FROM THE THEOLOGICAL FACULTY

In the wake of the horrific ritual slayings that have shaken our quiet township, three prominent figures associated with the Theology Department of St. Anselm Hall have come under grave suspicion. Messrs. Arnoult, Kimaris, and Haas—once regarded as learned men of high standing—have not been seen since the bloody spectacle that occurred late Saturday last.

Particular attention has turned toward Mr. Arnoult, an eccentric scholar long whispered about in academic and spiritualist circles for his curious predilection for necromantic studies.

Known to host strange monthly gatherings in his private residence—attended by students and reputed occult enthusiasts from afar—Mr. Arnoult has oft claimed an ability to commune with spirits from beyond the veil.

Of Mr. Kimaris, little is yet known, save for his quiet disposition and sudden disappearance.

As for Mr. Haas, no statement has been issued by the University, though his name appears on several rosters of faculty involved in theological instruction.

Authorities remain tight-lipped while the investigation proceeds. Fear and speculation mount, and the townsfolk pray this darkness will soon be brought into the light.

Further developments shall be published as they arise.

30

PETRA

10 April 1896

For a week now, the authorities have been trying to track down the main suspects—several professors connected to St. Anselm Hall University. But I haven’t heard any mention of Sin.

My father keeps repeating one name: Arnoult. There were a few others implicated, too, names I don’t recognize.

Still, my thoughts can’t stay away from Sin.

What if those bodies weren’t the only ones?

What if he really was involved in the ritual and is now lying dead somewhere, abandoned in a ditch, forgotten?

What if something happened to him?

After our so-called bargain, I thought he would at least find a way to let me know he was safe. Some sign. Anything. But there’s been nothing.

Easter came and went, but no one celebrated. The town feels too heavy, too shadowed to embrace joy. Everyone’s on edge, waiting for something awful to happen again.

The murders still haven’t been solved. No arrests. No explanations.

Now, we’re not allowed to leave the house alone. Not even with Mrs. Jenkins. No one from the congregation is permitted to go into town, and from what I hear, the same rules apply to the outsiders. They’re just as afraid.

People whisper that if they leave their homes, they won’t come back alive—that something is lurking out there in the dark, waiting to grab them and offer them up in sacrifice.

No official statement has linked the killings to a ritual, but that hasn’t stopped the rumors. What started with our congregation has spread like wildfire. Now the entire town believes the university was hiding some kind of occult group. One that tried to summon the devil himself.

The university gates have been shut ever since. No one knows if or when they’ll reopen.

Day after day, I keep asking myself if I could have done more. If I should have tried harder to stop Sin. Tried harder to save him. The idea that he might be dead gnaws at me. It doesn’t feel right. I won’t believe it.