Readers beware, this dreadful tale is not for the faint of heart. This will contain graphic and disturbing content. you have been warned.

Chapter 1

I’m Alex Forum, formerly Detective Forum. I’m here to disclose the story of my sister Lilian Forum. She was called a murderer, liar, and a thief. I will  start Lilian’s story from the beginning when I saw her first after the incident. It was a cold and dreary September night of 1977, and I was in the east wing of the hospital on the second floor. A bouquet of lilies of all different colors. Some paler and some darker, but all unique. This was what her favorite flowers were. She would always look so peaceful with them, like a wave of calm just washed over her. I wished that I could be handing these flowers to Lily herself. Lily was always bombastic and so stubborn when you first met her, but as soon as you get closer to her, she ends up being gentle like a shy rabbit. I remember when our Dad left Lily and I alone after killing our mother. He shortly died after such events by being hit with a semi truck driver. I was 16 and Lily was 6 at the time of the events. I managed to take care of her with the help of our neighbor. The woman was a lovely old lady whose children already upped and left being older than I was. I worked as a cashier at a gas station, and would pick up double shifts when I could. I was well off by the time I was 20 from investing into the stock market. I went into criminal justice and managed to be an investigative detective at age 24. I was out of college at 22 since I went directly to it at age 18. I would bring home lilies to Lily, and would bring home some dinner whenever I didn’t feel like cooking. May 18, 1972, Lily came up to ask me about the Summer camp to see if she could go. It was Camp Beaverton, and I regretfully said yes. She had a bright light in her eyes, and would profusely thank me since I was so busy with work and school, that doing fun things with her was sparse. I wanted her to have fun, make friends and if it comes to it, find Summer love. I sent her off that day. 5 years and 4 months later she's in the hospital. At this time I didn’t know what happened, but was ready to find out. She was with third degree burns so bad, they had to amputate the leg because of it. Respiratory problems because of smoke clouding her lungs, and from the looks of it someone tried to hide their tracks by burning everything down. That wasn’t everything however, she would go into a fit of seizures occasionally and flatline because of how fast her heart was going from panicking not knowing where she would be. I would go to the hospital more often, and she would push me away asking for Al. This made my heart sink. She only remembered the figmentation of me, not me as Alex. I feel it was my fault for allowing her to go, and now it’s her in the bed with unrelinquished memories of who I am now. I wish it were me instead to take her place, or to have said no to her those years earlier. I still miss Lily and how she brightened everyone up. She was always kind and did not start fights unless needed. She was always getting into fights with people that were starting stuff. She would always come home bruised and with bandages. I did talk to the school about it and they suspended the students, so much for public education. When I would go to the hospital Lily would always look pitiful and scared? Do I scare her? I don't mean to scare Lily, so I just left feeling like a shell that I didn't stay longer. I got a call that day “Detective Forum, we need you here at the station. We got a case you might be interested in.” 

“I'm on my way now.”

 I drove to the station and  I walked in. I noticed everyone’s head was down and gaze full of dread. The first thing that came to mind was a possible murder-suicide. 

“What's wrong boss, what case am I on?” I asked. 

His breath was shaky as spoke “camp Beaverton case.” 

My face dropped, but maybe I didn’t hear him right. 

“w–what case now?” 

He spoke more firmly “the Camp Beaverton case.” 

I felt my face grow colder as I broke into a sweat. I'm not sure how I’m going to handle this. I know it's going to be awful, I just have that feeling. Lily was in that camp along with many others.

“I need you to do this one. We have no information other than location, and from it being burned down. Maybe ask your sister for a couple fill-ins.” 

I stopped him right there and gave him what I assume is a pitiful expression. “She doesn’t even remember me, and even if she did, why the hell would I bring her back to that place?”

He nodded understanding the circumstance. “I’ll take on the role, and have everything I can find in that rubble.” 

I shook my bosses hand in agreement for this role, and slowly walked out of the door to go home. I need moments to revel in these types of ideals to reflect on what I did, and what I need from this moment. I was hoping to get this case to avenge my sister, but it’s not just her I’m avenging. It’s the kids, the lovers of someone, parents who volunteered, and the siblings of one another. I feel this weight and I mourn for the lost souls. Mourn with those who have lost their family in the camp. This is keeping me awake more than what I usually am. I need to go to that damned camp site. I drove looking at the road and feeling the wheel turn. Tears were streaming down my face and I tried to wipe them away, but they continuously fell. I parked at the entrance of the camp walking around the burned remains of what the camp was. Stone and charred wood all over the place. I used a metal baton to lift everything up to look for evidence or leads. I found Lily’s journal I got for her 14th birthday. I obviously grabbed the journal, and maybe it has evidence of what happened. Yet the journal is brittle and leathery like an animal ripped into it. The pages feel like they are going to fall apart into my hands if I were to be harsh with them. The leather on it is scorched and looks aged from the burning. It’s sad to see this journal like this as I got it for her 14th birthday. She knew how to take care of it, but the fire ruined it from being able to take the harsh conditions to something that must be protected in a box. Anyways I took the journal, and its fallen pages, and gently slipped them inside of it.

 “I'll check in the cabins tomorrow.” I say out loud to make mental notes of it.

 I drive back to my house at 3 in the morning. I turn up the music to drown my thoughts as Bob Marley “Three Little Birds” plays. I feel a certain serenity occur with this song. This song is Lily’s favorite and it feels like she’s singing it in the car with me. I feel my heart break from the serenity into melancholy. I wish she could get better so I can show her all the finer things even in the dark. I parked at my house and walked in as I set the journal on the table. I opened the journal whilst reading it visually at first. Her handwriting was great in the beginning, however it was more scratched and hysterical as it progressed. I was worried by this as she always took her time with writing to be perfect. Something more has gone on than just a stagnant murder. Something more sinister had to have happened and I will find out.