The Graduation Massacre

After my parents passed away, Uncle Mike took me in. When greedy relatives tried to snatch away my inheritance, he chased them off with a kitchen knife.

“As long as I’m here, nobody lays a finger on this girl!”

Aunt Rachel doted on me, calling me her precious baby and making me nutritious meals every day.

My cousin Pete secretly slipped me pocket money and made sure to pick me up and drop me off at school, afraid I might get bullied.

The neighbors all said I was lucky and to repay their kindness someday.

On graduation day, I cooked them a lavish meal to show my appreciation. Every dish was laced with rat poison. I didn’t spare a single soul, not even the neighbors.

I killed them all!

When the police arrived, I was still finishing the job.

The blade was buried deep in my cousin's stomach, and when I pulled it out, blood splattered all over my face.

Even the officers, who had seen their fair share of murder scenes, couldn't help but gasp.

Calmly, I placed the knife down, walked toward them, and extended my hands. "Take me in. I made the call."

Captain Jefferson froze. He could not believe that I had killed all three tables of bodies.

"You? Annabelle? Are you kidding me?"

He knew me. When my parents passed away, it was he who handled the case.

Back then, when my relatives stormed into the house fighting over the inheritance, and my uncle brandished a kitchen knife, he was the officer who diffused the situation.

Now, seeing me drenched in blood, his expression was a mix of shock and confusion.

Even after I was taken to the interrogation room and the forensic team reconstructed the crime scene, Captain Jefferson was still in disbelief.

"Annabelle, why? Is there something you're not telling us?"

I looked up to see a familiar face—Ms. Jackson, my teacher.

She had come in with Captain Jefferson, her eyes red.

"Tell me, Annabelle. I’ll find a way to help you. We’ll fight for leniency."

Leaning back in the chair, I felt an unprecedented sense of calm.

Ms. Jackson's voice was filled with desperation. "Annabelle, did they treat you badly?"

I thought for a moment. "No, they treated me well. Everyone said they were my saviors. Without them, I wouldn't have been able to go to school. Working at some dead-end job by now."

"Did they steal your parents' money?"

I shrugged. "Nope. They spent it all on me.

"Ms. Jackson, stop asking. I'm the killer. I did it. Sentence me to death."

I smiled faintly at her, my composure unnerving even the officers in the room.

Sergeant Keller slammed his hand on the table. "Watch your attitude!

"Annabelle, what's your motive for the murders?"

I spread my hands. "No motive. Just felt like it."

Sergeant Keller's glare sharpened. "You ungrateful monster! They were good to you, and you didn’t spare a single one of them!

"Even the neighbors. How could you?!"

"Yeah, I killed them. What are you waiting for? Skip the trial and sentence me already!"

I sat there, sneering at their outrage.

Ms. Jackson shook her head, heartbroken. While Sergeant Keller fumed, Captain Jefferson said firmly, "No matter what, we have to follow procedure. Annabelle, think about it. Dying is the easy way out. Our job is to uncover the truth."

He stood up and left, leaving me alone in the room.

I exhaled slowly.

I had killed them.

They all deserved it, though!

Outside the interrogation room, Captain Jefferson’s colleagues were baffled by his reaction.

"Sir, she's clearly a heartless killer. Why are you going easy on her?"

"The truth isn’t as simple as impulsive murder. The crime scene shows clear premeditation. She planned this for a long time. And let's be real. How could a young girl like her take down that many people without a reason?"

Sergeant Keller scoffed. "You really think there's more to this, sir?"

Ms. Jackson chimed in. "I know Annabelle. She's hardworking and ambitious, and despite the hardships she faced growing up, she's always been well-behaved.

"If she really did this, there has to be a reason. I hope the police will find out the truth and clear her name!"

Captain Jefferson nodded. "Don't worry, Ms. Jackson. As police officers, it's our duty to seek the truth. We won't let any criminal walk free, but we also won’t incriminate an innocent person."