Origin

Chapter 1. In the Beginning...

Imagine seeing the life of a stranger flash before your very own eyes.

From the moment they are born, up unto the moment you initiate with them any skin to skin contact.

Every dream they've ever dreamt. Every person they've ever known. Every thought they've ever thought of. Every emotion they've ever felt. From the very first word uttered out of their mouth to the first steps they've taken as a toddler.

Each memory and experience flashing then lingering in your brain after, understanding how they came to be who they are before even knowing their real name.

My name is Origin Riddleston.

The reason why I wear these black gloves every second of my life is to avoid these inconvenient experiences. Unless I need to get the truth out of anyone who fabricates a story from what really happened.

As human beings, it is in our nature to lie for many psychological reasons. As a private detective, it is my job to find out the truth behind any ulterior motives that may hinder any case from being solved.

They call me an expert at what I do. If only they knew the truth behind my supernatural human lie detecting abilities. They call it a gift, whereas I call it a curse. To anyone near me, It may seem like I daze off for a second, come to be and I'm always asked, "You ok There?", but to me I just relived the entire life of another human soul.

Frankly, it is satisfying to have the capability to find out what really happened in any given situation. It is also displeasing to witness some of most daunting memories a human mind can repress from their earlier upbringings.

Over time, I've become exceptionally skilled at detecting lies without laying my hands on anyone, just to avoid any unpleasant memory. But every once in awhile, I come across some abhorrent human being who has mastered the art of lying.

My track record on solving any cases thrown on my desk proves impeccable over the course of my career. That held true up until last week.

I was presented with an unusual case of the death of a young California woman, whose body was discovered thousands of miles away from her home in a New York City alley way.

I don't do dead bodies. Not since my first and last experience of a lifeless human shell. I see more than just a life's flash. I see a ghastly grim reaper waiting close by to collect what is properly owed.

This case was an exception because of the details.

There was no flight records of her travel nor did she own a vehicle. No receipts or proof she had stayed in New York for more than a day. At the crime scene there was no evidence, no witnesses, not even a clue as to how she died. No wounds, no cuts, not even a speck of blood on her or in the vicinity of where her body was discovered. Just her state identification card, a small pocket knife and a garbage man's side of the story on how he found the body.

"I was collecting my routine trash pickup behind this restaurant and when I pulled back the cardboard, I saw her body, her eyes wide open like..." He paused for minute looking petrified

"Like what?" I asked curiously.

"Like her soul was sucked out dried." he articulated.

He had no reason to lie, but in this case it was necessary to see what he saw. I had to endure the first thirty years of his hellish life, of childhood memories of an abusive, alcoholic father, a shameless drug addicted mother and a repulsive juvenile gang initiation that trajected his life towards misery, just to see his thirty second window encounter of the dead body before dialing the police.

I also possess the ability to witness the inception of any man-made object ever created. From its natural core elemental root to the production of it.
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A tiny silver pocket knife with a black handle, was found in the victims left hand. It had the Initials of P.I.R. inscribed on one side and a fire logo on the other. According to the first detectives on the case, There was not a single company or manufacturer in the world that made this type of pocket knife.

In my experiences, I needed all the details of a case from the people involved to the objects before I even considered touching anything.

Little did I know because of this woman's body and this unusual pocket knife, I was going to be propelled into a whole new different world of supernatural activity.