It may be the same old lane-way, the same alley, the same old back road which has almost existed for like forever, and it may be the same two dumb friends walking down it yet again for an umpteenth time, something they have done so often over a lengthy period but this time, this occasion is different. For this time, these two dumb friends find something, something they most definitely had not expected to find.

This particular lane-way is a little over nine hundred meters long. It isn't very wide and is contained by shrubbery, trees and other greenery on either side which can become quite thick and heavy if not tended to over a lengthy period of time and right now is definitely somewhere right smack in the middle of such a lengthy time.

There is absolutely no lighting along this stretch of land so when a night sky falls it can get quite dark, so dark in fact that when the center of this place is reached, one can be left in total darkness. Total darkness is at least a little while away though on its way, it is.

This place, it could be a short cut of sorts heading in the direction of the town village if one just so happened to find themselves on the wrong end though finding oneself on the wrong side is something that is somewhat of a rarity. The alley is quite out of the way and rarely sees activity from those of the two-legged variety. Mark and Davey only come down here out of a lack of having anything else to do, and of course having a lack of anything else to do usually comes quite often.

Mark and Davey, two twenty somethings, jobless twenty somethings at that, go on more like they are twelve and thirteen years of age rather than being the age to which they actually are. This place is one they have walked many times over a number of years though in all that time they have never come across anything like what it is that they do on this particular day.

It would generally take the 'lads' about forty minutes or so to get from end of that rather long laneway to the other end at their regular leisurely pace. They probably could do the walk in twenty to twenty-five minutes at a regular walking pace, or possibly a good ten minutes quicker than that. As it is there is very little that is regular about either Mark or Davey.

A small empty plastic bottle lays on the ground not so far up ahead. Davey couldn't help himself, he just had to run right up to it and give it as hard a kick as he could possibly muster.

'Hey Davey, wouldn't it have been funny if you had missed the bottle and had fallen on your big ass' Mark says finding it all too difficult not to react as he just had, trying to hold laughter back as long as he could or long enough to get the words out at least.

'No, it wouldn't have Mark.'

'And why not?'

'Cause, it would be me on the ground on my big ass as you say.'

Mark indeed couldn't help but have himself a right good laugh as Davey just stands shaking his head as he also lets out a sigh at his good buddy. Mark moves off to the right side of the laneway and Davey moves off to the left and takes a swipe with his left foot at what he is sure is another empty plastic bottle or something similar.

This presumed something similar is so as it is slightly within the shrubbery and Davey had been sure he could knock it loose. Knock it loose, he does but what reveals itself is not another empty plastic bottle, rather it is a hand, an actual hand, ... presumably still attached to its owner.

'Hey Mark' says Davey. 'Wouldn't it be cool if were to come across a dead body.'

'Yeah ...' says Mark still laughing away to himself, a laugh which comes to an all so sudden halt. 'Wait ... what?'

'Come over here and have a look at this, will ya?'

Mark does come over. 'That's not a dead body, that's a hand.'

'And what do you think the hand is attached to?'

The two friends look at each other.

'Oh right, yeah.'

The shrubbery hides everything past the wrist, it is clear however that there is more to this hand and wrist.

'I am gonna get the rest of it out' says Davey.

'No wait. What if it really is dead?'

'What if it isn't?'

The two friends look at each other and smile, then for a couple of seconds begin rummaging. Mark stops.

'Wait, if it dead, then us digging it out might get us into trouble.'

'Trouble? Why?'

'Our DNA will be on it if we touch it. Police might think we killed it.'

'But we didn't.'

'I know that, you know that, but they don't.'

'Good point.'

'Hey, should we inform the police? We could possibly be the ones who solve a case, or better yet, we could be heroes if it is still alive.'

'Oh yeah, I like that idea.'

The two stand and stare for a couples of seconds.

'Do you think it is a man or a woman?' asks Mark.

'I don't know. Does it matter?'

'I guess not.'

The two do go to the police and declare their find. And soon they return accompanied by a number of officers, torches, and a couple dogs. They stand at the spot there were sure they had been at earlier but there is nothing there, at least nothing out of the ordinary. It is by now dark, too dark to clearly see.

'Boys, you do know it is an offence to waste police time.'

'It was here, right here, I swear' says Davey.

'Maybe it was a little further down' says Mark.

A search lasts a few moments and nothing out of the ordinary is found. Davey and Mark are left be as they are well known for not being the brightest of sparks. Now where they once went out of having nothing better to do, the two go in search of maybe once again finding the body or at least any kind of body, for at least a little while they do so in belief that what they are doing is of upmost importance.

Will they ever see such a thing ever again? Maybe they will, maybe they won't.