We were picking apples when we found it.

The local college had an apple orchard, where townspeople paid to pick. Some didn't want to or didn't have the time to pick, and thats where we came in. We were paid to pick apples that were displayed out front in big bags. People paid more, but all they had to do was pick them up. A decent job for a few young kids.

It was great for the three of us, all thirteen years old and friends for life. Picking apples was easy, and essentially, we got paid to play around in an apple orchard all day. Climbing trees though we were supposed to use ladders, picking the decent apples, chucking the nasty ones at eachother, biting into the really good ones, it was a blast, until that day.

We were doing our usual routine, Matt was high up in one of the trees, Andy was tossing apples at him, trying to get him to fall, and I had just found a particularly delicious-looking apple, beautifull red all over. I took a bite and it was crisp and sweet, just how I like them. Nothing after that day has ever tasted so good. 

"Ow, jeesus! I'm gonna kill you Andy!" Matt yelled. It seemed Andy had finally hit his target, and was laughing hysterically. Matt dropped to the ground. "Think it's funny? Take this!" Matt chucked an apple right back. Andy ducked and it flew over his head. 

"Missed!" Andy called out, and then, the apple fight was on. It's much similar to a snowball fight, only theres no need to take time to pack a snowball, just find an apple and hurl it. Rinse, repeat. I of course, couldn't stop myself from joining in.

I saved the delicious apple, keeping it in my left hand, grabbing and throwing with my right. Unfortunately, in all the chaos, I got nailed in the chest by Matt, and in retaliation, threw the only thing I had in my hands at the moment, the apple I had been trying to save. 

It sailed past Matt's victorious grin and into the bushes that marked the edge of the orchard. I immediately cursed myself. The apple fight was ending, as we were getting tired of it. Matt and Andy sat down, each grabbing an apple of their own to eat. 

"Ben, where ya goin?" Andy asked, as I walked past Matt, looking for my apple.

"I tossed an apple I wanted to eat."

"Find another one, we're in a damn apple orchard!" To this day, I wish I had listened.

I pushed bushes aside, and began moving deeper into the woods that surrounded the orchard. The apple was nowhere to be found. I sighed, told myself another could be found just like it and turned, only to see a glimpse of something red amidst green. I reached through the bushes and felt my apple, but there was something else too. It was hard plastic. Leaving the apple, I pulled it out of the bushes. 

I gulped, staring in fear at the thing I had just picked up. I held the black handle of a knife, and the large shiny blade was covered in dried blood. It was as though, even then, at such a young age, I had known the consequences of such a finding.

"Hey Ben, you find it?" One of my friends asked. I didn't know which one. I couldn't think. I could only stare at the weapon in my hands. "Need some help?" I realized I was shaking.

I heard my friends tread through the bushes and stand next to me. "Ben, whaddaya got the-" Matt stopped immediately, as he realized what I held. I heard both of my friends gasp in unison.

"Ben what the ****..." Andy muttered, eyes widening. He clamped a hand over his mouth, almost more shocked by what he had said then what he had seen. Andy had never been known to use such language, even when Matt or I would. He was a goody-two-shoes, and Matt and I had often reminded him of that fact. Now however, we had nothing to say.

"That blade's like six inches long!" Matt whispered, almost in awe. "Where'd you find it?" I gestured to the bushes underneath me. The apple was forgotten. 

"Is that....like blood and stuff?" Andy asked nervously.

"I think so." I nodded slowly, though I did not think, I knew. "I think we should go." I said quickly. "Tell some-"

"Wait!" Matt interrupted me, moving further into the woods. He bent down and picked something up. It looked like a red cloth. Andy followed him and looked closer. I didn't need them to tell me it was blood.

"And here!" Andy called out, moving farther into the woods. There seemed to be some sort of trail of ripped clothing, and bloody tracks. Andy and Matt followed it ahead of me. I tried to yell at them, to call them back, to stop them. I think we all wanted to stop, to go back, but we couldn't. Curiosity may have not killed the cat, but it can ruin a childhood.

I couldn't help myself. I followed them. I have to say I wasn't surprised when we found the dead body. We each stood over it, too stunned to speak. 

It was a woman, perhaps in her twenties. She might've been pretty, but now, all I could see were the dozen or so stab wounds on her front, the paleness of her skin, her glazed eyes. Her clothes were shredded, cut all over into little pieces everywhere.  We could see her bloody breasts, her naked parts. I was ashamed. I felt we should look away, give her some decency, but I couldn't. Niether could they. We could only stare, unmoving.

In one of her hands, clenched tightly, was an apple.