By Leilani Raven Katen

Author of Eve of Grim, The Nameless girl & The Lonely Alligator and The Noisy Goat (All published books are found on amazon, kindle)

Leilani Raven Katen

Eve of Grim-Chapter Eight (Part Three)

By Leilani Raven Katen

Detective Roe (present day)

“Bullets don’t hurt them, not even the standard zombie killing,” shot to the head,” trick,” I whispered to Santos and Teresa. They looked around for some ideas while watching where the zombies were. The crowd was cleared out within a few minutes, thanks to Officer Charles. He made up the excuse that a bomb was in the room. Everyone quickly cleared the way, returning to their activities; at a safe distance, standing at the front of the gates, Candace Evergreen. I’ve seen that woman at every entrance of every crime scene. In each case, I have been on. She’s been at the police station, leaving messages for me to have a meet and greet. Interview, anything to get the scoop on things. These types of women annoyed me, specifically in the news industry. There are the good, the bad, and the thirsty. Candace seemed to be passed the borderline of thirst.

In heavy-duty gear, a few police officers were hidden around the hotel. They stayed near the zombies but out of sight. The zombies’ movements were short and jerking. They hissed and growled at the hair, sniffing spontaneously. Stains of blood covered the hallways of the hotel; Black vines grew up and down the walls. The savagely devoured maid, her intestines were caught in a door. Thrashing and jerking her neck, trying to free herself. Suddenly they seemed to automatically look toward the front of the hotel. They stood motionless, dazed.

I caught a woman’s silhouette from the corner of my eye, standing at the entrance of the hotel gates. Officer Charles stood with a few officers guarding the gates. The woman looked young: Ivory skin with short blonde hair. The woman wore a black bodycon dress with fishnet leggings, boots, red lipstick, and black eyeliner. She expressed boredom on her face. Finally, officer Charles stopped her as she tried to go through,” You can’t go in there, ma’am; it’s blocked off from the public…”. She spoke words I couldn’t hear to Officer Charles and the other Officers. Instantly, after she was let in. Officer Charles moved out of the woman’s way, and the other officers didn’t stop her either. Candace looked surprised as well. Candace tried to go through them as well, but they stopped her. She looked upset. I moved my eyes back to the zombies, keeping myself alert. The woman walked past a few tactical gear officers. Trying to stop her. The strange young woman’s expression didn’t change. She placed her hands up, and they returned to what they were doing before they saw her. Teresa saw where I was looking towards.

” Who is that? She is going to get hurt, or worse, killed. Why did they let her in…” Teresa says, huddling over the wall we were hiding behind. Looking back at the zombie standing nearby.

” I don’t know. But the woman said something to Officer Charles, and he let her come in”, interrupted by watching the strange woman walking up to a zombie. The zombie stayed frozen, and the woman’s facial expression didn’t change. Finally, she snapped her fingers, and the zombie dropped to the ground. Black smoke seeped out of its body, draining into the ground and leaving a black stain on the floor. Santos, Teresa, and I watched her, shocked by what she was capable of doing. Who was she? How was she able to do this? Were they zombies? Finally, she was facing where we hid. She snapped her fingers, and for the third time, the zombie dropped to the ground; strange black substances left the decomposed body. The woman looked around to see if there were any more zombies. She dusted off her hands, walked over the decaying flesh, and walked toward us. The other officers and we stood up from our hiding places. Teresa was about to stop and ask her a question, but she was instantly paralyzed. Everyone but I was frozen in place. A bird in the sky floated above me, stiff as a board. I looked down at my watch and saw that even time had stopped. The woman who destroyed all the zombies stood face to face, standing in front of me. She looked at me; her facial expression was the same; boredom.

“Hey…I’m Bridget…Bridget Bishop. Johnny Roe? I assume you are him, given you are immune to my magic?” Bridget says. She blinked her eyes slowly, waiting for a response. 

” What are you?” I asked, looking around, holding my gun in my hand. I can imagine she could do much more if she could destroy cannibalistic-decaying monsters with a snap of her finger.

“Are you Johnny Roe?” Bridget asked again. 

“Yes, I am Johnny Roe…What do you want from me?” I confirmed, annoyed.

” We are out of time. Let’s go…” She says, looking at her wristwatch. She Snapped and waved her hand up and then down. 

Before I could get the words,” Wait! and Stop!” within a second, she transported us deep into a forest. Vibrant lime green moss grew along the bark of the trees. Standing in front of us were three mysterious hooded women. 

A lantern hovered around them, lighting the dark and lush forest. The one in the middle-signaled Bridget that it was okay to leave; pointing her finger to the west; Bridget nodded, and she disappeared a second later. So, I was left in an unknown place with three anonymous strangers. I survived zombies. What else could go wrong? 

” Johnny Roe, we welcome you…” says one of the women. I couldn’t tell who spoke. They slowly removed their hoods, revealing three stunning and youthful women. The one in the middle was the tallest, with long black hair with a white streak in the front holding a long stick, red eyes, and a pointed nose; the one left of her had red hair, green eyes, and a long bow and arrow bag hooked around her shoulders. The third woman had blue eyes, the shortest and the smallest of the three holding a giant hammer over her shoulders.

“What am I doing here?” I asked, looking around, trying to figure out my escape plan. I looked around and noticed movement in the ground, yellow eyes all around me, coming out of the earth. Suddenly they all moved down underground. ” What was that?!” I pulled out my gun, pointing it at the women and then at the ground.

Suddenly I started to feel dizzy. The whole world was spinning. I dropped my gun. I kneeled on the ground, trying to find it. My eyes began to darken. I couldn’t move my body. I looked up, and all three of the women stood above me. I looked around, and the eyes peeking under the ground were long-eared creatures. There were too many to count, and I started losing consciousness. 

I awoke to find myself in a bed. I checked to see if my gun was with me. I couldn’t find it anywhere. Instead, there was a kitchen and a small fire pit. I stepped outside to find myself surrounded by vibrant green vegetation.

Checked my pockets for my cigarettes and didn’t find them either. I wasn’t confident I would die, but I was sure I would now, knowing I had no smokes.

Teresa Paragani 

” I don’t know where he is! he was standing next to me, then Detective Roe was gone…, it was like Detective Roe was there, and then he wasn’t. I didn’t see him walk away or be lifted.” So, I say, crossing my arms, trying to keep my cool. I was being interrogated by an agent from Homeland Security. Kenneth Reeve,

Suddenly Officer Charles comes into the interrogation room.

” There’s a woman here, with evidence about the hotel incident…Ms. Evergreen is waiting in the next room. The Homeland security agent looked determined to find out what evidence candace had with her about the incident back at the hotel. Even I was curious about how to explain what I saw and where Detective Roe was. I got a call from Gregory about everything that went on in the hospital and the morgue. None of the staff could explain the strange cannibalistic hallucination everyone seemed to share spontaneously. Black stained had dried, and as it dried, it floated up in the air like specs of blue pollen and disappeared. We stood around looking at each other like a prank had been played on us, and we never got an explanation to understand why. 

I walked into the room to find Kenneth standing in front of a tv with Candace, a man carrying a bag with a video camera hanging off his shoulder looked over her shoulder. They were looking at something on the screen. 

” Right…There! Did you see that?” shouted Candace, excited. Candace saw me looking at her, and images of our past shifted from the front of my thoughts. ” Teresa! come look…” Candace says, pointing at the screen. I brushed the feelings away and looked at what was playing on the TV.

I looked over Kenneth’s long-broad shoulders. He moved aside so I could see. ” What are we looking at?” I asked. The video was of a close-up of where we stood at the hotel on the second floor. The woman who walked into the hotel gates. Each zombie she walked up to and destroyed was filmed. You could see her snapping her fingers, decaying bodies falling to the ground, and a shadow of dark mist could be seen floating in the air. The last part of the video really surprised me. I could see myself calmly standing next to Detective Roe and watching the woman speak to him, but whenever I tried to remember what was said, my mind fogged like a bad hangover. I got a second long headache. After a few moments, Detective roe and the woman disappeared as if they were wiped from the screen.

Kenneth looked confused,” was this video edited?” He asked, rewinding it. 

Candace looked appalled by the question,” No, don’t you think I need more time to edit like that? Look at the data. Tell him, Frank, it’s the original tape. We took it out 15 minutes ago. After we woke up, or whatever the hell that was.”

Kenneth looked back at me, waiting for a response, but I had already explained my side. I didn’t know the answers to what was going on. So, I requested Candace loan the tape to me for a few hours so I could do more research. She agreed immediately. I finished a few paperwork and headed back to my apartment. I walked in and saw a message on the machine: Yuuri Andreyev. I pressed the play button, Yuuri’s voice was deep, and his Russian accent was heavy. I could hear electronic music playing in the background.

“dobroye utro, I have examined the sample you sent me and found one matching. It first showed up in 1803 by a priest-scientist. Priest Nicholes Vaughn. It was found in the Amazon jungle while exploring and spreading his religious messages. It does not say the location. I will have to hack into a few things and call you what I find. Much appreciation for the gift basket. My grandmother loves the little cheese squares and sweetened cream cheese spread you sent. Maybe we send you a pot of her famous Beef Stroganoff. The message ended with an angry woman yelling at Yurri and Yurri yelling back at the woman in their native tongue. The call was caught off, leaving me amused by their interaction. Yurri used to work for the bureau back in Moscow. 

I walked into my bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror. Realized the mess I was in. My hair looked like it needed to be washed, and my skin looked and felt sticky from my sweat from the past few days. I usually have time to wipe myself down with a wipe, but this case had me so busy that I rarely ever get bathroom breaks. So, after Detective Roe went missing, I was issued a stall, a mini break to collect myself. I removed my gun holster and badge and threw them on my bed, slipping off my clothes slowly, enjoying the moment. I let the cool air from my AC unit blow on my naked body. It felt nice to be able to just stand her, by myself.

I felt the air in between my legs. I felt the goosebumps build on my spine. My breasts perked up, and I felt the moisture build inside me. If only I could relieve myself. Suddenly a knock at my door. I quickly grabbed my towel, wrapping it around myself. I walked up, looking through the peephole. It was Kenneth. I opened the door and immediately jumped into his arms. I combed my hands through his black hair. I caressed his broad shoulders, then his chest. I moaned in his ears. My legs were wrapped around his waist, and I could feel his cock getting harder. My folds were drenched; Kenneth Carried me in, pushing me against the wall. My towel slipped off, exposing my alluring pink nipples. He looked at me with his brown almond eyes; his large, pointed nose nuzzled my nipple. I arched my back, biting my lips. Kenneth grabbed a handful of my tasteful breasts, nibbling softly, teasing me.

We began to kiss passionately, grinding slowly. Kenneth’s pants were wet from my creamy folds. ” Do it already! stop teasing me!”. I shouted, gripping his hips, pulling him closer to me. I wanted his cock in me so badly that I couldn’t take it anymore. Kenneth put me down, throwing the towel to the couch. He undresses in front of me, removing his shirt. I looked at the rippling muscles of his chest. Then Kenneth removed his pants and boxer briefs. As he pulled his boxers off, his cock bounced as it came out of his boxers. I needed to feel it in my hands. I grazed Kenneth’s thighs with my palm of hands, reaching up to his groin, slowly moving my hand up and down his shaft. Kenneth swoops me up. He carried me, gripping my buttocks. I felt a breeze come up and graze my anus. Then he sat me down on the back of the couch; Kenneth kneeled down at began to lick the region of my inner parts. The warm and tantalizing feelings went straight up to my head. I felt the sensation of feeling light-headed but minus the headache. Kenneth stops, pulling himself up from his knees. He seductively looked me in the eyes and wiped his mouth with his forearm. Suddenly he spat in his hand, making his stiffing rod wet. I couldn’t wait any longer; I spread my thighs, placing my feet on each of his hips. I used the strength in my legs to pull him closer. Kenneth smiled. 

” God, you’re so sexy…” He says, moving his cock to the entrance of my feminine lips. 

I slowly pushed myself against him, pushing him inside of me. ” No more talking…” I said, kissing his soft, tender mouth. Our mouths danced as our bodies thrust together. Pounding the walls of my insides, hitting the right spot. Suddenly I was pushed to the point of orgasming. I felt my body shudder and shake. My muscles gripped his hard cock. I sat in a puddle of my relief. 

Kenneth kissed me, moving his lips down to my neck. Then he turned me around,” now it’s my turn.” He declared as he pushed my belly on the back of the couch. I closed my legs tighter to help with the friction. Kenneth entered me, thrusting inside of me. Building the speed. I looked back at him. Showing him the pleasure, he was giving me. He exchanged the favor instantly; he pulled his cock out of me, then turned me around, spraying his white and creamy mess on my chest. I watched his eyes close, letting out a relieving sigh. 

I quickly grabbed a tissue from the box of tissues sitting on my coffee table. I wiped it away. I didn’t bother getting dressed. I was in the process of showering anyway. 

I lay on the floor, catching my breath. Kenneth followed in my steps, lying next to me. We were both looking up at the ceiling.

” Any new information on the case?” Kenneth asked, looking at me. Then, he grabbed my hand, kissing it gently.

” No… But I don’t think Candace is lying about the video being edited. There’s been a lot of unusual and unexplained events happening around us. But I can’t figure out why I can’t remember anything. I could have seen him walk down the stairs, maybe get into a car…I tried to remember, but my head hurts every time I tried to remember.”

Kenneth put my hand down, sitting up. Then, looking at me,” are you going to be, okay?” He said concerningly.

“Yeah, I need sleep…” I responded. We were interrupted by the phone ringing. I let it ring, going straight to voice mail. It read Gregory on the caller ID. 

…

Gregory Raymond Thomason (a few hours earlier)

” Hey, G man, how was your cave diving?” Asked Francis, My assistant. Francis lifted his head and wore glasses with different lenses attached to them. He had been sewing the stomach of a victim found mutilated, a 15-year-old white male; his nose was torn off, and each of his fingers was bitten off. The body parts missing from the bodies were hard to match up to the right owner, given their condition. He stood up from the computer chair. 

I sniffed the air and then back at Francis. Then, realizing the smell, I shook my head. I was about to lecture Francis about the rules of smoking marijuana in the building until I noticed the progress; I looked around and saw that Francis had completed thirteen bodies. Drained and cleaned, prepped for views of the family members. I brushed it off and accepted that his productivity was heightened, and they were not disabling his functions.

” Unfortunately, they were called away. There was another homicide at a hotel downtown.” So, I say, looking down at some paperwork lying on one of the metal beds. I grabbed my pen, signing my name on a few papers that needed to be signed. 

Francis looked sad,” another homicide? how many?” He asked, pulling his glasses off and placing them next to the sewed-up corpse.

“Three…” I responded, keeping my eyes on my computer screen. Then, a loud bang startled us both. I dropped my pen, looking down and then back at Francis. 

In the back of the morgue was a giant cooler with shelves that house multiple bodies. ” What was that? Should I go see what it is?” asked Francis. 

” That would be the sensible thing to do…” I said as a voice whispered in my ears. 

“Run…Gregory…Run!” said the voice. I hadn’t heard that voice in quite some time. 

Another loud bang sounded from the cooler. Suddenly multiple sounds of pounding came from the cooler. Then, unexpectedly, the doors slammed open, and the bodies of the dead rushed out. They pushed and clawed their way out. Francis was shocked by the sight that he didn’t move; I quickly grabbed his arm, pulling him to follow me, before he was tackled by an undead. Francis pulled a few metal beds in front of us as we pushed the mortuary entrance doors open, running as fast as we could. I looked around for a way out, finding a closet. I yelled to Francis, ” A closet up ahead!” I shouted to Francis, pointing the way. I pulled the door open, waiting for Francis; suddenly, he tripped over his flip-flops, falling to the ground. 

“Gregory, help me!” Francis yells, reaching his hand to me as an undead corpse bites his calf. Francis lets out a hollered pain cry as the cannibalistic dead corpse rips off his pinky toe. I quickly closed the closet door, locking it. I held the copper metal door handle. As the undead tried to push and pull the door open. Reaching into my pocket for my cellphone. I dialed Teresa Paragani’s number. It rang for a couple seconds. 

” I think we have a problem. I don’t know how long I can hold them off,” I whispered to Teresa. I could hear Francis screaming in agony, bone-cracking sounds outside the door. I listened to slurping sounds and moans, along with pounding on the door. I grasped the door handle with all my might.

Suddenly the gore sounds of Francis being devoured and the undead moans stopped. I heard bodies dropping to the ground. And then a knock at the door. ” Gregory? it’s me, Bridget…”. Said Bridget standing outside the closet. I revisited our memories together. Our long walks on the pond. During our peaceful yet silent walks, we both had a book. We could spend hours talking about literature and philosophy. The simplicity of life. Everyone is in such a hurry to be somewhere. 

“Bridget?” I asked, unsure if this was a dream or not. I opened the door, seeing the bodies of the undead scattered, with black residue staining the marble floors. 

I stood before Bridget and brushed her blonde hair around her right ear, cupping her cheek in my hand. ” It has been so long…” I expressed my longing for her touch as our foreheads connected. She hugged me tightly.

” I’m sorry I’m late…again. ” Bridget says, looking up at me. Her eyes were a bright yellow, with specks of green. She wrapped her small delicate hands around me. ” We need to get you out of here…This dimension isn’t safe…come with me…” Bridget said, revealing a grim truth of what was to come. 

I never questioned Bridget; she has always been truthful to me.

I remember the first day I met Bridget. It was April 5th, 1802. 

To be continued.

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By Leilani Raven Katen

Chapter Four

Johnny Roe (Present)

Teresa seemed to know a lot more than she gave off now. She was more cautious than most Federal officers I’ve met and known, who’ve been assigned multiple homicide cases. The one trait I noticed after the bodies were dragged out was that she looked worried, some would say, scared. Like she had seen it before and hoped to never see it again. But as my mother would say, “hope was for the privileged. You’re better off doing more than hoping… Johnny boy”.

My mother had a strange way of viewing things. She grew up on a farm in Tennessee. She was rebellious. Her mother, my grandmother Juliet wanted her to pursue a man who rode horses and cared for cattle. Like her father, my grandfather Ron. I remember visiting my grandparents three years before the death of my father. Ron stayed in the barn and worked on his projects while Juliet gushed over how big I was getting. Harriette sat on the dining table staring out at the barn, hoping she would see her father poke his head out. But he did not. I pretended not to notice these things. I played with the over-cooked eggs and tossed around the burnt sausage on my plate. Then, when she saw me looking at her, she would put on this fake smile as if I didn’t see what was happening.

When my mother turned 18, she moved to California to pursue an acting career. By age 21, she had starred in an indie film, two commercials for hairspray and one for breast enlargement pills. She starred as the before effects. A couple people recognized her on the streets. It boosted my mother’s confidence. It made her feel alive when someone would ask her to sign her autograph on a pill bottle box. When she began not receiving any acting parts, she was ridiculed and picked apart by each director who said she was too fat or tall. Not sexy enough…Even requests from directors who thought she would be “great” in a porno. Harriette was forced to work minimum wage at a diner, working fifty hours a week. My father was a regular who ordered the same meal every day; Chicken pot pie, grape soda, and a piece of” the pie of the day.” Harriette saw my father drive up with the flashy green mustang daily. Once a day, she would put a little perfume on and flash a smile at him. Time passed, and Harriette’s efforts to catch my father’s attention became tedious. Then, one night, while closing up the diner. He showed up, parked under the only street light in the diner’s parking lot, sitting on the hood of his car smoking a cigarette. I’ve only received snippets of that night and the beginnings of their relationship; As an adult, I realized it’s a lot more complicated than it seems when it comes to love. DR. Anderson was right about one thing; I hated having a real relationship because I was afraid I’d end up in a rotten hole with someone and a child that I resented until I died of some disease or drunk driving. I instead do that alone than mess up a kid that came out of my sack. I didn’t hate myself that much, that I can say.
Teresa Paragani (A Year Ago)

The allegations against Detective Roe seemed artificially made up by an outsider. It was as if they had no intentions of really investigating the whole story. It wasn’t surprising. I remember reading the newspaper that morning of the headlines of the case of Camp Eve. I wasn’t anticipating being assigned but given my older brother’s involvement, I was sure I would be excluded. In the beginning, I had been torn away from the sight of viewing Joey’s body when I got the call. They said he was drained of all blood from his body, his left arm was torn off, and his neck was broken. There were claw markings scattered around his body like he was attacked by a bear. I was grateful that our parents had passed. Seeing his body in the state, he was left in would have devastated them.

Joey was one of the camp leader attendees at Camp Eve. He was in charge of driving the children to and from places, managing the other attendees, and ensuring that everyone knew the precautions of the trails and wildlife. He knew Camp Eve like he knew himself. Joey called me the night before the attack; I was on a case that night, so he left a message on my machine, “I wanted to check-in. Things are going well…I mean, there are weird things…I feel like I’m going crazy. There were these weird markings on the walls… We have a missing camper…We are still looking for him. I’m going to take a group with me to hike up the trail to find him this evening. He must have been hiking and lost his way…Anyway… I’ll call you next week…I love you…”, When I arrived home, after viewing his body at the morgue. The sadness that seeped into my bones after consumed me. I spiraled down a dark hole with no one to catch me. I hid away from the world for an entire week.

After our parents died, Joey held me tightly as we watched our parents enter the ground. They poured the dirt on them, and I felt the warmth and tightly squeezed hug from Joey. We were so young back then…Joey left college in his last year at Harvard to take care of me. I was 16 years old. I was at soccer practice when I spotted him in the crowd. He smiled, but the sadness in his eyes was clear as day. When the words drifted from Joey’s mouth, “plane crash”…” No survivors.” They were coming back from a week trip to Florida. I felt my world crumble before me. I felt abandoned, alone. Joey reminded me every day that I wasn’t. I called Joey’s cell phone many times until the battery died. I watched it ring over and over in the plastic bag in the box I received from the attendant at the morgue after they declared his and the others were inconclusive pending further study.

I never believed in superstitions, but as I lay in my bed after surrendering to the truth that I was alone. I was under the covers, my curtains closed. I lay around old pizza boxes and empty bottles of wine from the week. I had cried so much that week, sleep-deprived and malnourished. Finally, I was restored to the present by the bedsheets moving around like someone crawling in. It was Joey…

“Am I dreaming? Please tell me I am…That I will wake up from this horrible nightmare….” I asked Joey, tears flowing down my eyes. Joey looked at me with caring eyes, cupping my face in his hands.
“You can’t hide forever, pterodactyl…”, Said joey combing a strand of loose hair behind my ear. Joey was then dragged out from under the covers. I pulled the covers from my face watching Joey dangle from the hands of a black hooded monster with two razored teeth. The air smelled of moss and dirt. Joey struggled to get free, but the beast was too strong. I tried to reach for Joey, but my body was paralyzed. As Joey began to lose consciousness,” Help…me…”. Joey says as if snapping a twig; a cracking sound from Joey’s neck echoed. The monster ripped his arm off and began feeding from Joey’s neck. I wanted to scream, but I couldn’t move. I watched the life drain from Joey’s face. Thrown into the wall, hitting the floor. Blood splattered on my bed and on my face. The hooded monster began to move closer to me. I managed to gain some movement in my hands. I reached for my gun hidden under my pillow, pushing the safety button. I pointed the gun at it, hands shaking. Suddenly the darkness dissipated, and the sunlight from the morning rise hit my face. I was aiming my gun at nothing. Drenched in sweat, I pushed the safety back on my rifle and threw it down on my bed. Throwing myself back onto my pillow.
Later that day, I got the call that I was assigned the case and to assist the person in charge of missing person reports. I watched the footage of Detective Roe pushing a couple reports out of the way as he jumped into his green mustang. Candace Evergreen shoved her way in front of the camera, placing the microphone at Detective Roe, “Detective! Detective! Do you have anything to say about the bodies found?! Is it true there are speculations that more than just one person is involved! “Candace shouts, looking back at the camera and then back at Roe. Detective Roe immediately rolls up his windows and signals for the crowd to move out of the way.

Driving away from the obnoxious group of reporters. Candace then proceeds to interview a group of teens that saw cult activities; They explored the Factory a few nights before the bodies were found. The teens each took a turn, saying what they thought they saw. “They were wearing black coats and lighting candles!” Shouted a delinquent with Green hair. “There were pentagrams scattered everywhere!” Screamed another. “They were flying around on brooms and sucking the blood out of old man Anges!”. Candace became annoyed and requested that the camera guy turn off the camera before it became a conspiracy piece causing her career to end with a group of heavy weed and beer-smelling teens. Candace was determined to get an interview with someone on the inside. Her job depended on it.
Detective Roe ( Present Day 7:00 Pm)

Teresa and I walked into the Factory. We traveled through a few hallways and down a few stairs. That was an understatement. A lot of staircases until we reached the basement. It had a couple rusted-out generators. Marked areas were tapped off, showing the outline of the piles of bodies and body parts where they were found. A few forensic teams were already taking pictures of the splatters along the walls. I looked around, trying to spot anything familiar that was found at Camp Eve. I saw Victoria swing upside down on a bar above the building, whistling. Teresa was talking to one of the Forensic technicians for any information they found. In the back corner was a giant cemented flat platform with bolted chains with ankle attachments. The surface was covered in blood and some sort of black residue. I shined my flashlight on the surface of where the blood and black residue were and noticed the black residue was separating from the blood in a weird vein-like pattern.

Teresa came up behind me.

“This is where they found Rebecca’s body…Were you guys close?” Teresa said, looking down at the chains dangling off the platform. I could tell she was curious about what was going on in my head while looking at the place Rebecca’s tortured body lay. I was glad I was here when they were dragging her out of here. I didn’t feel an immediate connection with her, even after we had sex. But I didn’t want anything wrong to happen to her either. She was a nice girl.
“We weren’t that close…Did we ID a woman named Trudy?” I held on to the hopes that they didn’t, but she was one of the missing people in my file.
Teresa got on her radio, asking if Trudy was identified in one of the many bodies found. Finally, officer Charles responded after a few moments,” A California identification card of a Trudy Bouse was found with a bag of what was presumed as Ms. Bouse’s belongings, but no corpse was matched.” Said Officer Charles.

I looked around to see if there were any potholes or hidden exits. I noticed a large amount of black residue spread throughout the basement. I saw a forensic team member wiping some off the basement door entrance. “What is that stuff?” I asked as Teresa trailed behind me.
“Looks like mold….” Teresa says, flashing a light on the strange black tar on the walls. The forensic team member, Amber, had a full-on hazardous suit on. It was hard to hear her, but we managed.
“It’s hard to tell. It’s an old building. It could be mold or some sort of fungus build-up from the open pockets of the roof where moisture could have seeped in. But the patterns don’t match up like fungus. They seem to extract and separate from the erythrocyte. The mold test as well came back negative. I will need to do further investigation to determine what this is….” Said Amber as she gathered her sample and sealed it in a tube. Leaving Teresa and me to think amongst ourselves.

A memory of the investigation at Camp Eve surfaced in my mind,” I saw these along the trails and on the trees at the campsite,” I said, looking at Teresa. Victoria was running her fingers along the edges of my spine.

“I’m starving….” Whispered Victoria in my ear. I shook my head, brushing off the images of her.
“If these were at the campsite, then there’s a connection. I think we need a more reliable source familiar with fungus or unusual residue…Are you okay?. This stuff getting to your head?”. She asked, confused by the shaking of my head. “Let’s get you some fresh air, and on the way to the hospital, I will contact Yuuri Andreyev, a Russian fungus specialist I know,” Teresa said, leading us back up. I didn’t fight Teresa. I felt nauseated. Exhausted from the events of the day. The smell of what was left over from the bodies made me sick.

Teresa and I left the Factory and headed to the nearest hospital.

Chapter Five

Teresa and I were requested to view the bodies found in the basement by the assigned pathologist of the name of; Gregory Raymond Thomason. We arrived at the coroner’s office around noon. I was thirty minutes late. I didn’t sleep very well the night before.

As we walked through the doors of the hospital morgue, it smelled of a chemical smell made of strong cleaning products and preservatives. It was chilly, but the warmth from my wound helped keep the chill away. Teresa didn’t seem to be bothered by the cold. Victoria was lying next to a decomposing body that was in the process of being examined; The person’s chest was exposed, skin pulled back. The internal organs were in numerous tin bowls. Victoria caressed the bones and muscles like she was petting a kitten. She smiled at me amusingly.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t prepared in time for your visit, but we are currently understaffed,” Gregory says, referring to the numerous body bags lying around. He smiled as if we were relatives visiting him at his home. His profession must have something to do with his casual approach. Underneath his white polished lab coat was a suit and tie, looking tailored. There was a chain dangling from his lab pocket. It looked like the chain of a pocket watch. Gregory had a slim face, and his hair was brushed back neatly. He had a way of pronouncing words, emphasizing the beginning of the terms to the last letters. As Gregory explained to him, “expert opinion” of the cause of death. Victoria walked her pointer finger and middle finger up his arm, sniffing him slowly. “I’m hungry, Johnny, and he smells delicious…”, Victoria says, licking her lips and continuing to inhale Gregory as he explains what was found on the bodies.

“You were the examiner of the cor…bodies found in the woods at Camp Eve, correct?” So asked Teresa looking over her notes.

“That is correct,” Said Gregory, pausing. “The victims from Camp Eve and the basement location of the Factory had the same, ‘hole-and – a – Tear puncture wounds around their neck… I believe they were attacked by an animal, but there are multiples, so perhaps a pack of dogs…I also…” He said, pointing at the wounds of the victim lying in front of us.

“You think a dog or pack of dogs did all this?!” Teresa said, shocked by Gregory’s statement.
I looked at Teresa and nudged her to calm down. Gregory continued.
“Is there something that you know that I don’t? If so, please let me in on it. I’m only going off what was in the report and my examination of the bodies.” Gregory was soft-spoken and professional. I give the guy credit for the patience and composure he held for Teresa. As Teresa listened and Gregory explained. I began to feel lightheaded.

“Are you okay? Do you need to sit down?” Asked Teresa, catching me from falling over.
“I’m okay. I think I’ll go to the bathroom and pop another pain med….” I said, walking out into the hall, slowly taking breaths in and out.

I overheard Gregory asking what happened to me. Teresa was friendly enough to be brief and say,” he was injured at the Factory. Please continue”.

There was slight tingling pain and an itchy feeling forming. I tried to focus on the noise coming from my footsteps down the empty hallway, but it was unbearable. Victoria hummed gleefully in one of the stalls next to me. I peeled back the gauze and tape carefully off my shoulder, exposing the wound. A black vine-like residue crawled up my shoulder and out my arm causing the stitches to come undone. I felt the vines move under my skin. A nauseating feeling overtook my senses, and I began to cough excessively. Blood splashed the sink’s walls and the mirror in front of me. I wiped up the blood from the mirror; then, the lights from above began to flicker and slowly burn out. I pulled out my pocket flashlight and turned it on. The flashes of the light blinded me a little. I realized I was no longer at the coroner’s office but back at one of the bathrooms in the abandoned Factory. I looked out the corner of my eyes and saw a child, a girl, arms covered in bite marks and black vine-like patterns crawling up and around her face and ears. I turned around to face her, causing her to run away. “Hey, wait!” I shouted, running after her.

“Shhh…Or he’ll find us…”,said the girl, echoing whispers from the young girl. Her clothes were stained in red and black. A necklace with a locket reading “Emily” hung from her half-eaten neck.
I shined my flashlight on her as she led us through each dark hallway until we reached the entrance of the staircase to the basement. I walked down, following behind, watching her black-tipped fingers twitch and jerk as we climbed down to the bottom of the steps. Finally, we reached the bottom, and lay on the bottom of the steps was a long extended flashlight. Its light shined on the basement door. A trail of bright red blood stains led directly into the basement.

Emily stopped at the door and stood there quietly. The entrance to the basement was cracked an inch open; slashing and bone-cracking noises continued. Suddenly Victoria whips the door open, grabbing Emily’s arm and ripping it off her body. Emily cries out in a high-pitched shriek. Like a savaged wolf, Victoria then began to chew and eat Emily’s arm. I stood at the entryway of the basement door, watching Victoria devour and eat. Sitting in the corner dark, feeding from Rebecca’s neck, the hooded man I have been chasing stops feeding and looks up at me, smiling. Victoria then sees me looking and drops the carcass on the ground. She transported in front of me, instantly devouring me with darkness I had never felt before. Blackness surrounded me; I felt like I was floating, weightless in the dark. Finally, the blackness dissolved, and I appeared in the middle of a forest. The sun was still high. It must have been 11@M. Owls from above watched silently. Eyes of bright golds and browns. I walked down the dirt path of shrubs on the ground from the Eucalyptus trees that shaded me from the bright sun. A group of preteen campers walked by, I waited for them to say something, but they walked past me as if I wasn’t even there. I followed behind them to see where the dream or hallucination was taking me. One of the campers asked the other,” I don’t think we should be out without one of the leaders. Joey told us these caves weren’t safe….” She says, crossing her arms and checking her wristwatch.

The group continued to tell the worried girl to quiet down and stop being a” wuss.” Finally, we reached the top of the hill, where you could access an elevator to explore the levels of the cave; There were three levels of the cave. Level one was reserved for tourist attractions of stuffed bats and other rock collections found on the walls of the cave on display. Level two was for the gift shop and food stand for operating hours; level three was closed off due to Eardippers and unexpected pits from the unstabilized breakdown of the area. They each stood in front of the entryway of the elevator doors.

“I dare you to go down to level three….” So whispered the chubby preteen boy with wide black glasses. He had a candy bar sticking out of his back pocket.
“Stop it!” Shouted the girl, pushing him away.

“I double dog dare you to go down there, Tommy,” Said the tanned blonde girl, eating a lollipop.
Tommy stood near the two preteen girls. The redhead had her hand in his left back pants pocket. He had a jersey jacket on, with green and red school colors. His dark-brown hair was pulled back with a shiny jell. “Jenny, you know I can’t pass up on the double like that… Bec’s wanna join? We could…You know…”. Tommy says, smirking down at the redhead hugging him tightly.
“Gross…” says Jenny, popping her lollipop out of her mouth.

Becca held Tommy even tighter, giggling at the thoughts of what they were planning to do when they were alone. Tommy and Becca smiled at the others as the elevator slowly creaked at the chains rolled out of the wheel that pulled the platform under their feet down to level three. I stood behind them quietly, watching them pinch each other or kiss passionately. We reached level three. Tommy pulled up the wooden door, then the lever for the lights. The floor lit up a path, with signs saying caution. There were few areas with drop-off cliffs with lines of hanging lights nailed to the walls. Tommy, Becca, and I walked along carefully. Our footsteps echoed, giggling, oohs, and ahhs as we came to a wood bridge leading to another level compartment. There was only a gas lamp and a few hanging lights above us. Every corner looked deeper due to the lack of light.

It started to become harder to breathe. Like the air was disappearing from my lungs. As we crossed the wooden bridge, it swung left and right. Suddenly I heard a snapping noise from behind me. The bridge’s rope gives out, flinging us down the dark cliff. Tommy and Becca’s screams echoed in the darkness. Then a thump, darkness was the only thing I saw for a few seconds. Tommy lights his lighter, “Becca?! Becca! Can you hear me?!.” He shouts, trying to lean into the darkness with the tiny flame. Suddenly shuffling noises, presumed to be from Becca, a few feet away.

“Yeah, I think I broke my leg….” Becca says, attempting to get up, noticing a bone sticking out, letting out an agonizing groan. Pain shot up and down her leg and back. Tommy moved closer to her, grabbing her up from the ground and carrying her over his back.

“Can you see a way out?” Tommy asked Becca, grunting from the weight shuffling on his back. Tommy was scraped up from the fall, but it was as destructive as the damages Becca was dealing with. I trailed behind them, trying to follow them as best as possible with his light. Suddenly the ground gave out, and we fell through the floor. A stench of rotten meat entered my nostrils as I got up from the ground.
“Becca! Can you hear me?! Wake up! Becca! Ugh, what is that smell?” Tommy asks, covering his nose and holding Becca in his arms.

“Becca! Can you hear me?! Wake up! Becca! Ugh, what is that smell?” Tommy asks, covering his nose and holding Becca in his arms. Trying to shake Becca to wake up, She laid there limp on the ground, unconscious. Tommy began to look for his lighter, finding it under a pile of rock and soil from the fall. He struggled to get the lighter to start but managed after a few frustrating tries. The smell was overpowering. I couldn’t focus. The air was dry and harsh.

Tommy continued to explore, keeping an eye on Becca. Becca didn’t look good. I followed Tommy as he looked around. I noticed the blood spilling out from under Becca. We were in what looked like an underground tunnel. Tommy managed to find a couple of old crates with an oil lamp sitting on them. Its glass chimney was cracked a little, but it still had oil to work for a few minutes. Tommy lit the lamp, lighting up his youthful chiseled face. Suddenly Tommy saw the red puddle under Becca, and he immediately ran to her side. “Becca! Wake up! Shit!” he shouted. Tommy started to cry and pound the ground. Sounds of water dripping from afar meant there was a chance of an existing sinkhole or sinkholes nearby. Tommy knew he wouldn’t be able to get Becca out of the cave in time to save her. So he held on to her as long as he could until the last beat in her heart gave its last breath, and her body turned cold. I watched Tommy kiss Becca, on the cheeks before grabbing the oil lamp.

We walked for what felt like an hour down the dusty tunnel. At this point, I was convinced I was as crazy as people were saying. I had convinced everyone a long time ago when I experienced these episodes as a teenager. The only way to stop it was to drown myself in booze and other distractions to keep these experiences at bay.

I lifted up my gauze, keeping up with Tommy as much as possible. I lifted the black and red wet patch and saw a spiral of endless black-like roots growing out of my arm and under my skin. The vines reached to the ends of my fingers and up my neck. The closer we got to the sounds, the louder this humming noise became. It was like they were calling me.

We got to the end of the tunnel, an opening with black vines and strange glowing blue flowers growing all around each vine. Tommy looked as intrigued as I was. The flowers lit the way, and we stepped inside and walked the path until we reached the end. I noticed that the humming sounds were coming from the blue flowers. I looked closer to see the flowers were vibrating in slow motion. Tommy touched one of the flowers, setting it off to spray a blue mist. Suddenly, Tommy appeared zombified. Eyes dilated. He looked directly at me and then began to walk emotionlessly, entering a doorway made of thick black roots. As we entered, I was surprised to find a dense forest with strange tangled vegetation. The hums I heard before were now whispering…Calling me.

To Be Continued…

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Leilani Meaning Heavenly flower.

Leilani Raven Katen

Pages: 1 2

Chapter two

Tracking the location of the call wasn’t easy. The site indicated an abandoned food preservation factory on 9th street. The Forensic team; Marylyn Weavers, Kayden briers. Teresa Paragani, a few officers, myself, and Santos entered through an opening on the south side of the building; Graffiti covered the walls of each corner. Broken bottles and debris on the ground, a couple stained mattresses. The air smelled of mold and piss.

Santos covered his nose with a handkerchief.

I pulled out a cigarette. Teresa looked over at me. I rolled my eyes at her, placing the cigarette back in the pack. Teresa looked over the landscape of the map of the factory. “I think we should split up into two teams; Detective Roe and I, along with officer Charles and Grant, will take the first floor. Detective Santos and Officer Taylor will take the second floor. Marylyn?”. Asked Teresa.
“Yes, Ma’am?” Asked Marylyn as she combed her hair back nervously with her fingers. Adjusting her glasses to see better.
“You will accompany us, Mr. Briers…You will join Detective Santos on the second floor”, announced Teresa. We broke up into our groups and started our investigation.
I knew Teresa wanted to resume questioning me, this situation opened a door for her to ask whatever she wanted, and I was subjected to a non-consensual mental examination by a woman who reminded me of my mother.
Our footsteps echoed through the hallway. Teresa walked ahead of me, gun in hand. I began lighting a cigarette. Teresa stopped abruptly, “Detective Roe, is it possible for you to wait until we are done to soothe your addictions?”. Teresa said. The annoyance in her voice made me chuckle.
“If you are going to solicit a continuance of the interrogation back at the station, at least allow me this,” I stated. I held my eye contact with Teresa longer than I wanted. But I needed to establish that she wouldn’t gain anything from me today. There was so much I didn’t know, and I could hear the accusations in her voice as if I had something to do with everything going on.
“I had no intention of soliciting any interrogation. It’s not a part of the protocol. Not to mention the possible serial killer we might be dealing with. I simply asked… “Teresa stated. Teresa was interrupted by an unknown person running past the entryway of a room. “Stop right there! FBI!” Teresa shouts as she runs after the suspect. Everyone, including myself, ran behind her.
I was abruptly interrupted by a noise of quiet laughter behind me. I stopped and turned to see where it was coming from.
“Johnny…I missed you…”, Victoria whispered in the darkness of the hallway. She came out of the dark. Flashbacks of our past flooded my mind. I had buried our memories together deep in my mind to protect myself from destruction.
Victoria began walking towards me,” Vic…How? I thought…” I stumble on the words, frozen. Victoria’s face looked pale, and her eyes were black, with dark circles under her eyes. Victoria’s black hair, I knew back then, wasn’t braided but now loose and white. Every second I looked away from her, Victoria seemed closer. As if her footsteps made no sound. I wanted to move away from her, but I couldn’t move my feet. Instead, Victoria smiled at me, her eyes drew me in like a black hole, and I was powerless.
Victoria began running her fingers down my chest, moaning softly as she grazed the outline of my chest.
“I could just eat you up…” Victoria says, whispering into my ear seductively. She nuzzled my nose, and I felt an animalistic feeling growing in my stomach. Victoria kissed my lips softly, pushing that feeling to explode. I pressed her against the hallway’s dirty walls, aggressively pressing my groin against her. Debris shuffled around our feet. Victoria’s moan echoed as her back hit the wall. “Same ole Johnny, Jumping into danger… You’ll never learn, will you…”, Victoria says, grinning sinisterly. I slowly felt my paralysis ease away as I looked down at her grinning teeth. Two sharp canine teeth poked out of her mouth.
I suddenly felt the need to break away from her. I attempted to move away from her, but Victoria was more substantial than me now. Victoria pulled me back closer to her, pushing me into the dilapidated wall. “What’s wrong?” Asked Victoria, I felt immense pressure on my shoulder. It felt like the whole building shook as my back hit the wall. She held me so tightly that I couldn’t move. Near where we stood, there was a window boarded up. Sunlight shined through the cracks of the boards. I could see the outline of her perky breasts; they were cupped together in a black lace bra. She pressed them on my chest. Nuzzling my neck, slightly sniffing like a hungry wolf. Victoria ran her dagger-like nails down the veins of my neck. “You have been a naughty boy, Johnny. I smell that whore on you….” Says Victoria devilishly.
I looked away, ashamed, and back at Victoria, “What happened to you, Vic? How are you here? I saw you in the casket….” I asked the questions I never thought I would ask. I struggled to get it out of her hands. I felt death creeping in on me, in the shadows. I looked over to my right of me. The dark hooded figure I saw that night stood silently grinning at me.
Victoria was still looking at me with her black hollow, hungry eyes. “Always so curious…”, Victoria says, still holding me tightly against the wall. I felt the crumbling of the drywall loosening behind me. She began shaking her head,” no!” Victoria says, struggling to contain the hunger that was eating at her insides. “You smell so delicious!” She opened her mouth wide; two canine teeth, as sharp as needles, stuck out of her mouth. Victoria licked her lips and moaned. Shaking her head, gripping me tighter. I let out an agonizing pain cry.
“Vic, if you are still the Victoria, I know. Please let me go, so I can help you… please…Vic!” I said as I held back the pain that was increasing. Victoria began to shiver, head shaking.
“NO, I won’t do it!” Victoria shouted at herself. The hooded figure in the corner began to back into the shadows, disappearing from my sight.
A gunshot banged, and Victoria suddenly released me. But hadn’t taken her eyes off me. She looked angry, “Hands in the air!”, Shouted Teresa as she pointed her gun at Victoria. Victoria looked over at Teresa, Grinning amusingly. She began walking toward Teresa. Teresa aimed her weapon at the boarded-up window. Shooting down a few boards, releasing a beam of sunlight into the hallway. As the sunlight hit Victoria, Victoria cried out in pain. Victoria gripped her hand as it started to sizzle and bruise. Victoria hissed at Teresa like a feral cat, exploding into a black cloud of smoke. The smoke dissipated, and Victoria was gone.

To Be Continued…

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