I opened the door and a blur of white sped forward and suddenly I was flat on the floor with a snarling woman atop me, her hands constricting around my throat as she put all of her weight and strength into choking the life out of me. Her eyes were crazed and bloodshot. Her flesh was the color of bleach. My hands fumbled on the floor in search of my gun but all I could feel was the cold floor. Eventually I gave up and gritted my teeth as I gave the woman a right hook to the jaw. It weakened her just enough for me to take a single breath but then she squeezed even tighter. I punched her repeatedly in the side with my right fist before giving her another hook with the left and she tumbled off of me before sprinting down the hall.
I laid on the floor, my mind abuzz and my body numb, just trying to breathe. Suppressing a groan I forced myself to my feet. I grabbed my gun. My hands gripped the weapon like it was begging to run from me and I chased the woman. I caught sight of her in the sitting room and I chased her down the stairs and around the corner. Clearly disoriented she turned to a dead end hallway.
She stopped at the end, turning to face me. She growled, barring her teeth. Her eyes were black pits devoid of humanity. Her flesh was pale and as thin as paper. I could see every black vein crawling under her flesh, quivering with every drum of her heart.
"I won't hurt you," I said slowly and clearly, "I don't want to hurt you."
I took slow strides to the woman. Her growls grew in volume. Her octave heightened and soon she was screeching like a banshee. When I was close enough she leapt onto me. I leaned against the wall and pushed her back. I fisted her hair and grabbed her arm. I twisted her until she was facing the wall. I placed the cuffs around her wrists.
I took her outside and locked her in the car. Quickly I ran back into the mansion to where I'd found her. The small bedroom was plain aside from the secret entrance the woman had left open. Nothing was visible but a narrow set of stairs. Cautiously I made my descent. The stairs creaked with each step I'd made. I could feel a pit in my stomach at the stench of iron that overwhelmed my senses.
I had a partner. He was a good shot but he was starting to get on my nerves. I was tailing what I thought was a serial killer, that I now suspected was a group of them. It was wildly unlikely but so was the amount of victims we found drained of blood. Anyway, he didn't come into work today. Crime had been on the rise and so I didn't have anyone else to watch my back. The captain told me to do paperwork but he knew that wouldn't happen. Tim, my partner, would be doing that for me when he got back.
When I stood at the bottom of the stairs I raised my gun as I looked around for any threat. Finding none I radioed the captain.
The room was comprised of cages stacked atop one another. In the middle of the room was a metal table. Within most of the cages were bodies that had been torn asunder. Looking at one of the women I recognized a missing girl I'd been looking out for.
I took samples of blood and hair after taking dozens of pictures. Careful to avoid touching anything I looked in every nook and cranny for anything that could give me a hint. Under the table I found a first aid kit.
I gathered everything I had and sealed them away. Running back to my car I set them down in the trunk. I then discarded my gloves and slid into the front seat. I backed out of the driveway, eyeing the woman as I did. I pulled onto the road and began to make my way to the station.
"Let me go," She whispered so softly I hardly heard it.
"Hm?" I asked. When she didn't answer I continued, "I want to help you. I can't do that if you aren't honest with me."
I continued down the street at a normal pace, though something in the back of my mind urged me to speed up.
"Do you want to tell me your name?" After receiving no response I said, "I'm Maxine. Or officer Hazelwood."
I let the silence spread between us. I pulled onto a lonely road. Fog hung low and worked to blind us with the help of the dense evergreen trees.
I decided to let hope for rapport go. Pushing it too far would only worsen her opinion of me. As I continued to drive I snuck glances at her through the rearview mirror. Her pupils had retracted and her breathing had slowed. Periodically her lip would quiver.
When a dark figure appeared through the fog I slammed my foot against the brake. The car pulled to a halt, screeching as it did, but the man didn't flinch. He was somehow more pale than the woman. He had long blond hair and severe features. I looked around, then waved my hand for him to move but he shook his head. I looked at the woman. Her eyelids had pulled back into her skull and her lips were parted.
"What is it?" I asked.
She didn't show any sign of lucidity. I sat there waiting for her to say something. Soon I felt the touch of hundreds of spiders crawling up my flesh to hide within my ears. I asked again what was wrong but she still sat there. Frozen.
I returned my attention to the man and found that, just like the woman, he had frozen in place. He stared past me. His acidic gaze burned through her. I felt an overwhelming urge to drive through him, shooting down the road and taking the girl to safety. Against my better judgement I drew my weapon and cracked the door open.
"No!" The girl screamed, lurching forward, her arms struggling against the handcuffs, "Don't go! Don't go!"
I shut the door and immediately I felt my heart ease. Still I held my gun. My eyes never left the unmoving man.
He wore a simple dress shirt and slacks. His stance was wide with his hands behind his back. A sense of dread surrounded him as though he was the devil himself. He was a handsome man but just vaguely unhuman. His eyes were too big, his skin too white, his body far, far too tall.
"Thank you."
"What's going on?"
She opened her mouth to speak before curling into herself as she groaned in agony. Gasping for breath she righted herself, her eyes half closed and her cheeks blood red.
"Tell me what's happening."
"I-I-I don't know. I know him but I don't know how."
I called for backup before stepping out of the car, my hand on my gun. Frigid air sliced my flesh open. Sweat froze my brow.
I stopped six feet from the man. I stood straight, staring him down with false bravado.
"Who are you?"
His gaze was empty. He could have been a wax figure left in the street.
"Do you mind coming with me, sir?"
He took a slow, exaggerated stride toward me as excitement sparked in his gaze. I refused to respond. He took another step toward me and I pulled out my gun. I still didn't feel safe. I felt even more vulnerable when a chilling grin split open his face, revealing jagged, bloody teeth. He bent down to press his forehead to the barrel and it was then life entered those dead eyes. It was then he saw me. He saw everything.
He reached for my gun and I pulled the trigger, stepping back as I did and seeing a black hole repair itself as quickly as it had formed. I kept walking back and he followed me, moving his long legs far slower than he had to.
I jumped back into the car and backed up. Racing forward I dodged him only for his arm to shoot through my back window and drawing a screech of mortal terror from the girl. I hit the gas and trees blurred past me. I watched through the rearview mirror as he entered the vehicle and I slammed my foot against the gas, the tires wailing and burning, emitting the sickly scent of searing rubber. He held on too tightly to be thrown off. He forced himself inside and climbed next to me. Suddenly he was grabbing my handcuffs and I reared back to punch him in the face only for him to grab my wrist and slap the cuff on. He grabbed the other, ignoring my struggles, bent me forward to cuff me, and threw me into the back seat.
I watched as he reached backward to snap the cuffs from the girl's wrists. She turned to aid him as he did. My brows pulled together.
The girl tore a piece of her dress off and grabbed my face, trying to shove it into my mouth but I bit down on her finger hard enough to hear a crunch.
"Maxie?" The man grinned, his skin stretching to display every tooth, "Would you like me to do it?"
I stilled. The girl shoved the rag into my mouth. She then tore off another piece and tied it around my face so I couldn't spit out the gag. She pulled me down to rest my head against her lap. She tore out my ponytail. Her filthy, clammy fingers ran through my hair, each strand clinging to her flesh. The man hummed as he drove and somehow, despite my racing heart and thoughts, it lulled me to sleep.