2 chapter 2

In a dark office, sat a man who was on his 6th scotch of the morning. He sat grumbling about the trouble of the town, particularly on the interview that was coming up any minute. Pushing through the heap of files and folders that laid on the table. He found the television remote and switched it on. The tv stood as the only source of light in the room, hurting his eyes.

Stroking his beard, he relaxed into his chair, which groaned under his weight as he meddled with the television's volume until a news program started.

"The Middleton devil caught at last" said a woman dressed in red who stood in front of a police tape in an alley. The man spat at the appearance of the woman as he readjusted in his chair.

"we have here with us, the officer of the hour. After 25 years of serving as the city sheriff. He is still taking out bad guys. He is no other than sheriff Carl Callaghan." A well-built man with an even more well shaved beard came on screen.

A smile creeped on Carl's face as he scratched his beards. He watched himself walk away from the reporter who had just introduced him to the world. He enjoyed watching her destabilize and run after him.

"sir, sir!" she shouted, out of breath from behind him. She caught up to him on the other side of the alley, right beside the road. He enjoyed watching her bow over and gulp air into her lung. "sir" she said with a new air of energy that caught him by surprise.

"sir what do you have to say about the Middleton devil"

"what I think is the media shouldn't meddle in the affairs of security. Don't you have an election or something to cover." Carl said reserving his curses for after the show.

"but sheriff carl, the people need to know if they are safe. It is your duty to catch the middletin devil, which you have done excellently. But now it is my turn to do my job and report to the people in details what happened."

Carl stared at the red haired woman for a while before sighing.

"If it's your duty to report the truth and only the truth. Then you should start by using the name of the killer. "

"sorry yes the demon, carl Anderson."

"demon!" carl said staring at the lady. Behind his back he clenched his anger into his fist, his venom dropped onto his heels.

"of course demon, how else would you categorize someone as diabolical as him?"

Carl stared at her, before casting his gaze to the two covered bodies who laid behind the police line. "I guess you are right" he said as he turned and walked away from the reporter. Her hasty calls fell on deaf ears as he got into his car and drove off.

Carl switched off the tv and opened a window. Returning to his seat he took a hard look at the case files that lined his table. The 3 days old coffee that sat at the edge reminded him he needed to get out, he was the sheriff after all.

Five minutes into his distractive organizing, he was left with one folder sitting on the desk and the rest neatly put away in a cabinet at the other side of the room. he hesitated a bit, before opening the folder.

Within the folder were pictures. One of the pictures was of 3 teens sitting on an old mustang. Two boys and a girl. Carl spread into a smile as he stared at his youth. His youth that would have been lonely if not for Anderson and Christine. His youth were they would sneak off to drink booze behind old Mrs Stella's house. He dropped the picture carefully behind the coffee mug.

Next in the folder was a summary of an autopsy. It read

"Christine Anderson

Cause of death electrocution.

Thomas Anderson

cause of death: extreme mutilation

Julius Kennedy

Cause of death: extreme mutilation."

Along with the autopsy were pictures of the crime scene. In the first picture sat a blond woman with blood shot eyes. She sat tied in a metal chair that in turn sat in a bath of water. Her cheeks bore drops of blood and water. Carl stared at her face soaking in the fear in her eyes.

A drop of tear ran down his cheeks as he dropped the picture. He took the next one and in it was the picture of a boy roughly 12 years old. His mouth split at his jaw and his head laid open, sliced into two. Carl stared for a while, then shook his head and dropped the pic.

The next picture was of a dark haired man, roughly in his forties. His arm laid on the floor connected to his body only by a trail of blood. In his chest laid a cavern filled with blood, pieces of bones stuck out from its depth. Carl held back the retching feeling that filled his guts. This wasn't his first dead body.

He took the last picture and stared at the ginger hair man who stared emotionlessly into the mugshot. He whispered "why" as he shut the folder and made his way out of the room.

...........................................................................................

Lisa stood in front of the announcement board, the cold of the morning bearing down on her goose bumps as she searched for her name. a few minutes of searching and she found it.

"Lisa Anderson-256-most likely to be a secretary" beside the official fine print was another inscription written in red lipstick, "class hoe".

Lisa smiled upon reading the red comment. A female spoke up from behind her in what could only be described as a forced squeak.

"figured you won't be freaked out by that. You don't bother to hide it"

"on the contrary" Lisa said "I knew it was you immediately I saw the lipstick."

"oh you mean this one, class bitch" said another girl, putting her emphasis on "bitch" and raising up a cherry lipstick.

"my beef isn't with you, joey do yourself a favour and grow a spine" Lisa replied, turning around to face the 3 blonde curvy girls that stood against her.

"grow a spine!" the third girl began in failed mockery. "you're one to talk, miss closet gay"

Lisa leaned her head a bit before busting into a fake laugh. "wow Amanda, you seem sober today. I guess rehab is finally working out. I never lost hope in you."

"asshole" Amanda shouted as she charged towards Lisa. Her attacked foiled by Angela who held her back. Angela stared at Lisa as one would when they stumbled upon an ill placed pile of faeces.

"I don't see what Jeremy sees in you" Angela retorted.

"I would say the same to you. But that would be lying" Lisa said, her eyes shooting venom.

"come on" Jeremy said from behind Angela and gang.

On hearing his voice Angela switched into a demeanour that would only fit a lost puppy. "jerry baby this animal you call a friend attacked me" she whined as she buried her head in his chest and faked tears. Her friends joined in the charade by sobbing.

Jeremy shot Lisa a tired look as he stroked Angela's head. "how about you go inside and I settle this" he said. Angela sobbed a bit then nodded before pecking him and walking away. Behind Jeremy she made a face and her and her squad giggled away.

"what makes you so special that I got to put up with this?" Lisa asked shooting him a raised eyebrow.

"honestly I have no- oh wow...class bitch" Jeremy said his eye focused on the lipstick inscription. "that's lower than the sun by 12am" he said into the wind.

"there is no sun by 12am" Lisa pointed out.

"that's the point. Well in any case I'm sorry." Jeremy said showing one of his classic downcast, full teeth smile.

"it's cool, I'll keep trying to avoid her."

"anyways seeing as I'm the most popular boy on this billboard" Lisa groaned causing him to roll his eye "why don't you tell me who you got dress for. I might just put in a word for you."

"first of all you're the most popular cause you dating Angela and god knows why it makes you irresistible" Jeremy stroke his hair at her statement "also if he doesn't notice I did it for him, then he's really dumb."

"colder than the ice age squirrel"

"That makes no...never mind let's just get going, we don't want to be late" Lisa said as the bell rang."

..........................................................................................

Sheriff carl sighed as he pulled up at the red light. This would be his second red light of the day; his meditation ride was turning out to be more than therapeutic. He stares mindlessly at the countdown. The neon light pushing him into his youth.

"Anderson, be honest with me what's really going on."

"nothing" the ginger haired boy said.

The two sat under a tree in the grass field that loomed behind their school. It had become their favourite spot. Carl loved the cool breeze and watching the clouds, while Anderson was whisked away by every moving creature that passed by.

"do you think your mom will ever stop" carl asked, his eyes fixed on a patch of cloud that drifted over the giggling girl in a distance."

"I don't think people change." Anderson said poking the earth.

"well I think people change, Andy" carl said "no one was born evil or good."

"and what makes you sure we aren't born demons."

"well, I can't be sure." Carl looked at him. "but I can tell you this, everything is a gamble."

Andy gazed at carl, tears drops in his eyes threatened while his voice quivered. "I think she was born a demon.".

"Andy, she's your mum!" carl said sitting up.

"well" Andy sobbed "I must be the spawn of a demon." Tears ran downs his cheeks.

A horn jerked carl from his memory. The traffic light had turned green and cars were now swerving past him. Restarting the engine, he drove off into the business district.

Driving just a bit below the recommended speed, he stared at skyscrapers that adorned his every side. "you always did want to be an angel" he whispered as he watched a plane fly by overhead.

The police scanner came up and a lady's voice came up. "sheriff!"

"yes Lucy, I'm here" he said grabbing the scanner and wiping his eyes.

"sir I know you're having a hard day, but a dead body has just been found."

"I'm on my way!" he said. He switched on the siren took a turn and zoomed off.

..........................................................................................

Darkness consumed the alley she stood in. accompanying the darkness was an odour. The odour burnt her nostrils and pricked her throat. Neither the heat nor the smell, slowed her down as she ran down the alley. Her lungs drawing in as much air as they could. The air in turned kept her burning, but still she kept running.

She knew it was behind her and if she let it catch her she would be gone. He would strip her soul from her and she will be imprisoned and worst she would be the one to end her life. She glanced into the darkness behind her, and she was sure she saw it. Dark shadow finger that stretch from a point she could make out. The finger stood out in the darkness, they were a different type of darkness and she knew it.

As she ran, laughter rang through the alley. It was getting to her and she knew it. One more glanced and she watched overwhelm her.

Lisa awoke with a scream. Her heart pounding, the faint smell of whatever that was lingered in her nostrils or in her mind, as the hair on her arms stood. She looked from behind the book she used to hide her illegal nap. Behind the book, everyone had their eyes on her. Each of them wearing the same disturbed face. The librarian sat at her desk casting a glare at her at her. She mouthed a sorry, just as the principal voice came booming from a speaker that was attached to the library wall.

"can miss Lisa hart report to my office, immediately."

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