Case 1: A Warm Welcoming

"How long until we get there? Come on let me take the wheel, you know you're driving under the speed limit, also why is your car so damn small, I barely have any leg room here." Ruben says as he's squirming around.

"Look I told you that you should have come with your car, but no you insisted that you had to ride with me now look all you're doing is compl-"

"I told you I don't have a license, plus even if I did have a license why would I waste my gas coming with my car when I can just waste your gas," Ruben says cutting off Ace.

"Cut me off again Ruben and you're dead, also my car isn't small it fits me and every other regular-sized person on the planet just fine, You're the abnormally tall one, by the way, did you figure out where we are on the map?"

While driving Ace sees a wrecked car near a river and stops to investigate the sighting, as she gets closer the smell of sour rotten meat and sweet spoiled herbs fills her nostrils causing her to become lightheaded and vomit before passing out, Ace wakes up to see that a man is towing her car and notices that the truck driver is about 2 inches taller than Ruben and he has a very solid frame for being 6'7. The man introduces himself as Roger Gilbert giving a very big grin to the detectives while bending his head sideways.

"Uhhh, nice to meet you", Ruben says shaking Roger's hand.

"No problemo young man, yall seem mighty lost you headed anywhere specifically? I can give you all a ride if that's what you want?"

"Hmmm, that wouldn't be necessar-" Ace says before being cut off by Ruben.

"Nah we would love a ride, mind if I get shotgun?" Ruben says with his goofy grin that Ace has grown to scorn.

While driving in silence Ace thinks back to that disgusting smell near the river and tries to piece together what it was and why there was a wreckage out in the middle of nowhere.

"You focusing quite a storm back there lil lady, don't worry well be arriving in Whispers Peak in less than 5 minutes, it's been a long time since we had any visitors," Roger says while humming.

After 5 minutes of driving the Detectives arrive at Whispers Peak with Roger where they are greeted by the whole town, with a celebration of balloons and people.

"Welcome to our humble town, " says Mayor Johnson showing the same eerie smile as Roger, "I had no idea you guys would arrive so soon."

"How did you know we were coming, I never saw Roger call anyone on our way here, and I'm sure the commissioner didn't give you guys a call," Ruben asks suspiciously.

Ace is surprised because this is out of character for Ruben, acting so seriously when she expected him to crack a joke.

"Ha, ha, ha, you quite a skeptical fellow aren't you? Let's just put it like this, I like to know the people who come into our town, especially if those people work with the police, seeing as how since the discovery of this town we've never had any crimes or hindrances at all." The mayor exclaimed. "Why don't you lot have fun at this little get-together of ours and then we can show you into your new home."

After staying at that party for 2 hours straight, Ruben and Ace are finally taken to their house in the street of "Whispers Hollow".

"Ok let's get settled down, then we will meet in the dining and discuss what our task is, ok?" 

"Sure, but first I'm gonna get some shut-eye you go do whatever you need to do alright?" Ruben yawns as he heads upstairs.

Ace is sitting down going through all of the essentials she's packed and decides to try and give her mom a call, but after the first ring, she cuts off the call and sits there to think about how weirdly normal this town seems to be: all the houses have very similar structures to each other and are all very bright colors just like you'd see in a children's book, the people of this town seem weirdly enthusiastic, but there was something deeply unsettling about the town that made my gut ache. The biggest concern I have is still about the smell from that wreckage, What could that have been? Honestly, I just need to focus on the case the boss gave me instead of letting my mind wander through things I can't even figure out myself. Ace was still deep in thought when she felt a cold dripping feeling at the back of her neck, she fell over yelling only to see Ruben also falling over laughing.

"RUBEN! What the hell!" Ace yells, as her face becomes bright red. 

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Ruben says chocking on his laughter, "I didn't expect you to get so freaked out over a bottle of water, alright let's get down to business"

"Before we look at the case I need your perspective on something, I might just be overthinking it, but it seems entirely strange to me," Ace says

"Yeah, what's up?" Ruben says while sliding into the chair

"Don't you think it was kind of strange that the mayor had all those people outside to throw a celebration for 2 strangers whom they never met before?" Ace asks

"Mhm, but you saw the way he avoided answering my question, honestly guys like him are never up to any good though, plus it's not our place to judge since were in his town were he holds authority," Ruben says letting out a breath of air.

"Well, your right we don't have the authority to go into a full-on investigation of the mayor when we already have our hands tied with this. Well ready to get down to business?" Ace asks.

Ace and Ruben gather around the dinner table and drop the case file the commissioner assigned to them on the table, they begin to read the file together:

[Confidential Police Report]

Case Number: 2023-78492

Current Date: October 1st, 2024

Date of disappearance: October 6th, 2023

Reporting Officers: Detective Ace and Detective Ruben

Missing Person: Tim Jacobs

Age: 17

Race: Caucasian

Height: 5'10"

Weight: Unknown

Residence: Whispering Pines,

[State] School: Whispering High

Description of Incident: On October 5th, 2023, at approximately 2:45 PM, a missing person report was initiated for Tim Jacobs, a 17-year-old resident of Whispering Pines. The party who came and reported Tim missing is currently unknown.

According to preliminary investigations, Tim Jacobs was never reported missing at his school. No formal declaration of his disappearance has been made, and no individuals have acknowledged his absence or reported his disappearance to authorities.

Tim Jacobs is described as a Caucasian male, approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall, with no known distinctive features. His weight is currently unknown. He was last seen wearing a blue hoodie, black jeans, and sneakers.

Investigation: Detectives Ace and Ruben have been assigned to investigate the disappearance of Tim Horton in the town of Whispering Pines. 

[Approved and Signed by Commissioner Jordan of NYPD]

"Wait I just realized something..." Ruben says with a serious look on his face.

"What is it? You found a clue with the report?" Ace says concerned.

"No, why were you the only one who signed it? I gave the commissioner my signature too."

"Sigh, you are an idiot you know that right?"

"Thanks, I try my best partner." Ruben smiles

"How many times have I told you not you call me partner, starting tomorrow we are officially starting the investigation into Tim Jacobs, so get a good night's sleep," Ace says as she begins walking to her bedroom.

"Night partner" Ruben exclaims loudly.

"I'm ignoring you now," Ace says as she closes her door.

11 pm, while everyone in the small town of Whispers Peak begins to close their shops and call it a night a deformed man is seen scaling down the street of Whispers Avenue. To be completely honest the thing running can't even be identified as a man it barely even looked human: in the first place its body was elongated looking more like a Reticulated python in length nearly 12 feet long while having a slender body similar to that of a lizard, its skin was pale in color while being rashy and scaly in texture, the eyes on this abomination were sunken so deep that even in the brightest of mornings would make it impossible to see the expression this creature had. The unknown beast was running on all fours while chunks of flesh fell from it as it leaving humps of scaly mush on the ground, it oozed a trail of yellowish-red blood from the pores around its body, the storeowners who hadn't fully closed up their stores just looked at the event that was happening like any other normal day. The creature roared a hideous screech that would be enough to make everyone the most cold-hearted individuals feel a pool of guilt, but after letting out its whimpers the creature fell over passing out.

A bus pulls over and 3 shadowy figures pick it up and throw it back onto the bus before closing the door.

-Next Chapter: (Case file 1.5: ???)