According to documents left behind in an old church. They were struggling to control an epidemic. It had all started when a woman came to their town. There was a strange and too friendly smile on her face. She never raised her voice above a whisper saying the same two words over and over.

What exactly did she mean by your turn ?

The preacher kept an eye on her. Letting her use a spare room inside the church. Not knowing that she would slip out in the middle of the night. The following morning, a group of villagers came to get him. Showing him the bodies that were discovered in the town square.

All of them had their faces stitched into that same creepy smile.

When she was found, the preacher began the exorcism. He asked for the demon to give him its name, and when it told him, a chill went up his spine. For the name it spoke belonged to that of a demon he wouldn’t be able to handle on his own. The rest of the pages were covered in dark stains, making everything eligible. It’s still out there, the smiling demon hopping from each host, trying to see who it can take over next.

Which brings us to Dustin who has noticed something abnormal. Maybe it had just been a figment of his imagination. Something you see while lacking sleep when walking home. He knew that it wasn’t something that shouldn’t be a big deal, but it was disturbing to him considering how often it was happening. There was this stranger who would smile at him.

At first, it felt harmless…then it would always be at the same place and time.

Dustin thought about changing his route. However, whenever he did so, the stranger was always present. Still smiling, becoming unsettling, growing wider, and never breaking eye contact with him. With the stress of this situation, he began experiencing strange dreams. In those dreams, the stranger would appear in dark hallways with that creepy smile on their face.

Every time they whispered something unintelligible to Dustin.

What was he trying to tell him?

Putting that thought aside, he decides to try filming the stranger. When he was doing so, other people walked past him. Why didn’t they see the man too? Even when they would stop and stand right next to him. One of his friends seems to think that he’s overly stressed and is seeing things.

If Dustin was imagining this then why did his friend see the man too?

Even if it was just once.

While at home, he logs into his laptop and hesitantly types into the search engine "The Smiling Man". To his surprise, there were a lot of incidents in different cities spanning decades. These articles or testimonies were written before the writer mysteriously disappeared. Out of the ones he read, one included a low-quality and grainy photo of the smiling man from 1921. Leaning back in his seat, Dustin stared at the screen in disbelief.

He didn’t believe in the supernatural, but this made him question his beliefs.

On his next walk home, Dustin decided that he would try confronting the stranger. Since this was the first time, he would be engaging with something or someone no longer of this world. He was unsure whether this would work, but Dustin had to try something. On his walk home, when the man appeared across the street from him. Standing under a flickering streetlight, arms at his side, and that never-ending smile stretching across his face.

“Why have you been appearing to me?” Dustin asked, his voice wavering.

The man spoke, tilting his head to the side. “Because it’s your turn now.”

After this encounter, Dustin began losing sense of time and having gaps in his memory. Saying and doing things that he normally wouldn’t do. Then having strange symbols appear on the walls of his apartment. These markings were written in his own handwriting that Dustin never remembered writing.

Possession could be a strong reason why he couldn’t remember.

He should look up numbers for facilities that deal with demonic or ghost possession. Whatever was trying to take over his body had to be tied to the smiling man or the thing that became it by body hopping. Getting into his car, he brought up the GPS location and began the long drive there. Riverside Medical Center, a private institution owned by the Vatican, aided with distinct types of supernatural matters. Turning onto the dirt road, Dustin squinted there at the end before the road split was a smiling and waiting figure.

The director of Riverside Medical Center stood outside the building. He looked anxiously down at his watch. Dustin Wright was late. According to his last message, he was only ten minutes away. Peering down the road he noticed someone walking towards him.

A chill went down the director’s spine from what he saw. Along with a gut-sinking feeling that something was wrong. A voice told him to run to get inside somewhere safe. Yet the kindness of his heart wouldn’t let him leave someone behind. Especially if they could be injured or seeking aid for mental health.

What the director wasn’t prepared for was what followed afterwards.

The first found recording of Dustin’s stay at Riverside Medical Center.

“This is case number 0345. The patient’s name is Dustin Wright, currently possessed by the smiling demon called redacted. An on-call priest is currently trying to remove redacted from the young man’s body. So far, all attempts at expelling it have failed.”

Another recording is soon found. This is its contents shared with police.

“This is case number 0345 with the patient formally known as Dustin Wright. The priest was unsuccessful in removing redacted therefore a decision has been made to place him into containment. We cannot allow the demon to transfer itself to another host. As counter measure scripture has been inked onto his skin.”

Dustin sat in his containment cell with his back against the wall, staring ahead in front of himself. Where redacted was silently seething that he had been permanently bound to this human. The human wasn’t too happy either that he was stuck with a demon possessing his body. Dustin knew that he would never be able to leave this place. Unless there was a priest strong enough to send the smiling demon back to hell, where he belonged.

 So he would wait to finally be free from this demons clutches for good.

Fetid Spawn: A gift box with a trapped demon inside, who was imprisoned by a powerful member of the Vatican. The demon waits for its chance to take over a body in order to go back to the cult that summoned it. It has been advised not to let this package leave the Vatican. However, it has been missing for at least a few years. Only to be donated to a local church fundraiser where a mysterious individual left it out in the open to be found.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Cults were first formed around the end of the tenth and early ninth centuries. Some of these established communities drew a lot of attention from the Vatican as time went on. Especially when they decided as a unit to summon demons. Trying to call forth their so-called deity that they worshipped, only to end up injured or in a body bag. A priest who had gone to one of the first cases had improvised using what was available at the time to seal the demon within it.

Which happened to be a beautifully wrapped gift box. Since that time, they continued to use this method over the years. Taking each gift back with them to the Vatican to be surveilled and sealed away. They had always put safety measures in place so that no one outside of the Vatican could remove these gifts. Years later, however, it would seem that someone actually managed to get through dropping it off at a church as a charitable donation.

Axl groggily reached for his phone, that had been constantly ringing for the past hour. Squinting, he locked at the caller ID before answering the phone. "Hello?" Axl answered, clearing his throat so as to sound as awake as he could. "Is this Axl Parker?" the voice on the other end asked. He replied that it was and wondered what he could do for them.

The man on the other end began to explain that the Father of the church had gone missing. Missing? Where exactly could the man have gone? If Axl remembered correctly, Father Pesci was an older man who was close to retirement. That he couldn't have made a long trip by himself.

"That's the thing..." Seminarian Rossi continued. He explained that there had been a package among the donations they received. A weathered gift box with baby blue polka dot wrapping paper and a white ribbon tied on top. The ribbon was frayed and flecked with dark brown spatter and felt heavier than it looked. Axl paled as he gripped his phone tighter to keep from dropping it.

"Did someone open it?" Axl questioned, biting down on his bottom lip.

"I was too afraid to, but Pesci did," replied Rossi. The Seminarian found that the gift box was gone, the scent of chlorine hung heavy in the air along with red ooze on Pesci's desk. On the walls, written in the same substance, were strange symbols that were unknown to Rossi. The window had been left open, and upon looking out, Rossi noted that one of the hearses was gone.

Rossi wasn't sure where he went, but Axl knew the story behind the gift box. Getting up from his spot on the couch, he nudged Soren with his foot. Walking into the kitchen to set up the coffee machine, he placed the pot into the sink. "Don't worry, we'll find him, setting him free from the Fetid," Axl assured Rossi. This put the Seminarian at ease, ending the call to take care of the church in Pesci's stead.

"Another case?" Soren mumbled, sitting upright, his hair sticking in different directions. He stood up and stretched, then stumbled his way into the bathroom, shutting the door. "Yeah, this one is about a missing priest who’s gotten himself possessed by a fetid spawn." said Axl, cutting off the water and pouring it into the water tank of the coffee pot. "A fetid spawn?" Soren questioned as he finished up in the bathroom, walking out, drying his hands. "Our folks told us about them before. This one in particular was stolen from the Vatican." Axl replied.

Soren racked his brain about the stories his father told him about this type of demon and found it odd that they were ironically sealed in cutely wrapped gift boxes. "I thought our folks told us that they were all accounted for, and it was difficult to steal them due to the high security level the Vatican uses," he commented, tossing the paper towel into the trash. Axl began pouring two cups of coffee, making one with milk and the other with cream and sugar.

"I thought so too."  said Axl , handing Soren the cup with cream and sugar, taking a sip of his coffee, and let out a contented sigh. They would have to travel to the location where the origin of the box first began. That particular box Rossi spoke of was recovered from a cult house. The cult itself had offered the summoned demon the head of a man who was dressed as a clown. An innocent man who was just there to deliver a birthday cake to what he thought was a kid’s birthday party.

The possessed father Pesci was traveling to where it all began. Maybe the demon thought the cult who wronged him would still be there. Or that the portal he stepped out of was still open. Either way, they had to save Pesci from losing his life. Bringing his cup to his lips, Axl drank the last sip of his coffee and rinsed it out before setting it into the sink.

"I'm going to start loading the car up with the equipment we need. Can I have the keys to the weapons cabinet?" Axl held out his palm upright towards Soren. “Yeah, sure." Soren dug into the pocket of his sweatpants and handed over a paracentric key. Axl said a small thank you and headed to the cabinet, opening it up and turning on the light inside. In order to deal with this demon, they would have to perform an exorcism.

Therefore, the weapon they would use had to be something to hold the host in place without causing them harm. Axl smiled, spotting what he needed and pulled it out from the far back. It was heavy in his hands, made of connected links and curved. He packed it into Soren's bag along with some jars of salt, zipping it up. Now all that Axl had to do was get the grimoire from his room, and they would leave.

Soren wrote down everything they knew up until now. What the gift box looked like, where it had come from, where it had been taken to, and who opened it. A quick call to the Vatican to access the catalog of where the fetid spawn's original summon ground was. So that they could set their GPS to get to that exact location. Hopefully arriving in time to stop the fetid spawn from causing harm to the host or others.

Axl and Soren arrived at an overgrown house that had clearly been abandoned for quite a few years. The front door was left ajar, and the stolen hearse was parked out front. "So how are we doing this?" Soren asked, turning off the car’s engine. "We lure him into an open ring of salt. Close it and wrap him in the holy chains. From there, I will read from the grimoire and send the demon back to hell." Axl replied. Soren nodded, he understood what had to be done but couldn't help but be nervous.

Axl stepped out of the car first, grabbing his bag from the boot of the car along with Soren's. Both stood outside of the looming house in front of them before stepping into the darkness inside. It didn't take long to pinpoint where exactly Pesci was, as the sound of mumbling came from one of the rooms. Soren got out one of the jars of salt and began to make a half circle, leaving an opening. Axl would be luring Pesci inside the room towards the trap.

"Father Pesci, we've been sent to bring you home. The church is worried about you." said Axl slowly, making his way towards the sound of the mumbling. The mumbling stopped and was soon followed by dragging footsteps walking towards Axl, who backed away slowly. He knew that they were there to take his host away before he had a chance to find the portal home. However, there wasn't a portal open here anymore; it had probably been closed by the members of the Vatican. The day that the demon was sealed in that ridiculously decorated gift box.

Soon Axl was running towards the middle of the salt circle, leading Pesci into its center. Once Axl was out, Soren completed the circle, and an inhuman scream released from Pesci’s mouth. Both Axl and Soren worked together, wrapping the holy chains around the man's body. Pesci struggled, jerking his body violently trying to break the chains that bound him, causing Axl to lose his grip on the chain in his hand. Soren reached out and snatched it, pulling it taut once more and gave a knowing nod to his partner.

With the man tightly wrapped once more, Axl got out his grimoire and began reading a passage from it. The man hissed and snarled before his neck snapped backwards, and a black swirling smoke began spiraling upwards into a red, ominous portal above him.

Pesci's body soon hit the floor with a thud, and the red portal closed. Axl knelt, checking the man's pulse and felt its slow and steady thrum. Soren took out his phone, calling 911 and then Rossi right after. It didn't take too long for the ambulance to show up, and it gave Axl and Soren plenty of time to clean up and take the holy chains off of Pesci. Rossi made it just in time as well to talk with paramedics who were loading Pesci into the back of the ambulance.

Axl and Soren answered all of the questions that the police needed as well as the EMS. Before they got back into their car, Rossi called out to them. Thanking them for their help in saving Father Pesci. It wasn't a big deal after all; it was what they did. It was more than just a job passed down to them by their parents.

It was a way to ensure that people would stay safe from things out there that couldn't be explained. Axl took over driving for the ride home, jealous of the nap Soren was currently taking. A few times he really wanted to slam on the brake to jolt his partner awake, but he held back. When they arrived back at their base and the car was in the underground garage, Axl placed an order for takeout and rested on the couch as Soren put their tools away.

All they needed now was food and a good night’s rest. 

It was quiet in the suburban neighborhood of South Gust. Naomi Long a twenty-two-year-old college student and part time babysitter was spending time alone at home this weekend. She turned down a babysitting job tonight to study for finals and to enjoy the peaceful evening. Naomi had pizza delivered, had a random movie on in the background and texted a friend to let them know she would be staying inside for the night. With her laptop on her lap Naomi began reviewing the notes she had typed up from each handout her teachers had given her.

In the middle of reviewing her notes Naomi’s phone rang. She glanced over at it a heavy sigh escaping her lips. Picking it up she looks at the screen unknown number on the front. Tapping the front, she placed it to her ear and answered “Hello?”. Eerie static on the other end crackled as a calm voice asked her “Have you checked on the children?”.

Furrowing her brow Naomi looked at the screen ending the call deciding it must have been someone who called the wrong number. Setting her phone down she goes back to her notes when her stomach growls at her. Now would be the best time to heat up some of that pizza she ordered in the oven. Naomi leans against the counter waiting with her arms crossed looking at the TV in the living room. When the timer goes off, she gets the pizza out with an oven mitt and transfers a couple of slices to a plate.

Grabbing a cola out of the fridge Naomi sits down in the living room. Getting comfortable on the sofa with a slice in hand her phone rings again. Reaching for it with a free hand she sees the unknown number on the screen. Rolling her eyes she taps the phone icon and answers the call “Hello?”. The eerie and crackling static filled her ear before a calm voice asked her “Have you checked on the children?” the line clicks going silent.

Unsettled Naomi sets the phone down trying to brush it off as someone playing a prank.

As the night goes on the calls continued.  They kept asking her the same question. Or sometimes telling her things such as “You’re supposed to be watching them!” with urgency behind the words. Then other times telling her “The children are not safe! Why aren’t you checking on them?!” when checking her phone history there was no record of these calls. Naomi decided to contact the police, but they were unable to trace these unknown calls unless an actual crime was in progress.

She lets out a frustrated sigh Naomi tosses her phone to the side. Rubbing her hands over her face she looks up at the ceiling watching as the power flickers all around her. The faint sound of childlike laughter and followed by footsteps heading upstairs startles her. Naomi jerks her head in the direction of the sound heart thumping in her ears. Who was in here with her?

After all she lived alone in this apartment. Standing up she walks towards the stairs going up them one at a time. Naomi steps on something that crinkles under her bare foot. Leaning down to pick it up she examines the paper. It was a child’s drawing that she had never seen before.

Peering up to the landing she squints her eyes not seeing anyone there. Naomi makes her way back down to the living room and sets the drawing onto the coffee table. She picks up her phone going through her old contacts. Naomi was able to find one from a family she previously babysits for. Calling them she does not get an answer.

Waiting a moment Naomi tries calling again. The woman who answers her is panicked as she speaks to her. Naomi is told that the children are missing and the babysitter that they had hired never showed up. This worries Naomi since she had grown attached to these children she usually sat for. The line beeped with a busy tone before the call ends.

Getting ready to set her phone down it rings making her jump. Answering she places it to her ear a voice speaking to her through that now all too familiar crackling static. “It is too late now Naomi. You did not go to check on the children.” it was raspy and spoke in a low whisper. The lights go out as the call ends, and something begins moving in her apartment. Grabbing the baseball bat, she keeps next to the stairs Naomi begins her ascent.

Walking across the landing she checks each open door until she made her way to the end. This room she used for storage and always kept locked. Yet, when she tried the handle, it opened with ease. Pushing it open with the tip of her bat Naomi slowly stepped inside. Along the walls were glowing children’s handprints.

In the center of the room leaning against the walls is a mirror. Gazing into this mirror Naomi could see that it did not reflect the room she was in. It showed her a room she did not have with children in it. Naomi reached out to the mirror slowly the tips of her fingers grazing the surface. Closing her eyes she pushed her hand against it sinking inside the mirror itself.

When Naomi wakes up, she is lying on the floor of a room she does not recognize. A baby monitor buzzes nearby. That all too familiar crackle static sound she had been hearing from those earlier phone calls. Standing Naomi walked over to the baby monitor hearing faint talking through the static. She adjusted the channel button and could now clearly hear the voice trying to come through.

“Now let’s try this again Naomi.”

"W-what…” her voice came out in a shuddering whisper. Naomi did not understand what was going on. Or how she was here inside the room within the mirror. Was this not her first time here? How come she did not remember?

Naomi’s head began to spin as all these questions swirled around in her head.

The voice spoke to her in a low timbre slowly almost hypnotizing “Close your eyes Naomi and you can start over from the beginning. Try to remember what happened that day.”

She closed her eyes gripping the baby monitor close to her chest. Naomi inhaled through her mouth and then slowly exhaled out her nose. “Now open your eyes and tell me what you see.”

Shakily she opened her eyes looking at her surrounding dropping the monitor in her hands and slowly backed away from the center of the room. There in front of her was a gory mess of limbs and viscera. Naomi saw herself hacking away at something or someone covered from head to toe in blood. The self before her stopped what it was doing and slowly turned its head around to look at her with a crooked smile on its face. Naomi’s chest hurt and her throat tightened, and she began shaking digging her fingernails into the wall behind her she let out a shrill scream.

The phycologist left the room, his face drained of color, clipboard tightly clutched in his hand and voice recorder turned off. Finally, they had a breakthrough after all these years. Naomi Long had admitted to the murder of the Hopkins children, the ones she was supposed to be protecting.

Dr. Reid paused in the hallway, the very weight of Naomi’s words still echoing in his mind.

Though as he looked back at the closed door, a chill crept up his spine. He hoped that the truth would bring the Hopkins family peace. Because what Naomi said before the tape stopped was not in the confession.

Chapter II

Fetid Spawn: A gift box with a trapped demon inside, who was imprisoned by a powerful member of the Vatican. The demon waits for its chance to take over a body in order to go back to the cult that summoned it. It has been advised not to let this package leave the Vatican. However, it has been missing for at least a few years. Only to be donated to a local church fundraiser where a mysterious individual left it out in the open to be found.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Cults were first formed around the end of the tenth and early ninth centuries. Some of these established communities drew a lot of attention from the Vatican as time went on. Especially when they decided as a unit to summon demons. Trying to call forth their so-called deity that they worshipped, only to end up injured or in a body bag. A priest who had gone to one of the first cases had improvised using what was available at the time to seal the demon within it.

Which happened to be a beautifully wrapped gift box. Since that time, they continued to use this method over the years. Taking each gift back with them to the Vatican to be surveilled and sealed away. They had always put safety measures in place so that no one outside of the Vatican could remove these gifts. Years later, however, it would seem that someone actually managed to get through dropping it off at a church as a charitable donation.

Axl groggily reached for his phone, that had been constantly ringing for the past hour. Squinting, he locked at the caller ID before answering the phone. "Hello?" Axl answered, clearing his throat so as to sound as awake as he could. "Is this Axl Parker?" the voice on the other end asked. He replied that it was and wondered what he could do for them.

The man on the other end began to explain that the Father of the church had gone missing. Missing? Where exactly could the man have gone? If Axl remembered correctly, Father Pesci was an older man who was close to retirement. That he couldn't have made a long trip by himself.

"That's the thing..." Seminarian Rossi continued. He explained that there had been a package among the donations they received. A weathered gift box with baby blue polka dot wrapping paper and a white ribbon tied on top. The ribbon was frayed and flecked with dark brown spatter and felt heavier than it looked. Axl paled as he gripped his phone tighter to keep from dropping it.

"Did someone open it?" Axl questioned, biting down on his bottom lip.

"I was too afraid to, but Pesci did," replied Rossi. The Seminarian found that the gift box was gone, the scent of chlorine hung heavy in the air along with red ooze on Pesci's desk. On the walls, written in the same substance, were strange symbols that were unknown to Rossi. The window had been left open, and upon looking out, Rossi noted that one of the hearses was gone.

Rossi wasn't sure where he went, but Axl knew the story behind the gift box. Getting up from his spot on the couch, he nudged Soren with his foot. Walking into the kitchen to set up the coffee machine, he placed the pot into the sink. "Don't worry, we'll find him, setting him free from the Fetid," Axl assured Rossi. This put the Seminarian at ease, ending the call to take care of the church in Pesci's stead.

"Another case?" Soren mumbled, sitting upright, his hair sticking in different directions. He stood up and stretched, then stumbled his way into the bathroom, shutting the door. "Yeah, this one is about a missing priest who’s gotten himself possessed by a fetid spawn." said Axl, cutting off the water and pouring it into the water tank of the coffee pot. "A fetid spawn?" Soren questioned as he finished up in the bathroom, walking out, drying his hands. "Our folks told us about them before. This one in particular was stolen from the Vatican." Axl replied.

Soren racked his brain about the stories his father told him about this type of demon and found it odd that they were ironically sealed in cutely wrapped gift boxes. "I thought our folks told us that they were all accounted for, and it was difficult to steal them due to the high security level the Vatican uses," he commented, tossing the paper towel into the trash. Axl began pouring two cups of coffee, making one with milk and the other with cream and sugar.

"I thought so too."  said Axl , handing Soren the cup with cream and sugar, taking a sip of his coffee, and let out a contented sigh. They would have to travel to the location where the origin of the box first began. That particular box Rossi spoke of was recovered from a cult house. The cult itself had offered the summoned demon the head of a man who was dressed as a clown. An innocent man who was just there to deliver a birthday cake to what he thought was a kid’s birthday party.

The possessed father Pesci was traveling to where it all began. Maybe the demon thought the cult who wronged him would still be there. Or that the portal he stepped out of was still open. Either way, they had to save Pesci from losing his life. Bringing his cup to his lips, Axl drank the last sip of his coffee and rinsed it out before setting it into the sink.

"I'm going to start loading the car up with the equipment we need. Can I have the keys to the weapons cabinet?" Axl held out his palm upright towards Soren. “Yeah, sure." Soren dug into the pocket of his sweatpants and handed over a paracentric key. Axl said a small thank you and headed to the cabinet, opening it up and turning on the light inside. In order to deal with this demon, they would have to perform an exorcism.

Therefore, the weapon they would use had to be something to hold the host in place without causing them harm. Axl smiled, spotting what he needed and pulled it out from the far back. It was heavy in his hands, made of connected links and curved. He packed it into Soren's bag along with some jars of salt, zipping it up. Now all that Axl had to do was get the grimoire from his room, and they would leave.

Soren wrote down everything they knew up until now. What the gift box looked like, where it had come from, where it had been taken to, and who opened it. A quick call to the Vatican to access the catalog of where the fetid spawn's original summon ground was. So that they could set their GPS to get to that exact location. Hopefully arriving in time to stop the fetid spawn from causing harm to the host or others.

Axl and Soren arrived at an overgrown house that had clearly been abandoned for quite a few years. The front door was left ajar, and the stolen hearse was parked out front. "So how are we doing this?" Soren asked, turning off the car’s engine. "We lure him into an open ring of salt. Close it and wrap him in the holy chains. From there, I will read from the grimoire and send the demon back to hell." Axl replied. Soren nodded, he understood what had to be done but couldn't help but be nervous.

Axl stepped out of the car first, grabbing his bag from the boot of the car along with Soren's. Both stood outside of the looming house in front of them before stepping into the darkness inside. It didn't take long to pinpoint where exactly Pesci was, as the sound of mumbling came from one of the rooms. Soren got out one of the jars of salt and began to make a half circle, leaving an opening. Axl would be luring Pesci inside the room towards the trap.

"Father Pesci, we've been sent to bring you home. The church is worried about you." said Axl slowly, making his way towards the sound of the mumbling. The mumbling stopped and was soon followed by dragging footsteps walking towards Axl, who backed away slowly. He knew that they were there to take his host away before he had a chance to find the portal home. However, there wasn't a portal open here anymore; it had probably been closed by the members of the Vatican. The day that the demon was sealed in that ridiculously decorated gift box.

Soon Axl was running towards the middle of the salt circle, leading Pesci into its center. Once Axl was out, Soren completed the circle, and an inhuman scream released from Pesci’s mouth. Both Axl and Soren worked together, wrapping the holy chains around the man's body. Pesci struggled, jerking his body violently trying to break the chains that bound him, causing Axl to lose his grip on the chain in his hand. Soren reached out and snatched it, pulling it taut once more and gave a knowing nod to his partner.

With the man tightly wrapped once more, Axl got out his grimoire and began reading a passage from it. The man hissed and snarled before his neck snapped backwards, and a black swirling smoke began spiraling upwards into a red, ominous portal above him.

Pesci's body soon hit the floor with a thud, and the red portal closed. Axl knelt, checking the man's pulse and felt its slow and steady thrum. Soren took out his phone, calling 911 and then Rossi right after. It didn't take too long for the ambulance to show up, and it gave Axl and Soren plenty of time to clean up and take the holy chains off of Pesci. Rossi made it just in time as well to talk with paramedics who were loading Pesci into the back of the ambulance.

Axl and Soren answered all of the questions that the police needed as well as the EMS. Before they got back into their car, Rossi called out to them. Thanking them for their help in saving Father Pesci. It wasn't a big deal after all; it was what they did. It was more than just a job passed down to them by their parents.

It was a way to ensure that people would stay safe from things out there that couldn't be explained. Axl took over driving for the ride home, jealous of the nap Soren was currently taking. A few times he really wanted to slam on the brake to jolt his partner awake, but he held back. When they arrived back at their base and the car was in the underground garage, Axl placed an order for takeout and rested on the couch as Soren put their tools away.

All they needed now was food and a good night’s rest. 

Chapter I

Bone Mother: She has been described with the following details. Seven foot tall with elongated limbs, long white hair, blackened fingertips, and wears a faded emerald dress with a flower print. The Bone Mother was last seen lurking around Blackburn Public School and has been known to kidnap children. It has been advised that while she is in the area, there should be no young children to be left outside.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

As her nest has been found containing small bones and bits of clothing, Axl flipped through the pages of his great-grandfather’s journal, trying to find the way to beat this entity. Soren was currently looking through a weapons cabinet, trying to find anything that looked like it would help. "Any luck?" Axl called out, hearing something clatter to the floor. There was a loud groan of irritation. "No, but a lot of really cool-looking things I would like to use," Soren muttered.

"Of course you would." Axl sighed, finally finding a page that had a way to deal with the Bone Mother. There wasn't much to it, just how to seal her back inside her den, but the ingredients needed were things that they didn't have. "Just great," thought Axl to himself, and closed the journal. "What did you find out?" Soren asked, walking over to Axl as he dusted himself off from poking around in the weapons closet. "Just how to seal her back inside her den," replied Axl with a shrug of his shoulders.

Soren frowned, looking back over his shoulder longingly at the weapons cabinet. Axl chuckled, "We're out of a bunch of ingredients. So we'll have to go gather what we are missing." He said, motioning over to the apothecary section of their base. Soren chewed on his bottom lip with his hands on his hips. “Yeah, it does look... kinda bad." He mumbled. That's because you were supposed to restock it. Since you used it last, thought Axl to himself, letting out a sigh. "Something wrong?" Soren questioned, tilting his head to the side, and Axl shook his head.

"Nah, it's nothing... I'll go get the ingredients, and you should see what she's up to and if anyone has been taken." answered Axl, picking up his coat. It would be faster if he got the necessary items that they needed. Soren was better at scouting and tracking than he was anyway. Axl was the creature sealing guy who sent the bumps in the night back to where they belonged. “Yeah, I can do that. Are you sure that you don't need help?" said Soren.

Axl pulled on his coat, giving Soren a look which made him hold his hands up in defense. “Okay, okay, scouting and tracking it is," said Soren, couldn't help but smile as he watched his partner grab a messenger bag and head out the door. Soon as Axl was out of sight, Soren went back to the weapons cabinet and grabbed out a few things, shoving them into a duffle bag. Whenever he got serious, Soren took his tasks seriously. It's what made him and Axl such a great team after all.

Where one lacked, the other always made up for it. They were first introduced by their parents at a young age. They quickly took to each other like old souls. As if knowing they were destined to protect people from those entities like their parents had. Their parents had retired soon after they got their training completed.

Soren locked up the base, heading towards the area where the Bone Mother had last been spotted. She wouldn't go far from Blackburn Public School. She would lurk around the forest's edge, waiting for a chance. Any chance to lure children into her domain so that she could take them to her den. According to the journals, she was compared to being like La Llorona, minus the drowning children in water.

Axl turned down an alleyway to an apothecary tucked away from the eyes of the public. This old herbs and spices store has supplied their families with the stock they needed for sealing away entities. A lot of times these things didn't work, and they needed something a little stronger. Charms, talismans, and tonics were just a few even enchanted items or weapons. Standing in front of the door, he did a special knock to be let inside.

When let in, he greeted the elderly woman at the counter, her hair wild and sticking out in every direction. She wore bottle-lens glasses and was currently examining a very suspicious-looking concoction. "That boy forgot to come by again. I've had your order ready for weeks," she muttered, not looking away from the jar in her hands. “Yeah, I figured since I was out of a lot of things," said Axl with a sigh. He picked up the tightly wrapped bundle with his name on it and placed the envelope with the payment inside on the counter.

"It's never too late to set up a crow package delivery." She peered over the top of the jar before slowly setting it down. Axl looked at the crow next to her, perched on a levitating broom, who was currently asleep. "I think that Quill is currently at retirement age." said Axl, making the old woman cackle, shaking her head. "This old bird?! Quill is a spring chicken compared to me. Just keep it in mind, dear, considering how forgetful Soren is." The old woman protested. "Of course, Baba Yaga. I'll contact you if I need anything else." Axl smiled before exiting the store, shutting the door behind him.

Soren swore his ears were burning as he rubbed them with his palms. It was probably about the order he had forgotten to pick up for the past few weeks. They had just gotten back from celebrating the holidays out of town. Having done all of the planning himself this year since it was his turn, it had sort of slipped his mind. Which had Baba Yaga haunting his dreams these past few days about his late pick-up.

Soren was sure he would hear about it later from Axl. Right now, however, he only had one objective in mind, and that was to track the Bone Mother. Make sure she hadn't stolen any children away from Blackburn Public School. That's why he's currently undercover as a journalist to interview the principal. If he could somehow get information out of him, then Soren would know if this had also turned into a rescue mission.

While waiting to be seen, he listened to see if he could hear any gossip among the office staff. Soren had inhuman hearing and could pick up on anything if it was related to their case. Sometimes he heard things that one could not unheard. Right now, however, it only seemed to be things related to their work or life. Until he watched a woman seemingly a parent walk through the door.

She had a stack of missing posters in her hand and bags under her eyes. A receptionist greeted him, and they both spoke in a low voice. Soren made out a few things about what they were discussing. It made him think that they were trying to hide something or cover it up. As he was getting ready to walk up to them, a secretary came up to him.

Axl had gotten back to their base first and went to his station, starting to concoct the seal to put Bone Mother back into slumber. Or at least hopefully for quite a few years so that they won't have to seal her again so soon. Shoving a few talismans inside his bag along with a repair kit, Axl takes out his phone to contact Soren. They needed to get the entity sealed soon; if they didn’t, then they may miss their chance. If left out any longer, then there is no telling how many more children could be taken away.

"Axl! I knew you'd call me! I talked with the principle about the missing kids situation."

"What were you able to find out?"

"It's been a week since they went missing along with a few staff members."

Axl shook his head sighing Did the Blackburn Police Department even look for them? he thought to himself. "Okay, let’s go ahead and head over to the spot. You've tracked her, right?" said Axl, shouldering his backpack. "About that... It took so long to talk to the principal that I didn't get a chance to well track her.” Soren followed with a nervous laugh. "We'll figure it out as we go. It won't be the first time that we've improvised on a case before." Axl shook his head and headed back out the door. Soren apologized since he knew it was his job to track and gather information.

Soren met up with Axl inside the forest where the entity had been spotted. Her den couldn't be too far from the tree-line of Blackburn Public School. Soren kneeled to the ground and began examining the area. He was able to discern four different sets of footprints. One unnaturally human, while the other two sets were smaller in comparison.

Unfortunately, they appeared to be at least a few weeks old at most. Soren shook his head and looked towards some bushes that had been flattened over. He looked over his shoulder at Axl and motioned with his chin towards the path. Axl nodded and proceeded to go first, leading the way, making sure not to step on any tracks. Soren picked up his pace and led the rest of the way, with Axl stepping in the tracks that his partner was creating.

Soren knew that they were close as he could sense the entity, not only that but the voices and cries of the children were echoing through the trees. Soren hoped that this was a sign that they were alive. Yet it could also be remnants of past children who had been taken by the Bone Mother. Axl stopped in his tracks, grabbing Soren by the forearm and motioned with a nod of his head. Ahead of them the entity digging a hole in a hollow tree with two children close by.

They were holding each other’s hands, trying to give each other any form of comfort that they could. Axl locked eyes with Soren, both of them sharing a silent understanding. Soren advanced first, taking out a weapon from his bag that would help him distract the Bone Mother. Axl watched Soren advance, and he started towards the place where the entity had crawled out of. Examining the area, it looked to have been blown open as if someone wanted her out.

Setting out all he would need, he began to set up the seal. Soren would be his way soon, with the Bone Mother right on his heels. So he had to work fast but be sure not to make a mistake. If he did, it would be death for them both, and the entity would continue to steal children away. Hurried footsteps were heading his way, and Axl finished the seal by chanting a few words.

Soren almost missed the jump boots sliding in the loose dirt. Axl pulled up with one hand letting him continue to run past him. The Bone Mother wasn’t too far behind him screaming gnashing her teeth. Axl pushed his glowing palms onto the ground causing vines and roots to shoot out of the hole wrapping themselves around the entity. The Bone Mother reached for him as she was drug down into the darkness below her claws catching him on the cheek grazing the skin.

Axl hissed at the sting but didn’t move until she was out of sight and the hole was sealed. He stood up and dusted off his hands, the ground mending itself back together. Soren walked up to him, catching his breath. "How are the kids?" Axl asked, looking at his partner. "Traumatized but alive." Soren replied with a cough, putting the weapon away into his bag. Axl whipped his cheek onto his shirt to stop the bleeding.

They would have to assume the missing staff members were either missing or dead.

They would get them home and avoid letting the school know they were back. With what the Principal and staff were holding information like they did. The parents deserved to have their children back with them. After taking the two kids home, Axl and Soren came back to the forest to comb through it properly. Including giving the ones under the hollow tree a proper burial since getting the FBI involved would mean them getting investigated as well.

Heading back to base, both of them crashed onto the couch, completely tired from the eventful day. "Could you set an alarm?" Axl mumbled, his head falling against Soren's shoulder, who fished his phone out of his back pocket. Bags and shoes were left at the front door, and the colors from the sunset peeked in through the windows. Setting an alarm, Soren leaned his head back and closed his eyes. Axl had already drifted off to sleep, exhausted from using so much spiritual energy.

Chapter III

Mimic : A creature who can polymorph into an object and back into its true form. A well known predator who uses this skill to trap and devour its prey. Luring in whoever it can to make them its next meal. They have no moral code and can be highly aggressive when hungry.

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Axl and Soren were called to the alps of Ashval Notch to a cabin called Moribund. Records say that the cabin was built in the late 1950s. The inside walls varied in different shades of browns, yellows, and greens with accents of gold and burnt orange. Up against the far wall is a brick fireplace with two wooden bear statues on each side of it. On the pine floor is a circular patterned rug in the center of the room. A single faded leather recliner is arranged in front of the fireplace, providing its visitors somewhere to relax. The room is lit by hanging lanterns suspended from the ceiling.

The elderly lady introduced herself as Marilee Ellery, seventy-two years old, a local of Ashval Notch. Marilee then went on to explain that in the past few years of renting her cabin, those people had gone missing. The police searched the place from top to bottom and didn't find anything out of the ordinary. When Marilee bought the place was told by the previous owners about an extra room in the basement but she'd never seen one. When she mentioned it to the police they informed her that they did in fact find an extra room but it was empty.

Marilee had contacted them because she didn't know who else to turn to. There were so many grieving families that needed closure. She told him where to find a hidden set of keys to get inside and wished them good luck. Axl pondered why it chose to show itself to certain people and why it refused to appear to Marilee.

When they arrived, both were dressed from head to toe in winter wear so they could brave the cold chill of the air and snow. Soren gathered up their gear while Axl searched for the hidden key outside and opened the door. As he stepped aside for Soren to go in first, Axl noticed that the nameplate on the cabin next to the entrance was hanging loose. Axl wondered if there had been a survivor who left from this place without contacting Marilee or the police. When he stepped inside and shut the door, Soren walked up to him, a look of confusion on his face.

“Axl, do you know what we’re dealing with?” Soren asked.

“Yeah, I know what it is down there…I think.” Axl answered.

Axl walked over to their supplies and began dragging things out, scratching the back of his head. Soren was flabbergasted and pinched the bridge of his nose. Out of the two of them, Axl was the one who was the researcher of the two. Gathering all the information they needed. Soren was the guy who stabbed things. If Axl was wrong or made a mistake, both of them could end up dead or missing, just like the people before them.

The air became stale, almost suffocating, making it hard to breathe. There was a creak below their feet as if someone was walking up the stairs. A mix of voices blended together soon flowed up with it. They were a mixture of cries for help and screams of pain. That made both Axl and Soren visibly shiver, sharing a knowing look that whatever was down there knew they were there.

Soren was the first one to descend the stairs with Axl right behind him. As they opened the basement door, the voices stopped, and the smell of something metallic and rancid invaded their nostrils. Soren swallowed the bile creeping up his throat and crouched to cough and spit the sour taste out of his mouth. Axl’s eyes watered as he covered his nose with his sleeve. Through blurry eyes he spotted the door.

Axl remembered that his father was obsessed with Mimics. They use voices to lure people into a false sense of security. Polymorphing itself to into a mysterious room to entice people to go inside. How long had it been down here in order to make itself into an entire room? “Soren, I want you to take the lead.” Axl instructed, stepping aside and held out an item to his partner.

“What?” Soren said confused as he stood next to Axl wiping his mouth with his jacket sleeve grabbing the item from his partner's hand. “This is a liquid nitrogen grenade you need to toss it inside.” said Axl. Soren mumbled about it being unfair and how he was supposed to work in these conditions. He watched as the door slowly creaked open, the light inside flickered on, showing the contents within.

On the floor of the room were scattered bones and blood-soaked clothing. The room itself pulsed, and a clear, watery fluid dripped from the ceiling. “Well, now we know where the missing people went.” Soren muttered the grenade feeling heavy in his hand. “When you pull that pin…it will activate the salt inside. So you will have to slam the door shut that way the fire won’t spread.” Axl explained. “What are you going to do, give it heartburn?” Soren remarked sarcastically furrowing his brow.

Putting the plan into action, Soren pulled the pin, hearing it begin to sizzle, and threw it inside. He slammed using a nearby metal pipe and propped it against the . As the compressed element leaked, merging with the salt, it began to heat the sensitive lining of the mimic’s stomach, causing a cacophony of voices and sounds to bellow out. A wailing roar caused the door to rattle as if it were trying to escape from the fire that began to spread. Axl and Soren rushed up the stairs, shutting the door at the top.

The basement below let out one final groan, causing the light to flicker.

“Let’s give it some time before going to check if it’s dead. Then we’ll call Marilee and the Huntsman Pyro Control Unit.” said Axl, sitting down on the recliner. Soren nodded and sat across from him on the floral couch, listening to the voices slowly die down. He wondered if a mimic knew how to play dead, especially one with such high intelligence. “I know that look…I bet you’re wondering if we really defeated the mimic or not.” said Axl, looking at the focused expression on his partner’s face. Broken from his thoughts, Soren met Axl’s gaze, rubbing the back of his neck, ashamed he’d actually zoned out instead.

“Actually...I was wondering if it was possible if mimics could play dead.”

Axl laughed a smile forming on his lips.

"Young mimics do so as a defense mechanism, but not the older ones.”

Soren felt his cheeks heat up and hung his head. He felt embarrassed that he wasn’t good at identifying monsters like Axl. Soren was the muscle after all, not the one who mixed the potions and made the ammunition for his weapons. Axl did that while Soren would build any type of monster-slaying device they needed. “Axl…I was wondering if sometime you could teach me about the monsters we hunt.” Soren asked, rubbing his hands on his knees.

“Only if you teach me how you make your weapons.” Axl responded, standing up and holding out his hand to Soren, who happily shook it before letting his partner help him to his feet. Enough time had passed, and Axl took out his phone, calling Marilee and the Huntsman Pyro Control Unit. The HPCU beat Marilee there, and so both Axl and Soren acted as a distraction till they were done. Axl received a text that the remains had been cleaned up and disposed of, and what was left to identify was being transported to labs. He sighed in relief, showing Soren, who was thankful that the families would soon have closure.

Marilee thanked them for their help and was happy to know they found out what was going on. Axl told her that a carpenter they knew would be by to make the repairs to the room. For now, they would stay out of the cabin till the work was done. Since one mimic had been spotted in the area, then it must mean that there was a nest nearby, and thus wards would have to be placed. That would ensure that an unfortunate accident like this wouldn’t happen again.

In the small town of Matlock in the 1940s, a bridge was constructed to connect the shopping and office buildings to the suburbs. It made travel a lot easier for a lot of people, even a sidewalk for those who do not drive. Not long after the construction of the Locke bridge, it had its first death as well. A bride-to-be named Jo Walker, had been left at the altar. Overcome by sadness she committed suicide by hanging herself over the side of the bridge.

Every year on the anniversary of her death, people have said to have seen her. Walking along Locke bridge and stopping people to ask for the time. Those who answer her are doomed to die at the time they respond. Each death was always random and never the same. With so many deaths and rumors beginning to spread around Matlock, the mayor made the decision to close off the bridge.

Another road was constructed, and everyone avoided the bridge until now…

Clare left work late, walking home from the office to her apartment building in the suburbs.

It wasn’t too far of a walk, and the cold night air gave her chills. Clare huddled her jacket closer around her body, picking up her pace. All she had to do was cross the small bridge ahead of her, and then she would be home. Stepping onto the bridge’s pedestrian walkway, Clare could sense someone behind her.

Whatever or whoever it was, she could feel their breath on the back of her neck. The tiny hairs stood on end, and she covered her nape with a hand. Looking over her shoulder, Clare breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that nothing was there. It was only when she faced forward that she found herself face to face with a woman in a bridal gown. Clare stopped in her tracks, looking at the woman in front of her, thinking how odd it was for her to be out walking this late at night in a wedding dress.

“Do you have the time?” the bride asked, tilting her head to the side, her face hidden by a veil.

“Excuse me?” Clare replied, confused.

“You see…I’m running late, and my groom will be worried if I don’t show up.” the bride explained, sensing Clare’s confusion. Thinking there was no harm in telling her, she looked down at her watch and read the time aloud. “Thank you.” the bride said, walking past Clare and disappearing out of sight, her elegant dress flowing behind her. If the woman was late for her wedding, then why wasn’t she traveling by car instead? Mentally shrugging, Clare continued her walk to her apartment building, yet she couldn’t help but question the nagging feeling in the back of her mind.

The following day at work, Clare asked her coworker Drew about the nearby bridge. She knew that there was a story behind it, but she couldn’t remember the details. “You mean Lover’s Bridge? The one that’s blocked off from the public?” he exclaimed in surprise. “Blocked off, but…I walked across it last night and didn’t see any barriers.” said Clare, not remembering any signs either. Overhearing their conversation, Flora an office employee interjected, “Years ago, they blocked it off because a bride committed suicide on that bridge. She was running late to her wedding, and her groom left because he thought she had stood him up.”

Could the bride be the same woman she had met last night?

“Did you see a ghost on that bridge last night?” Drew questioned.

Clare swallowed thickly picking at the skin round her nails “Will something bad happen if I did?” she replied.

Flora frowned, sitting upright in her chair. “The urban legend says that if you meet the bride’s ghost and she asks you for the time, the reply is your time of death.” she told Clare who paled, looking down at her hands. Were her coworkers joking with her? “Has it happened before?” Clare asked, looking at Drew. “There have been a lot of disappearances near there. Along with a few suicides.” he replied.

“Oh…” Clare mouthed, her smile slowly fading into a frown.

9:00 PM

That was the time she told the bride, and it now marked the end of her life. Clare didn’t know when or where she would die, just that it could be any day now. She didn’t believe in superstition, but having met a ghost in person, Clare was beginning to rethink this view. Flora and Drew told her not to worry that it was just a coincidence after all. That those disappearances and deaths were just things that happened.

It had been almost two weeks, and Drew and Flora hadn’t seen any sign of Clare. It was uncharacteristic for Clare to miss work, especially for longer than a day or two. Even then, she would opt for working from home using her home computer. Both of them agreed that after work, they would go by her apartment to check up on her. Walking up the stairs to the second floor of the apartment, they passed by a woman in white, which made Drew do a double take.

Had the woman who passed them been wearing a wedding dress?

“Everything okay?” Flora asked looking down at him from the landing.

“Y-yeah I just thought that...you know what maybe I’m just tired and seeing things.” Drew replied.

“If you say so.” Flora sighed turning towards the left stopping in front of apartment number 208. She slowly raised her hand and knocked on the door. Both of them stood there waiting for an answer and after a few minutes Flora knocked again this time the door slowly creaked open. “Clare?!” Drew called out as his female companion stepped inside first. Flora tried the light switch but didn’t have any luck making her wonder why the lights were out but the air conditioning was on full blast.

Taking out his cellphone, Drew turned on the flashlight and led the way inside, calling out Clare’s name again. Walking deeper inside the apartment, they could hear a steady creak from inside one of the rooms. Following the sound, it led them into what was Clare’s bedroom. Drew’s light flickered, causing him to curse and fidget with the app. Raising it up, he let out a scream, falling back into Flora, who placed a hand over her mouth.

There hanging from her ceiling fan was the decomposing body of Clare. Earlier, the person that Drew had seen while passing them on the stairs must have been Jo Walker. The bride of Lover’s Bridge who always makes good on claiming her victims. After all, it must get rather lonely walking the bridge alone every year on the anniversary of her death. Just how many more people will have to suffer before Jo Walker would be satisfied?

Chapter II

Fetid Spawn: A gift box with a trapped demon inside, who was imprisoned by a powerful member of the Vatican. The demon waits for its chance to take over a body in order to go back to the cult that summoned it. It has been advised not to let this package leave the Vatican. However, it has been missing for at least a few years. Only to be donated to a local church fundraiser where a mysterious individual left it out in the open to be found.

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Cults were first formed around the end of the tenth and early ninth centuries. Some of these established communities drew a lot of attention from the Vatican as time went on. Especially when they decided as a unit to summon demons. Trying to call forth their so-called deity that they worshipped, only to end up injured or in a body bag. A priest who had gone to one of the first cases had improvised using what was available at the time to seal the demon within it.

Which happened to be a beautifully wrapped gift box. Since that time, they continued to use this method over the years. Taking each gift back with them to the Vatican to be surveilled and sealed away. They had always put safety measures in place so that no one outside of the Vatican could remove these gifts. Years later, however, it would seem that someone actually managed to get through dropping it off at a church as a charitable donation.

Axl groggily reached for his phone, that had been constantly ringing for the past hour. Squinting, he locked at the caller ID before answering the phone. "Hello?" Axl answered, clearing his throat so as to sound as awake as he could. "Is this Axl Parker?" the voice on the other end asked. He replied that it was and wondered what he could do for them.

The man on the other end began to explain that the Father of the church had gone missing. Missing? Where exactly could the man have gone? If Axl remembered correctly, Father Pesci was an older man who was close to retirement. That he couldn't have made a long trip by himself.

"That's the thing..." Seminarian Rossi continued. He explained that there had been a package among the donations they received. A weathered gift box with baby blue polka dot wrapping paper and a white ribbon tied on top. The ribbon was frayed and flecked with dark brown spatter and felt heavier than it looked. Axl paled as he gripped his phone tighter to keep from dropping it.

"Did someone open it?" Axl questioned, biting down on his bottom lip.

"I was too afraid to, but Pesci did," replied Rossi. The Seminarian found that the gift box was gone, the scent of chlorine hung heavy in the air along with red ooze on Pesci's desk. On the walls, written in the same substance, were strange symbols that were unknown to Rossi. The window had been left open, and upon looking out, Rossi noted that one of the hearses was gone.

Rossi wasn't sure where he went, but Axl knew the story behind the gift box. Getting up from his spot on the couch, he nudged Soren with his foot. Walking into the kitchen to set up the coffee machine, he placed the pot into the sink. "Don't worry, we'll find him, setting him free from the Fetid," Axl assured Rossi. This put the Seminarian at ease, ending the call to take care of the church in Pesci's stead.

"Another case?" Soren mumbled, sitting upright, his hair sticking in different directions. He stood up and stretched, then stumbled his way into the bathroom, shutting the door. "Yeah, this one is about a missing priest who’s gotten himself possessed by a fetid spawn." said Axl, cutting off the water and pouring it into the water tank of the coffee pot. "A fetid spawn?" Soren questioned as he finished up in the bathroom, walking out, drying his hands. "Our folks told us about them before. This one in particular was stolen from the Vatican." Axl replied.

Soren racked his brain about the stories his father told him about this type of demon and found it odd that they were ironically sealed in cutely wrapped gift boxes. "I thought our folks told us that they were all accounted for, and it was difficult to steal them due to the high security level the Vatican uses," he commented, tossing the paper towel into the trash. Axl began pouring two cups of coffee, making one with milk and the other with cream and sugar.

"I thought so too."  said Axl , handing Soren the cup with cream and sugar, taking a sip of his coffee, and let out a contented sigh. They would have to travel to the location where the origin of the box first began. That particular box Rossi spoke of was recovered from a cult house. The cult itself had offered the summoned demon the head of a man who was dressed as a clown. An innocent man who was just there to deliver a birthday cake to what he thought was a kid’s birthday party.

The possessed father Pesci was traveling to where it all began. Maybe the demon thought the cult who wronged him would still be there. Or that the portal he stepped out of was still open. Either way, they had to save Pesci from losing his life. Bringing his cup to his lips, Axl drank the last sip of his coffee and rinsed it out before setting it into the sink.

"I'm going to start loading the car up with the equipment we need. Can I have the keys to the weapons cabinet?" Axl held out his palm upright towards Soren. “Yeah, sure." Soren dug into the pocket of his sweatpants and handed over a paracentric key. Axl said a small thank you and headed to the cabinet, opening it up and turning on the light inside. In order to deal with this demon, they would have to perform an exorcism.

Therefore, the weapon they would use had to be something to hold the host in place without causing them harm. Axl smiled, spotting what he needed and pulled it out from the far back. It was heavy in his hands, made of connected links and curved. He packed it into Soren's bag along with some jars of salt, zipping it up. Now all that Axl had to do was get the grimoire from his room, and they would leave.

Soren wrote down everything they knew up until now. What the gift box looked like, where it had come from, where it had been taken to, and who opened it. A quick call to the Vatican to access the catalog of where the fetid spawn's original summon ground was. So that they could set their GPS to get to that exact location. Hopefully arriving in time to stop the fetid spawn from causing harm to the host or others.

Axl and Soren arrived at an overgrown house that had clearly been abandoned for quite a few years. The front door was left ajar, and the stolen hearse was parked out front. "So how are we doing this?" Soren asked, turning off the car’s engine. "We lure him into an open ring of salt. Close it and wrap him in the holy chains. From there, I will read from the grimoire and send the demon back to hell." Axl replied. Soren nodded, he understood what had to be done but couldn't help but be nervous.

Axl stepped out of the car first, grabbing his bag from the boot of the car along with Soren's. Both stood outside of the looming house in front of them before stepping into the darkness inside. It didn't take long to pinpoint where exactly Pesci was, as the sound of mumbling came from one of the rooms. Soren got out one of the jars of salt and began to make a half circle, leaving an opening. Axl would be luring Pesci inside the room towards the trap.

"Father Pesci, we've been sent to bring you home. The church is worried about you." said Axl slowly, making his way towards the sound of the mumbling. The mumbling stopped and was soon followed by dragging footsteps walking towards Axl, who backed away slowly. He knew that they were there to take his host away before he had a chance to find the portal home. However, there wasn't a portal open here anymore; it had probably been closed by the members of the Vatican. The day that the demon was sealed in that ridiculously decorated gift box.

Soon Axl was running towards the middle of the salt circle, leading Pesci into its center. Once Axl was out, Soren completed the circle, and an inhuman scream released from Pesci’s mouth. Both Axl and Soren worked together, wrapping the holy chains around the man's body. Pesci struggled, jerking his body violently trying to break the chains that bound him, causing Axl to lose his grip on the chain in his hand. Soren reached out and snatched it, pulling it taut once more and gave a knowing nod to his partner.

With the man tightly wrapped once more, Axl got out his grimoire and began reading a passage from it. The man hissed and snarled before his neck snapped backwards, and a black swirling smoke began spiraling upwards into a red, ominous portal above him.

Pesci's body soon hit the floor with a thud, and the red portal closed. Axl knelt, checking the man's pulse and felt its slow and steady thrum. Soren took out his phone, calling 911 and then Rossi right after. It didn't take too long for the ambulance to show up, and it gave Axl and Soren plenty of time to clean up and take the holy chains off of Pesci. Rossi made it just in time as well to talk with paramedics who were loading Pesci into the back of the ambulance.

Axl and Soren answered all of the questions that the police needed as well as the EMS. Before they got back into their car, Rossi called out to them. Thanking them for their help in saving Father Pesci. It wasn't a big deal after all; it was what they did. It was more than just a job passed down to them by their parents.

It was a way to ensure that people would stay safe from things out there that couldn't be explained. Axl took over driving for the ride home, jealous of the nap Soren was currently taking. A few times he really wanted to slam on the brake to jolt his partner awake, but he held back. When they arrived back at their base and the car was in the underground garage, Axl placed an order for takeout and rested on the couch as Soren put their tools away.

All they needed now was food and a good night’s rest. 

Susan Grayson started her day with a cup of coffee and whatever her youngest child would not finish for breakfast as she rushes him and her oldest out the door and into the car to ensure they would not for school. While dropping them off she would meet up with the rest of the PTA moms to catch up on things. It was usually gossip or what the next fundraiser goal would be and who would be baking what.

“Oh! That reminds me Susie.” her childhood friend Helen spoke up getting her attention since she had been zoning out during the whole conversation that always left her out every time.

“Yeah?” Susan cleared her throat and looked up from her thermos of now cold coffee.

“Well, my next-door neighbor the one with the tesla. She asked if I wanted to join her book club. They found this old book that has never been released to the public before.” Helen twirled a blond curl around her index finger as she spoke looking at each one of them trying to see if anyone was interested in joining as well but they all declined.

Susan frowned seeing the disappointment on her friend's face and placed a hand on her shoulder “I will join the book club with you. I have some free time when Tom comes home from work so he can watch the kids for at least a little while.”

Helen's bright eyes light up “Thank you Susie. I knew I could count on you.”

She nodded and proceeded to leave the school and head home for the day. Susan went about her day doing her daily chores and planning out what to make for dinner that week since she usually packed leftovers for lunches. When Tom came home with the kids, she walked up to him giving him a big hug and asking how his day went.

He gave her a tired nod and his usual it was work response. Susan smiled and held his hand for a short while before he went to go shower and sit down to dinner with his family. During that time, she would bring up the book club.

“Helen asked if I would join a book club with her.” Susan casually brought up poking her fork into the green beans on her plate. Tom tilted his head to the side chewing a bit of meatloaf before responding “The blond? I honestly did not think she had ever picked up a book before.”

The children snickered and his wife pouted “Thomas.” She scolded and he shrugged taking another bite before sipping his drink. He always disliked Helen ever since they had met back in high school when she had introduced Tom as her boyfriend back then. Tom told Susan that Helen was clingy and always got her into some type of trouble.

“If you want to go, I don't mind watching the kids for a while.”

“Thank you.”

Tom nodded and finished his meal gathering up the empty plates to wash them in the kitchen. The following day Susan met up with Helen to walk over to her next-door neighbor's house. A woman with dark slicked back hair tied into high ponytail answered the door “Helen it's so good to see you.” She greeted with a smiled and it faded when she looked at Susan “Oh you brought a friend with you.”

“Is that okay? I am sorry I should have asked.” Helen pouted and the woman brushed it off.

“It's perfectly fine the more the merrier.” The woman muttered and looked at Susan with a forced smile “Welcome to the book club.” Susan shuddered at the look this woman was giving her and knew that she defiantly did not want her here. Helen gave her a reassuring look and led the way inside where they joined a few other women in the living room.

“Everyone this is Helen an-”

“Nice to meet you I'm Susan Grayson.”

The woman sighed and rolled her eyes “Mrs. Grayson.”

Some greeted her while others ignored her and put their attention on Helen. Susan was used to being ignored but this felt off. Yes, she was used to Helen getting all the attention wherever they went but they seemed obsessed with her for some reason. Could this book club be some sort of guise to cover up a cult?

“Now let's begin reading from the book.” the leader of the book club began taking out a leather-bound tome. The front was scarred and cracked a lock on its surface long broken and forgotten. When she opened it the tomes pages were yellowed and brittle filling the room with scents of dust and decay.

She sat upright with a smile on her face reading aloud in an unknown language. It did not appear to be latin nor anything she had ever heard before. A few of the other women clapped their hands and saying something which was like an amen. Helen tilted her head and clapped along with them before speaking up.

“What's the translation?”

The woman looked up from the book in her hands to the blond and smiled “We do not need a translation to know what the words mean Helen. If you close your eyes and open your heart you can feel them. You can hear his voice speaking directly to your mind.” She smiled and her eyes locked on Helen's.

“Who is he? You said that you can hear his voice.” Susan spoke up causing the others to look at her. The woman closed the book, and a look of disgust spread across her face “You have just joined us and yet you dare ask what his name is? First you must prove yourself before we will ever allow you to utter his name.”

Prove myself? We just joined today… Susan thought to herself raising an eyebrow inquisitively.

The woman held her head high and looked away her eyes settling on the group.

“You are dismissed for today. Please return next weekend for another reading.”

As Helen and Susan left together and out of ear shot, she spoke up “There is something wrong with that book club.”

“Oh, you're just imagining things.” Helen brushed her off with a sigh.

“Helen, I'm telling you those people are a cult.”

The blond stopped in her tracks looking at her childhood friend “Susan.” Her voice was stern, and her arms crossed in front of her “If you keep saying such things weird rumors will start to spread and innocent people will get hurt. So why do not you keep it to yourself.”

“But Helen…I”

“Enough Susan!”

The blond turned on her heel “I'll see you next weekend.”

Without another word she went inside her house leaving Susan completely alone. She needed to stop this but how could she? Helen did not believe her. She thought that it was just some gimmick to get people to join the book club. How could she prove that they are bad people?

Susan could not quit and leave Helen alone with those people her conscious would not allow her to. She would just have to continue to attend and find proof of what is going on between the lines that Helen is too oblivious to see. When the weekend rolled around Susan was running a bit behind and arrived late at the club meeting. She reached out a hand to knock on the door only to find it slightly ajar.

Curious Susan pushed the door open with her foot and stepped inside. The entrance was dimly lit and void of any life. Gently shutting the door behind her she continued further inside squinting her eyes to see better in the darkness.

Thump…scrape…thump

Was that sound from the basement? Next to the stairs was an open door with a red light spilling out across the floor and walls. Taking a deep breath Susan exhaled slowly taking her time walking down the stairs where she found herself in an open room with a sacrificial altar in the middle. On top of it was Helen dressed in white robes with her eyes closed. She slowly made her way over gently shaking her childhood friend.

“Helen!” Susan spoke in an intense whisper glancing around them.

“You're too late Mrs. Grayson.”

Susan turned seeing the woman with the slicked back dark hair in a high ponytail. She turned to face her brows knitting in a furrowed expression. Susan clenched her hands into fists down at her sides. What had they done to Helen?

“What did you do to her?!”

“My Mrs. Grayson I did not know you were cable of such anger. I thought we were doing you a favor.”

“How was THAT doing me a favor?! Helen is my best friend why would I want anything to happen to her?”

The woman tsk'd and walked up to the altar “Either way you are too late. She will not wake up until the ritual is over. Why don't you finish it for us?” she turned to Susan handing over a yellowed page “All you have to do is read the words on the page.”

She held the page in her hand looking at the ancient dialect before her. Finish it? No Susan was not going to do that was she? Before she knew it her lips moved on their own speaking aloud the words which were foreign to her. Helen began to cough her eyes opening their usual light color turning pitch black completely engulfing even the sclera. The coughing became worse and then the gargling started as Helen spat up blood.

The sound of bone and flesh being torn and cracked filled the air and when Susan looked down, she gasped almost bumping into one of the members who held her by the shoulders.

“Watch with us Susan and gaze upon his arrival!” the woman raised her arms in the air.

They chanted a name something which came out in gibberish when it was spoken.

“Volgroan”

“Volgroan”

“Volgroan”

Just what was Volgroan? As Susan questioned this she watched as a creature crawled its way out of Helen's broken open rib cage. It moved and writhed its blood drenched body out of the broken body under it. She looked up at it frozen in fear.

The creature's body was a blend of corded muscle and jagged bloodstone. Its eyes burned like molten embers flickering like fire. Hooked horns curve downwards from its skull, its clawed hands drip with blood.

When it roared the sound was a symphony of death itself echoing off the walls.

Whatever this thing was filled Susan with dread and now she had released it onto the world.

Chapter I

Bone Mother: She has been described with the following details. Seven foot tall with elongated limbs, long white hair, blackened fingertips, and wears a faded emerald dress with a flower print. The Bone Mother was last seen lurking around Blackburn Public School and has been known to kidnap children. It has been advised that while she is in the area, there should be no young children to be left outside.

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As her nest has been found containing small bones and bits of clothing, Axl flipped through the pages of his great-grandfather’s journal, trying to find the way to beat this entity. Soren was currently looking through a weapons cabinet, trying to find anything that looked like it would help. "Any luck?" Axl called out, hearing something clatter to the floor. There was a loud groan of irritation. "No, but a lot of really cool-looking things I would like to use," Soren muttered.

"Of course you would." Axl sighed, finally finding a page that had a way to deal with the Bone Mother. There wasn't much to it, just how to seal her back inside her den, but the ingredients needed were things that they didn't have. "Just great," thought Axl to himself, and closed the journal. "What did you find out?" Soren asked, walking over to Axl as he dusted himself off from poking around in the weapons closet. "Just how to seal her back inside her den," replied Axl with a shrug of his shoulders.

Soren frowned, looking back over his shoulder longingly at the weapons cabinet. Axl chuckled, "We're out of a bunch of ingredients. So we'll have to go gather what we are missing." He said, motioning over to the apothecary section of their base. Soren chewed on his bottom lip with his hands on his hips. “Yeah, it does look... kinda bad." He mumbled. That's because you were supposed to restock it. Since you used it last, thought Axl to himself, letting out a sigh. "Something wrong?" Soren questioned, tilting his head to the side, and Axl shook his head.

"Nah, it's nothing... I'll go get the ingredients, and you should see what she's up to and if anyone has been taken." answered Axl, picking up his coat. It would be faster if he got the necessary items that they needed. Soren was better at scouting and tracking than he was anyway. Axl was the creature sealing guy who sent the bumps in the night back to where they belonged. “Yeah, I can do that. Are you sure that you don't need help?" said Soren.

Axl pulled on his coat, giving Soren a look which made him hold his hands up in defense. “Okay, okay, scouting and tracking it is," said Soren, couldn't help but smile as he watched his partner grab a messenger bag and head out the door. Soon as Axl was out of sight, Soren went back to the weapons cabinet and grabbed out a few things, shoving them into a duffle bag. Whenever he got serious, Soren took his tasks seriously. It's what made him and Axl such a great team after all.

Where one lacked, the other always made up for it. They were first introduced by their parents at a young age. They quickly took to each other like old souls. As if knowing they were destined to protect people from those entities like their parents had. Their parents had retired soon after they got their training completed.

Soren locked up the base, heading towards the area where the Bone Mother had last been spotted. She wouldn't go far from Blackburn Public School. She would lurk around the forest's edge, waiting for a chance. Any chance to lure children into her domain so that she could take them to her den. According to the journals, she was compared to being like La Llorona, minus the drowning children in water.

Axl turned down an alleyway to an apothecary tucked away from the eyes of the public. This old herbs and spices store has supplied their families with the stock they needed for sealing away entities. A lot of times these things didn't work, and they needed something a little stronger. Charms, talismans, and tonics were just a few even enchanted items or weapons. Standing in front of the door, he did a special knock to be let inside.

When let in, he greeted the elderly woman at the counter, her hair wild and sticking out in every direction. She wore bottle-lens glasses and was currently examining a very suspicious-looking concoction. "That boy forgot to come by again. I've had your order ready for weeks," she muttered, not looking away from the jar in her hands. “Yeah, I figured since I was out of a lot of things," said Axl with a sigh. He picked up the tightly wrapped bundle with his name on it and placed the envelope with the payment inside on the counter.

"It's never too late to set up a crow package delivery." She peered over the top of the jar before slowly setting it down. Axl looked at the crow next to her, perched on a levitating broom, who was currently asleep. "I think that Quill is currently at retirement age." said Axl, making the old woman cackle, shaking her head. "This old bird?! Quill is a spring chicken compared to me. Just keep it in mind, dear, considering how forgetful Soren is." The old woman protested. "Of course, Baba Yaga. I'll contact you if I need anything else." Axl smiled before exiting the store, shutting the door behind him.

Soren swore his ears were burning as he rubbed them with his palms. It was probably about the order he had forgotten to pick up for the past few weeks. They had just gotten back from celebrating the holidays out of town. Having done all of the planning himself this year since it was his turn, it had sort of slipped his mind. Which had Baba Yaga haunting his dreams these past few days about his late pick-up.

Soren was sure he would hear about it later from Axl. Right now, however, he only had one objective in mind, and that was to track the Bone Mother. Make sure she hadn't stolen any children away from Blackburn Public School. That's why he's currently undercover as a journalist to interview the principal. If he could somehow get information out of him, then Soren would know if this had also turned into a rescue mission.

While waiting to be seen, he listened to see if he could hear any gossip among the office staff. Soren had inhuman hearing and could pick up on anything if it was related to their case. Sometimes he heard things that one could not unheard. Right now, however, it only seemed to be things related to their work or life. Until he watched a woman seemingly a parent walk through the door.

She had a stack of missing posters in her hand and bags under her eyes. A receptionist greeted him, and they both spoke in a low voice. Soren made out a few things about what they were discussing. It made him think that they were trying to hide something or cover it up. As he was getting ready to walk up to them, a secretary came up to him.

Axl had gotten back to their base first and went to his station, starting to concoct the seal to put Bone Mother back into slumber. Or at least hopefully for quite a few years so that they won't have to seal her again so soon. Shoving a few talismans inside his bag along with a repair kit, Axl takes out his phone to contact Soren. They needed to get the entity sealed soon; if they didn’t, then they may miss their chance. If left out any longer, then there is no telling how many more children could be taken away.

"Axl! I knew you'd call me! I talked with the principle about the missing kids situation."

"What were you able to find out?"

"It's been a week since they went missing along with a few staff members."

Axl shook his head sighing Did the Blackburn Police Department even look for them? he thought to himself. "Okay, let’s go ahead and head over to the spot. You've tracked her, right?" said Axl, shouldering his backpack. "About that... It took so long to talk to the principal that I didn't get a chance to well track her.” Soren followed with a nervous laugh. "We'll figure it out as we go. It won't be the first time that we've improvised on a case before." Axl shook his head and headed back out the door. Soren apologized since he knew it was his job to track and gather information.

Soren met up with Axl inside the forest where the entity had been spotted. Her den couldn't be too far from the tree-line of Blackburn Public School. Soren kneeled to the ground and began examining the area. He was able to discern four different sets of footprints. One unnaturally human, while the other two sets were smaller in comparison.

Unfortunately, they appeared to be at least a few weeks old at most. Soren shook his head and looked towards some bushes that had been flattened over. He looked over his shoulder at Axl and motioned with his chin towards the path. Axl nodded and proceeded to go first, leading the way, making sure not to step on any tracks. Soren picked up his pace and led the rest of the way, with Axl stepping in the tracks that his partner was creating.

Soren knew that they were close as he could sense the entity, not only that but the voices and cries of the children were echoing through the trees. Soren hoped that this was a sign that they were alive. Yet it could also be remnants of past children who had been taken by the Bone Mother. Axl stopped in his tracks, grabbing Soren by the forearm and motioned with a nod of his head. Ahead of them the entity digging a hole in a hollow tree with two children close by.

They were holding each other’s hands, trying to give each other any form of comfort that they could. Axl locked eyes with Soren, both of them sharing a silent understanding. Soren advanced first, taking out a weapon from his bag that would help him distract the Bone Mother. Axl watched Soren advance, and he started towards the place where the entity had crawled out of. Examining the area, it looked to have been blown open as if someone wanted her out.

Setting out all he would need, he began to set up the seal. Soren would be his way soon, with the Bone Mother right on his heels. So he had to work fast but be sure not to make a mistake. If he did, it would be death for them both, and the entity would continue to steal children away. Hurried footsteps were heading his way, and Axl finished the seal by chanting a few words.

Soren almost missed the jump boots sliding in the loose dirt. Axl pulled up with one hand letting him continue to run past him. The Bone Mother wasn’t too far behind him screaming gnashing her teeth. Axl pushed his glowing palms onto the ground causing vines and roots to shoot out of the hole wrapping themselves around the entity. The Bone Mother reached for him as she was drug down into the darkness below her claws catching him on the cheek grazing the skin.

Axl hissed at the sting but didn’t move until she was out of sight and the hole was sealed. He stood up and dusted off his hands, the ground mending itself back together. Soren walked up to him, catching his breath. "How are the kids?" Axl asked, looking at his partner. "Traumatized but alive." Soren replied with a cough, putting the weapon away into his bag. Axl whipped his cheek onto his shirt to stop the bleeding.

They would have to assume the missing staff members were either missing or dead.

They would get them home and avoid letting the school know they were back. With what the Principal and staff were holding information like they did. The parents deserved to have their children back with them. After taking the two kids home, Axl and Soren came back to the forest to comb through it properly. Including giving the ones under the hollow tree a proper burial since getting the FBI involved would mean them getting investigated as well.

Heading back to base, both of them crashed onto the couch, completely tired from the eventful day. "Could you set an alarm?" Axl mumbled, his head falling against Soren's shoulder, who fished his phone out of his back pocket. Bags and shoes were left at the front door, and the colors from the sunset peeked in through the windows. Setting an alarm, Soren leaned his head back and closed his eyes. Axl had already drifted off to sleep, exhausted from using so much spiritual energy.

Paradise Pines was supposed to be a place that everyone raved about. A place to suggest to their friends and family. Yet, it held so many missing person cases, deaths, breakups, and abuse. Paradise Pines had nothing but negative energy brimming from top to bottom. Regardless of this, Daphne Moore moved into S1020 on the 20th floor.

It was Daphne's second week in Paradise Pines, and she was finally unpacked, placing the last bit of her clean dishes away in a cabinet. She took a step back, taking in the state of her kitchen. Full of second-hand appliances and small fake plants. Just as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath to slowly exhale, her cellphone beeped with a weather alert alarm. It warned of a large storm approaching, advising everyone to be cautious of possible power outages.

She sighed, “Great.” Daphne muttered sarcastically, starting to gather up some candles. Putting her phone on charge, she began placing the candles in various parts of the apartment. Daphne wanted to ensure that she was prepared, rather than floundering. The storm started as Daphne looked out the window. Grey storm clouds were rolling in, and green flashes of lightning could be seen in the distance.

As the storm raged on, she kept herself busy by picking up a book and began reading. Just after 10:00 PM, the power finally shuddered its last breath and flickered out, leaving Daphne in complete darkness. Closing her book and placing it aside, she stumbled through her apartment, striking a match and lighting each candle. At least she had light for the rest of the night, and hopefully by morning it would be back on. Daphne wished she had gotten a battery-powered fan beforehand.

It was now quiet, without the background noise of the AC or the beeping from the elevator down the hall. There was a dull hum, and the dim red emergency lights came on. Daphne shuddered. This felt like a horror with the eerie glow of the candles mixed with the red dim lights. Rubbing her arms, she paced before sitting back down onto the couch.

The stillness and silence made her uneasy, and she picked up her phone. If she turned on some music, it would help her feel better. Daphne found one of her playlists and pressed play. Surely this wouldn't drain her battery that much. It was better than the silence that surrounded her.

Raising her head from looking at her phone, she saw that even the city itself had its backup generators and emergency lights on. Thunder cracked across the sky, followed by a flash of lightning. For a split second, Daphne could have sworn she saw a pale, distorted figure with its face pressed against the glass. They were completely drenched in rain, and their eyes–she recoiled, heart racing, having leaped up into her throat. When Daphne looked again, there was nothing there.

She went to her contacts and began calling the building security, but he call didn't go through. All Daphne could hear was the steady sound of the bust signal. Ending the call, she shakes her head, thinking that maybe she was hallucinating. After all, she did work twelve-hour shifts and hadn't had a day off yet. Daphne's overworking could be contributing to her seeing things.

Lighting flashed across the sky, making the whole parliament shake. The same face appeared outside the glass, peering inside and looking right at her. Despite the heat inside the room, it began to feel cold. That's when the tapping started. Daphne checked each window and door to ensure they were locked.

Whatever or whoever that thing was, she was going to make sure it wouldn't get inside. Walking past the tall glass windows in the living room, she saw that handprints were making their way towards one of the windows. Daphne's eyes glanced down, seeing a puddle of water in front of the window. She knew that there wasn't a leak, so where did all of this water come from? Did that thing come inside?

When Daphne first moved here, she remembered reading an old article about this apartment building. That a woman had leaped to her death from the 20th floor, she didn't know the reason, but it may have been something going on in her life that had led her to do so. Ever since then, Daphne had wondered if sightings of the woman's ghost had ever been reported. If there had been, it would have been mentioned by other tenants or posted online somewhere.

Mopping up the water, she looked up at the glass and saw a figure behind her. It made her jump, dropping the mop handle to the floor, and it clattered across it. The woman behind her is drenched in water. Her makeup was running down her face, and her eyes, which were probably once a bright green, were now a pale, dull color. Her dirty blond hair dripped with water and tangled in a loose braid.

Turning around, Daphne watched as the woman slowly staggered towards her. Backing up, she glanced over to the side towards the front door. Dashing, Daphne tried twisting the handle of the front door. It wouldn't open yet, as it was still locked from the inside. The woman still walked towards her with a slight limp in her step.

Daphne closed her eyes, hoping that if she couldn't see her, she would go away. That this wasn't happening and she wasn't seeing this woman who had plummeted to her death so many years ago. Two hands placed themselves onto her shoulders, and she could feel faint breathing close to her ear. There was a faint whisper next to her ear, and Daphne opened her eyes. This woman wanted her to what?

She looked towards the glass windows. Yeah, she should do what she said. If Daphne did, then she wouldn't have to worry about anything anymore. Her feet began to move on their own, slowly at first, and then she began to pick up speed. Daphne slammed into the glass, causing it to crack.

When it didn't break, she backed up, slamming into it again. Blood dripped down her face, and her whole body trembled. The tall glass window was spidering and beginning to give way. Daphne slammed into it, and the blood from her face smeared against the glass. One more running slam, and she went through the glass, shattering it, and Daphne free-fell, plummeting to the ground below.

The woman's visage looked down at the other, a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. Her form faded as the apartment's lights came back on and the AC roared to life. A scream from below, along with a crowd of people, surrounded the body below. The sound of sirens and flashing lights soon reflected again the broken glass. Daphne's chest heaved, letting out panicked gasps as she looked down at the ground below and screamed.