As I walked back into the hallway I noticed Claire's bedroom door open just a crack. I thought it was shut the last time I walked through here but just dismissed it as being paranoid. I sat down at my desk and turned the laptop on. Immediately I saw I had an e-mail from my partner down at the prescient it read:
We found another clue toward the gender of the killer. It is female approximately 5 feet 4 and weighs maybe around 115 lbs. The neighbors of the last victim kept complaining about someone in a light blue Ford Crown Victoria early 80's model playing classical music very loudly in the area . That's all we have for now.
I thought a little to myself and laughed. Claire drives a car almost identical to that.
"No way it couldn't be." I said still laughing
"What's so funny?" The voice from behind me gave me such freight that I nearly fell backwards in my chair. Claire was standing behind me giving me a sad confused look.
Nothing," I said, "Just an e-mail from Ray giving me a heads up on a crime last night."
Claire turned and walked out of the room just as I heard the knock on the door. I sprinted for the door and already knew who it was. Kim was probably the most beautiful girl I had been with and from what I already knew about her she was perfect. I gave her a hug, picked her up, and twirled her around the living room.
"You're late!" I told her.
"Where's your roommate, is she going with us?"
"I don't know, she scared the holy living shit out of me and then disappeared into her room."
I went to go and sit down on the couch while Kim went to go and use the restroom. I noticed a fresh red stain on my right sleeve. As I looked closer I realized it was blood. At that moment I stood and turned and saw Kim walking out of the bathroom.
"Babe are you hurt." I said walking toward her, "No I'm fine, why you ask?"
"Where my sleeve brushed against you there's a red stain there now, it's blood."
"How do you know its blood?"
"I'm a cop I've seen blood before."
As I went to go check on Kim's blood stain I heard a gunshot and Kim fell into my arms.
"WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON!" I screamed.
"She gets too close to the victims and it's PISSING ME OFF!" Claire said with anger
"Why Claire?"
"You really wanna know why? Okay I'll tell ya. Last month when Johnny died there was a bar FULL of witnesses and not a sole spoke of who it could have been. So I decided that I, with the help of Johnny's sister Kim here, would track down and murder everyone that was at that bar just for being so damn ignorant." Claire looked down at Kim with tears in her eyes she could not see that well so I made my move. The gun went off again.
======================================================
Title: The War Did Not End There
======================================================
Depression is what sinks a person into a deep dark hole. It makes them think that they will never escape from. I have been in this hole for the past ten years. The only pleasure I got out of anything was being alone so therefore I guess you could say I was happy with the way things were going. I had just left the army. Being a Infantryman in the military was not exactly the career I had planned but it made me who I am today, but not in a good way. All the fighting, all the blood, all the killing, it all really messed my head up.
The bar that Friday night wasn't really crowded like it usually was. Drinking here was the only relief I had from the nightmares of my past so I was here quite often. That's where I met Sarah. At the other end of the building I could see her dancing and joking with her friends near the pool tables. I really can't say it was love at first sight because of all the hardships I have been threw in the past. All I can say is I was interested but still wanted to keep my distance.
"I need another beer." I asked Brian who was working that night behind the bar.
"Why don't you go over and talk to those girls." He said trying to get me to stop drinking so much just like every other night I had been in here. My luck with women left ever since I was in the military. "Sarah, the one standing right now talking to her friends, her father owns half the town."
"Really, what does he do?" I asked just glad that I had someone to talk to.
"Her family rich or something."
"Her dad used to be in the military, Special Forces I think, got kicked out because he had a problem with authority."
"Don't we all. Now how about that beer?"
"I think you had enough if you keep drinking like this you won't make it home tonight."
"I've been coming in here for the past couple years doing the same damn thing. Drinking myself into oblivion so that I cannot even remember who I am anymore. Do I ever make it home after a night here?"
"Not that I can remember, last week you managed to find my truck and fall asleep in the back."
"Yeah I been meaning to tell ya you might want to hose out your bed after that."
"Yeah, already did, once I got back from dumping your drunken ass in your own yard I went straight to the car wash."
"So how bout that beer?"
"You're not going to live to see 40 if you keep this up."
"That's the plan, and throw in a shot of jack while you're at it."
After what seemed like countless hours of drinking I left the bar as I usually did. Broke, world spinning, and could barely stand much less walk. The way to the parking lot was the hardest to navigate while heavily intoxicated. As I attempted to fish for my keys I then realized I didn't drive today, hell I didn't even own a vehicle. As I was leaning on a nearby car trying to find a place to stop and collect myself I noticed that someone was trying to talk to me and holding a huge bright light in my face.
"I know you aren't planning on driving tonight are you sir?" the officer said very sarcastically. I backed away still trying to collect myself and to come up with something to tell him to get him off my back.
"Ummmm Ya no. You are right." I said in a very slurred drunken state of mind.
"Jake! There you are I been looking all over for you." I heard the voice come behind me and when I turned to see where it was coming from I fell right into her arms. I wanted to tell her that my name wasn't Jake but for some reason felt that was a bad idea.
"Sarah, is this guy with you?" said the officer.
"Yes, thanks Jack, I turned my back for one second and he's gone." At this point I am very confused as to what just happened but the way my life is going now I really didn't care if I was to die right then or go to jail.
The officer left. I guess living in a small town had its advantages. Very few cops meant each one of them had a lot of ground to cover and couldn't be preoccupied with something petty as a misplaced drunk. Sarah pushed me up against the vehicle and tried her best to hold me in place.
"What just happened?"
"It seems to me you almost got arrested."
"Why did you help me?"
"The cops in this town are extremely crooked, believe me," I guess I had to believe her; from what Brian told me at the bar she had been living here longer than me. "And you are in no state to drive home tonight." She said trying to get me to stand which really wasn't going to work but I decided to let her figure this one out.
"Really, what was your first clue, my staggering or the fact that this isn't even my car?"
"Then where is your car at?"
"I don't own a vehicle; I spend all my money on booze and strippers, how about you."
"Ugh! OK I'll take you home where do you live?"
"If I knew that do you think I'll still be here about to get arrested for being drunk in public?"
"I must be crazy!" Sarah mumbled to herself but then finally said, "I'll take you to my house but you're sleeping outside in the car, in your condition I think you could sleep anywhere but at least you'll be dry."
Sarah tried
her best to help me to her car but I almost fell twice and I believe I vomited somewhere in the parking lot. Sarah propped me up on her car and attempted to unlock her passenger side door while making sure I didn't face plant into the pavement. As soon as she got it open I began to slide toward her and banged my head on the side of the door.
"Great, looks like we're making a detour." I heard her say as I looked up. Just then I saw her face clear as day. The smooth skin and the dark brown hair. She probably stood maybe five foot six and maybe weighed a whole 120 lbs, but all in all just beautiful. It was as if god had sent me an angel. Why? I had no idea. I wasn't going to start asking questions now about the way my life was going. I figured the best thing for me now was to just go with it.
The last thing I remember that night is sitting with Sarah in the Emergency Room, and her holding an ice pack to my forehead. I wanted to get to know her better and ask her many questions. I knew I was about to pass out and for some reason I wished she was still around when I woke up. As the lights dimmed I kept finding myself asking the same question. Why?
======================================================
Title: Good Witch, Bad Witch.
======================================================
The air was filled with hatred as I heard the yells and insults of death. The air smelled of fire as the angry mob gathered around me. I had been captured again. As the mob grew larger I began to panic, wondering if I was going to make it out of this once again or if this was it. I started to yell at my executioners begging that they listen this time.
"I was framed!" I screamed as they attempted to tie me to the stake. I wasn't going to give them the luxury without a fight the best I could.
"I'm telling you, there is something even bigger than anything you can imagine happening and you will all die!" They still refused to listen to me because I am a witch.
"If you give me the chance I'll prove it to you, I'll show you I'm telling the truth." They didn't believe me because my sister Christine had kidnapped a young woman so she could suck the life out of her and be beautiful, young, and powerful again. They blamed it on me because we have similar looks.
"Yeah, we cut you down and you kill half of us and turn the rest into insects for your dinner!" screamed one of the villagers as he was lighting the torch. I understood why they didn't trust me, hell I wouldn't trust me. I knew what Christine was doing, have been for awhile but there was no way for me to stop her. She was much more powerful than me and could change forms to whatever she wanted in a second.
Just then a large cloud of smoke appeared right in the middle of the angry mob and everyone started to panic.
"She's casting another spell, hurry, burn her alive!"
With that I saw her; she swooped through the crowd completely invisible to everyone around her. Only reason why I could see her is because she was my sister. In like lightning and out like a flash. She cut my ropes with ease. As I tried to escape part of my dress got caught on one of the logs and I fell flat on my face.
"You always were the clumsy one weren't you sis," Christine laughed. "I can't have you die yet, I have big plans for you." I looked up and saw one of the villagers go at Christine with a pitch fork. With a simple twitch of her finger the man was gone into a puff of smoke.
"You know this is why they hate our kind don't you." I yelled at Christine. I tried to think of away to prove myself to be innocent right there in front of the villagers but it had to be tricky. If I tried to overpower her she would squash me like a bug. Then I saw it. A pitch fork lying in the ground near one of the houses. With a twitch of my wrist the pitch fork was airborne circling around behind Christine.
I thought to myself, "She is powerful, but she isn't bulletproof." With that I flung my arm at Christine and the pitch fork went flying toward her faster and faster. Through the trees where it was out of her view. The closer it got the more I felt this was going to work. Just then there was another villager trying to sneak up behind Christine and she did not see him at all. Right when he was about to whack her with his shovel the pitch fork sank deep into his ribs.
"Dammit, I can't get anything right." I felt horrible as I had obviously helped her without wanting to.
Thanks sis!" Christine smirked once Christine finally realized what had happened. After that she teleported me back to her cave and left me wondering. What she was going to do to me? What was she doing to those poor villagers, and what did she mean by I can't die yet?
When I appeared in the cave she was not there yet, surely she was still terrorizing the village a little before she left. Christine was the one everyone really wanted. Of course we both did the same things; however I did those things to survive not for the fun of it like her. Yes I still kidnapped the young so that I could live forever, but I only did it if it was life or death not just so I could stay young forever like she did. When a witch uses her powers they become stronger, and with that strength comes the urge to use them more often and to use more powerful magic almost like an addiction. Christine used her powers ALL the time.
Being alone in my sisters cave for a second I realized this could be another chance for me to get back at my evil sister once and for all. Looking around I saw a knife that she had used to make her ingredients for spells and sacrifices. Grabbing the knife I stood in a dark corner of the cave near the entrance. Once she entered I was going to make my move.
Before she entered the cave she yelled inside, "Sis are you there."
I sat in my corner gripping the knife as hard as I could.
"I don't think you will be cutting anything with that you silly girl." I looked down and saw a snake slithering around in my hands. Immediately I dropped the serpent and leaped out from my corner just as Christine entered the cave carrying yet another poor helpless victim. How she knew I was there or even what was in my hands made me believe that stopping her was going to be harder than I thought much less over powering her.
"I noticed you were getting a little old sis." Christine mocked, "Get caught again did ya?"
"No thanks to you again," I yelled at my older sister who at the moment looked younger than me. "You are evil Christine; you're the reason why so many of us are getting captured and burned alive."
"NO! I am the reason we will rule this world and make these people pay for what they have been doing to us; they will bow down to us!" Christine said with fire in her eyes. She really hated everyone and she didn't care what they thought about her. Almost like a young boy that had found an ant hill and just so happens to have a magnifying glass in his pocket. "Well no worries once my project is complete we will take control of the world. No one will be after you and you can help me rule by my side or keep doing what you always do; attempt to ignore me and just get captured again."
"I'd rather burn in hell."
"Well apparently you almost did tonight, look if you don't stick with me from now on, well, I can't have you going against me now can I," Christine said with a seductive expression on her face.
"Now I need you strong if you're going to help, just think anything you could ever want would be brought to you on a silver platter. No more living in caves and hiding from everyone you see.
I did not know what to do. She is more powerful, smarter, and could damn near get anything she wanted from anybody, either by her looks or her magic. I told her I would tag along. I was going to do everything in my power to stop her. As I cast my youth transfer spell on the victim I felt a tremendous amount of guilt come over me, however if I was to make an attempt to stop Christine I would have to become just like her if not I was going to die trying. The only question on my mind was how?
======================================================
Title: Alien Invasion
======================================================
The aliens had been attacking for a few days now. It all started when more and more people started s
eeing UFO's in the sky and people would just laugh at them. Possibly scouting parties to see what we would do in an attempted attack from another world. It worked because we did nothing to investigate.
First Tokyo was completely wiped off the globe. As more and more ships appeared more and more of the bigger cities in the world disappeared. I lived in a small town so we were safe from the big explosions that destroyed the bigger cities. Mainly they kept the smaller cities to raid and kidnap citizens for something that we did not want to find out for.
I was taking shelter in an old house, along with my wife Annie, which was built on the shore of Kentucky Lake with a small group of survivors. We were distant from most major cities and the nearest small town was miles away. If we kept a low profile and stayed indoors for as long as possible seemed like our best chance of survival.
Chris, one of the members of our group decided to go out to see if he could find more food.
"Do you think we should try to sneak into town," he asked "Maybe if we stayed out of sight best we could and make it quick we could hopefully make it back alive?"
Xavier Hawken's Short Story Collection Page 2