Murder On The Waterway: The Case Of The Kanaima Demon

Chapter Twenty Three

'What the hell?'

The room was still cloaked in shadows, and the clock on the wall showed it was early, though not as early as the last few days. The dream I had just experienced felt disturbingly real, and every detail of 'Rachel's' place remained etched in my memory. It felt as if I were playing out the conflict between the werewolf and demon within me.

I glanced around, stretching my aching limbs, attempting to ensure that everything was real. The grim evidence on my skin, the gritty residue between my fingers, sent alarm bells ringing in my mind. A sense of dread washed over me.

My arms were covered in drying blood, red streams clinging to the wispy black hairs and matting them together. Something tickled the back of my throat, causing relentless coughing as if I were trying to expel a foreign substance. It was thick and hair-like, and I struggled to rid my mouth of it. Clump after clump of coarse, light brown hair or fur was extracted, adding to the growing panic.

Panicking, I looked around for a mirror, but I had removed it from my bedroom weeks ago to avoid seeing my reflection. I wasn't ready to confront myself, especially not in this state.

As my mind raced, I noticed a dull ache in my jaw, likely from hours of chewing, which should have been impossible if I had been asleep. The skin at the corners of my mouth felt dry and cracked, like it had been stretched beyond its limits.

These details added weight to the likelihood that I had been out in the night, transformed, and potentially harmed someone or something. The dream had been eerily accurate, and I couldn't continue denying the truth. The unease settled deep within me.

In a swift motion, I flung off the covers, revealing a scene that resembled a massacre. My feet were covered in a black, crusty substance that had dried around the edges of my toenails. The blood had rained down my legs, and white patches were replaced with mud splashes.

Fear surged through me. Had I fully transformed into a wolf? I had experienced this before, in the aftermath of my nightmares. I got to my feet, dreading the mirror, and rushed to the bathroom. I had to see the reality of what had occurred.

Before I dared to look in the mirror, I closed my eyes and braced myself. It was going to be gruesome; I was certain of it. My mind conjured images of "Carrie" drenched in blood. With a deep breath, I slowly opened my eyes.

I examined my reflection closely, and indeed, my face was a horror. I could see dried blood splattered across my face and smeared around my mouth. My efforts to twist and turn my head failed to reveal the full extent of the damage.

I needed to check my teeth, fearing the worst. As I inspected my mouth, I discovered a mass of brown strands lodged between my teeth. Panic seized me as I considered the implications. Could it have been a cat? Or something much worse?

I couldn't go out into the world looking like this. I needed to clean up and ensure no surprises were lurking beneath the surface. The dream had already rattled me, but the state I had awakened was even more disturbing.

The fear of having lost control and harmed someone or something weighed heavily on my mind. I had to consider the consequences of my actions, even as my memories remained fragmented and hazy.

I got to work cleaning myself, meticulously washing away the blood that clung to my skin. Whenever I glanced in the mirror, my eyes flashed with the same blood-red and black colours I had witnessed in my dream. But as the blood and grime were washed away, I hoped it would all simply disappear as if it had never happened.

As I neared completion, the bathroom door suddenly shuddered with a loud thump. My heart raced as I imagined various scenarios. What if a neighbour had lost a cat or a dog? Or what if the Kanaima had returned? These thoughts made me increasingly anxious. We were dealing with a demon, and none of us were adequately prepared for it.