A Danger That Lurks In The Darkness | A TPQ AU |

Prologue

A TWIG SNAPS. A POWER LINE FUSES. A nightly wind whispers through the streets, and in the distance, the hubbub of traffic fades as she makes her way through the winding alleyways. 

She knows she shouldn't be walking in the back alleys, but she's in a hurry. 

She quickens her pace. Her shoes click in the silence, the hollow sound echoing off the tall walls of the alleyway. 

But that sound is accompanied with another. Another set of footsteps is heard, heavyset, and loud. 

She stiffens, and her hand hovers around her purse, where a tiny can of Mace hides.

She takes a few short breaths to steady herself, trying to reassure herself with the thought: I’ll be okay. I’ll be okay. 

She winds into another alleyway, familiarity seeping from this one. She’s close to the office, she’ll be fine. 

She takes a few more breaths, but in a haze, she fails to hear the footsteps again. 

She fails to hear the heavy breathing. 

And when she finally reacts, pulling out the pepper spray, it’s far too late. 

She feels a strange uneasiness roll through her, as she steels herself, clenching her fists, feeling the cool metal of the pepper spray canister in her sweaty hands. 

The footsteps sound closer, and, with rising horror, she realises that they are too close. 

A hand snakes around her neck, as she thrashes and struggles, sinking her elbow into her attacker’s stomach. 

A twinge spreads from her neck, as an unnatural coolness spreads over her, making her limbs stiff, and, with rising panic, she realises that she can’t move. 

He drops her, and she falls to the ground, the gravel scraping her knees, and all she can do is wait, watch, powerless to do anything. 

It sneaks up on her so fast, and with a crack and a whoosh, she feels something cold, vaguely metallic connect with the back of her head, and then feels nothing at all. 

————

The early hours of morning are usually uneventful in this part of Houston. Usually. Today it’s very different. Sirens whoop and fill the air, casting their red and blue lights on the weakly-sunlit roads, as residents poke their heads out of their doors, confusion etched in their sleepy faces. 

The tired officer kneels on the ground, eyeing the puddle of dark liquid, before calling to her partner, “Yeah, that’s blood, alright!” 

Her partner shrugs. “It’s an alleyway. Is it really that uncommon?” 

“Someone called it in, like half an hour back,” 

“That was me,” a voice piped up. It belonged to a blonde jogger, as she nervously twisted the cord of her earphones in her hand. 

The officer got up, and lifted a shoulder, “Until we find other evidence that anybody’s been hurt, ma’am, we can’t do anything.” 

She collects the blood, and seals the capsule. “We’ll send it to a pathologist to identify whose blood it is, but the homicide detectives need to seal off the area, and do their jobs.” 

 The jogger nods nervously, and after telling her that she might be called into the precinct for questioning, she goes away, shooting anxious looks at the officers. 

An early morning breeze wafts through the alleyway, and sends a piece of paper fluttering through the alleyway, landing in the pool of blood, its edges getting soaked in red. 

The officer picks it up, frowning at the pattern inked on it. 

“Probably a doodle by a child, or something,” her partner yawns, rubbing his tired eyes. 

She frowns slightly, but her heart stutters to a near-stop when she turns the chit, and sees words penned down: Better hurry up, if you want this girl to survive. Tick-tock. 

————