𝓚𝓲𝓼𝓼 𝓸𝓻 𝓚𝓲𝓵𝓵

Compulsion and Cafe Hideouts

"While I'm one to say 'be bi do crime', one question: why?"

"Dr. Kinbott tells me I should get out more. Says I need to open my mind to new people and experiences. Who am I to argue with her professional clichés?"

"Wednesday."

She rolled her eyes at his remark. She had dragged him from his dorm room and down to the police station. He was in charge of watching the door and keeping the officers busy.

"While I do the autopsy, you find the files of the monster's other victims and make copies." she instructed Thing. He looked at her in discontentment. "Don't pout. Your scalpel skills are questionable. Do you remember my 13th birthday, when Uncle Fester gave me that cadaver? You sliced right through that man's carotid."

"No."

"No. Magnificent hematoma. There you are." She finally found the right corpse and turned on her recorder. "Thursday, 7:23 p.m. The body is that of a 50-year-old male."

"How much longer do you need?" Erix asked, coming into the morgue.

"15 minutes."

He leaned back, looking down the hall. "I can give you 20 as long as the sheriff doesn't come back early. By the way, do you like voodoo chips?"

"I doubt it. Why are you asking me this during the autopsy?"

"Well, I sent that guy to get me some snacks and figured I'd get something for you but I have no idea what you like other than coffee."

"I enjoy the terror of Girl Scouts."

"Sorry sweetness but I can't entrance someone to buy that for you." Erix grinned sardonically. "Do you like popcorn, chips, energy drinks? Give me something I can actually buy for you?"

"Refer to me as 'sweetness' again and I'll have your horns displayed like a trophy." She finally looked over at him. "I don't require you to buy me anything but time, Erix."

"I'll figure it out one day." He promised. "And when I do all I expect is for you to be content."

"You are intriguing in the most despicable manner possible."

"You're so nice to me." He laughed before walking back down the hallway.

The air smelt strange. Not the natural smell of corpses but like her favorite espresso.

"Erix." She called him back. "Why does it smell like coffee?"

"Huh? Ohh, yeah, that's me. Forgot about that."

"You were down at the Weathervane earlier."

"No actually. I've been in my room until you dragged me here. When we use powers such as compulsion there's a bit of a smell we give off, usually it's something that person really enjoys or desires. That's why you smell coffee even though my power isn't aimed at you."

"Curious." Wednesday muttered to herself. "You can go."

"Whatever you say, your majesty."

She didn't bother to respond and continued what she had been doing. "Lacerations and defensive wounds appear on both hands. What remains of the chest and torso indicates a frenzied attack. Subject has been almost entirely disemboweled."

She stopped and looked at the man's leg. "This is curious. Subject's left foot is missing. It appears to have been chewed off at the ankle. Have you seen a left foot anywhere?"

Thing came running in and started shaking and pointing to the door.

"Calm down. Who's coming?"

Erix ran back into the room and quietly shut the door behind him. His eyes turned green again and she could sense his power turning off.