Haunted Affairs

17 | Closer Than You Think

• Perez Pov •

I walked to the underground place, I unlatched the door and climbed inside where it was dark I held up a flashlight and started to walk inside, it seemed different more free than normal.

I walked to the room where I and Ellie were last there, I walked inside and everything was gone, everything we saw wasn't there, I scratched my chin and looked around, I was confused, I didn't understand how everything had just vanished out of thin air the same way Vae did. It had to be linked but I just needed to know how.

Honestly, I didn't know what to do next. But I needed to get out of there, as I started to walk back to the exit, I heard agonising screams, I turned my head to the right wall, put the flashlight between my teeth and started to kick on the wall until the soil was falling onto the floor.

I continued to kick the wall, I grunted and sighed until I made a big enough hole to push myself through, I stumbled over as I was covered in dirt, I coughed from the dust, and I looked around to see pale walls.

An underground tunnel?

I questioned my thoughts, I turned off my flashlight as I heard the screams continuing, I took out my pistol and slowly walked, I kept walking until I heard something heavy behind me and I fell to the ground. Knocked out.

~

I moved as I placed my hand on my head and grunted, I started to sit up as I looked around to be sat in town, I looked at my hand to see blood, I exhaled deeply, I looked around to see people staring at me but didn't come over, I stood up stumbled a little before calling my boss "Perez, what's up?" He said.

"We are close to solving this, I went back to that underground place and I found a tunnel but when I went to investigate I got hit across the head, I have to be close because whatever is doing this doesn't want me to be there," I said wiping the blood off my hand onto my jeans.

"You sure Perez? We checked everything and everywhere," he replied.

I sighed "I'm being honest, I can take you down there tonight if you want," I responded.

"No no, I believe you," he said sharply.

"What, you scared?" I teased.

"Just a little and for being a boss my job is to sit in this office and be told of details not doing what you're doing," he said with a chuckle.

"Risking my life? You're making me sound like some hero," I said lighting up a cigarette.

"You are a hero," he said.

"I'm not, if I was a hero all these people who have lost their lives shouldn't be dead, I'm no hero, I'm just a lousy detective who's tired," I responded, taking a deep inhale before exhaling, with a big cloud of smoke blowing in front of me.

"You think so low of yourself Javier," he said.

"Right tell me if I'm wrong, I've been an undercover detective for about 5 years on this case, and every year I failed to find the killer then this year, I failed to help another student. Vae's mother gets attacked, her father gets murdered, my wife gets murdered we find the body of Lily and Vae's best friend Ellie gets stabbed, so tell me how I am a hero in all of this?" I responded holding the phone to my ear.

"Because you haven't given it up, you're continuing to fight even after everything that has happened, you're right those people shouldn't have had to go through that but whoever is behind this will get more than life in prison," he said, I continued to smoke as I listened to him.

Until our call was finished, I stubbed out my cigarette and walked to a place I had to be at, knowing deep down it was my fault in the first place.

Eventually, I got to the place. I got down on one knee and looked at the grave, I could feel my eyes starting to water, my chest getting tighter as I imagined her death again "I didn't mean this to happen, I'm so sorry. My high ego and wanting to know the truth backfired and I blamed that on you Ronnie and I'm sorry," I felt a tear fall down my cheek as I looked at the grave.

It was silent for a bit, I wanted the minutes of silence for her, she deserved it. I tried my best to save her and I got her killed. I'm no hero, I'm a monster. 

I felt a tap on my shoulder, I turned my head to see Ellie next to me, she sat down beside me with two hot drinks in her hands and some flowers, I slightly smiled as she handed me the drink "Black coffee just the way you like it," Ellie said gently, I nodded and took a long sip, the feeling of the hot drink burning down my throat felt lovely, she placed the flowers on top of the grave and looked at me.

"I'm sorry for your loss," she said, I nodded as I rubbed her arm gently, but I was quiet.

After a few more minutes, I looked at her "We are close, we got this," I said as she smiled "Yeah we do," she replied resting her head on my shoulder.