The Midnight Games

prologue

Act I

"It's a perfect night for mystery and horror. The air itself is filled with monsters."

"The Bride of Frankenstein"

Mary Shelley

Prologue

Boston, Massachusetts, April, 1913

The night had felt different. There was something unsettling about the way the wind whispered through the trees, giving them an unworldly presence, and how the rain splashed beneath my every deliberate step. It rushed toward the river and washed away the distinct smell of blood. That's when I knew I should've run. The smell of human blood hit my nostrils like a wave of fresh roses in the middle of spring. My mind searched for something that made sense, nothing ever happened in Boston, but I was not naive, I knew the city held secrets I'd yet to discover. The smell had caused my head to pound with an irritating headache and my thoughts to stray to the hundreds of people my mother brought into our house to save from their untimely deaths. A flash of memories came to view, ones of terrifying scalpels being sliced into human flesh, my uncle rushing me to the dark closet before shutting the door, and leaving a much younger version of myself to listen to the blood-curdling screams that continue to endlessly infiltrate my mind day and night. The memory vanished quicker than it had appeared and when I came to my senses they instantaneously heightened at the revelation that the blood that stained the crisp air was fresh. That's when I knew, the night wasn't any ordinary night, it wasn't like my normal strolls through the peaceful streets of Boston. It felt fascinatingly dark and mysterious, there was misfortune in the air. If there was a perfect night for a murder in Boston, Massachusetts, it would've been a night like that night.

There was no scream, no indication that someone was in desperate need of help, but I felt a pull, and I began to walk with determination flowing through my veins in the direction of wherever it had been taking me. My bootheels clicked on the pavement of the empty street and the faint lights overhead flickered with every urgent step I took. My shadow appeared, then disappeared as it followed the slow rhythm of the street lights, but my shadow didn't match my figure. Someone or something was hidden in the dark. Was it following me or hiding from me was a question I never got the answer to. In an instant, the street lights shut off and I was left in the utter darkness of the night. With the absence of light, my senses filled with unease and with every ounce of energy I could muster, I ran.

Adrenaline burned in my chest as I ran and faint footsteps lurked in the shadows behind me, I didn't dare spare a glance. Rain began to fall and my lungs protested, violently sputtering as I ran an entire two blocks before I turned one last corner and pressed my back up against the building's rough exterior. The alleyway was sickeningly quiet, enough for the entire city to hear a single gunshot, even a muffled scream, yet my own frantic breathing was the only sound. Eventually, after a moment of desperate gasps for air, I gathered enough to satisfy my lungs. Then, I held my breath and closed my eyes. If something was still following me I would hear it, I would feel it, I would know. I quickly tugged at the lace edge of my sleeve, revealing the watch that was purposely hidden inside my blouse as it struck midnight, a silent reminder that if I didn't return home soon my father would find or even create a punishment most suitable for my actions.

An instant later I felt the all-consuming pull once more. It felt like a whisper of a thought, urging me forward, trailing further into the shady alleyway, and toward the light that crept in on the other end. The alley had been odd, I didn't realize it at the time, hence I was too entranced by the voices that were whispering thoughts into my ears, tugging me toward the light. I knew I had ventured far from home but when I reached the other side of the alleyway to find The Cambridge Bridge waiting for me in the dead of the night I knew just how far I'd gone. The bridge appeared to be empty, by then those who crossed were comfortably tucked away in the safe confines of their beds, exactly where I should've been. But I was far too curious, I gave in to the urge to move forward and I followed the voices, without hearing the warnings following in their wake.