Smoking Mirrors

The morgue

Justin's heart was racing as he followed Ryan to the morgue. He couldn't shake off the feeling of dread that had settled in his stomach. Please don't let it be Natalie, he repeated to himself.

As they entered the morgue, Justin saw a figure lying on a table, covered with a sheet. Ryan approached the table and nodded to the attendant, who pulled back the sheet.

Justin's eyes widened in horror. The woman was bruised and battered, her body broken in ways that seemed inhuman. Her face was swollen, her eyes blackened, and her skin was deathly pale. She looked like she had been hit by a truck.

Justin's rage boiled over. Who could do such a thing? Who could leave a woman on the side of the road to die like a dog?

"This is disgusting," Justin spat, his voice trembling with anger. "This is inhumane."

Ryan's face was grim. "I know, Justin. We'll find out who did this. I promise."

The attendant, a somber-looking woman with a kind face, spoke up. "We're still processing the scene, but it looks like she was hit by a car. The driver didn't even stop to help her."

Justin's eyes flashed with anger. "What kind of monster does that?"

Ryan put a hand on his shoulder. "We'll find out, Justin. I promise."

Justin's mind was racing. Who was this woman?

Justin turned to Ryan, his eyes intense. "I need to find Natalie. Now."

Ryan nodded, his expression understanding. "Let's get to work, Justin. We'll start by tracing her last movements and talking to her husband, Alex."

Justin's jaw clenched. "I don't trust Alex. He's hiding something."

Ryan's eyes narrowed. "We'll investigate him, too. But first, let's get out of here and get to work on finding Natalie."

As they left the morgue, Justin felt a sense of determination wash over him. He was going to find his sister, no matter what it took. And he hoped the cops uncover the truth behind the gruesome scene he had just witnessed.

The pack gathered in panic, their voices hushed as they discussed what to do. They had been preparing to move the body, to perform a ceremony to help the spirit rest. But now, with the tow truck taking away Natalie's car and all evidence of the crash, they were thrown into disarray.

"We need to move the body," said one of them, her voice trembling. "We can't leave it here for the humans to find."

"But how?" asked another. "We can't just carry it away. We need to prepare a ceremony, to make sure the spirit is at peace."

As they debated, a tow truck drove away, carrying Natalie's crashed car and everything linking it to the scene. The pack watched in dismay, knowing they had to act fast.

But before they could make a move, a patrolling car slowed down on the road. One of the police officers pointed at the covered item on the ground, his eyes fixed on it with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion.

The pack froze, watching as the officer got out of the car and approached the covered figure. They knew they had to stay hidden, but they couldn't help feeling a sense of dread as they watched the officer draw closer.

"What do we do?" whispered one of them, her eyes fixed on the officer.

The pack remained silent, watching as the officer examined the covered figure. They knew they had to act fast, to perform the ceremony and help the spirit rest. But with the officer so close, they didn't know if they had the time.

The pack stood frozen, watching as the officer called his partner over to examine the covered figure. They exchanged worried glances, their minds racing with ideas of what to do next.

"We need to get out of here," whispered one of them, her voice trembling. "We can't let them see us."

"But what about the body?" asked another. "We can't just leave it here for them to take away."

"We have to perform the ceremony," said a third, her voice firm. "We can't let the spirit roam free."

But before they could make a move, the officer radioed for backup, and soon the woods were flooded with police cars and flashing lights. The pack watched in horror as the officers examined the scene, taking notes and photographs.

"Oh no, oh no, oh no," whispered one of them, her eyes fixed on the chaos before them. "This is not good. This is not good at all."

"Shh, be quiet," hissed another. "We don't want them to hear us."

But it was too late. One of the officers had spotted them.

"Ah, ah, ah," said one of the officers, his eyes fixed on the pack. "Looks like we have some witnesses. Let's get them down to the station and see what they have to say."

The pack exchanged terrified glances, knowing they had to think fast. They couldn't let the humans take them away, not now, not ever.

"Run!" shouted one of them, and the pack took off, dashing through the woods as fast as they could. They could hear the officers shouting behind them, but they didn't dare look back.

Finally, they reached the safety of their den, a hidden cave deep in the woods. They collapsed on the ground, panting and trembling with fear.

"Well, that was fun," said one of them, her voice shaking. "Let's never do that again."

The pack laughed, a nervous, shaky laugh. They knew they had to be more careful, that they couldn't let their guard down again.

But for now, they just lay there, catching their breath and trying to process what had just happened.

"That was close," said one of them, her voice barely above a whisper. "Too close."

The pack nodded in agreement, their eyes fixed on the light coming from outside. They knew they had to be vigilant.

But for now, they just lay there, safe in their den, and tried to forget the horror of what they had just witnessed.