her paranormal partner

.5

       i eat my sandwich as i walk down the hall to mine and Arthur's office.
i look at the case file the director gave me.
four dead in a small town half eaten.
all had markings like scratches.
i walk in and i see Arthur flipping a bottle on to the desk.
"i left for fifteen minutes" i say as i watch him flip the bottle again.

"whats the case?" he asks.
i hand it to him then i eat my turkey and lettuce sandwich.
"sunset valley?" he asks.
" yea lets get going" i tell him.

he stands up and he walks over to me.
we walk down the hall and he grabs my sandwich from my hands and he takes a bite.

"i didn't picture you as a lettuce and.. turkey? girl" he says as he chews some of my sandwich.
"hey! i paid money for that!" i tell him with annoyance.
Kim walks by and she gives me a hug.
"Call me if you need me" she tells me.
"I need another sandwich" i reply.

she smiles and walks away
~~
i shiver in the cold as we get out of the car.
"Kansas baby! nothing like that freezing winter's air!" Arthur says as we walk up the steps to the sheriff's station.

we walk in and i already see the bodies.
"Mrs. Gleeson? Mr. Jones?" a voice asks from behind us.
i look back and i see the sheriff.
"yes that's us" i answer.
"we got another crime scene" she says then she walks away.
we walk with her and then we follow her in the car.
"Any idea what this case is?" i ask Arthur.
"satanic rituals" he replies.
"how about a serial killer?" i respond.
"its sunset valley. i don't think there's a serial killer here" Arthur says.

"and satanic rituals make more sense?" i ask him.
he ignores my question and we arrive at the crime scene.
the yellow police tape was all around.
"i'm going to go ask questions" i suggest to Arthur.
He nods and i walk over to the sheriff.
"its bloody in there" the sheriff says to me.

"its a small town. do you get a lot of deaths?" i ask him.
"no, we're a farming community the Hammiltons were nice people. i cant see why their youngest daughter could've died" the sheriff answers.
"i see" i mutter as i walk inside.
i see he gruesome sight.
there was holes as if someone stabbed her not very far in her skin but far enough to hurt her.
there was also scratches on her body.

her cold eyes stared in to mine.
i see a mark on the wall and i take a picture of it.
it was from her blood.
"A animal's foot print?" i murmur.
"or someone pretending to be a animal. that's a big foot print" Arthur says behind me.

i see a substance like sand near the body.
i take out a pair of gloves and i put some of it in a bag.
"its grain" a voice says behind me.
i look up and its a older man.
he had sad looking eyes.
"what?" i ask.
"the stuff on the floor is grain. food for animals. i'm tom Hammilton. that was my grandaughter. she was visiting us for a while" he says with misty eyes.
"where do you store your grain?" Arthur asks.

Tom leads us out back and we walk past chickens, rabbits, and goats.
he walks in to a barn and showed us a room full of trash can full of food for the animals.
something moves and a rooster runs out as he clucks.
"that's Robert her pet, county fair's best chicken" Tom tells us.
"So the grain was probably on her when she died?" I ask.
he nods then walks away.
"well?" i ask Arthur.
"probably someone she knew. maybe even her grandfather did this" Arthur replies.

"what was their last name again?" i ask Arthur.
"Hammilton, why?" he answers.
i pull out my phone and i dial Kim.
"Kim speaking, what can i help you with?" she answers.
"help me with a name, Hammilton. does it ring a bell?" i ask.
"sure does. Mary hammilton was put in jail for life for abusing her daughter Dana, her daughter was handed over to her father with full custody" she tells me.

"tell me about Tom Hammilton and her father" i ask.
"hmm.. i wouldn't know. here let me ask someone" i hear loud music come through the speaker.
"Tom Hammilton and Hank do you know about them?" Kim asks.
"yea of course i do, Hank bought stuff from me, why?" a voice replies from the other end.
i realize she was talking to Jack.
"did they have any enemies?" Kim asks.

"the Summers, they hated each other" Jack replies.
"what did he buy from you?" Kim asks.
"drugs for the animals, i'm not a drug dealer Mrs. know it all" he says.
i hear Kim punch Jack.
"is that all that you know?" Kim asks.
"YES, godamnit!" he yells angrily.
"Thanks Kim" i say and i hang up.

"lets go look up a address for the Summers" i tell Arthur.
we walk out of the barn and to the sheriff.
"Do you know where the Summers live?" Arthur asks the sheriff.
"Of course its the big farm house down the road" The sheriff answers.
~~
me and Arthur walk up the path and i see a lady working in the garden.
"can we help you?" a man asks.
"Mr. Summers?" Arthur asks.
he nods.
"Can we ask you a few questions?" Arthur asks.
he nods.
"are you aware of the death of Dana hammilton?" i ask.
"of course. why should we care?" Mrs. Summers says.

"we heard you had a feud with them. is this true?" Arthur says.
"yea, but we wouldn't kill her. if you need proof my son James is been working all day and so have we" Mrs. Summers says.
"May i go talk with him?" i ask.
they nod and i see James out in the barn.
i walk up there.
"James Summers?" i ask.
he looks up and i see his red puffy eyes quickly look away from me.

"yes?" he asks.
"do you know Dana?" i say.
"we went to school together" James replies.
"Do you know she's dead?" i ask.
"yes... i know" he says.
i see a tear roll down his cheek.
"i'm a FBI agent and if there's anything you can tell me about her it would help me solve who killed her" i tell him.
"You mean you don't know who killed her?" he asks quickly.
"no, we don't know" i reply.

"did.. did she feel any pain when she died?" James asks.
"you want the truth?"i respond.
he nods.
"she died in pain. but she's in a better place now" i tell him.
~~
i sit on my hotel bed while Arthur looked through the recent newspapers by my bed.
we slept in different rooms but he usally stayed with me most the time.
"the county fair is here. possibly a easy way for another to strike" Arthur tells me.
"when?" i ask.
"tonight" he answers.
"lets go then" i respond.
we drive to the fair and we walk past all the animals.

"Tom was supposedly entering in the fair. his wife died by the same death, do you think what ever is killing is killing them?" Arthur asks.
"lets go talk to him then" i reply.
we walk down he aisle and i finally see Tom.
he was standing next to Robert the chicken.
we walk up and the chicken clucks at us. 
I clutch Arthur's jacket as i watch the chicken.
"Tom why does the Summers hate you?" Arthur asks.
"i reckon its cause i win first place in showing chickens. my Polly was my pride and joy then she died" he says.

"your wife?" i ask in confusion.
"No i had a hen named Polly she was gorgious now i have Robert i thought i was going to lose but he was the best chicken there" Tom says happily.
"well.. that's nice" i say with uncertainty.
we walk off and i finally let go of Arthur's jacket.
"your scared of chickens" he comments.
i roll my eyes at him.
~~
the next day the sheriff calls us to Tom's home.
"he died last night" the sheriff explains to us.
"may i check Dana's room?" i ask.
he nods and i walk to her room.
i look through her stuff and i find a small book marked diary.

i look through it and what i find changes everything.
i walk back in and Arthur is holding a feather.
"what?" he asks.
"James didn't hate Dana they loved each other. that might be a reason for murder, you said it yourself. they had a feud, so what if James's parents found out and killed Dana, then Tom won first place so they killed him too" i explain to Arthur.

"that seems rational" Arthur says.
he shows me a feather.
"what do you think this goes to?" he asks.
i take it and study it.
"a chicken. i'll go check" i say as i walk i to the dark barn.
"here chickies chickies" i call out.
i see matching feathers all around.
i walk through the hall and i stare at the scene before me.

a dead chicken was in the water.
its head was laying five feet from its body like something ripped it off.
i see something run by and i instantly pull my gun out.
"Who's there?" i call out.
i walk closer to the dead chicken and i realize that the feather matches the dead chicken.
i hear a few clucks and i see all the other chickens cowering in the corner.

i hear the noise again.
"Anna?" Arthur says as he walk in.
i look up at him.
"something ripped that chicken's head off. and i think its in here" i say as i search everywhere.
"Anna something happened" Arthur says.
me and him run out and i see Mr. and Mrs. Summers standing with the sheriff.
}"our beloved chicken is missing" Mrs. Summers tells me and Arthur.

"you mean this?" i ask as i hold the feather up.
"what did you do to it?!?" Mr. Summers asks.
"its dead. something killed it. now answer truthfully did you or did you not kill Tom and Dana?" i ask.
"why would we kill them? we knew our boy loved Dana" Mrs. Summers says.
~~
"I'm confused. if the Summers didn't kill the hammiltons then who did?" i ask Arthur.
"good question lets go check out the barn again. you said something was in there with you. lets go see what it was" Arthur says as he gets up from the floor of my hotel room.
i turn off the television and i follow him.
we reach the barn and i pull out my flash light.

"if i die.." i whisper to Arthur.
"yes?" he asks.
"write on my tombstone Arthur made me do this" i tell him.
he chuckles and we walk in.
we seperate and i walk down the dark hall.
i walk in to the chicken room and i see no alive chickens.
"What the heck" i murmur as i search the ground.
"where did all the chickens go" i ask myself.
i feel something drip on to my head and i wipe it off. it was blood. fresh blood.
 i look up and i shoot the beam of my flashlight at all the dead chickens hanging from the beams.

"god" i murmur in horror.
all their heads were gone.
i hear something move above and i search around for it.

Arthur walks in and he see's the dead chickens.
"its up there" i say as i walk to the ladder.
"its unsafe on the ladder the beam can barely hold all those chickens" Arthur tells me.
"so only one can go at a time?" i ask.

he nods and i start to climb the ladder.
i hold the flashlight in one hand i climb.

i reach the top and i stay kneeling.
"see anything?" Arthur asks.
i search the beams.
i see Robert cowering in the corner.
"i see a chicken its alive" i tell Arthur.

i crawl towards it and it doesn't even see me.
"Hey buddy" i murmur.
i slowly reach my hand out and i pet it.
out of no where it attacks me.
it pecks me and it holds on to my hand.
i scream in fright as it attacks me.

i kick it then i quickly crawl towards the ladder.
i look back and i see Robert grow.
"ARTHUR" i scream.
the beams creak with the weight then it breaks.
i fall through the ceiling and i land on the hay.

Arthur runs to me and helps me up.
something jumps down and i look up in to James eyes.
"he's a shape shifter" Arthur mutters.
"why! why kill Dana?" i ask as Arthur lets me lean against him since my leg hurt.
"i was so tired of them telling us they were better then me. i got so fed up i killed her grandmother. i thought i liked the taste of animal but human. oh its so much better. i couldn't stop myself from eating. of course i was upset when i realized i killed Dana but then i realized i was a predater and she was the prey. i feed on them. i already killed my parents. they were idiots" he explains.

Arthur pulls his gun out and fires at James.
James gets hit and it doesn't even hit him.
Arthur pulls me in to a run and we run all the way to the front of the barn.
James grabs me by my jacket and yanks me back.
he grabs my head ready to snap my neck.
i try to fight him but he was stronger then me.

"Dana begged for her life. will you beg?" he growls.
"ARTHUR" i scream.
James goes rigid then he lets me go and he falls down.
a pitch fork stuck out of James's back.
"silver. don't touch my partner" Arthur says angrily.
~~
i slowly open my eyes to see i'm sitting in a wheel chair.
a nurse wheels me back to my room.
"I'm not crazy" i murmur.
"sweetie there's no such things as dolls that talk or wendigos they're all in your head because of what happened" she says as she makes me sit down in my room.
"but it did! it all happened!" i hiss at her.
"then what happened next?" she asks.
"vampires" i whisper.