her paranormal partner

.8

i walk down the hall to a crime scene.
i walk in and i see the dead body.
"what happened? did he get murdered?" i ask as i see the dead body.
Arthur looks up and shakes his head.
"his girlfriend came to see him and she found him like this. he's just like the other we found" he refurred to the other body that had tobacco beetles in their lungs.

"did he smoke?" i ask.
"no, his girlfriend says he never smoked in his life" Arthur says.
"then how did he get tobacco beetles in his lungs?" i ask.
"good question. i'm going to ask his neighbor you ask the other one" he says as he walks past me.

he was acting funny for some reason.
he couldn't look me in the eye.
i walk down the hall and i see him go left.
i walk right and i knock on the next apartment door.
a older lady opens it.
"i'm with the FBI, can i ask you a couple of questions?" i ask her.

she nods.
"did you know Mr. Harrison?" i ask her.
"my neighbor? he was a nice fellow, sad to see him go" she says sadly.
"did he get in to any fights before he passed away?" i ask.
"yes, Garrison had a fight with him just yesterday night, it was about Garrison smoking and Harrison didn't like it" she answers.

"would Garrison, attack him?" i ask.
"he could try, Mr. Garrison isn't the most fit out of us" she says.
"i see, well thank you for your time" i say with a smile.
i get a call as i am walking down the hall to go back to the crime scene.
"hello?" i ask.
"its Kim, i might be able to help you with the case, want to meet up later?" she asks.

"yea, i would love to, thank you" i say as she hangs up.
"no visible wounds ma'am" a police officer tells me.
"thank you" i say.
i hear arguing over at the next place as i leave Mr. Harrison's place.
Arthur walks out while coughing.
"you okay?" i ask.
"yea just the smoke" he mutters as he walks past me.
~~
me and Kim sat at the bar of Jack's club.
i had a Pepsi while she had a Coke.
"Garrison worked for Marlboro cigarettes maybe you can start there if Harrison had a fight with him his work place might know" Kim tells me.
"look at you being all smart, thanks for the help too, i feel like i'm doing this all by myself" i reply.
"he isn't talking to you still? what did you do to him to make him hold a grudge against you?" she asks.

"i wish i knew, he refuses to look at me and its getting harder to do my job when he wont give me his ridiculous theories on everything" i say with annoyance.
"you only miss him for work? and i thought you said you hated his stupid theories" she replies.
"i thought i did until he didn't give me a lecture on my shoe laces. and no he's my friend. we may not hang out outside of work but i still want him to talk to me" i complain.
"maybe he has a girlfriend and doesn't want you to know!" she suggests.

"that's no reason not to talk with me" i reply.
"my two favorite FBI agents" a voice says as someone slings their arms over our shoulders.
"we're your only two FBI agents that don't report you in" i reply to Jack.
"okay, so what are you doing here?" he asks.
"we're seeing if this club is worth while" Kim says with a shrug.
"obvously it is since i'm here" he says with a smirk.

"we're also talking about work" i cut it.
"oooo girl spill," Jack says.
"do you know a Garrison?" i ask him.
"he likes smoking, goes through ten packs a week i have no idea how he has the money for it" he says with a shrug.
"he works for Marlboro cigarrets" Kim says dully.
"he doesn't smoke that brand, he smokes a off brand" Jack replies.

"but same company?" i ask.
"sure" he answers.
"call Arthur tell him i might have a lead" i tell Kim.
~~
"a Mr. Garrison do you know him?" i ask the CEO of Marlboro .
"yea he works for us..." she replies.
"do you know he uses a off brand of your company?" i ask.
"yes.. we give it to him" she say with uncertianty.
"why?" i ask.
"fine, he's a test subject for a new cigarette brand, all the other test subjects died of it, tobacco beetles" she says with disapointment.

i see a car pull up and Arthur gets out.
he walks up.
"can we see where you make them?" i ask.
she nods and she leads us in to the building.
halfway down to the basement Arthur starts a coughing fit.
"are you okay?" i ask him.
i look back and i see him leaning against the railing.
blood covered his hand from his lungs.

"Arthur!" i murmur.
he looks at me and starts coughing again.
i run to him and he waves me off.
"i'm fine" he says between coughs.
he makes me walk and he holds in the coughing.
we reach the basement and we see a surprise guest down there.
"Mr. Garrison i told them everything" she say quickly.

he shrugs.
"you all will be dead before you can tell anyone, why should i care? he asks as he lights his cigarette.
"that's how he kills his victims. the smoke inside the cigarette" she says.
he blows the smoke out.

Arthur goes in a coughing fit and i see a beetle in his hand.
"Anna" he murmurs.
i look at Garrison and he had a crazy smile on his face.
Arthur clamps his hand around my mouth and nose so i cant breathe in the smoke.

he drags me to the sliding glass door and he pushes me out.
he slams his fist in to the key pad.
the glass door stays closed.
"ARTHUR!" i yell as i pound my fists in to the glass.

he starts coughing again and blood drips from his mouth.
"I can help you! ARTHUR" i scream.
i call 911 to get the ambulance.

i pace back and forth and my hand runs through my hair.
i drop my phone and i run to the glass.

Arthur's kneeling on the ground and blood was all over his shirt.
the lady was already dead.
"ARTHUR PLEASE!" i scream.

my forehead touches the glass and his forehead did the same.
"no need for balancing if i'm not there" he murmurs as he chuckles.
"NO! i need you Arthur" i say.
"PLEASE" i beg.
"how lovely he'll die and he thinks he can save you" Garrison says while walking up.
he grabs Arthur's hair and makes him look at him.
he blows smoke in to Arthur's face.

"NO STOP!!" i plead.
my fists pound on the glass as i try to open it.
i run to the key board and i grab the broken wires.

i hot wire it and the door slides open.
i pull out my gun and i shoot Garrison in the foot.
he cries out in pain and falls to the ground.
"Arthur!" i murmur.
i run to him and he keeps coughing up blood.
"Anna get out of here, it'll kill you" he moans between him coughing.
"NO! if i go you come with me" i say as i help him up.

i make him climb the stairs until we reach the parking lot.
i see the ambulence pull in and the paramedics climb out with a stretcher.
"Arthur you'll be fine, i know you will be" i say with tears threatening to rush from my eyes.
he falls to the ground as the paramedics get the stretcher ready.
"say my name again" he murmurs.
"Arthur." i plead.

the paramedics take the unconcious Arthur from me and they bring him to the hospital.

i stand up and i look at my bloody shirt from Arthur.
i walk back to the basement and i see a laughing like a maniac Garrison.
i pull out the gun and i shoot him in his other foot.
"tell me how to save him NOW!" i say angrily as tears rushed down my cheeks.

he keeps laughing.
"you really care don't you" he says while laughing.
i shoot him in his thigh and he yells in pain.
"alright! alright! the only reason i survive it is by smoking, the ingredient in it keeps me alive, just give him that!" he says quickly.

"i hope you die" i mutter.
~~
one week later...
i walk down the hall to my office.
i see Arthur sitting on his desk chair.
"how are you feeling?" i ask.
"i'm good, i feel like i want to smoke though, so i bought this" he says as he holds up a cigarette pack.
i stare at him with annoyance.
i snatch the pack away from him.
he just laughs a little.
~~
tears stream down my face as i remember what happened.
"i found a friend" my nurse whispers in my ear.
i look up and she undoes my straight jacket.
i walk with her so we are in the rec room.
we walk through it and i see a lot of people look at me.

"she's right there" the nurse points out to me.
i see a lady in the insane asylum clothes in the garden.
i gasp as i realize who she is.
i stumble over to her and she looks up.
"Anna" she says while tears spring up in her eyes.

i rush up to her and i hug her.
"is he all right? is Jack alright?" she whispers in my ear.
"i've been here for six months i have no idea" i tell her.
she stifles a sob and she wipes the tears from her eyes.
"they keep telling me he isn't real that no one is real that i knew" she sobs.
"shhh we wont let them. they're real" i tell her.

"but what if they're not? that everything i believed in is not real. that you arn't real" she asks.