hush.

the fourth chapter

february 21, 1957unknown, californiaI had been working at the Joesph Rochefort building for a couple months now, and it had been everything I dreamed. Each day, we worked on a new, exciting case. It seemed like nothing could dampen my enthusiasm. Today, I was sitting in my office, working on a case about Mexican cartels in border towns. It was almost time to head home and I was about to close the Manila folder when I heard it. The strangled cry that had laid in the depths of my subconscious ever since I heard it on my first day. No sooner had I processed what I was hearing than the hellish sound began anew: A melancholy wail that shook me to my very core. When I finally snapped out of the dark spell it had put me under, I made up my mind: I needed to see what was going on. Someone could be in trouble, and being the hero, I had to help them. I crept out of my office and almost jumped out of my skin as another shriek pierced the air. I followed the horrific sound for what seemed like miles until I found myself in the one place I had hoped to never return to again.My mother, Eagle Feather, had grown up in a native tribe, but eventually moved into the city. However, she never forgot about her roots, and would always tell me Native American legends about evil spirits to scare me into behaving. Now, as I stood in the downtrodden wing, I felt as if these spirits were watching me, laughing at my mortal fear. The lights flickered on and off, the floorboards sending a jolt of icy terror through my body with each creak. Another scream pierced the air, and it sounded like it was coming from behind a door marked Janitorial Closet. Slowly, I reached out for the door knob and wrapped my hand around its cool surface. The knob turned with a sickening squeak as I pushed open the door, mentally preparing myself for the sight of a mutilated corpse or a severed head. The door swung open, and I stared into the dimly lit cavern in shock. While I expected to see something disturbing, the truth was much more frightening than anything my mind could cook up. Save for a couple of push brooms and buckets, the closet was devoid of any objects. I stood frozen in place as my head swam with explanations for this. Was it all in my head? Is the sound coming from somewhere else? Or is something more sinister at play? "Sir, may I help zou?" said a voice. 

In that moment, I felt numbness spread from the top of my head to the soles of my feet. I was going to die. This man was going to kill me, and I would never see Gilbert, Matthias, or my family again. "Sir?" I whirled around, ready to face death. However, what I saw didn't look like death. The boy standing before me looked more like the kind of kid to get beat up in middle school than a sociopathic killer. He had long, blonde hair, almost to the point where he looked like a girl. The kid's arms were so small and twiggy, I wouldn't be surprised if there were tree branches under his puffy security guard jacket. Combine this with the fact that the kid barely barely reached my shoulder, and my fear was disappearing faster than a snowman in Florida. I chuckled at the boy. "Hey, no need to scare me, little dude!" The small boy grabbed my shirt collar and yanked me down to his height. "Do not adopt using vhose vords vith vee, mister. I could report vou for poking around where zhou don't belong." I shuddered. This kid was scary! No wonder he was a security guard. He glared at me "Get vhere vou're going." I waved feebly and backed up, still terrified of the little dude. "Goodbye, um...?" I glanced at his badge "Vash." Vash looked at me in the same way one may look at a piece of gum on their shoe: with annoyance and contempt. "Auf Wiedersehen, sir." As soon as the guard's back was turned, I sprinted out of the building and hopped in my car. I tried to focus on the road, but questions swirled in my brain space. Where were the screams coming from? Who was making them? Why? Or were these noises all in my head?

~A/N~

Chapter 4 is here! This chapter is a little bit short, as it is a separate idea from the next one. I was gonna publish it on Christmas, but I ran out of time. Anyway, thanks for reading and remember to vote and follow!

Names:

Eagle Feather: Native America

Vash: Switzerland

Translations:

Auf Wiedersehen- Goodbye