The Mysterious World of Eddy Shade

Chapter 12: Mrs Vallen

     Eddy was heading through the city in his unmarked police car with Xander in the seat next to him. Eddy had the police radio on and was listening to it intensely as he drove. So far none of the constant chatter coming over it had mentioned the attack at his apartment building. He was surprised that no one had called the police, given all the commotion. A fact that was beginning to worry him. In the back of his mind he could not help but think that the lack of any report was do to all of his neighbors might in fact be dead, and there for leaving no one left to call the police. 

     "So why are we going back to your apartment again?" Xander complained. "Do you have a death wish I should know about?" 

     "I need to know how things turned out. I will not be able to sleep at night with out knowing if every one is okay." He also no longer knew what to think of Mrs. Vallen. He had known her for years, and up till a few days ago, had always been the typical kind old lady next door. But earlier today she had gone from nice old lady to cold blooded killer in the near blink of an eye. He had seen it with his own eyes. If he had not he would not have believed it. It was a hard thing to wrap his mind around. Then there was the matter of her little pet lizard monster, it had actually eaten some one. Xander had told him they were safe, but then how could it have done what it did? 

     Besides if he was staying at Edith's he needed clothes, and more importantly he wanted to ask Mrs. Vallen a few questions. 

     "And why are we taking your car? Some one may have seen you drive away in it and now be on the look out for it." 

     "Because my car is the one with the police radio and lights" Eddy said as he pulled into a parking space in front of the building. "Besides I always worry your car will fall apart on the interstate." 

     "My car is not that bad."

     "Xander your back bumper is a two by four." 

     "And?" 

     "Never mind" Eddy said as they got out of the car and began walking to the building. Eddy was relieved that the front of the building seemed intact. After the light show Mrs. Vallen and put on part of him expected it to be reduced to a pile of ruble. He slowed down as he got to the base of the set of four concrete steps that led up to the door of the tall brick building. He slowly walked up the stairs and hesitantly pulled open the metal framed glass door. 

     As the door came open his tension began to ease. With the bright flash he had seen when he had fled he half expected the stairs to be charred, but every thing looked normal. He more confidently climbed the stairs to the second floor. As he approached the top he closed his eyes, afraid to see what the hall the fight had actually occurred in would look like. 

     He came to stop at the top of the stairs and slowly opened his eyes. Miraculously the hall looked fine. There was no sign that any thing had happened. Nothing at all. No burns, no scratches, no nicks in the walls, no more then normal any ways that was. Even the scent from the wraith Mrs. Vallen had burned with the light that had came from her staff was gone. Every thing looked and smelled just like before. The pail off white walls showing no more then the normal nicks and scratches and the hall still having the smell of burnt pop corn and stale lasagna as it always did. Eddy walked down the hall, running his hand along its wall as he searched it and the floor with his eyes for any evidence that a fight for his life had occurred, but he found nothing. As he reached his door he began to question if it had even happened at all, or if he had merely imaged it all. But Xander had heard the whole thing over the phone, or at least the point up tell he had accidentally crushed his phone. So it had to have happened, right? As he looked up a door a little farther down the hall opened, and out stepped Mrs. Vallen. She smiled at them warmly and then waved for them to come inside.