Tonight was supposed to be one of the biggest nights of my life; I never thought it would be my last.
I was cleaning up my office, ready to go home, when I heard thunder. Knowing there was a storm approaching I put my jacket on, If only I’d known about the other storm that was brewing that night. I felt a square object hit my side, I smiled and put my hand in my left pocket and clutched the small velvet box that contained Vivian’s engagement ring. I had already proposed a couple of months back, but tonight I was going to do it properly, the whole down on one knee shebang.
I zipped up my jacket, grabbed my bag, and was starting for the door when my co-worker, Tom Lesley, asked me to do a call for him. Supposedly some neighbors heard lots of screaming coming from the house near theirs and felt it was something the police should check out.
I was hesitant to offer him help; I just wanted to get home to Vivian. I told him I would go anyway, since it was on the way to my house anyway. Tom thanked me and proceeded to pack up so HE could go home. I call Vivian to tell her that I would be home later than usual, she was disappointed but I assured her I would get home as fast as possible.
I got outside and saw that it was pouring, much worse of a storm than I thought. Driving in this would be hell, but I needed to get this over with and get home to Vivian. As I drove I noticed no other cars were on the road. Considering it was a Friday night, this was strange. Rain or no rain the people of Seattle loved their Friday nights. I tried not to think too much of it, but this feeling of suspicion crept up on me and I felt my guard rise.
A couple of minutes later, I arrived at the suspected house. The house probably looked normal and pleasant during the day, but at night? The dark surrounded the house like a cloak of false innocence
It was 6:30 pm and yet all the lights were off, and three cars in the driveway. Before getting out of my car, I called the last two guys left at the station. I’ve done this before alone, but tonight, with this house? I knew it was safer not to. I got out of my car, ignoring the rain that pelted onto my jacket, and took a closer look at the house.
Lightning flashed, illuminating the house, and the thunder followed. One might think the light from the lightning would make it better, like it was just another house, but no. It looked like it came right out of a horror movie. The one-story house had closed off-white shudders, dead grass and flowers, AND add the lightning and thunder?
It was a classic set up.
A few moments later, Officers Cane and Burke arrived and quickly got out of their cars and rushed towards me, “Why the urgent call, Parker?” they asked. How could I tell them that I thought it was too dangerous to do this alone? They think It was a joke, especially if I was wrong, I would never hear the end of it. So instead of explaining I told them to follow me. Cane, Burk, and I walked to the door and knocked.
We waited for several minutes before knocking again. Finally a light was turned on and seconds later the door opened and there stood a middle aged mad in dark blue cotton pajamas. His brown hair was disheveled as if he’d been sleeping this whole time even though the night had just begun.
“Can I help you Officers?” he asked his voice groggy. We explained that we got a call in about a scream coming from his house and we had to check it out. He let us in and we briefly checked out the kitchen and living room. The man interrupted our search to ask us if we wanted anything to drink, Burk said yes and in no time all of us were sitting in the living room chatting like we were old friends, I on the other hand took note of his clean house, not a dust in sight it seemed. As I sat on the loveseat I notice a hallway that I hadn’t seen earlier. I asked him where his bathroom was, the look on his face told me he knew I didn’t really have to use the bathroom, but he smiled anyway and told me where it was. “Down that hallway, first door on your right.”
I followed his instructions, and went down the dark hall containing four doors. Since the first one on my right was the bathroom that meant the rest were probably bedrooms. I passed the bathroom and checked out the first bedroom. I opened the door was surprised to find a light pink nursery instead. I cautiously walked into the room which was clean like the rest of the house. I looked into the crib and stopped. The crib was empty. That right there was suspicious, and led me to check out the other bedrooms.
The next room belonged to a boy maybe 7 or 8. The walls were dark blue and had various sport themed decorations scattered on them. The name Tyler was also hung on the wall in big letters. You would suspect an eight year old boy’s room would be messy and the floor covered in toys, but this was not the case. Instead the hardwood floors that covered the rest of the house was clean, no toys visible, even the bed was made like no one has slept in it for weeks. What eight year old makes his bed? And no toys easily accessible? Now yes maybe the parent cleaned the room but it was 7 pm, where was Tyler and his baby sister?
The last room must be the master bedroom. I tried to open the door but unlike the other doors it was locked.
“Most officers ask to search the house.”
The shock resonated in me for only a minute before turning around and meeting the yellow/brown eyes of the man. He pulled out a key, and brushed past me to unlock the door. Why lock the door in the first place if you would open it for a police officer?
He held the door open for me to come inside. Unlike the other rooms this one was grotesque.
The room was torn to pieces, the mattress flipped over and the sheets torn and scattered on the floor. Among the tattered sheets was something else, I bent down and picked it up. It seemed to be a bone of some sort, it was small but too big to be from a chicken of an animal. I took a step and my foot hit something, I looked down and stared in horror. On the floor was a chewed off piece of a child’s leg. I dropped the bone that was in my hand, which must have belonged to a baby. I noticed the other bones on the floor still had flesh hanging off of them.
“Enjoy your last meal, my love.” I heard the man from behind me say before he slammed and locked the door. Then I heard an animalistic growl coming from behind the mattress, was there a dog in here? Was he the one that ate the children?
I cautiously walked over and hesitantly lifted the mattress.
I screamed, not because of what it was, but because it lunged and attacked me.
Officer Burke and Cane were waiting for Nathan, the man who lived here, to come back when they heard a scream.
Burke and Cane jumped up and ran down the hall Nathan and Parker were in. With their guns drawn they sprinted towards Nathan who was standing in front of the door, staring at the key in his hands.
“Open the door Nathan!” Burke yelled. Nathan didn’t fight them and unlocked the door. They stormed in and stopped in their tracks.
On the floor was a woman on all fours, she had tangled wild hair with blood dried in the tips. Her clothes were ripped and barely hanging on her body. When the two officers walked in the crazed woman looked up and bared her teeth, much as a rabid animal would do, showing off the blood still dripping from her mouth.
Next to her was the corpse of Officer Parker. His mouth was agape as if he was still screaming, his eyes were wide and still held fear in them. His body was scratched by the nails of the woman, and there was a hole in his chest. Officer Burke trailed his eyes from the hole to the object in the woman’s hand.
Both officers felt their stomachs lurch at the sight.
In her hand was the still beating heart of Officer Parker.
