The Unknown: Darkness Among Us #1

2 - Darkness Among Us

"Run!".

The screech ricocheted in his ears.

Sitting bolt upright. Aiden gasped for air. His heart was hammering against the inside of his chest. His breath was coming out uneven and fast, taking in as much air as possible. He felt like someone had been holding him underwater for a long time, before letting him resurface.

When the panic wore off. Aiden carefully moved his hands up to rub his face.

It was the same dream again, the same reoccurring nightmare. The same waking horror he'd had ever since he was a boy.

Shaking his head to banish the dream. Aiden lowered his hands and moved to check his phone, only to find that it had fallen to the floor during the night. Five missed calls from his boss shone on the screen.

"Damn", Aiden muttered as he threw the covers off. He hurriedly got dressed and ran out the door, got in his car and headed to the location he'd been given.

It took him to a small cottage in the woods. It was a small white brick building with a thatch roof, black-framed windows, a bright green front door and a well-kept garden surrounded by a low stone fence, with a gravel path leading from the door to the wooden gate. Ivy crawled up most of the walls of the house, while clematis that was in early bloom, had grown up the edges of a wooden archway that sat in front of the green door.

Police cars sat in front of the house. Their lights decorated the dark forest with a sapphire glow, that danced and flickered across every surface it could reach.

An Officers wandered along the edges of the police tape as it fluttered in the breeze. Aiden showed his identity to the officer. Before being allowed to enter.

Inside, the house had hard wooden floors, cream coloured walls. The ceiling lights gave off an incredibly warm glow. Every wall held a variety of pictures and artwork. Potted plants rested on nearly every available surface.

Aiden carefully walked through the serene hallway, scared of disturbing the scene and breaking the illusion the house was portraying. Heading towards the room with the most activity.

There he found, Detective Chief Inspector (DCI) Shaw, a slim middle-aged woman with long brown hair, was discussing something with Detective Sergeant (DS) Johnson. A large, older man in his early fifties, with short cut dark hair that was slowly going grey and a permanently sour look on his face. Dr Brodie Scott was also present, a fairly overweight man with a thick white moustache and balding head. He was currently busy examining the body.

The victim was a young woman. She laid face down on the carpet. Her dirty blond hair rested around her head like a halo. Patches of dirt all around her. A knife was embedded in her back. Her blood had seeped into her once white jumper and had stained the carpet a dark crimson.

"DC Hunt!", Shaw declared getting his attention and signalled him over. Moving towards her, Aiden was careful not to disturb the crime scene.

"What we got, ma'am?", he asked.

"If you were here on time you would know", Johnson stated bitterly.

"That's enough, Sargent", Shaw warned. "Go with DS Thomas to talk with the sister", Shaw ordered. Johnson didn't argue, just glared at Aiden before simply walking away. "He is right though, this is the third time you have arrived late", Shaw said as she turned towards him.

"I'm so sorry, ma'am. I uh-... I didn't hear my phone go off".

"I see... maybe next time I'll send Pearce to collect you", Shaw stated.

"I'll see if I remember next time", a voice piped up. Turning to the voice Aiden came face to face with Detective Constable (DC) Christopher Pearce.