The Stone Wall and His Weakness [A.H.]

XII

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I rushed down the hallway, a stack of files in my arms. I threw open the glass doors, marching past the team and into Aaron's office. It was my first official day back and it was already off to a rough start.

"We've got a bad one."

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I stood behind the two-way mirror, shoulder to shoulder with Aaron and Rossi, watching the man panic in the interrogation room.

"Look, there's been some kind of misunderstanding, alright? I'm innocent! I didn't- I- I couldn't do this! Will someone please listen to me!?" Thunder cracked as Aaron entered the room calmly, "Who are you?"

"I'm Agent Hotchner, Mr. Merrin. Have you been advised of your rights?"

"Yeah."

"Do you know where you are?"

"Some FBI place, right?"

"You're at the Behavioral Analysis Unit in Quantico, Virginia. You know why you're here?"

"Because you think I'm a killer."

"Are you a killer?"

"No. Why won't anybody believe me? I am not-"

"Stop. Sit down." They sat on either side of the metal table, Merrin sighing heavily, "Take a deep breath. I want you to tell me exactly what happened two nights ago. Don't leave anything out. Can you do that?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I can do that. So, uh... Me and... Me and my wife Tabitha, we were getting ready for bed when she says 'I think I heard something downstairs'..."

He went through the story slowly, nerves causing him to stutter often. We had studied the case file already, so we knew most of what he was telling us. Mrs. Merrin believed someone was outside, but Mr. Merrin was convinced it was an animal. He went downstairs to check, making sure the front door was locked. He kept repeating that everything was fine. Then he told us something that wasn't in the file, "I smelled sage".

"Sage?" Aaron asked, thinking the same thing I was.

"Like burning sage. Cause that's when I..." He continued with the story, saying the closet door creaked open and he heard a growling sound. I could tell his nerves were turning to panic as he recalled the black monster-like hand that came out of the closet. He said he ran upstairs, yelling for his wife, but that he was dragged down the stairs by his feet.

"A shadow monster?"

"Yeah."

"With talons for hands?"