Realistic or Modern Brimwater - A Supernatural Mystery/Horror Story

[Infab]

Brimwater, Michigan. November 19th, 2000. A man by the name of Charles Sebastian Cooley, the principal at Brimwater High School, was discovered dead in his home. The local sheriff's investigation was prompt, determined to get to the bottom of things, and bring some solace to a city that knew the man rather well. The investigation proceeded rather quickly, but came to a sudden halt when government agents arrived in Brimwater. Taking over the investigation entirely, only a few hours passed before the agents informed the public that it was an animal attack. Most accepted the statement, moving on with their lives in preparation for the upcoming Thanksgiving festivities. Others among the general public, however, knew something else was going on. Details were being kept quiet, and government agents were still lurking around the city. These few of the public would take it upon themselves to find out more, and would find themselves in the midst of something far bigger than they had imagined.



Introduction
Brimwater, Michigan
November 17th, 2000
10:43 PM

Charles S. Cooley's Home
​

"Alright, I understand... I'll check on it in the morning... Just get some sleep, Elizabeth... Mhm. Goodnight."

Click.

The phone was placed back in its proper place, fixed to the wall in the kitchen. Charles Cooley stared at the phone for a few moments, running a hand through his greying hair before shaking his head. He then turned about and made his way back to his seat at the kitchen table. This had been the third time someone had broken into Brimwater High School's science lab in the past two months. Each time, the lab had been wrecked, with a few substances stolen that were normally used for student experiments and projects. Perhaps it was a local gang trying to make narcotics? Whoever it was, the sheriff's department and metro police was nowhere close to cracking whom was doing the break-ins.

He sighed, looking back down at the paperwork on the table. Forms and files related to the general running of the high school. It'll be costly to repair the science lab once again. "...Christ, we're going to need a night guard." he muttered, grabbing his reading glasses from the table and slipping them on.

Before he could return to the page he had been reading over before the call, there was a noise outside. A crash, as if his trash can had been overturned. He looked up, glancing towards the glass sliding door which lead out onto the back porch. A stray dog? Raccoons? He stood, sliding his chair back out before stepping over to the glass door. As he arrived, peering through the glass to the right to try and see his trash bin, something moved. Quickly.

Whatever it was, it arrived at the glass door to stare back at him a few moments later.

------

November 18th, 2000
8:20 AM

Charles S. Cooley's Home

​

"Watch the glass." motioned Sheriff Thomas Carson, motioning with his finger at the glass scattered about the kitchen floor.

The deputies cautiously stepped through the shattered door, past the small markers signifying evidence and shattered glass. A smear of blood marked the floor just on the other side of the door. Just one of many splotches around the kitchen. All belonged to the victim, it seemed, whom had been found in the living room on the other side of the house. Charles Sebastian Cooley, principal of Brimwater High School. Carson moved along the kitchen, avoiding markers himself as he entered the small hall leading from the kitchen to the living room of the home. The deputies followed quietly, taking in the scene as they walked. And soon, they arrived at the location of the body.

The living room was arranged in a way that the black leather couch sat in the center, facing the left wall as you entered from the kitchen. A large TV sat inside an entertainment center, with a red chair sitting to the left of the couch. Cocked at an angle to face the TV. A small end table sat between them. A small grey rug sat before the couch, beneath a black coffee table. And beside the coffee table, sprawled out on the floor on his face, was Cooley. Carson paused behind the couch, peering over it at the body as an investigator stood next to it. Snapping picture after picture of the man's corpse and wounds with a camera.

After a few moments of gazing at the body, Carson glanced to his deputies. "Now that you two know where the body is, make sure no one else gets close enough to see it. Understand?"

The deputies nodded, before returning back out the way they came. Carson took one last look at the body, before slowly shaking his head. Cooley had been a close friend for quite a long time. Almost three decades, in fact. A good man, great with children. Hell, great with people in general. Why would someone want him dead? Carson looked back through the house, his eyes following the bloody path from the back glass door.

He'd have to get to the bottom of this.

---

10:37 AM
​

"At 8 AM this morning, Charles Cooley was found dead in his home by one of his co-workers. After calling Cooley several times, said co-worker drove here to his home to check on him. Once he was found, she immediately called police. We'd like to let the city of Brimwater know that we are doing everything in our power to discover the cause of Principal Cooley's death. When we have more solid evidence on the matter, we will let the press know. Thank you for your time." stated Sheriff Carson, as he stood amongst a mass of reporters.

Immediately after Carson stepped away from the group, the reporters began to rapidly fire off a number of questions. How was he killed? Do police have a suspect in mind? Any idea why someone would want to target a high school principal? It was a whirlwind of confusion, one that deputies stepped in to try and quell as the sheriff returned to his vehicle.

In all honesty, he needed a drink and considered heading over to Rick's Bar in town. However, he wouldn't get the chance.

A voice interrupted him as he went to grab the door handle of his car. "Sheriff Carson?" A feminine voice, though a bit rough. Carson turned about to find himself looking at a woman dressed in a nice black suit, her arm outstretched to him. Her long black hair tied into a bun, and a pair of mirrored silver aviators covering her eyes. "Special Agent Dark. Federal Bureau of Investigation. Can I speak to you in private, Sheriff? It's about your case here." she stated politely, though her expression was rather serious.

Carson eyed her for a moment, before reaching out and shaking her hand. "Uhm, sure." he responded, raising an eyebrow. The feds? What are they doing here? And so quickly?

------

November 19th, 2000
9:00 AM

Brimwater Police Department

​

"At noon yesterday, federal agents assumed control over the investigation into the death of Charles Sebastian Cooley, principal of Brimwater High School. With assistance from the local sheriff's department, as well as Brimwater's municipal police, we investigated the case extensively and have concluded that Cooley was the victim of an animal attack. Specifically a black bear. The wounds discovered on Cooley's body matched those commonly found on the victims of black bear attacks. We hope that this will put some minds at ease regarding the death of Mr. Cooley, especially those that worked alongside him at Brimwater High. The sheriff's department would like us to announce that they will be patrolling the area known as Oldtown a bit more frequently in the coming weeks, in an effort to combat the potential of future bear attacks. Thank you." stated Dark, standing at a podium inside the conference room of the Brimwater Police Department.

No questions were answered, despite the repeated attempts from reporters that had filled the small room. Sheriff Carson, whom had sat behind Dark during the speech, remained still. His brow furrowed.

The federal agents that had arrived to assume control over the case hadn't cooperated at all. In fact, they took over the crime scene, and took the body to do their own autopsy instead of allowing the local coroner to do it. Now, the body of Charles Cooley lay in the lab in the very building they were sitting in, guarded by a pair of federal agents at the door. Occasionally other agents would show up to see the body, stay for a few hours, then depart. Carson had even seen a scientist enter the room while walking around. It was all really suspicious, and it really upset him as it was a friend of his. Eventually, he sighed and stood, stepping by a few of his deputies as well as members of the municipal police on his way to the door.

Outside in the hallway, he was stopped by the very same agent that had taken this case from him. "Thank you for your cooperation, Sheriff Carson." she said.

He replied rather promptly, giving her a look. "Cooperation? We didn't do anything. You took it over entirely and forced us out."

Dark finally smiled for the first time. "And you cooperated."

---

Elsewhere...
9:20 AM

Grimshaw Apartments, Apartment #36
Southside, Brimwater



Selena Osbourne​

The Nokia began vibrating, ringing loudly as it started to skitter across the cluttered end table next to the bed. A pale hand slapped the table a moment later, feeling about for the phone, before eventually freezing when the phone fell off the edge of the table onto the floor.

"...Fuck." spoke a female voice, the owner of the hand. Covers shifted, tossed about till the person could reach down and grab the phone off the floor. A button press and beep later, she pressed the phone to her ear. With a yawn, she spoke. "...What?" she asked, almost angrily.

The voice on the other end was male. Older, authoritative. "...You're not out of bed yet, Selena?" he asked.

She groaned almost immediately, sitting up partially in bed. "I'm getting up." she said, rubbing moving her black hair out of her face and rubbing her eyes.

"Good. Get a shower, and get dressed. We're gonna go grab breakfast. Then we can go job hunting." said the voice on the other end.

She grumbled a bit, before clicking the button to end the call. She sat there for a few moments, staring off at the end of her bed where her feet sat beneath the beige covers. "...Fucking job hunting this early..." she muttered, as she finally tossed the covers off and slipped out of bed.

Standing next to her bed, wearing just a white tank top and boxers, she looked about the messy apartment. It was a fairly cheap one, and pretty open with only the bathroom being closed off. Her bed sat across from the front door, while the 'living area' was to the right when you came through the door. To the left was the kitchen, and down a small hall next to the kitchen was the bathroom. Clothes were scattered here and there, a pair of pants slung into a chair nearby that had been pulled from the living area along with her jacket. A few beer cans sat on the table next to the bed, some she had knocked over while grabbing for her phone, while a cluster of others stat on the coffee table in front of the old colorful couch. Her backpack sat next to the chair, unzipped and open to reveal a few notebooks. She found one of her boots was near the door to her apartment, while the other was somehow in the kitchen next to the counter. She didn't quite understand why it was over there, but wouldn't dwell on it long. She wandered across the apartment, heading towards the bathroom. During the journey, she passed by the empty pizza boxes on the counter in the kitchen, as well as a near complete six pack of beer she had placed on the counter next to the fridge. She must have left it out from the night before.

She grumbled more, as she stepped inside the bathroom and up to the sink. She found herself looking at herself in the mirror, eyeballing her messy hair as well as the makeup she had forgot to remove before sleeping. Now it was all smeared. She honestly looked like she got hot and heavy with a fucking clown. The thought made her chuckle slightly. After finding a clean towel and some clothes for the day, she soon slipped into the shower. As usual, the water was ice cold to begin with. She hugged the wall for a moment, making sure to stay out of the icy stream, before stepping under the water when it started to give off steam. Perfect.

Minutes later, she was out and dressed. After a little makeup and some hair styling, she was ready to go. Jeans, a white t-shirt, boots, and her leather jacket. If it was clean, of course. She wandered around the apartment, searching for it, before eventually finding it.

"Bingo." she muttered. After looking it over, to check it for stains, she slipped it on and dug in the pockets. Bike keys, lighter, knife. Usual stuff. After slipping her wallet into her pocket, she heard a knock at her door. "Gimme a sec." she said aloud, walking over. The door was locked three different ways, which she undid one at a time till she was able to open the door. Could never be too safe in this building. ESPECIALLY this building.

Once the door opened, she found herself looking up the local Sheriff. "Wow, you're not wearing something grungy. That's a first." he said, looking down at her choice of clothing.

"Funny. You're not wearing something from the fuckin' seventies." she responded, near instantly.

Carson shrugged a bit. "The seventies were great, you know."

Selena stepped out the door, locking it behind her with her key. "Yeah. The eighties were better." The off-white hallway and green carpeting were a sight to see, but one could usually barely see it due to the terrible florescent bulbs they used for lights. She glanced to Carson as they started to walk towards the stairs at the end of the hallway. "Where we eating?" she asked, genuinely curious. She was craving a nice burger.

"The diner. You know the one." he responded. Selena went quiet. She knew exactly which one, and knew it all too well.

Outside, they got a good view of Southside. Southside was the more run-down part of modern Brimwater, with abandoned buildings, busted up cars, and issues with gangs and crime. You wouldn't want to be caught out at night without a method of defending yourself. Lucky for them, it was daylight. Nearby, a cluster of guys were messing with the shocks on their car, attempting to make them so that they rode a bit lower to the ground. A few others were across the street, hanging around and shooting the shit while one was smoking a cigarette. As Carson moved to his car, Selena instead moved to her motorcycle next to it. Mainly to check on it and make sure nothing had been stolen. She gave it a once over, and once she was satisfied with how it looked, she moved back to Carson's car and climbed in.

Shortly after Carson had climbed in and cranked the Crown Vic up, the radio came on. A local talk radio station. "I always knew you were an old fuck." said Selena, cutting him a look.

"Other people listen to talk radio. Not just old people." he said, returning her look. As they pulled out of the parking lot, the station mentioned the local news. Mainly the investigation into Principal Cooley's death.

Selena acted as though she wasn't listening, arm propped on the edge of the window and gazing out. Really, however, he was listening. Cooley was one of the few people that had cared enough about her to try and stop her from dropping out of school years ago. Carson tried too, but he did it because he had been friends with Selena's parents before their death. Carson was also the reason Selena was back in Brimwater in the first place. Trying to help her get her life back on track.

In all honesty, she felt bad about Cooley's death. He tried to help any way he could, even offering to help her get counseling. Maybe I could have used it. She glanced to the radio when it was mentioned that the federal government had been involved in the investigation, and had ruled it as an bear attack. "Bear attack?" she said, glancing to Carson.

Carson grunted. "Don't get me started on that shit." he muttered in response. She turned to face him, and it forced Carson to glance towards her. "...Some Special Agent named 'Dark' stepped in and took over the whole investigation. Didn't even allow us to assist them, and took the body to the municipal police morgue themselves. They have it under guard."

Selena smirked. "Dark? The fuck kind of name is that?" she said, chuckling. "She trying to be spooky or something?"

Carson shrugged. "I don't know...but things just don't add up. If it was a bear, there would have been more damage inside the home. Only thing damaged was the glass sliding door...and bears don't make claw and bite marks like that."

Selena looked at him for a moment, cocking an eyebrow upwards. "What, you think someone did it? Rabies or something?" she finally asked.

Carson glanced to her. "I don't know...Maybe. I just know we won't find out while the feds are wandering around." He then reached over and changed the station, switching it from the news to a typical pop music station. "But let's not worry about that. You've got a big day today." he said, glancing towards her again and giving her a smile.

Selena eyed him for a moment, before returning to looking out the window. Some random guy just up and murders Cooley, but the Feds cover it up as an animal attack. What's going on? Potential serial killer? Some weird science experiment gone wrong? Her mind started to run wild with ideas surrounding the murderer and the reasoning. Enough that she didn't even notice that they had reached the diner fifteen minutes later.

---

Nine-2-Five Diner
Central Brimwater

​

"Two breakfast platters, Kelly." said Carson, looking up and handing their menus to the waitress.

"I wouldn't expect anything else, sugar." responded the red-haired waitress, dressed like she stepped out of a '50s period film. Most of the diner itself was dressed up similar to a typical 1950s diner. From the chrome counters, to the large colorful booth seats, to the jukebox in the corner of the room playing Sinatra.

Selena was pressed into the corner of her booth seat sideways, facing out with a leg pulled up to her chest in the seat. She rested her head against the wall cream colored wall behind her, rolling her eyes as the cheerful waitress walked off with their order. I hate this place.

Carson returned his gaze to her as he sat back, scratching the side of his jaw where his beard thinned out. There was a few moments of silence between the pair, before the sheriff spoke up once more. "...So do you...have any ideas for what kind of job you want to do?"

Selena's response was quick, and rather blunt. "Nope." she said, tapping her fingers on the table between them as her left arm rested on it.

Carson studied her for a few moments, a few ideas running through his head. She really did need a job of some sort. She needed to be able to support herself in Brimwater, and maybe find a better apartment than the one she was currently staying in. "...How about a job at a store? You like movies?" he finally said, "There's a Blockbuster hiring downtown."

Selena glanced down towards her lap, then towards Carson after a moment. She did like movies, actually. "...Maybe." she said, with a shrug.

Carson nodded, with a faint smile. A 'maybe' was better than a 'no' at this point. "I know the manager. I can talk to him and get him to hire you on part time to see if you like it or not." added Carson, to which Selena nodded.

"...Fine. Works for me." she responded afterwards.

"Great. We can eat, then head over there to check it out when we leave." said the Sheriff, his faint smile stretching into a legit one. Selena didn't smile, however. Instead, she continued looking around the diner at the patrons.

Then, she asked another question. One Carson wasn't prepared for.

"Why did you bring me here, Tom?"

Carson looked at her, his smile fading. "...I figured bringing you somewhere familiar would help you feel better. Cheer you up, you know?" he replied, sitting forwards and resting his arms on the table.

Selena tilted her head to look at him again. "It didn't." she said simply.

Carson's gaze shifted from her to where his hands were clasped together on the table. Her parents used to bring her to the diner quite often, and often he'd find them and spend some time with them there before they went home. "...I'm sorry for everything, Selena. I'm just trying to help." he said, glancing back up to the girl across from him.

"Don't. I deal with it in my own ways, Tom. I don't need your help."

Carson gazed at her for a moment, before straightening up and unclasping his hands. "...It sure looked like it when you were sitting in that cell in Chicago." he stated, a serious look on his face now.

Selena's head turned quickly, as she cut him a hateful look. "I was fine in that cell. You could have left me the fuck alone." she muttered.

Carson shook his head. "You would have been right back on the street, stealing and selling shit for quick cash. At least you have an apartment to live in now. And food. And clothes that you toss around your apartment like a child." he replied, glancing up to see the waitress was coming with their orders.

Selena was fuming, but kept quiet as the woman set their food and drinks down. "Enjoy, Sheriff. You too, sweetheart." said Kelly, before strolling off to leave them to their meals.

As Carson began to dig into the eggs on his plate, Selena glared at him. And continued to do so for a full minute before her stomach growled. She was hungry, and right before her was a beautiful plate full of eggs, bacon, toast, and various other breakfast dishes.

• Swallow your anger, and eat silently.
• Refuse the food, and go outside.

 

[Breadman]

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