Realistic or Modern Brimwater - A Supernatural Mystery/Horror Story

Infab · Oct 3, 2024

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.

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Swallow your anger, and eat silently.

Selena eventually glanced down to it, before finally giving in and chowing down. However, as Carson and Selena dined on their breakfast, Carson suddenly felt his cell phone vibrate in his jacket pocket. He paused his eating, setting down his utensils, before wiping his mouth with a napkin and fishing for his phone. A moment later, he answered it. "Sheriff Carson speaking." he said, glancing around the diner as he waited for the person on the other end to answer.

Selena mostly ignored him, finishing up her meal and drinking from the cup of orange juice next to it. She did, however, glance up to him.

"Sheriff, this is Detective Reece Gray of the Detroit PD. I need to ask you some questions regarding the death of Charles Cooley in person. Where can I find you?"

The Sheriff looked a bit surprised. "Cooley? Well, uh..." he replied. Detroit PD? What's a detective doing up here? He glanced to Selena, whom had stopped and was now looking at him. She had heard the name Cooley, and was now interested. "Well, I'm at the Nine-2-Five Diner at the moment. Near Rick's Bar. Easy to find, really, over in the western part of Central Brimwater. Come by, and we can talk a bit."

"On my way then." was all Reece said before hanging up.

9:50 AM

It took some time due to traffic, and a little bit of scouring of the roadside signs, to find the diner to which the detective pulled up in and quickly parked his vehicle. From his view in the car, he saw the Sheriff seated inside along with a younger woman which was somewhat odd to him but he didn't really care in the end. He rubbed his nose quickly before exiting the car and made his way into the diner where he would be greeted with the smell of coffee and breakfast plates. I could use something to eat afterwards. Reece thought to himself as he took in the aromas. But he had to focus for now.

He then walked on over to where the Sheriff and Selena were sitting and introduced himself: "Sheriff. Ma'am. Detective Reece Gray, Detroit PD." he said, showing him his badge. "Pleasure to meet you. Was hoping I could ask some questions."

"Sure. Slide in." said the Sheriff, sliding over in the large red booth seat so he could sit down. Selena eyed the detective for a few moments. He reminded her of the jackasses she had encountered back in Chicago. Half of them were dirty, and most of the dirty ones were on something. Mostly coke. Her eyes narrowed, a frown appearing on her face, but she remained silent as the pair spoke. "So what about the Cooley case has caught Detroit's attention? First the Feds show up out of the blue, now you." asked the Sheriff, curious as to why the detective was there in the first place.

"Cooley is... was... a friend of mine." Reese spoke as he took a seat. "I'm not here, not officially anyway. Cashing in my vacation days I've collected." he said while quickly rubbing underneath his nose with the backside of his hand. "What caught my attention was feds getting involved with an 'animal attack'. And from what I gathered from my lovely conversation with the special agent a few minutes ago, I'm sure she and whoever else is involved on the feds side here are lying. What can you tell me of what you found in Cooley's home when you were on the scene? Prior to the feds busting down your door."

The sheriff listened as Reece explained himself, before glancing towards the table. "Cooley was a good man." he said, glancing up to Selena. She was still sitting quiet, looking intensely between the pair of law enforcement officers. He then looked back to Reece as he asked about details regarding what they found.

"We didn't find much of anything. The house was undisturbed, when normally there'd be some damage throughout the house. Instead, the only damage was to the rear glass door, which appears to be how the killer got in." explained Carson. "We never got to properly inspect the body. Agent Dark arrived and assumed total control over the case. Her agents took the body straight to the crime lab at the metro police department, and haven't let anyone near it."

Carson then leaned forward and propped on the table. "...But I did get a nice look at the body before they moved it... Those marks and bites aren't from a bear. Not one I've seen."

Reece looked away for a moment to digest this newfound information. What the hell could it be then? he thought to himself before turning back to the sheriff. "Describe them to me, as much as you can."

"Basically..." he replied, as he held up his hand and showed him his fingertips, "...its like he was clawed by a person. Quite badly. Most of his back had been shredded open. His neck was torn open too... which is probably what killed him."

Selena looked to Carson, eyes widened. "Jesus, that does sound like fucking rabies." she said, glancing to Reece.

Carson nodded. "The marks on the neck where he was bit didn't really match a human's teeth though. Which is what threw me off about all of this...well, that and the feds showing up."

"Right. And you said that there wasn't anything taken from the home, so that rules out burglary gone wrong. Do you know if the neighbors heard anything?" Reece asked next.

Carson shook his head. "None of the neighbors heard or saw anything. Most of that particular neighborhood are the elderly. Oldtown doesn't just mean its Old Brimwater, of course." he said. "The body was found by a co-worker by the name of Elizabeth Johnson. She's the assistant principal at Brimwater High School. She called him a few times, and when he didn't answer, she drove to his house and found him. Called me directly afterwards."

Carson then glanced out the window. "The feds have his house blocked off at the moment. It happened as soon as they took over the case. A fence was set up around it... and its likely the fence won't come down till they leave. Whenever that is."

"A fence? Who the fuck puts up a fence around a crime scene?" Reece spoke with a surprised expression. They're fucking hiding something that's for sure. he thought to himself. "None of this smells right. All this trouble for an "animal attack", as they're calling it." He was quiet for a moment as he shook his head over the thought that something had happened to his friend, and that it was being covered up by some assholes in suits.

"I can find Elizabeth at the high school then, I suppose?" Reece then asked.

"Yeah. She's at the high school with the other faculty. Most likely trying to deal with Cooley's death's impact on the high school." responded Carson. "You can talk to some of my deputies if you need to. If they're not at the station, give me a call and I'll let them know you want to talk to them."

Selena had gone back quiet across from them. A fucking fence around his house? The feds were definitely hiding something. There was no bear attack. She thought for a few moments, then cocked an eyebrow as she glanced out the window herself. She knew what she was doing tonight, that was for damn sure.

"I'll keep that in mind. Is there anything else that might help with my investigation Sheriff? Any details that might be pertinent to this?" Reece inquired, hoping to get another lead if possible.

Carson thought for a moment, scratching his beard. "...Well, there's been a series of break-ins at the High School over the past few weeks. Someone keeps breaking into the school's science lab and taking materials from storage. Cooley asked us to investigate it, but we haven't come up with any suspects. Personally, I think its unrelated to the murder, though." He shrugged. "Beyond that, I don't have much else."

"You never know, Sheriff." the detective spoke with a smirk before sliding out and standing up from his seat. "Thanks for the info. I'll give you a call if anything comes up." he said before finding a booth for himself to order some breakfast from.

Eventually, it was time to go for Carson and Selena. As the pair from their booth, having paid for their meals, Carson heard his radio click on his jacket. Then, a deputy's voice came through.

"Bridges to Carson, Bridges to Carson. I have some papers for you, over."

Ahhh, those statistics papers Bridges mentioned he was going to grab from the game warden about bear attacks. He promptly replied. "Ten four, Bridges. I'm at the Nine-2-Five Diner near Rick's Bar in Central." he said into the radio, before glancing back to Selena. Selena simple cut him a look. She was honestly ready to go, but Carson had driven them there and she didn't feel like walking.

Once outside, they moved back over to Carson's Crown Vic in the parking lot. Selena simply propped against the passenger door, a toothpick jutting from her mouth as she looked about. She had snatched one on the way out from a dispenser. Apparently it was one of those laced with some sort of flavoring. Minty fresh.

It didn't take long for Deputy Bridges to arrive at the diner. Barely five minutes after hailing Carson on the radio his Sheriff-marked jeep swerved around one of the nearby corners and pulled up to the diner.

He climbed out of his vehicle in a casual, almost relaxed, manner. He adjusted his jacket and pulled off his cap, leaving it on the dashboard before grabbing the orange envelope.

As he approached Carson, he extended the envelope forward. "Bear population and attack statistics as well as migratory patterns and territorial reports from our county and three others. I haven't opened it but it should all be there."

While waiting for Carson to open the envelope, Bridges crossed his arms and looked towards Selena with a neutral expression. "Selena."

Selena simply glanced to him in response. She knew the deputy was a bit older than Carson himself was, having served back in the Korean War in the 50s. He was probably pushing his upper seventies at this point. He seemed uptight. Straight-laced. In a way, your stereotypical strict, asshole cop.

The worst kind of cop. Then again, most if not all cops were terrible in her book.

Carson took the envelope, promptly opening it and reading through the documents enclosed. As expected, it shows the various data collected on black bears in the area around the city. None of them showed black bear activity near Oldtown. Most of the data showed black bear movements far to the west and southwest.

"Thank you, Bridges. This adds to my theory a bit on Cooley's death. Still, the feds control the case, so not much can be done." said the sheriff, folding the documents back up and shoving them back into the envelope. "We'd need access to the body for a proper autopsy. As well as his home, for additional evidence collection. But we can't do either because of the damn fence around his house, and the body locked in the metro police's crime lab. I doubt anyone wants to get arrested for fooling with the feds."

Selena grunted from where she was standing, looking about at the cars that passed by them going up and down the street. She didn't give a shit about the feds, but she did want to know what killed Cooley.

Bridges placed his hands on either side of his belt buckle as Carson read the contents of the envelope out loud. "So we know it's all bogus but we can't do shit about it?" Bridges shook his head and spit on the ground beside him. "Carson, I know you two were friends. You have me on your side." He glanced at Selena. "Us. There must be something we could do? As far as I'm concerned, I wouldn't mind putting some heat up the Fed's chimney either."

Carson glanced to Selena. "I'd rather keep Selena out of this..." he said, looking back to Bridges, "...You, on the other hand, could help. I want you to see if there's any way we can get access to that crime lab at the station. Pull some of the strings we have with metro, find out when the agents that hang out there take breaks from guard duty and for how long. If we can find that out, we can get in there and check out the body ourselves. Maybe see some of the documentation they have from their autopsy."

Selena was listening, her ear turned towards them as she appeared to be looking out at the street still. She wasn't planning on heading over to the crime lab at the police department to do any snooping, but it likely would make a great alternative if she didn't find anything at Cooley's house.

---

10:04 PM

A block from Charles S. Cooley's Home

The black Kawasaki Eliminator rolled to a stop, its engine having been cut off a little ways back. Forcing the bike to coast along to a stop just a block from the former home of Charles Cooley. Upon the bike was a figured dressed in dark clothes, wearing a dark blue helmet which was quietly removed to reveal the face of Selena Osborne. She glanced about, taking in the sights of the old neighborhood as she kicked the kickstand down on her bike.

Several houses were scattered about, much like your standard sub-urban neighborhoods. Though Oldtown was filled with the residents of Brimwater that were getting up there in age. The houses were all light colored, alternating between colors like yellow and cyan and pink, and often only one story. Large green front yards stretched out in front of them, with the occasional tree standing here and there. It seemed like it was a quiet neighborhood, really. No pets in the yard or anything. All the local residents seemed to have gone to bed.

She dismounted, sticking her helmet on one of the handlebars, before strolling quietly down the street with her hands shoved in her pocket. The large steel fence surrounding Cooley's house was in sight, and apparently it was one of those kinds that required an actual door be installed in it instead of a simple gate. As she neared it, she smirked. Shouldn't be too hard to get into. When she arrived at the fence, she moved along it till she could locate the door. As as expected, it had a proper key lock on it.

There was also a few large metal trash cans off to the side. Large enough to use to climb over the fence. A solid alternative, but she didn't know if there was anything she could use to climb back over on the other side.

Pick the lock on the door.
Climb the fence using the trash cans.

joshuadim · Oct 4, 2024

Breadman · Oct 5, 2024

dikdik · Oct 5, 2024

Damian0358 · Oct 5, 2024

Infab · Oct 7, 2024

Pick the lock on the door.

Hmm. Looks like a simple deadbolt lock. I could pick this, no problem.

Suddenly, a noise nearby over by the trash cans forced her to sharply twitch and quickly glance over. A cat had bumped into one of them. She rolled her eyes, before drawing out the needed tools from her left back pocket. She inserted the tools into the lock, using one to provide leverage while the other worked on the pins. She worked as carefully as she could to try and move the pins inside into position, choosing to take her time and put each pin in place instead of the classic 'rake' that could be done with these kinds of locks. There was an art to this, and it was an art she was really good at.

A few jiggles later, and there was an audible click, as the leverage bar soon turned and pulled the deadbolt out of the locked position. "Rad." she said, with a smirk. Once she pulled her tools back out and pocketed them, she used her jacket sleeve to twist the simple door handle. No need to mark it with fingerprints.

With a gentle push, she moved the door inward. On the other side were a few tables with some bags and tools on them. It looked as if they had been taking parts of the floor of the house up in an attempt to rid it of blood. Pieces of wall were stacked against the tables as well. She slowly moved inward, looking about for any signs of a camera. The feds would most certainly do something like that.

She moved through the area that was once Cooley's driveway, leading back to his car in front of his garage as well as to his rear porch. The bags were filled with bits and pieces of wood and drywall, splotches of blood on them. There were also towels present. Apparently they had attempted to get the blood up before simply tearing out the floor and walls.

They moved around to where the rear porch was, locating an overturned trash can. It likely was left that way on purpose, to be cleaned up later before the feds left. Selena creeped up onto the porch, eyeing where the rear glass door used to be. Well, found where it got in. She inspected the frame for a moment, before stepping inside. The glass from the shattered door had been cleaned up. Parts of the floor were missing, as expected. Further into the house, she could see other parts of the floor and walls were gone.

There was little to no light inside the house, unlike outside where a few spotlights and the street lamps illuminated the area to a decent extent. Selena fished around in her jacket pocket, before pulling out a flashlight. Two clicks, and a smack against the palm of her hand, and it switched on.

She cupped her hand around the flashlight so that it wouldn't give off too much light, and soon began to search around. The kitchen floors were torn up, revealing old sub-flooring. It seemed they had only been torn up in certain places, however. Apparently wherever Cooley had bled, most likely. Tool marks were cut into the remaining flooring, from where the metal bits had been jammed in to pull up the hardwood.

The table in the kitchen was gone now, and there were a few papers scattered across the floor where it had been. Squatting down and examining them, it turned out that they were files related to the school. Funding, repair costs...it seemed centered around the science lab. Maybe Cooley had been doing paperwork before he was attacked?

Selena moved inward, checking the hallway leading towards the living room. Some picture frames on the wall had been removed, leaving dusty marks where they had been. Parts of the wall were gone too, square sections cut out and revealing supports and hollow cavities behind them. Likely the same scenario as the flooring. Blood marks being removed.

Soon, the pair reached the living room and found that a large portion of the floor had been removed. Furniture had been relatively undisturbed it seemed. The body must have been here. Selena squatted next to the couch, shining her light around the missing portion of the floor. More tool marks...and the carpet nearby was gone from under the coffee table. However, she did spot something that was colored a dull grey just a short distance under the couch next to where the flooring was missing.

Selena leaned down, and peered under the couch to see the object a bit better, before pulling it out with a finger. It was... a beanie? I sure as hell have never seen Cooley wear a beanie. She carefully picked the hat up and looked it over. It was speckled with blood droplets. Likely Cooley's. It also had a few strands of hair inside. Blonde colored, and long.

She carefully set the beanie back on the floor, before drawing out a camera. It was an old Polaroid camera she had, having got it back in 1994 as a gift. She shined her flashlight on the beanie, and held the camera up to take a picture of it. Once it clicked, the photo slid out the front. She waited patiently for it to develop, fanning the photo briefly, before taking another. There. If she lost one, she had a back-up.

She wondered if there was more evidence of whoever this blonde was back at the police department, in the lab. Maybe that'd be her next stop? I need to see why the feds are hiding all of this.

However, she soon froze when she heard a noise outside. This noise sounded larger, and was followed by audible footsteps. Someone was coming.

I NEED TO HIDE! She quickly slipped across the room towards where the door to the basement was. The basement door popped open and Selena stepped through, stopping just on the stairs as she closed the door behind her. Leaving it cracked just enough so she could look out. Selena clicked her flashlight off, to make sure she wasn't seen.

As she peeked through the crack in the door, she began to hear humming. Footsteps could be heard as well in the kitchen, moving down the hallway. Boots, instead of the shoes that the feds often wore. Was it someone else that decided to snoop around the house? Then, the footsteps reached the living room.

She then heard a voice. Rather rough, as if they had chugged a bottle of cheap whiskey moments before. Still, it seemed to be a female's voice. "...Dark's putting in effort. Cute. Now where did I drop that fucking hat..." Selena glanced down to where the hat was, clutched in her fist. Shit. It was the killer.

She then saw movement through the crack in the door. The individual was looking around the living room, stopping here and there and squatting to see if they could find their missing beanie. She soon found it, picking the beanie up and slipping it on their head. Then, the person froze.

"...Hmm."

More movement, boots moving across the hardwood floor.

They were approaching the basement door.

Descend into the basement. You can probably find a place to hide.
Prepare to fight. As soon as that door opens, let 'em have it!
Make the first move. Kick the door open, and charge them while they're stunned!

Breadman · Oct 7, 2024

Damian0358 · Oct 7, 2024

dikdik · Oct 7, 2024

joshuadim · Oct 7, 2024

rpg.veteran · Oct 8, 2024

Infab · Oct 10, 2024

Descend into the basement. You can probably find a place to hide.

Down the stairs, quickly! Selena darted down the concrete stairs, almost slipping on the last step before darting into the basement's darkness. Where could she even hide down here? She had never been down here before, and everything was nearly pitch black! She felt around, as she heard the door open at the top of the staircase. Shit, they're coming!

Eventually, she felt something large and made of thin metal. She noticed its shape, her hands finding smooth ridges across a dome like shell, and soon discovered that it was a boat laying upside down. Cooley must have used it whenever he wanted to go out on the lake. Perfect! I can hide under it!

She dropped to the floor, lifting the boat up and rolling under it as she heard the footsteps of the killer descending down the staircase. She tried to remain calm, slowing her breathing and clutching her flashlight in hand. Quietly, she reached into her pocket with her other hand and drew out her knife. A butterfly knife, which she carefully unfolded so as not to make noise. She had a means to defend herself at least. It was better than nothing.

The footsteps continued to approach, moving across the basement floor with soft thumps. The killer's boots moving across the concrete. She paused in a few places, as Selena listened quietly. What was she doing? Had she heard her?

Then, she heard the boat move. It was being lifted up.

As soon as it was lifted high enough up, Selena clicked the flashlight on and shined it immediately at the woman's face. The light hit her eyes, and blinded her momentarily. "SON OF A BITCH!" she spat, her hands moving to her face to try and block out the light. Selena quickly moved, slipping past the woman and darting for the staircase. She needed to get out of there, fast!

As she neared the staircase, she soon felt the killer's hand grab her by the wrist in an effort to stop her. "You picked the wrong time to play detective!" the woman barked, before Selena swung about. The blade of her knife carved a gash across the woman's arm, forcing her to let go. "Augh!" yelped the woman, clutching at her forearm as Selena darted up the stairs.

A moment later, a pair of loud bangs rang out. Two pistol shots, which impacted the wall and staircase railing next to Selena as she escaped through the door at the top of the stairs. SHE HAS A FUCKING GUN!?

As she quickly darted through the house, running through the kitchen and outside onto the back porch, she heard the woman call out from inside. "Run, bitch! I'll be seeing you soon enough!" she yelled out, which was followed by some laughter. Selena quickly bolted through the door in the fence, shutting it behind her and darting down the street. Straight towards her bike.

It wouldn't be long before the police would show up. Someone had to have heard those gunshots, especially in this neighborhood. The elderly were always quick to call law enforcement, even at the slightest of things. It was likely the feds were going to show up with them, too. Selena wasn't getting sent back to jail. Especially not by the feds.

It wasn't long before Selena reached her bike, jumping on and pulling on her helmet. After flipping up the stand, and firing up the bike, the tire squealed as she spun the bike around and darted in the other direction. Nearby, peering out her bedroom window, some old woman yelled obscenities at a 'goth' on a motorcycle. Time to bob and weave through the city, in the event that someone was following.

Houses and neighborhoods flew by, as she sped off through Oldtown. Then, old shops and an abandoned disco. Eventually, she reached Central Brimwater. She didn't intend to go straight back to her apartments, so instead she stopped somewhere else. Somewhere public. A place she had been all too familiar with back in Chicago.

The local bar. This time, it was Rick's Bar. Adjacent to the diner that she and Carson had eaten at for breakfast.

She pulled into a parking space and shut the Kawasaki off, breathing a sigh as she pulled off her helmet. She waited there for a moment, looking about to see if she had been followed, before dismounting and placing her helmet on the handlebars. Just like before.

A few others were hanging around outside, usual patrons for the bar most likely. A biker here and there, a trucker that looked like he hadn't saved in a year. There were even a cluster of guys her age, hanging around the side near the dumpster, smoking. She walked around to the front where the door was, glancing up at the large red neon sign that read 'RICK'S BAR'. Behind it on the stone wall were the faded remains of its original name, which seemed to be something related to a 'steakhouse'. Not far of a jump, I guess. Just booze without the steak.

The bouncer at the door looked like he had seen far better days, really. But of course, that's how most bar bouncers looked. Hammered shit, facial wise, but kinda large and intimidating. They meant business, and this guy wasn't any different. "You know the drill." he told her dryly as she walked up, "Show me some ID."

Selena dug in her back pocket for a moment, fishing out her wallet. Afterwards, she presented her driver's license to the bouncer. "Odd picture, I know." she commented, motioning to the license.

In her picture on the license, she had significantly shorter hair. Almost buzzed down. She also had darker eyeliner and black lipstick, as well as a few ear piercings. A drastic change compared to her current look: her black hair was grown out and hung over her eyes at times, she wore a small amount of make-up, and currently wasn't wearing any form of lipstick or piercings.

"You kids go through phases a lot." he said, while handing back her license. "But the angry look gives it away" He then motioned for a pat down. Standard stuff. She lifted her arms, and soon he got to work. He felt something in her pocket. Knife handle. He glanced at the other patrons forming a small line behind her, and then another for the guys inside. She might need it if one of those idiots gets grabby and he's too slow. "You're clean. Regulars give you shit, tell them to fuck off. If they don't listen...well, you know what to do."

"Gotcha." she said, putting her license away and giving the bouncer a nod. A moment later, she was stepping through the door into the large bar.

The moment she stepped inside, she was hit with the smell of beer and cigar smoke. There was a thin haze hanging in the air, particularly around the long bar itself where a few people were sitting. There were several walking about, moving between the bar itself and where the cluster of pool tables were off to the right. At the far side of the bar were six tables, where people could watch football games or whatever other sport you decided you wanted to follow on a few large TVs on the wall. Despite the size of the building, there was no second floor. Instead, various pictures were scattered all over the wall along with numerous objects sitting on shelves or hanging from the ceiling. In the center, between two hanging chandeliers, was a full sized Indian motorcycle. Selena grinned the moment she saw it, before returning her gaze to the bar.

To the left, there was a jukebox playing classic rock. It sounded like Motörhead, honestly, but the noises throughout the rest of the bar made it a little difficult to make out. She didn't care, though. At the moment, this was her haven. She bee lined for an empty bar seat, settling in for the night as she quietly waited for the bartender to notice her.

---

10:23 PM

Charles S. Cooley's Home

"Ma'am, we've found traces of gunshot residue in the basement near the stairs. We also discovered forty-five caliber bullets lodged in the staircase and the wall next to the door, a pair of spent casings, traces of someone's blood, a piece of a dark jacket, and what appears to be black hairs." said the agent, adjusting his glasses as he held up the photographs that had been taken inside the basement.

That confirmed the reports of gunfire from the locals. Agent Dark took the photographs, looking through them before glancing towards the agent once more. Her eyes obscured by the mirrored shades she was still wearing. "Any prints?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

The agent nodded. "We have two full fingerprints on the bullet casings, and a partial on the fence door. We'll have them analyzed as soon as we get back to the crime lab." he responded.

She gave him a nod. "Quickly." she said, looking back to the photographs before glancing towards the door in the fence nearby. The fingerprints would likely tell them whom had been snooping around their crime scene, and the black hair could potentially compound their findings. Why the shooting? Had the assailant returned to the scene of the crime for something? The blood might provide some evidence to back that story. "You know the drill. Nobody else hears of this. Level five clearance only." she finally added.

The agent nodded, before quickly walking back towards the fence. He motioned for a few other agents to follow him, all dressed similarly and wearing clear plastic safety glasses as well as white latex gloves.

She then looked to another agent nearby. "Check on the locals. See if they saw anything. If they did... bring them to me. We'll chat." she said, to which the agent rapidly nodded.

------

November 20th, 2000

7:30 AM

Grimshaw Apartments, Apartment #36
Southside, Brimwater

Selena awoke to find herself back in bed, back at her apartment. Apparently she had managed to find her way back home, after a night of drinking at Rick's Bar. She groaned, tossing the covers off and sitting up in bed as she clutched her head. Hangover time. She glanced down to see she was still in the clothes she had worn the night before, sans her boots and jacket which had lazily been tossed to the side into the same chair from yesterday.

She muttered a string of curses, due to the headache she currently had, and stood from bed. Time to get ready for the day. Fuck, she hated the day. She had always been a night person. Night time was the fun time. More shit happened.

She made her way to the bathroom, after gathering a few clothes and a towel, and found herself in the shower. Dwelling on the night before. Who was that woman? It was obvious that she was the killer. She had lost her hat during the attack on Cooley, and came back to get it. But who was she?

As she stood there in the shower, hot water rolling down her back, she thought about what she had seen of the woman's face when the flashlight hit her. She was... ugly. Like, really ugly. Her eyes were dull colored, sunk inward and lined with a dull red as if they hadn't slept in years. Her mouth was wide, with several sharp teeth jutting out. Her skin was a sickly pale, with blue veins visible here and there.

It felt like something out of a cheap horror flick. She eventually shook her head, ridding herself of the thoughts of that woman, and returned to bathing. At least she got photographs of the hat. If she ever ran into that woman again, she could get pictures of her too. Get some solid proof that someone, not something, had killed Cooley.

Eventually, she was out of the shower, dried off, and dressed. Midway through a bowl of cereal in the small kitchen area, she got a phone call. One glance to the screen of the Nokia told her who it was. Carson. She clicked accept, and held it to her ear. "Hey Tom." she said, simply holding the phone to her ear as she ate with the other hand.

"You're up early! Did you have a good night?"

"Eh, sorta. Hung out at the bar across from the diner."

"Rick's Bar? I figured you'd have been over at the Underground."

"Nah. Honestly haven't checked that place out yet. Might do it, eventually. What do you want?"

"Well, I'm about to head over to the high school to pick up a few reports from some officers there. Want to ride with me? You could probably talk to Miss Johnson about getting your GED sometime."

"...Eh, sure. Why not?"

"Alright. I'll pick you up in a few minutes."

Click.

She thought back to last night, as she lifted another spoonful of frosted flakes to her mouth. Carson was probably going to ask if she had been there. Especially if the cops showed up. Plus, she remembered that Cooley had been going over something about some thefts at the school. She wondered if that was connected at all to his death?

Probably not, but still. Anything related to Cooley these days was worth looking into.

---

8:34 AM

Brimwater High School

Selena stood there on the sidewalk in front of the Crown Vic in the parking lot, her hands shoved in her jacket pockets as she gazed up at Brimwater High's building. It had been years since she dropped out, leaving town and heading through the northern states. She wondered if much had changed since she left. Probably not, beyond Cooley's absence. She glanced over to see his space empty, the nameplate on the post in front of it gone. She gazed at it for a moment, before sighing and shaking her head.

"They're moving on pretty quickly, aren't they?" she said aloud, as she glanced back to see Carson coming around from the driver's side of the vehicle.

"They have to. The school needs a principal." he responded, "Miss Johnson doesn't want the job, so they have to find someone else."

"Right..." she muttered. As he moved towards the entrance, she quietly followed after him. She shoved her hands into her pockets, looking about as she moved.

She glanced at people she passed by whom gave her odd looks. It was her appearance, obviously. Most said she looked gothic. Pale skin, black make-up and hair, dark eyeliner. She actually used to be, but now its more...punk. Let's hope they don't think I'm here to pull a Columbine. Once she reached the doors, she stepped inside and looked about. The halls were empty for the moment, as classes were still going at the moment.

She walked the hallway slowly, looking over the matte blue lockers against the white brick walls. She paused for a moment, as her eyes met the locker she once used. Apparently some cheerleader was using it now, which made her face twist into a scowl. She hated cheerleaders.

Then, a voice spoke up from behind her, breaking her focus. "C-Can I help you, miss?" said the voice, which Selena recognized near instantly. Elizabeth Johnson, vice-principal of the high school. Well, interim principal now.

She glanced back at the woman. "Hey Miss Beth." she responded, giving the vice-principal a smile. A rarity in and of itself.

It took Elizabeth a moment to recognize her, pushing her glasses up onto her nose a little and squinting her eyes. Then, her expression turned to one of surprise. "Selena Osborne? I thought you had disappeared!"

Selena shrugged. "I did for a bit. Anyway, I'm back for good." she said, turning to face the woman. The vice-principal occasionally had an odd taste in clothing, sometimes wearing things that were super flowery or spotted. Today, the odd choice of clothing was her blazer, which was covered in colorful spots. It looked straight out of a sixties or seventies fashion magazine. The rest of her outfit was typical formal grey office attire. Selena herself wore her typical rough jeans, a Deftones shirt with a bikini clad woman on it, her leather jacket, and her black boots.

"Oh! Are you here to try and get your GED?" she asked, tilting her head.

Selena glanced towards Carson, but soon noticed that he had disappeared from view. Probably having gone to meet his officers. She sighed for a moment, before looking back to Elizabeth. "Eventually, I guess. Not right now, though. I'm just following the sheriff around right now."

"Oh, right. They're looking into some thefts from the science lab. Someone broke in and raided the locker storing a few chemicals."

"Probably using it for some weird drug or something." muttered Selena in response. She then motioned her thumb towards the far end of the hall, where it turned towards the next wing of the school. "Is the Coach still here? Kennel?"

"Yes, he should be in the gym. You know how he likes to work out." replied the vice-principal, to which Selena nodded.

"Alright. Well, it was nice seeing you, Miss Beth." she said finally, giving the woman a slight wave of her hand as she turned and started walking down the hallway.

"You too! Come back soon!" responded Elizabeth, to which Selena simply gave her a thumbs up with her off hand. Holding it out next to her as she walked away.

It only took a few minutes to reach the gym, as Selena would pause here and there to look at things around the school that had changed. The lunch room was larger than it used to be, and the tables had been separated into small square ones spaced out evenly instead of the long rectangular ones that took up the length of the room. The science lab was closed off, with a pair of officers and Carson standing outside talking. Soon, she arrived at the gym and stepped through the double doors.

There were several students in here now, likely those stuck on the morning physical education block. It wasn't uncommon for the school to do such a thing. She looked about, and memories of her own time in PE came flooding back. She hated them all. She walked around the edge of the gym, moving towards where the weight lifting area was near the back. More looks, but she didn't care. Eventually, she spotted the Coach, being spotted by some guy. Looked like a jock. Muscular, buzz cut. Probably a football player. She continued her stroll, eventually pausing a few feet from the Coach's legs.

"Hey, Coach." she said, shoving her hands in her pockets as she looked down at the muscular instructor. He probably remembered her well.

Coach Kennel stops pumping iron and rises from the bench to see who’s addressing him.

“...Osborne?” His face contorts into one of mild discomfort when he gets a better look at her, old memories coming back of a particular nasty dodge-ball incident in which she nearly pummeled a bully to near-death using a ball. As he put the weight bar back in place, he sat up and let out a sigh.

“So, you here to bring us that replacement ball?” he then said, wiping his face off with a towel.

Selena grinned, knowing full well what he was talking about. "Ten bucks will buy you a new one from Walmart." she replied, shrugging and tilting her head slightly. "And Walmart ain't far." She then looked around, checking out the others that were in the gym with them, before looking back to Coach Kennel. "Thought I'd stop by and say hey, since I'm back in town for good. I'm here with Sheriff Carson."

"Ahhh. Gonna get your GED?" he asked, "Its not too hard, you know."

"Like I told Miss Beth... eventually. Right now, I'm just trying to settle in."

"I gotcha." he responded, "Well, if you need any help, let me or Miss Johnson know. We want to help, Osborne... We know what you went through, and want you to know that there are people that do care about you. Like Cooley."

She went quiet for a few moments, before eventually speaking again. "...Yeah, I know." she said softly. Eventually, she glanced back towards the entrance. "Anyway, gotta go. Good to see ya again, Coach."

"Likewise, Osborne. Don't be a stranger. Swing by anytime." he then said, giving her a smile before laying back down to continue his reps. Selena smirked, before turning back around and moving back along the wall of the gym towards the doors on the far side. The people haven't changed, it seems.

Once Carson was through with whatever he was doing here, they'd soon be heading over to the Blockbuster. Carson had worked his magic and got her a part-time job, but she still had to go through the hiring process. Mandatory stuff, even if they said she was already hired. She wouldn't start work this week, though, which was good. She still had some digging to do in regarding Cooley.

Emerging outside the school a few minutes later, she noticed a black car parked in space next to the Crown Vic in the parking lot. Next to it, a woman clad in a formal suit and tie, wearing mirrored aviator shades. As Selena neared where the Crown Vic was, the woman glanced in her direction and smiled. "Good morning, Miss Osborne! Nice day, isn't it?" she said a bit cheerfully, as she glanced up towards the sky. There were a few clouds hanging around, bit it was mostly sunny.

Selena gave her a confused look. She knows my name? "...Yeah. Nice day." she said, eyeing the woman as she slowed to a stop near the front of the Crown Vic. "...Do... Do we know each other?"

"Oh! My apologies. I know you, but you don't know me." responded the woman, "Special Agent Dark. I'm with the Federal Bureau of Investigation."

Selena froze, eyes widening. Oh fuck.

Play it cool. You don't know why she's here.
Stay silent. Don't even breathe a word.
Confess. She knows you were there.

rpg.veteran · Oct 10, 2024

joshuadim · Oct 10, 2024

Damian0358 · Oct 11, 2024

Breadman · Oct 11, 2024

dikdik · Oct 13, 2024

Infab · Oct 16, 2024

Play it cool. You don't know why she's here.

The agent appeared to be alone, as there was no one else in the car or nearby beyond those heading into the school or down the street. Dark knew her name. Did I drop something back at Cooley's? I'm sure I didn't.

Dark looked back to her, still smiling. "Hopefully it lasts. Thanksgiving is fast approaching." she said, before glancing towards the school.

Selena continued to gaze at Dark. What is she up to? "Yeah, air's getting colder too." responded Selena, as she moved around to the passenger side of the Crown Vic.

Eventually Dark looked back to her. "Relax, Osborne. I'm not here to arrest you or anything. Just... checking on you." she stated. Her smile never faded.

"...Right." responded Selena, as she opened the door of the car.

As she climbed in and sat there, Dark motioned to her chest. "Seatbelt, Osborne." she said, her smile turning to a grin.

Selena eyed Dark for a few moments, before shutting the door on the car. Then, she slowly reached up and took the seatbelt, drawing it across her and clicking it into place. Dark's grin faded back to a smile, and soon enough Dark started to move. Walking up the sidewalk towards the entrance to the school.

Selena watched her move, before eventually noticing that Carson was on the way out. He stopped briefly, to talk to Dark, before pushing past her on the way towards the Crown Vic. That woman was strange. Creepy even. Selena didn't like it.

...I'm going to that lab. Tonight.

---

9:42 PM

Brimwater Police Department

Downtown Brimwater

It had been several years since Selena had been inside Brimwater's metro police station, and it honestly hadn't changed much. Floors were still the dull white tile they had always been, along with the two tone walls which were shaded white on the upper half and blue on the lower. The ceilings were the kind of holey tiles you'd find at some school or office building that people flung pencils up into. The desks were black steel, with rolling grey chairs that offered no padding whatsoever. She imagined the jail portion was the same too. Concrete grey all around, and steel bars between the boys in black and criminals.

She didn't intend on seeing that area again tonight. Hopefully.

The rear entrance to the police station wasn't particularly used much, as only local SWAT officers would bring dangerous criminals through the back. Otherwise, it was locked with typical key locks. She could pick key locks with ease. She approached the doors, moving across the asphalt parking lot and avoiding the street lamps casting light about the area. Black clothes were great, till you were hit with light.

She would have to avoid the camera mounted near the door as well, which watched the rear entrance to the building. That was a little difficult, really, but she could work with it. She had done it before, but usually had someone telling her when to get out of the camera's view. This one had a little bit of a delay before it turned. Enough for her to use.

As the camera turned away from her slowly, she moved in on the door. She peeked through the thin vertical window, and saw nobody on the other side. Perfect. She drew her lock picking tools out and quickly got to work as the camera finished its rotation to face away.

Click. Bingo.

The door was unlocked. As the camera began to swivel on its arm back towards the door, Selena quickly slipped her tools into her jacket pockets and pushed in through the door. The wide hallway on the other side was empty and a bit dark. The lights in this area of the building had likely been turned off due to lack of use at night. She eased down the hallway, passing by the double doors where the Brimwater SWAT teams would wait before transferring a dangerous criminal out of the station. Its doors were locked, and the lights were off in the room as well.

She continued on, eventually passing through another set of double doors into the lit areas of the station. To her left, a short hallway leading to stairs which went up to the second floor. To the right, a long hall which lead towards the crime lab as well as the jail wing of the station. Ahead of her, a long hall which lead towards the front of the station where the on-duty police wandered about.

She moved down the right hallway, moving quietly and making sure her boots didn't squeak across the tile floors. As she moved down the long hallway, keeping an eye out for any surprise appearances from Brimwater's finest, she heard voices. She soon heard where they were coming from. The crime lab was directly ahead, and there was a pair of federal agents standing outside of it.

One of them was Agent Dark herself.

She was speaking in a hushed tone with the agent standing there, as Selena peeked out from around the corner at the end of the hall nearby. She hugged the wall, listening and waiting for them to move... and soon they did. Both of them moved up the hallway, moving towards another room which appeared to be being used as a sort of break room for the agents. As they entered the room, Selena chose the moment to move. She snuck up the hallway as quickly as she could, reaching the crime lab door and peeking through the large window. There were a set of open blinds on the other side of the glass, obstructing her view partially, but from what she could see, there was nobody inside at the moment. She did see a body with a sheet over it inside, however, the body's covered foot visible as it lay on on table almost out of view.

She looked about, before quietly opening the door and slipping inside. Time to do some snooping.

Selena looked around the room as soon as she entered. Taking in all the sights that filled the long white room. Various documents and objects were scattered around, all seemingly related to the Cooley case. Selena grunted and got to work, moving to the steel table where a few folders and documents were scattered.

As soon as she opened one folder, she was met with a disturbing sight. Dark and her goons were not FBI as they had been claiming to be. In fact, they were from another part of the federal government. Selena quickly checked the other documents and folders to confirm her findings.

Dark and all the other federal agents here were actually CIA. The agency's logo was clearly printed on the front page of each of the folder's contents, and in the top left corner of each of the loose pages.

"What the fuck?" she muttered to herself, her eyes widening. What the hell had happened for the CIA to get involved? She noticed that the CIA stamps also had initials beneath them. 'PIC' Division. Flipping a page, she discovered what that meant. Paranormal Investigation and Containment Division.

Selena's eyes narrowed. Oh great, we've hit fucking X-Files territory. She flipped through the papers, finding that the ones she was looking at were simple case files. Another stack was nearby, set neatly on the table. She stepped over and checked them, and found these to be background reports. On Selena, Carson... everyone that Dark had run into. So that's how she knows me. Selena narrowed her eyes as she read over her file, before shutting the folders.

Nearby, across the room on another table, were what appeared to be samples of blood and tissues. Likely either brought in for comparison or taken from Cooley's body. She moved over quietly, and picked up one. The label on the side was simply marked with a V, and had a name scribbled on the label beneath the letter. 'Tanner.' Another victim, maybe? She didn't need to guess very much, as the small stack of papers next to the vials of red liquid told the answer. She glazed over it, reading from the paragraphs here and there.

She then eyeballed the vial in her hand. This was blood. She then smirked. "Bullshit. This ain't vamp blood." According to the document, though, that's what it was. The rest of the document listed the traits that the blood had for reference. Apparently it could heal you if ingested. Even more bullshit. She had heard of vamps healing through biting others, but humans healing from drinking vamp blood? Nasty shit. She shook her head, before shoving the vial into her inner jacket pocket. She was keeping this.

The other vials were the same, marked with a V and a scribbled name under the letter. She moved on after a moment, moving towards the body of Charles Cooley.

Selena creeped over next to the table where Cooley's body lay, covered in a soft blue tarp, examining the tools and other objects laying near his body. A tray with tissue samples, photographs of the various wounds, documents describing the injuries and wounds sustained. As she neared it, she prepared herself for what she'd potentially see. Then, she slowly pulled the tarp back.

Cooley's face was mangled, scratched and shredded by what appeared to be fingernails instead of claws like a bear. Most of his torso showed the same, especially across his back though she could only see so much by rolling his body slightly. The teeth marks on his neck weren't from a bear either: they looked more to be the size of humanoid teeth. Chunks of his neck were missing, and it was likely that he bled out from his wounds. Fucking hell, Cooley...

She laid the tarp back down, moving over to the documents and photographs. As she searched through the photos, she found one of true importance.

It was a photograph of the blonde woman that she had seen at Cooley's house. Written on the back was a name. Linda Graham. Well, now. She has a name.

Selena made a mental note of the name, before tossing it back on the table. She moved back across the room, to the table where her and the other's records sat, and took her file. Evidence for Carson that these FBI agents aren't who they say they are. She shoved the file into her coat, and quickly moved towards the door. Time to get out of here.

She opened it carefully and peeked out. Nobody in the hall still, save for a police officer walking back towards the front of the building. Good. She slipped out, shutting the door behind her and moving back down the hall.

Minutes later, she was back outside the building. Darting across the dark parking lot towards where she had parked her bike. An alley a short distance away.

---

10:22 PM

Grimshaw Apartments

Southside, Brimwater

The Kawasaki rolled to a stop in the parking space beneath the street lamp, Selena sighing as she pulled off her helmet. Well, that went well. Nobody caught me. She smiled a bit. And she now had evidence of a cover-up. Perfect to give to Carson. She kicked the kickstand down, and turned the bike off. Dismounting a moment later.

Up the sidewalk she walked, passing under a few other lamps as she went. Grimshaw Apartments, from the outside, looked rather normal. A surprising shift from most of its interior rooms. As she reached the halfway point of the sidewalk between the parking lot and the side entrance to the apartment complex, she heard footsteps behind her. Glancing back, she noticed it was a woman wearing a dull grey hoodie and jeans. She didn't bother speaking to her, assuming she stayed here at the apartments too.

But then the woman spoke, and Selena recognized her voice.

"Nice night, isn't it?" they said.

Selena froze. The same voice from Cooley's house. Oh fuck. Selena dropped her helmet, reaching into her pocket and drawing out her butterfly knife as she turned about. Not that the knife would help her. She managed to see a metallic gleam as she turned, before hearing a loud bang. A gunshot. The bullet ripped through her stomach, piercing through and tearing through the flesh of her back.

Selena yelped, clutching at the wound as she fell backwards onto her rear. The woman cackled. "Brought a knife to a gun fight? Fucking idiot." they spat. The searing pain Selena felt from the wound prevented her from focusing on the woman, but that didn't stop her from doing something else. As the woman drew closer, prepared to finish Selena off, Selena hurled her knife at the woman's face. The metal handle smacked the attacker between the eyes, forcing her to pause and clutch her face as she took a few steps back in reaction. Enough time for Selena to get to her feet and make a run for it.

She moved as fast as her wound would allow her to across the grass of the apartment, as the woman regained her bearings behind her. "You BITCH." they yelled out, before firing a pair of shots after her. The first missed. The second hit her in the back of the shoulder. Selena yelled out in pain, but kept moving. She had to get away.

There were a few buildings near the apartment, old offices and such that didn't really see all that much use now-a-days. Selena ducked into one of the alleyways, glancing back every so often to see if the woman was still following her. She didn't have to see her to know she was still coming. "KEEP RUNNING, GIRL. YOU'LL JUST DIE TIRED." sounded off the voice, as if she had gargled rocks. As Selena made it halfway down the alley, there was another shot from behind her. It ricocheted off the asphalt, before hitting a dumpster ahead of her. Shit shit SHIT!

Eventually, she reached the end of the alley and stopped for a moment. The pain was too much. She dug into her pocket, drawing that vial of 'blood' out. It could heal injuries and wounds, right? "F-Fuck this." muttered Selena, before popping the cap off and downing the contents of the vial. It tasted fucking terrible. She felt...some kind of sensation a few moments later, but it didn't feel like her wounds were healing. She smashed the vial on the ground, and decided to try and press on.

As she ducked into the next alley, she heard the woman's voice a lot closer than before. "I can smell you! Can't hide from me!" she yelled. And as Selena passed a pile of old garbage bags in the alley, another shot ripped through the air behind her. This one hit her in the leg, forcing her to fall to the ground abruptly. "Gotcha!"

Selena tried to crawl, her hands and fingers trying to drag herself forward across the black asphalt of the alley towards safety. But it wasn't enough. Soon, the woman stood over her. "Be glad I'm making this quick." muttered the woman as she stood next to her. There were three more shots afterwards, in rapid succession. All planted into Selena's back.

A moment later, Selena let out her final breath.

The woman stood there, looking down at her corpse for a brief moment, before turning and walking away. She tossed the M1911 she was using aside, the metal framed weapon clacking against the wall of the alley, and soon disappeared into the night.

---

1:00 AM

Abandoned Office Buildings - Alleyway

Southside, Brimwater

There was a sharp, long inhale, before a series of coughs.

F-Fucking Christ...what happened? Selena twitched, before eventually rolling over onto her back. Asphalt wasn't comfortable in the slightest. She hurt, almost all over. As if she had been hit by a truck. Her sitting up made it feel much more painful. As she sat there for a few moments, gazing down at the asphalt between her legs, she slowly remembered what happened to her. How she got here.

...I'm alive?

She looked at her hands, before glancing down at her stomach. No wound, but there was a bloody hole in her shirt. There was also a hole in her pants leg. No wound there either. She hated to see how her jacket looked, but eventually took it off and inspected the back. Three large holes, but she reached around and felt no wounds to her back.

Did...Did that blood actually work?

She glanced down and noticed that the files she had taken from the crime lab were on the ground now, having been tucked into her jacket the whole time. There was a large hole through the bottom left corner of the file, and the pages were soaked in her blood. Fucking shit. No longer usable.

She put her jacket back on, before slowly climbing to her feet. The files she picked up, moving over to the pile of garbage bags and shoving them inside. Where was the woman that attacked her? Was she still around? She moved towards the end of the alley, cautiously looking about. Nobody around...what time is it anyway? She slowly made her way back towards the apartments, keeping an eye out in case the woman with the fucked up face and voice was still lurking.

Ten minutes later, she arrived at the apartments. She headed inside, heading up to her own apartment and slipping inside before locking the door. Home sweet home. It looked the same as she had left it. Good. She tossed her jacket in her favorite chair, before quietly moving back towards the bathroom. As she entered, she moved over to the sink and gave herself a once over in the mirror.

Immediately, she noticed that her eyes had changed color.

...Oh fuck.

Instead of her typical hazel eyes, they were a glowing, piercing red. She leaned in, inspecting them in the mirror for a few moments, before noticing something else. Her teeth felt odd. She grinned, exposing her teeth to the mirror so she could see them. Her eyes went wide. She now had a pair of fangs on each side of her mouth. She then noticed a third, and final, thing.

She was hungry.

---

2:40 AM

Alley near the Nine-2-Five Diner

Central Brimwater

The pain was excruciating, as Selena clutched at her stomach. She had tried eating what she had back home, but nothing seemed to help. She even changed clothes and went back out, wearing shades to hide her bizarrely glowing eyes now. She bought a burger at a fast food joint a few blocks back, but that didn't even help. Her stomach felt like it was folding in on itself. Like it was trying to eat itself, and the rest of her along with it.

Every time she passed someone on the street, she could sense it. A sweet, delectable smell. She could hear their heart beat, the blood pulsing through their veins. She had to contain herself, pull herself away from anyone and everyone. Thus, she now sat in this alley, just a short jog from the Nine-2-Five Diner she was oh so familiar with. She gritted her teeth, muttering a string of curses as she glanced down to where she was clutching her abdomen.

What the hell had she become? A vampire?

Those were fucking myths. Pure fiction. Shit you read in books, and saw on TV and in movies. This shit was insane. She considered calling Carson, but that wouldn't help. What could he do? He was a simple sheriff. Hell, he'd probably call the feds on her and have her quarantined. She wasn't keen on sitting in a fucking lab and getting stuck with needles and probes.

Another intense pain shot through her, making her double over. She landed on her side, curling up into a ball as she now held her stomach with both arms. She needed to feed, but she was forcing herself not to. Resisting the urge as long as she could.

Soon, she found her vision fading. She was passing out. Fucking hell. As her vision faded to black, she heard someone approaching from the alley. As the world went black, she heard a voice faintly.

"...You poor child."

3:00 AM

The Obsidian Underground

The Dark Rooms

"...How the hell did she even get her hands on your blood? It isn't exactly just laying around out in the open"

"We can find that out once she awakens. Be patient, Nikita."

"...Well, she's waking up now. Her eyes are fluttering."

"...Fetch me a blood pack, quickly."

Selena's eyes slowly opened, her vision blurry but quicky adjusting itself to give her a clear picture of what was around her. In particular, what was sitting next to her. A man in a tailored suit, with short brown hair and emerald green eyes. Handsome, but not her type, honestly. She blinked a few times, glancing around the room. She was sitting on a sleek black couch, in what appeared to be a lounge of some sort. The floor was made of a dark hardwood, and the walls were painted a deep purple with a light mounted at the base of the wall every so many feet. The lights projected up the walls, illuminating small artwork or items and casting shadows further up the walls.

She noticed other couches, as well as small tables, all facing the piano. Likely for patrons whom wanted to listen to smooth classical music. She glanced back to the man in the suit, whom soon spoke to her. "Just take it slow, now. You're probably still feeling the sharp pains in your stomach. Those will be dealt with in a moment." He sounds like he's from England or something.

Selena sat up slowly, sliding her back along the couch till she was sitting upright. She still slumped a little, clutching at her stomach again as she sat there. The man spoke again. "Its the hunger. All newbloods learn how to fight or control it in time."

Selena cut him a look. "...W-Who the fuck are you?" she asked, raising an eyebrow just as another pain hit.

The man smiled. "We'll get to that. For now, we need to get you fed." he responded.

Soon enough, a blood bag was held out in front of Selena's face. The moment she saw it, her red eyes went wide.

Embrace the urge. Drink it.
Resist the urge. You can control this. You have to.

joshuadim · Oct 16, 2024

Breadman · Oct 16, 2024

Realistic or Modern Brimwater - A Supernatural Mystery/Horror Story

The Demon Fanatic

Big loaf supreme

the writer

Roleplaying Procrastinator From Elsewhere

colossal leaf and prince of the universe

The Demon Fanatic

the writer

Big loaf supreme

colossal leaf and prince of the universe

Roleplaying Procrastinator From Elsewhere

The Demon Fanatic

Big loaf supreme

Roleplaying Procrastinator From Elsewhere

colossal leaf and prince of the universe

the writer

gakusei

The Demon Fanatic

gakusei

the writer

Roleplaying Procrastinator From Elsewhere

Big loaf supreme

colossal leaf and prince of the universe

The Demon Fanatic

the writer

Big loaf supreme

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