Monsters of the Night (Aldrich)

[annabel]

@Aldrich


For centuries now, Europe has been overrun by the dangerous monsters of our nightmares. They have been living among us, threatening the lives of our loved ones. Only the brave few keep the supernatural beasts in check, dedicating their lives to protecting humans from these mutated, were-beast monstrosities. But still, the violent attacks and deaths are a daily occurrence, and much more prevalent than the hunters can cope with. Not for lack of trying.

 

[annabel]

It was raining hard, the dirt and dust of the city streets churned up so that the air felt stuffy and heavy. Maeryn was making her way back home after classes, her dark brown hair plastered to her face, the cold rain soaking her clothes. A few blocks from her apartment building, she saw several police cars and an ambulance parked right out front. Her gut knotted in anxiety and she broke into a run. No, no, please no, Maeryn thought, wondering if her worst nightmare had finally come true.


Arriving at the scene, the police formed a semi circular in front of the yellow tape and the building entrance, keeping back curious people and anxious tenants. They'd prevent her from getting in as well, Maeryn was certain, so she sneaked behind a police car that bordered the building and scurried stealthily inside. It was eerily quiet as she made her way up the stairs to the fourth floor.


She had been right. Her apartment door was wide open and as she quietly approached, Maeryn saw a couple of detectives and three forensic technicians in their white costumes examining the crime scene. And there, in the middle of their living room, laying in a pool of blood, her mother was sprawled on the floor, her body horribly mangled. She collapsed on her knees, tears flowing freely as she stifled a cry. "No, oh no..Mom.." she whispered in horror, grief and anger swelling within her chest. There was no question as to who did this. They had tried to protect him... and this is how he repaid them. A part of Maeryn knew it was really Jared's fault, but all she could feel right now was rage towards her were-beast brother.


One of the detectives turned, hearing Maeryn's sobs. "Hey, you shouldn't be here. You have to back outside!" he chided, a little harshly.


Maeryn simply glowered at him, before replying with a calm assertiveness, tears streaming down her cheeks, "No, I'm staying. That's my mother."

 

[Aldrich]

The aroma of rain and pavement had invaded the atmosphere. It was a usual experience in the city of Plaso, one that invited shady individuals and creatures from beyond. Those who were aware of the secret world had come to consider Plaso the occult center of Europe. The regular citizens knew about the monsters of the night far more than anywhere else in the world. However, there were measures being taken to prevent any such knowledge from spreading. Agents of a shadow organization worked tirelessly to keep the disease of beasthood at bay. Sarah Reinhardt was one of those agents. Naturally, few individuals knew about her work or true identity. She was a ghost, just like all other agents. All of their records of existence had been wiped at initiation. There was nothing that could link Sarah to who she was before her training. Her cover was that she worked for a special department of the government that investigated ‘unexplainable events.’


Sarah arrived at the crime scene by herself. She was dressed in a dark suit with a government tag pinned to her chest. Eyes and ears around the city constantly informed her of mysterious events and sightings, but this one was what Sarah called a ‘rogue incident.’ The beasts of the night rarely invaded people in their homes, so there had to be a personal connection to the victim. This was too specific to be a random incursion and the peak lunar cycle had passed eleven days ago. Sarah had no troubles with getting past the yellow tape and the ‘street officers’ that guarded it. These were men that usually patrolled on foot and answered domestic violence calls. They were grunts, working men; they did not care much about anything. It was the detectives that usually gave Sarah the most of problems. The few that let her roam freely were usually aware of what she actually was. Unfortunately, she was not that lucky this time around.


“Can I help you?” One of the detectives asked when Sarah bluntly stepped inside the apartment where the victim had been mauled. Another detective was desperately trying to remove a civilian that was sobbing over the victim, claiming it to be her mother.


“I’m with the Department of Paranormal Prevention.” Sarah replied and pointed to the tag pinned to her chest. “We’ve received reports of an extra-human presence here; the possible cause to this incident.” Sarah continued.


“Extra-human presence? I have no idea what that is and I’ve never heard of whatever department you’re from.” The detective grunted, but accepted the authority that Sarah carried on her tag.


“Who is this girl and why is she in here?” Sarah asked the detective.


“She claims to be the victim’s daughter. She just burst in here a minute ago, and now she refuses to leave.”


The girl had a beautiful composition of facial features and dark hair. She could not have been much older than Sarah herself. Sarah observed her for a few seconds to see if she was genuine. The girl’s sorrow gave the impression that her claims were true. The thought of her being connected to the perpetrator as well, by extension of the victim, suddenly hit Sarah. Perhaps there was something to be learned here. Sarah already knew that the forensics would find samples of skin and fur from the beast, and then scratch their heads about what kind of animal it is, so there was no point in talking with them.


Sarah approached the mourning girl and gently put a hand on her back. “Excuse me, miss? I know this is a difficult time for you, and I’m terribly sorry for your loss, but could I speak with you for a moment, outside in the hallway?” Sarah said with a soft and warm tone.

 

[annabel]

Maeryn barely noticed the girl's arrival as she stayed put sobbing at the apartment's entrance, completely ignoring the detectives' wish for her to leave. They'd have to physically move her if they wanted her out that bad. Her face was hidden in her hands, her whole body shaking with grief, when she heard something that peaked her interest. Department of Paranormal Prevention. The exact people her family had been avoiding for years as they stubbornly fought to protect her dangerous brother. How stupid they had been. There was an anger behind her grief that left a bitter taste in her mouth. She felt... cheated. How often had she nearly reported him, only to be guilt-tripped into keeping her silence? Now, the one person who most wanted to protect him was dead. Not just dead - butchered. The sight of her mother's body made her sick. But she had seen it - and it was now etched forever in her mind.


When the girl came over to talk to her, there was a genuine kindness to her tone that was horribly lacking in the detectives'. She looked up at her with eyes red with tears and nodded her head. Maeryn slowly got to her feet, her legs feeling wobbly and weak, as though all her energy had leaked out of her eyes. She forced herself to avoid looking back into her apartment. An apartment that Maeryn knew she could never go back to, not after this.


Following the woman into the hallway, she leaned tiredly against the wall, wiping her face a little with her sleeves. "I... Well, you probably know. We did a bad thing," her voice cracked at the last word and she despised herself for ever listening to her mother. Her brother must have killed many, many more despite their precautions. Despite her mother's claims of the contrary.


(@Aldrich )