Part One - Chapter One

Zyler Beauton had been the third kidnapped woman that month. With one shoe and torn clothes, she cried as she hobbled down the freeway. She stumbled between the grass and the white line. Cars honked and zoomed around her. Startled, her eyes darted toward the trees. They were watching. She ran. He was coming for her. She refused to live with him. Since she had escaped, she needed to tell someone, but who would believe her? Her legs gave out and she collapsed landing on her forearms. Zyler grasped the old wound peeking out from her sleeve. Pulling her hand away, she stared at her bloodied fingers. It was black. Why her? Why had she been chosen? This was all because of Lily; it was her fault.

 

“Does she have a driver’s license on her? Anything with her identity?” Derek Ross, fierce and unnaturally handsome, asked with a heavy sigh.

“I’m sorry, detective,” she said, inching closer. Pursing her lips, she batted her eyes.

“Do you have any idea when she’ll wake up?” In a dark wrinkled suit, he tugged at his collar and avoided eye contact with the overly-happy nurse.

“No. But…”

“Yes? Go on.”

“When we looked her over, we found wounds.”

“Yes, I imagine you would. This is a hospital.”

“Well there are wounds and then there are wounds.”

“A very wonderful description,” he said with a dry voice.

She shrugged. “I have to finish my rounds.”

“Do you mind if I have a look at these wounds?”

“Go right ahead, detective.” She gave him another blinding smile before she disappeared down the hall.

The wallpaper was worn, and the floor was cracked but newly waxed. One of the lights flickered. Nurses chattered in hushed voices as patients sat in chairs. A doctor walked to a family with his head down and arms crossed behind his back. Derek Ross looked around and moved toward the entrance to Jane Doe’s room. He glanced down at his notes and grimaced as he tapped the tip of his shoe on the white tile. He closed his notebook and glimpsed at his watch.

“Will you hurry up,” he said in a hard whisper, crossing his arms over his chest.

Myles Jacobson, a tall man wearing a faded grey suit, entered the hallway carrying two to-go coffee cups. He had dark brown hair and muddy green eyes. Myles was an exasperating, talkative man with a charmingly annoying sense of humor. He could talk a person’s ear off and keep on for hours.

Myles tip-toed up behind Derek and said, “Who in blazes are you talking to? If you keep doing that people are going to start asking questions. And you know that’s our job. Don’t let them take our jobs away, Derek.”

Derek stood with his jaw shut tight and eyes closed. He took a deep breath and then shouted. “Don’t do that.”

“Do what?”

“Damn it, Myles, you know what I’m talking about. Showing up and scaring the hell out of me.”

“Excuse me and you’re weak heart. I didn't know you had one. Who would've thought?”

Derek groaned. “Knock it off, will you?”

“Yeah, yeah. And you know it’s good for you.”

“What?” Derek asked with a sharp breath.

“Getting scared-the-hell-out-of. And I’ll say it again and again. It’s good for you. I don’t want you getting a big head. That would be more trouble for me, and you know how I am. Work, work, work is all we do. When will we get a break? Oh and here’s your coffee.”

“Just shut up will you.”

“Whatever you say.”

“Sometimes I feel like I brought a senile old woman along on duty.”

Myles laughed.

“Quiet. You’re going to wake the hospital, and we have work to do. If you’re going to keep laughing then go do it out in the car.” Derek growled as he grabbed the coffee from Myles and then stormed into the room.

“You’re funny, you know that?” Myles laughed, following his partner into the room. “I don’t know what my sister sees in you. It’s not like your dating or anything. Whoops, I don’t think I was supposed to say that. Oh, well, you weren't paying any attention to me anyhow. Now what was I talking about again?”

Derek stood next to the hospital bed with his head down. He had the bandages partially removed when he commanded, “Myles come here. Now.”

Myles exhaled and shook his head. “You know. You really need to loosen up, because my sister…what the hell is that?”

“I don’t know. Does that look like it’s glowing to you?”

“Maybe. Hell. How are we going to describe this in paper?” Myles groaned. He set his coffee down on a dresser and then collapsed in a nearby chair. “Why do we always get the hard cases? Man, now I’m never going to get that break. Because you’re going to go into hard drive and �".”

“Myles, I need you to focus. Please, get your head out of your a*s for once and help me think. What could do this?”

Myles remained silent and stared out the window.

Derek still held the bandages in his hand. “If we just get past that glowing and look at the wound…it looks a lot like a bear wound, you know. And then there’s the black core. Her muscle should be a red color but it’s black. How is that even possible? It’s like her muscle is dead…” Derek gave another sigh and then re-wrapped the wound. “Myles get out the notes from the previous girls and reread them to me.”

“I don’t see how that’s going to help. Those stories we got from those two other girls were ridiculous, and they didn't have glowing bear marks.”

“Will you just do it? I know there’s a connection. And until she wakes up, we will review the notes as many times as it takes until we memorized it. Understand?”

“I get it. Just give me a sec, will you?” Myles pulled the small notebook from the inside pocket of his suit out. He flipped the front cover and sorted through the pages.

“Hurry up, I don’t have all day.”

“Calm down. I have them. Okay, the first. Veronica Belle. Twenty-six. Single. Lives twenty minutes away from Fenton, North Carolina. She said she was on a road trip so that she could visit her sister in Arizona when she was kidnapped.”

“And that’s where everything started to get weird.” Derek stated.

“She said fairies appeared in her car as she was passing through Quinton, Mississippi. She woke up in the woods. Then everything after that went hazy. She says.”

Derek began pacing in the hospital room. “And that’s where we found her on the side of the road near Gulfport. And how far is Quinton from here again?”

“An hour and a half.”

“Next.”

“We have Rose Houghton. Twenty-four. Single. Lives three hours away from Callimae. She was leaving her driveway to see her parents when she said she saw little men running out from her bushes.”

“Little men?”

“Well…gnomes…”

“Garden gnomes?”

“No.”

“Then what?” Derek asked in a sharp voice.

“They were around two to three feet tall, wearing green and brown clothing. And they blended with their surroundings.”

“And she followed them, correct?”

“Yeah, she followed them into the woods behind her house. Then suddenly she woke up near a lake and it was snowing. She said something about animals talking.”

“Talking?”

“I don’t know. We couldn't get anything else out of her. She said she couldn't remember anything else.”

“And then that’s where she was found on the side of the road.” Derek finally sat down in a chair near the door. “One thing’s clear. These girls were all found on the same road outside of Gulfport.”

“Where am I?” A scratchy voice asked in a whisper.

Derek stood. “You’re in the hospital. And try not to move, okay?”

“Do you mind if we ask you a few questions?” Myles inquired with a smile. “It won’t take too long.”

“Who are you?” The woman asked.

“The question is who are you?” Derek replied, moving his chair closer to the bed. He sat back down and pulled out his notebook and pen.

“Zyler Beauton.”

“We’re Detectives Ross and Jacobson.” Derek then asked, “Now can you remember anything before �"”

“Before I was kidnapped? Yeah I remember. I remember everything. I don’t know why he didn't wipe my memory like the other two.”

“Okay, wait. Who’s he?”

“Cherem.”

“How do you say that?”

“Kay-rem. He wears a hood. So I don’t know the color of his hair. He wears a black half-mask that covers from his forehead to his nose. He’s clean shaven. He has light tanned skin.”

“He wears a mask?” Myles asked. “What a psycho.”

“Where did he take you? What did he do to you?” Derek asked.

She pointed to her arm. “I had this happen to me in the forest by a black dog. I’m probably going to die.”

“You don’t know that,” Myles said softly.

“Black dogs signify death. My blood is black. Unless the doctor can find a cure for me I’ll die.”

“Dogs don’t kill people. Even if they have rabies �"”

“No, a black dog is a mythical creature. If you see one it means death. Being attacked by one means I’m really going to die. Cherem told me he would send me back. I didn't want him to erase my memory.”

“Why? Why is he doing this?”

“Animal by day, man at night. He wears a mask and forever he will be cursed until death. If he doesn't find the woman who will break the curse then he will die and the curse will continue.” Zyler looked at Myles. “Is your name Myles Jacobson?”

“How do you know my name?”

“Your sister is next. She has been chosen. She will disappear tonight. And you will not find her. Any man who steps into Silver Stone will turn into an animal. You will never see her again. She has been chosen. Lily. Will. Disappear.”

Zyler started screaming at the top of her lungs.

Nurses came rushing in. The two detectives were ushered out of the hospital room and into the hall.

Reviews

[Coyote Poetry]

You write like a veteran writer. A intense chapter. I like how you made every detail come alive with good description. Making every scene important. I like how you ended the chapter. A open ending with scream and making the reader want more. Thank you for sharing the excellent poetry.
Coyote