The Devil You Know

A young women fights for survival as she tries to find her brother's murderer.

The Devil You Know

A short story

The warehouse was eerily silent and I couldn’t help but think that it made it seem even creepier than if there were noises. It felt dead. I don’t know how to describe it, but there was a feeling around the place. It felt like it shouldn’t be disturbed. Right then and there I almost turned back but then I remembered why I was doing this. A bolt of courage went through me giving me the strength the walk through the door.
The warehouse was a lot darker than I thought it would be. The grey light filtered in through the windows, which were coated in dirt and grit. Cobwebs hung in every corner, glinting silver in the faint light. The silence filled the space with a presence of death and pain. Tall crates were stacked on each other making the space seem even smaller. Each step left a footstep in the dust, marking my path. The air was thick and dry, even so that I could taste it on my tongue. As I walked the dust kicked up floating in the air like tiny fairies, watching my every move. The further I went, the darker it got. No longer did even grey light enter here. The flickering orange glow of the emergency lights did nothing to help me see. The faint buzzing of the generator met my ears.
The sound of fleeting footsteps echoed around the space. Whipping my head around towards the noise I found nothing. My heart beat started to pick up and my hands started to feel clammy. The brief courage I had earlier had completely deserted me. I wanted to shout out who’s there but I knew better. More steps could be heard around the building. The echoes making it impossible to tell where they were coming from or how many. Turning wildly around in circles my calm demeanor was lost.
A sick feeling began to form in my stomach and I started gasping. I knew I was on the verge of a panic attack and there was nothing I could do about it. My breathing got faster and faster until I was sure that I was going to pass out. Then all of the sudden the noises stopped. The odd silence that rested about this place like a blanket was back as though it had never left.
I calmed down a bit and my breathing went back to normal. Turning around about to keep walking a hand came out and grabbed my shoulder. It was freezing cold, cold as death. Yanking me towards it’s body, which was hidden in the shadows, I didn’t struggle, still in shock. A funny smelling cloth was pushed over my mouth. All of the sudden I had this feeling of falling. My thoughts were racing, a jumbled mess. The last clear thought I had was “What the heck?!” then blackness.

*****

My head felt like it was pounding and my first instinct was to hold my head. A restraint wrapped around both of my wrists stopped me from doing so. It was then that I realized that I wasn’t at home. Memories of what had happened rushed through me and fear started to set in. I had no clue what these people wanted, and that scared me. In fact I wasn’t sure why I had come here in the first place. Oh, right. I had wanted answers for Michael’s death and they had said they had them. Curiosity killed the cat as the saying went.

The person who had grabbed me hadn’t bothered to blindfold me so I guess that was a good thing. They didn’t gag me either but from the look of it I don’t think anyone would hear me anyways. It was a fairly big room but most of the space was taken up by boxes and a table that was placed in front of me. There weren’t any windows, the light instead came from some harsh fluorescent bulbs that glowed unhealthily.
I tried pulling at the restraints but they held tight. A crackling sound filled the room before a voice spoke. “Miss Timbers how nice of you to join us.” The voice was gravelly and deep, there was something in it that sent shivers down my spine.
My patience was shattered and I shouted, “I came here like you wanted now tell me about my brother!” I tried to keep my voice steady but there was an obvious wobble in it.
The voice just chuckled at my demand pausing before answering me. “In due time. Before we start though there is something we want from you.” Right after those words had gone out of his mouth two large men walked into the room. They walked out from behind me where I guessed the door was.
They both started towards me and I started to flail around. Moving what parts of my body that I could. The voice took pleasure in it as I could hear amusement in its voice. “Now now now don’t be like that they won’t hurt. We only want your bracelet.”
After hearing that I started to struggle harder. The bracelet was the last thing that my brother had given to me. It was the last thing linking me to him. A surge of adrenaline went through me and I started to flail around with more urgency. The men just grunted at my attempts and tried to force me down. Somehow during my panic induced adrenaline rush I was able to loosen one of the restraints on my wrist. With one swift kick to one of the mens shin and an unfocused punch to the other’s face I was able to stun them both for a moment. While they recovered from my blows I wretched my other hand from where it was being held captive. Not hesitating I dashed for the door, hearing the voice yell at the men to capture me.
I yanked open the door and found myself back into the warehouse. Indecision gripped me but the sounds of clambering feet running after me propelled me forward into the maze. I didn’t stop to think at the forks just kept running hoping that they wouldn’t find me. Soon the sounds of them running no longer penetrated my mind. My gasping for breath and my feet pounding the ground the only thing I could hear.
Relief flowed through me as I stopped. The adrenaline from the chase was now completely spent and a fiery burning sensation could be felt throughout my body. Stumbling forward I struggled to keep going not wanting to give them a better chance of finding me.
Night encroached, sinking its fingers into the light leaving me in darkness. I prodded cautiously through the warehouse searching for an exit. Paranoia was ever present and I caught myself jumping at the smallest of sounds.
A faint light curved around the corner and hope welled up within me. Perhaps I was getting out of here after all. I peeked around the corner to find a door with an exit sign hanging over head. Desire to run towards it and out of here as fast as I could swept through me, but I restrained it. I had been done coming here alone and without weapons. They had already caught me once and I didn’t want that to happen again.
Slipping around the corner, I hugged my body to the wall before going to the door. I didn’t know whether or not I would trip an alarm by going out the door, but I had to try. The click of the door opening sounded like a gunshot, echoing throughout the warehouse. I waited for a moment checking to see if anyone had heard. My shoulders slumped in relief before I crept out the doorway.
It opened to a dark alleyway between the warehouses. The stench of trash hit my noises and it took everything in me to not gag. I walked slowly out, towards the mouth of the alley. The orange glow of the streetlights casting the street into that of a scene from a horror film. Crisp cold air caused me to shiver and to rub my arms. I looked both ways making sure no one was there before walking all the way out.
I spotted a pay phone about twenty yards from me. The urgency I had felt earlier shot through me and I raced towards it. I picked up the phone fumbling a bit with my cold fingers. Slipping a coin from my pocket I silently prayed that it was still online.
The dull sound of the dial tone was God send. Quickly pressing the buttons for 911 I waited for someone to pick up. The operator on the other end answered. A quick smile flew across my face and I was about to answer when I felt something hit my neck. My hand automatically reached up to touch it, finding a small silver dart.
My mouth opened up into an “o” before stumbling back a step. The lady’s voice on the other end was sounding a bit panicky now, but it sounded muted like I wasn’t really there. Sinking down to my knees the world swaying in and out of focus, I dropped the phone. A dark figure started walking towards where I lay on the ground.
The figure walked at a slow leisurely pace, like they had all the time in the world to do as they wished. Not stopping to look at me he walked over to where the phone was and hung it up. Turning slowly he headed towards me. I tried crawling back but my limbs felt like lead. He chuckled at my attempts it sounded familiar but I couldn’t place it. There was now three of them and they were all closing in on me.

“Whooo arrrrrrre youuuuuuu?” My voice sounded slurred and unfocused.

Crossing his arms over his chest he laughed once again before answering, “I’m hurt. How could you forget me in such a short time I’ve been gone.”
My thoughts were whirling. I had trouble figuring out what he was talking about, then it all clicked. I let out a hoarse whisper that was filled with disbelief, “Michael?”
He was bending over me now and I could see his face clearly. Sharp blue eyes and a pointed chin greeted me, the answer to my question. A gleaming predatory grin was the last thing I saw before the world once again fell into darkness.