I began my career as a cop with perhaps too many expectations. At twenty-four, I was naïve, full of ideals about making a difference. But that’s not why we’re here. It’s about the patterns, the repeating incidents in life that are almost like a law of nature. One particular pattern, an incident that happened sixteen years ago, is why I’m telling this story. Something that happened so long ago has come back around and I am not sure how to explain it.
I was just a rookie, two years on the force, doing grunt work. Securing crime scenes, directing traffic, the kind of stuff they don’t show you on those flashy cop shows. Mundane, routine, but necessary.
That night, I remember it vividly. It’s a bitter taste that has never left me. It was around midnight. The scene was chaotic, a frenzied swirl of flashing lights and constant movement.
The night air was cold, biting my cheeks as I pulled up to the abandoned outlet. The new malls had sucked the life out of it years ago and it was a place forgotten by most. A few buildings were used for storage or discount stores, but most were decaying shells, refuges for the homeless and addicts.
My job was simple: Help tape off the scene and keep the press at bay. Routine stuff. They swarmed like vultures, hungry for a story, but I just kept my mouth shut, it was the best way to deal with them. I didn’t know much anyways, but they could interpret a sneeze as a murderer on the loose.
Jack Pierson, a fellow officer, a friend, approached me. He was a year my senior in the force and had that look on his face. The one that said he’d seen something he wished he hadn’t.
“Hey,” I greeted him, keeping my voice steady and low. “What’s the situation?”
“Fucking crazy, man,” Jack said, offering a cigarette. I declined. He didn’t seem to care about the rules right then.
He exhaled a cloud of smoke, his cigarette briefly illuminating his weary face. “At least twelve bodies.
I grimaced, “Jesus.” I glanced over to make sure the press was still out of earshot.
“The scene’s a mess. Munoz couldn’t even make it outside before he lost his lunch. Blood, shit, and… well, vomit everywhere.”
“What the hell happened?” I asked.
Jack took a long drag before answering. “Honestly, man, I have no clue. The bodies are all torn up, limbs twisted the wrong way. I don’t think they can piece together a full body.”
“Any ideas, Casey is the lead right? Does he have anything?”
Jack shrugged, taking another drag. “Nah, could be the mafia, a cult, who knows. But there’s this girl, a teenager. She hasn’t said a word.”
“Think she saw something and what do you mean mafia?”
Jack chuckled. “You know what I mean. Not like a gang hit, more like… crazy without a clear message. At least not one anyone here can see yet.”
“Sounds more like just plain crazy.”
“God, I hope not. If someone could do this with no real motive,” he said, breathing in more smoke.
I nodded my head, “What about the girl?”
“She was right there, in the middle of it all,” he said, turning to look back at where he had come from. “Just sitting there, covered in blood, staring at nothing. Whatever happened, she saw everything is my guess.”
“She was inside?” I had thought he had meant a runaway or just happened to be passing by.
“Yeah, man. Just blanked out. Creepy stuff.”
I shook my head. “Poor girl.”
“No shit. I just needed some air. Caseys got me on errands so you’re up to watch the girl until the detectives figure out what to do.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Babysitting duty, huh? Sure, I’ll take it. Where is she?”
“By the ambulance. Medical’s checking her out.” He flicked his cigarette away. “Gotta go. Casey’s calling.”
“Hey, Jack,” I called after him. “Next time, try not to drink the entire keg, Sarah looked pissed when you guys took off.”
He laughed, flipping me the bird. “Only way to survive your shit karaoke, man.”
I walked over to the ambulance, the gravel crunching under my boots, a sound too ordinary for a night like this. The EMT was scribbling something on a clipboard while the girl, wrapped in a blanket, sat there like a statue. Her dress was stained with blood, and someone had tried to clean her face, but the blood was just smeared, caked into her skin.
I nodded at the EMT, who managed a tired smile before going back to his notes. “Hey,” I introduced myself to the girl. “I’m Officer Patterson.” But she just kept staring ahead, like I wasn’t even there.
“She’s in shock,” the EMT said without looking up. “Hasn’t said a word. Vitals are okay, but she’s got to get out of here. Get cleaned up.” He sounded as tired as he looked.
He paused, looking at me. “Any idea what happened here?”
Before I could answer, Munoz appeared, the top half of his usual thrift store suit replaced by a plain t-shirt. “Patterson,” he called out, and I turned to face him. His shirt confirmed what Jack had said about the vomiting incident earlier.
“You’re escorting her to the hospital.” Munoz instructed, his gaze sharp. He turned to me. “We’re getting her cleaned up and have a shrink ready to talk to her.”
The EMT interjected, “After she gets checked out, of course.”
Munoz rolled his eyes. “Yes, after she gets checked out.” He jabbed a finger at my chest. “Keep an eye on her. She’s all we got.”
“Got it,” I said. It wasn’t a request
I followed the ambulance in my cruiser to Bayview Hospital. It was only a nine-minute drive, but it gave me time to think. The case, the girl, and yes, what a dick Munoz was.
The hospital was too bright, too clean compared to what had just happened a short drive away. A nurse, with blonde hair neatly tied in a ponytail, came out to escort the girl away. As she passed, I caught a glimpse of her name tag – “Nurse Collins.”
Like the EMT she gave me another tired smile. I think it is something we all develop in working with victims. Tired of seeing the pain, the suffering but we have to just push that all down. So, I just smiled back as they left me in a corridor that smelled like disinfectant and despair.
I leaned against the wall, thinking about the crime scene. I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, but Jack’s description was enough. This girl too. How she was just sitting there, calm, covered in blood. Was it some random act of violence? No. This was something else, something more.
Munoz’s words, “She’s all we got,” kept ringing in my ears. The phrase gnawed at me. I was here to keep her safe, sure, but something about the way he said it felt off. There was more to this, but I was in the dark.
Nurse Collins reappeared, her face slightly more relaxed. “You can go in now,” she said, stepping aside to let me pass. “She’s clean and resting.”
“How is she?” I asked as she motioned for me to enter the room.
She hesitated for a moment, her professional demeanor momentarily giving way to concern. “She’s stable, physically. No injuries, which is… well, it’s unusual given the circumstances. She’s in a state of shock, though. Hasn’t spoken a word.” Her voice carried a mix of professionalism and something softer, empathy.
I nodded, understanding her unspoken words. “And mentally?”
She sighed, brushing a stray hair behind her ear. “That’s harder to say. We’ve seen trauma patients shut down like this. It’s a defense mechanism. She might open up in time, or…” Her voice trailed off, leaving the unsaid hanging in the air.
“Or she might not,” I finished for her, my voice low.
“Right,” she affirmed, with a look that said she’d been down this road before. “We’ll do our best. The psychologist will try to make contact first thing in the morning.”
I stepped into the room, where the girl sat on the hospital bed, her gaze fixed on something only she could see, or just nothing at all. The clean hospital gown couldn’t hide the vacant look in her eyes. Nurse Collins gave me one last glance before stepping out, leaving us in the quiet of the room.
I just stood there, silently. Every so often, a nurse would come in, and I’d step outside, but I always came back in afterwards. Keeping her safe, that was my job.
Time seemed to crawl, punctuated by the soft beeps of machines and the muffled hustle outside. Watching her, I couldn’t help but wonder what was going through her mind. What had she seen? She was clean now, but I could only guess at the stains that would never be wiped away.
The night dragged on. I remember staring at the clock on the wall. It was around 4am, and I was yawning for what felt like the hundredth time. The girl had fallen asleep a couple of hours ago and hadn’t stirred since.
I glanced out the door to the nurses’ station, spotting a coffee pot. I debated whether to grab a cup. Another yawn decided for me. Stepping out, I made sure to close the door as I did. The hall was quiet, dimly lit, the graveyard shift nurses making their rounds.
Pouring myself a cup, the coffee was warm, a bit burnt, but it would do. As I fixed it up with sugar, I turned and froze. The girl was standing there in her hospital gown, just staring at me. I nearly dropped the cup.
I moved closer, setting my coffee down. “You’re up? I’m Officer…” My words trailed off as she shot her arm out, pointing straight at me.
Her mouth slowly opened, wider and wider. It looked like she was screaming, but no sound came out. Drool started to dribble from her gaping mouth as it kept stretching wider than I thought possible. Then it stretched even more, wider, and wider.
I started to back away, “What the…” My hand instinctively settled on my sidearm.
My voice trailed off as I heard a door close in the distance. I glanced towards the sound, seeing a nurse disappear around the corner. When I looked back, the hallway was empty. The girl was gone.
Panic set in. I stopped to look at the door, the door that was now slightly open. I stood there longer than I should have. Scared of what I would find of course but trying to remember if I had actually shut the door. I was sure I had, so while I did not draw my gun my hand remained on it.
Had I imagined the girl just now? If I had then why was it open? No, I had seen something. I pushed the door open all the way and saw her there, lying in bed, asleep as if nothing had happened.
A cold shiver ran down my spine. This wasn’t right. This girl… something was off about her, deeply off. It wasn’t just trauma or shock. There was something else, something more.
I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know what to think. I needed to keep a close eye on her. Not just for her safety, but maybe for mine too.
I reached for my phone to text Jack not wanting to radio in that I got scared. What would I say? How could I explain what happened? What had happened? I just needed someone else over here now. No, Jack would bust my balls more than anyone else at the station. Besides, it was out of protocol.
But before I knew it the sun had come out and Munoz and a couple of others showed up. When he asked me how it went, I could not bring myself to say anything about what happened in the hall. “Quiet night, the nurse cleaned her up and the girl has been asleep since.”
The detective looked at me. I don’t know if he knew something from before or maybe it was written on my face, but he gave me a doubtful stare and squinted his eyes slightly. “You sure? Nothing else?”
“Umm, the nurse said the psychologist would be by in the morning.” I was desperate to give him something, just not what I think I saw. It was crazy. I would just sound crazy.
“Alright,” he said as he turned to head back into the room. “Get cleaned up and some rest and be back in around eight, I want someone at this door 24/7. Would have more rotations but we are short right now. I’ll see if I can have someone with you, but I need you here at least.”
“Me?” I let slip before I could stop myself. I did not want to be back here. I wanted to run out of there but when someone who has over 27 years on the force tells you to do something there is not much you can do about it. I mean I could but that would be the fastest way to ruin my rep.
Munoz turned around a bushy eyebrow raised as if daring me to make him repeat himself.
“I mean, yes of course. I’ll be back by eight.” My words caused the old detective’s face to relax to his normal pissed off face. He gave me a nod as a dismissal and turned back to head into the girl’s room.
Not much happened the rest of the day. I made a call to my folks, had some breakfast/dinner, hit the shower, and slept the rest of the day off.
I had gotten to the hospital around seven and sat in the parking lot until five minutes to eight. I did not want to be here. I slammed my hand on the steering wheel and shut the door harder than needed. I know I was being childish, but that girl scared the shit out of me.
Making my way inside I looked for Nurse Collins on my way to my post. I can see if she wants to grab something to eat later. She was my type and at least something good could come out of me being here.
When I made it to the hallway I saw Ramirez, another cop that I had not really gotten to know well. Decent guy though. “Hey, Patterson.” He said as he glanced down at his watch.
“Evening.” I said stretching out my hand to shake.
“You got the graveyard?”
“Was supposed to have off but orders, plus would have just sat at home all night.”
“I hear ya,” Ramirez said, hooking his thumbs in his belt. “Should be quiet. Doc said they got everything.”
I glanced at the door. “They got chairs in there, why didn’t you grab one?”
“Nah. Dunno. Got this anxious feeling every time I sat down, you know?”
“Yeah,” I said. “Did she do anything, say anything?”
“The girl? Nah, just zombied out. Can’t blame her from what they guys were saying.”
“Yeah.” I said my thoughts trailing off.
Ramirez reached out and placed a hand on my shoulder. “You alright man?”
“Yeah. Yeah, it’s just been a long week.”
“Alright, well I gotta get going, sign me out, would ya?” He said as he handed me a sign in form. “Cool, I am off then.”
“Alright, I’ll catch you later.”
“Yeah,” he handed me his card. A small business card with his name and contact info on it. The precinct paid for us to get them to hand out to civs,“Here is my number man, give me a call if you need it.”
I turned his card over admiring it, a bit jealous, “These came out nice. I gotta get mine made.”
“I know right, anyways I’m off.” We shook hands as he left. His shoes squeaking slightly on the polished floor faded into the distance. And then I was alone again, guarding someone half my size that scared the hell out of me.
There was no way I was going into that room. As the hours passed, I felt it, that same anxiety Ramirez mentioned. The door seemed almost alive, pulsating, like it was breathing. Standing there, I could feel my heartbeat beating along with every tick of the second hand of the large circular clock.
Just as I was about to lose it, the lights in the hallway dimmed, plunging the corridor into a semi-darkness. Panic surged through me, my hand flying to my sidearm. Was this it? Was something about to happen?
Then I saw her, Nurse Collins, walking down the hall, her steps echoing in the quiet. She noticed my posture, on full alert, and laughed lightly. “Scared of the dark, Officer Patterson?” she teased, her smile cutting through the tension.
“The lights,” I managed to say, looking at the muted lights above.
“They’re on a timer,” she explained, still smiling. “No need to worry, everything’s fine.”
“Yeah, I umm,” I stood up straight brushing off dirt that did not exist from my clean shirt.
The nurse just laughed at me, and I could not help but smile back. It was infectious, light, and genuine.
I shrugged, “Well it has been a quiet night, I suppose, except for the lights playing tricks.”
Another smile. “You’re not afraid of a little darkness, are you, Officer?”
“No, well I mean it’s always nice to have some company.”
“Oh?” She set her clipboard down as she leaned against the counter across the hall from my guard post. Her eyes lit up in the dimmed hallway.
“Well, I mean like, say for dinner or something.” I feel like I fumble the words out, but I don’t think she notices. We are not supposed to try to get dates while on the job, but I just couldn’t help myself.
She chuckles, “Looking for my number, Officer Patterson? You don’t even have a business card like Ramirez.” I can’t help but feel a sting of jealousy, realizing Ramirez had made his move.
I shrugged, frustrated that Ramirez had beaten me to this and regretting that I had put off getting the cards made. “Ramirez asked for your number?”
“He did. But” she leaned in closer, lowering her voice, “I didn’t give it to him. He talks too much. Plus, handing out a business card for a date? It’s a bit much.”
I felt my face flush red and was grateful for the dimmed light. “Yeah, seems a bit over the top,” I agree, trying to sound casual.
She smiles, pulling out a pen. “Here’s my number. We should grab a drink sometime.” She scribbles her digits on a piece of paper and hands it to me. I look down to see her number and Amanda written on it.
“Oh my …” I was cut off as I was about to tell her my first name by beeping machines coming from the girl’s room behind me. I turn and rush in with Amanda close behind. The girl is convulsing violently on the bed, her body arching and twisting.
Amanda barks orders, “Help me turn her on her side!” My hands shake as I comply, the girl’s body surprisingly light yet rigid in my grip as I turn her to face me. “Right, firm but gentle” she adds.
As I hold the girl, her convulsions slow, then stop. She fell still, and for a moment, I let out breath I didn’t know I was holding.
Amanda looked over the machines urgently. “I need to check something,” she says, calling for a doctor.
I nodded, my attention turning back to the girl. When I look down, my blood runs cold. She’s smiling at me, an unnaturally wide grin, her neck muscles straining from the effort. It’s as if she’s forcing her mouth into this grotesque smile that contorts her whole face. I can see every tooth in her mouth, and they too seem unsettlingly large.
I recoil, falling backward to the floor. Amanda rushes over and kneels beside me. “Are you alright?”
I stammered, “The girl… she was looking at me…had this weird look on her face.”
Amanda tries to reassure me. “It was probably just muscle spasms. Don’t worry about it, they can be intense sometimes.” But her words do little to calm me.
I am not able to shake off the feeling of dread as I stand up. “Yeah, you’re probably right. Sorry, I feel a little foolish.”
Amanda grabs my arm, her touch grounding. “Don’t worry about it. Seizures can be something else, especially if you are not used to them.”
The doctor breezes past me into the room, his presence demanding attention. I lean against the corridor wall outside as I give them space to work. My mind was not letting itself be convinced that her face and teeth changed like that because of muscle spasms.
From the room, the doctor’s voice is firm, methodical. “We need to run another check on her vitals. We can’t afford to miss anything.”
Amanda’s response is equally composed. “Her heart rate and breathing were erratic. It’s hard to determine if it’s just the seizure or something more.”
I listened with my thoughts fixated on the girl’s twisted smile.
Amanda stepped out, shutting the door gently behind her. “We’ll be doing more tests. She’s stable, but we’re not taking any chances.”
I nod, my eyes locked on the door. “Something’s not right here,” I say, more to myself than to her.
She looks at me, her eyes reflecting concern. “You’ve had a rough night. Maybe step out, get some fresh air?”
But I shake my head, resolve hardening within me. “No, I can’t leave. I’ll be fine. Nothing coffee can’t fix.” I say to reassure her.
She gives me a skeptical look before it breaks into a light smile. “Alright, I gotta make some rounds but maybe I’ll join you later.”
“It’s a date.” I say returning the smile.
“Doesn’t count,” she says, shaking her head as she picks up her clipboard to leave. I stood there watching her walk away, feeling a gnawing unease.
I had already seen my share of odd things on the job in those first two years. Just ask any cop and they will tell you, but this? This was something else. I glance back at the closed door and let out a sigh.
Amanda came back a few hours later and we did have that coffee. It was a relief to get my mind off of everything even for a few minutes. We had been talking about her moving to the city about a year ago when the singing started.
I only say singing because it was the part of the song Old McDonald had a Farm, but it was not singing. Not at all. It was a grating, distorted, mumbled noise. “E~iii-e~iiiiiiiii-O,” sounded long and drawn out coming from the room.
Goosebumps shot up my arm in an instant and by the look in Amanda’s eyes she was just as disturbed as I was.
“eeeEee-I~eeee-i~OOooo”
“Um,” was all she could say. But that was enough to get us to move.
My heart is instantly going full throttle as we burst into the room and at first, I don’t understand what I am seeing. The girl, or what I thought was a girl, is perched on the side of the bed. Her posture is unnatural, her legs stretched out, feet firmly planted on the floor when they should be dangling off the edge.
The skin on her arms hangs loose, like a cloak draped over spindly, elongated bones that end in claw-like hands resting on the bed. Her head is tilted at an impossible angle, the neck elongated and twisted, making the head seem almost detached from the body.
But the face… that’s the worst part. The skin sags, as if the skull beneath has partially dissolved, giving it a melted, distorted appearance. The eyes are wide and bulging, still with that unblinking and unseeing look they held before.
The mouth is stretched into a grotesque grin, revealing rows of sharp, uneven teeth. ‘Too many to be human,’ I thought.
I was staring into my worst nightmare, and it was just grinning as it started back.
Amanda ran past me to help, not realizing the danger. The creature lashes out with unnatural speed. Its arm, stretching out further than any human limb should, wraps around Amanda’s throat. Her eyes are wide with terror, a choked gasp escaping her lips.
Adrenaline surges through me as I reach for my gun, but the creature is faster. It springs towards me, a blur of elongated limbs and sagging skin. Its fingers, if you could call them that, are more like talons, striking at me. My gun was knocked out of my hands before I could raise it up halfway.
Pain explodes across my face and body with each hit. I’m trying to defend myself, to fight back against this thing, but its strength is overwhelming, its movements erratic and unpredictable.
I’m yelling, my voice hoarse with fear and rage, but it’s drowned out by the creature’s unnerving parody of a children’s song, a chilling, distorted “EEe-ii-e-iOOOooo.” Each letter is accompanied by pain as it pummels me to the ground.
That is all I can describe it as. Pain. My world becomes a blur of pain and fear, each blow driving me further into darkness. My vision tunnels as I struggle to remain conscious, the creature’s twisted song echoing in my mind.
The last thing I see before the darkness completely envelops me is its face, inches from mine, that horrifying grin stretching wider, as if it’s about to swallow me whole. Then, nothing but blackness.
I came to almost two weeks later. Something about cerebral edema, A beating to my head was enough to put me into a coma. It would take another couple of weeks for the swelling to go down enough for me to be able to talk.
I had told Munoz the whole thing as soon as I could and he just nodded. “Don’t tell anyone else. They will think you just lost it.”
“But…” I had begun to protest.
“Kid. Best to drop it.” he said as he stood up from the stool he had placed beside my hospital bed.
“Sir, Amanda… Nurse Collins is still missing, and I know what I saw. I have to…”
He cut me off before I could finish, “How are you going to help her if you…” he snapped.
“I can’t just do nothing!” I shouted back. I felt my skin burn, the rage built up. I know how it sounded. I know it was impossible. Still. I was not going to just forget about this.
He dragged his hand down his face and forcibly sighed. Lowering his tone he said, “Keep your head down, move up and get to a point where you can do something about it. Right now you can’t even stand up and if you tell anyone, anyone else what you told me. Well, good luck getting out of here.”
“Sir?” I did not understand. He had known something. What did he know?
“Come see me after.” Munoz waved his hand in the direction of my broken body. “We see some shit in this line of work, sometimes it sees us too. Just be glad you will walk away from this. Does not always happen.”
He turned to the side and pulled down the collar of his shirt. There right along his collarbone were three deep scars. Scars like the ones I knew I would have across my chest and legs one day.
“Story for now is a couple of masked perps came in, beat you to a pulp, took the nurse and the girl. Stick to it.” he said as he walked out the door.
I just sat there. Stunned and unable to process what had just happened. Still, I did what he said. It made sense. I was sent on forced leave to recover for almost six months but as for the girl, the creature and Amanda. Nothing.
Now I would like to say that I teamed up with Munoz and he trained me and went into a montage of how we planned to find and kill the monster and rescue Amanda. But life happens. Munoz was found dead a few weeks after I was released from the hospital.
Nothing to add to the mystery. Only plain bad health and a bad heart. Apparently died in his sleep. I can’t tell you how much that pissed me off. Still, I took his words to heart and kept my head down and rose up to detective eventually.
It has been almost 16 years since the outlet massacre. I got a call a couple of days ago and found myself standing outside a suburban house. It was a house like any other in the middle of one of the cookie cutter neighborhoods that the development companies seem to be churring out lately. It had a well-manicured lawn, a bike lying on the grass and a bright green door.
Arriving at the scene, I found Jack already there. The years seemed to have weighed heavily on him, for me too I suppose, it is not always so easy for a detective. I walked up to him as he hung up his phone.
“How are the kids?”
“Driving Sarah crazy, she is already looking forward to Manny starting Pre-K.
“Isn’t that still a year away?”
“Something like that,” he says with a shrug and clips his phone onto his belt.
“You need to stop having babies,” I look down and shake my head at the belt clip
He ignores the comment and instead defends his phone holder when he notices my reaction to it. “What. I don’t like it in my pocket, it’s comfortable.”
“Sure. What do we got?” I asked, nodding toward the house as we made our way up the stairs to the porch.
“Honestly I would let you look around first but it’s like the outlet case,” Jack muttered, barely audible, his eyes not meeting mine. “But this time, it’s a family. Husband, wife, four kids…” His voice trailed off.
I felt a chill run down my spine, and I stopped walking. All I can think is finally. Jack continued, “Doesn’t make it worse, but… it does. You know?”
I nodded, understanding. I realized what he must be thinking, we had just been talking about his family.
“Maybe we should see if we can get a hold of the outlet lead, Casey,” Jack said as he moved ahead of me up to the landing.
“Casey? Last I heard, he was living in some cabin in Alaska, fishing his retirement away.” I had tracked him, and anything related to the case. I had spoken to him and whatever Munoz had known Casey had been in the dark.
“Here, use this.” I turn to Jack and see him holding out some paste and a face mask. “For the smell.”
I nod as thanks and use both and step inside the home before I even finish putting the mask on. It was a slaughterhouse.
My heart sank. Blood splattered on walls, furniture overturned. It was like a trail of breadcrumbs made of blood leading through the house, ending in this room. The family – a husband, wife, and their four young children – lay in a tangled, mutilated heap.
“Even the fucking cat,” Jack muttered, pointing to a dismembered paw.
“Who’s the family?”
Jack pointed at the pile of bodies, at one half of a torso, a single breast still attached and the other side just a mangled ribcage. “That there is Patricia North, mother of the family. Her mother had been trying to get a hold of her for a few days.”
“Three days sir.” One of the officers said.
I nodded in thanks and Jack just looked back down after glancing up to see who had interrupted him. “Three days and sent a family friend over. Car in the drive and no answer at the door so we got called in for a wellness check.”
Jack pointed to another body part, obviously male this time. “Jesus, you don’t have to point them out like that.”
Jack shrugged and stood up.
“That is Richard Collins, father, no extended family.”
“Did you say…” I started but we all looked toward the back of the house where someone was shouting.
We all moved swiftly to the back of the house. An officer, flashlight in hand, was pointing it into the darkened crawlspace, while another was cautiously backing out, dragging a figure with him.
I barked out, “What have we got?”
The officer with the flashlight kept his beam steady. “Someone’s under there. Looks like a girl.”
As the figure was fully pulled from the crawlspace, I caught a glimpse of blood-soaked clothing and matted hair. My hand instinctively went to my gun, but Jack’s sharp look was a silent command for restraint. “Easy, Patterson. There’s no way she did all this. She’s a victim.”
I forced my hand away from the gun, nodding silently. Jack signaled another officer. “Get an ambulance, now.”
The officer quickly radioed in, “Dispatch, this is unit 54, we need a 10-52 at the North residence.”
But my focus was not on the call. It was on the woman. She was unconscious, her features obscured by dirt and blood. But I knew exactly who this was. Time seemed to stand still as I took in her features. She was the same. Not a day older than when I had last seen her. It was impossible, yet there she was. Still so young where I had become an old man.
Jack’s voice brought me back. “Any ID on her?”
I swallowed hard, my voice barely a whisper. “That’s Amanda Collins.”
Jack’s expression shifted to one of disbelief. “Collins? Like the father in there…”
“Yeah,” I confirmed, my voice steadier now. “I mean I don’t know. Jack, that is Amanda Collins, the nurse from the outlet massacre.”
Jack shook his head, disbelief etched on his face. “What? But that’s… it can’t be. She’s… she’s been gone for years.”
“Yeah,” I muttered, still not sure of what was going on.
“We need to secure her, get her to the hospital,” Jack finally said, taking charge of the situation. “We’ll need to question her once she’s conscious and find out what she knows.”
Everyone and everything seemed to blur, words distorting as if underwater. Was this really happening? Was that her? I thought I would be ready for this. I thought I would find the young girl again, not her, not Amanda.
The ambulance arrived, and the paramedics quickly assessed Amanda’s condition. I could not take my eyes off of her. As they loaded her onto the stretcher, I could not help but feel like I should be doing something. This was not just a repeat. It was exactly what had happened all those years ago.
As Amanda was whisked away, the officers began their work of processing the crime scene. I watched as Jack coordinated it all. “Hey why don’t you head on out, I got this.”
He was a good friend, but he had no idea what was running through my mind. I just nodded and went to my car.
I drove around a while trying to think things out, but I found myself here eventually. I sent the officer on watch away about an hour ago, told him to grab some food and get some rest. I have been sitting outside Amanda’s room since, writing this all down. Trying to figure out what is going on.
She has been awake since around sundown according to the nurses but has not said a word. Just staring up at the ceiling. But I hear her even while I sit outside her room. No words. Just a low humming. Melodic and in tune this time but it is that same old song.
I keep looking down at my gun. I think I know what I need to do. Jack, I’m sorry but Sarah would tear me a new one if I dragged you into this. I hope you never see this but if you do. I love you man. You were always there for me and the closest thing to family that I have left in this world.