Chapter One

The windscreen wipers squealed as they cleared away the rain pelting against the windshield in frantic synchronisation. The unexpected change in weather was disheartening. Arnold squinted against the bright lights that shone from the oncoming vehicles headed in the opposite direction.

Thunder rumbled in the distance as the dark grey clouds gathered and the sky darkened streaked with silver as lightning flashed across the sky, sudden sparks lit up the sky and fell to the earth with a deafening crack.

“We should turn back,” Arnold said, battling at the steering wheel. The front tyres had thinned out and he had not been able to replace them yet. The road was slippery; too slippery for his liking, and his foot was steady on the brake pedal. He knew the trip was a bad idea but he couldn't say no. That was his problem he couldn't say no - at least not to her - the most beautiful woman that he had ever met and loved her dearly.

Olivia glanced over her shoulder and smiled at their four-year-old daughter sleeping soundly in her car seat.

“No Arnold, we promised,” Olivia looked at her husband, and he felt her grey eyes focussed on him. “Sarah has been looking forward to this for so long.” Her sweet honeyed voice warmed him and he knew he could not disappoint her. 

Arnold hoped he could delay their trip by a week but she insisted they could not wait. He was going to surprise her by having the car traded for a new SUV which would have been more suitable, considering the weather, for the road trip. The front tires had thinned out and he hadn’t been able to replace them yet. The road being slippery didn't help and was too slippery for his liking, but his foot was steady on the brake pedal.

“We’ll never get there at this rate,” Arnold sighed and shot a quick glance at her feeling dejected. He could never resist her charm and her captivating eyes. “The storm is getting worse. I-I’m sorry, Olivia. I need to pullover.”

She didn't say anything as he maneuvered the car to the side of the road and parked alongside a steep bank. 

Keeping the lights on he switched off the car and almost immediately the windows began to mist. He lifted his thin-rimmed glasses to the bridge of his nose, gave her a weak smile, and found her beautiful eyes resting on him and her dark curly hair framed her soft narrow face, high cheekbones, and smooth fair skin. He cupped his hand over her cheek. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. 

 “Try getting some sleep, Honey.” He gave her a weak smile. “I’ll continue when the storm dies down. I promise.”

"I love you, Arnold," she said in a whisper for fear of waking their daughter and opened her eyes. "I know this was hard for you. Thank you for understanding."

Arnold smiled and gave a small nod. "I know how much this means to you and haven't seen them in a long time. I still wonder..."

"Ssh," Olivia's smile was captivating and her eyes sparkled. "I know what you are thinking and it will be okay. She promised me everything had been settled and we had nothing to worry about."

"You still trust her?" He asked with a quizzical frown and felt uneasy.

"She is, after all, our daughter's grandmother." Olivia's eyes furrowed, "she is dying to see her and was so excited that we decided to visit when I spoke to her over the telephone."

"Still no cellphone?" He arched a brow and found it hard to believe that a successful woman refused modern technology. 

Olivia shook her head slightly, "The signal isn't very good and she finds it no point in having a cell phone when she can still rely on her telephone." Olivia covered her yawn with the back of her hand, and added, "at least she had the internet."

Arnold rolled his eyes, just seemed like an excuse to him.

"Why don't you get some sleep, Liv. I’ll continue when the storm dies down.” He leaned over and planted a kiss on the top of her head and breathed in the smell of roses in bloom. 

Olivia nodded and held his hand. “It will be good to see them.” She murmured and drifted off to sleep.

Before long Arnold began to yawn and found his eyes sleepy. He couldn't go to sleep yet, he had to wait for the storm to die down. They needed to get to the farm before night closed in. Fighting sleep he lost the battle and closed his eyes.

***

The car shuddered and a blood-curdling shriek jolted Arnold awake, wide-eyed, and his heart thumped. It was dark and he couldn't see or hear anything. What just happened? His head stung with pain, his heart raced and he felt disoriented.

He heard a distant call, "Daddy?" but he couldn't reply. 

Guilt washed over him as he realised he had not meant to fall asleep, just rest his eyes a little.

He felt his chest clench, his heart pounded in his ears, panic-stricken he slowly turned his head towards Olivia and his eyes widened.

“O-Olivia…” he whimpered his voice hoarse. Her head was limp on her shoulder, blood gushed from her neck and down her body, pooling in her lap and seeped down the folds of her dress. He felt his chest tighten as fear consumed him. He slowly lifted his head and stared into the red-flecked yellowed eyes of a dark grotesque creature with rotted flesh covered in thick ice, and blood dripped from its gritted teeth. He opened his mouth but his scream was silenced as the creature lunged and ripped the flesh from his throat.

***

Detective Ray squinted his eyes against the shimmer of light peeping over his dashboard. He had been awake all night following up on a case of missing people over the past few months and could not find a connection between them. Maybe they were random, but he could not shake the feeling that if he dug a little deeper he’d find the truth.

But, right now, he had to investigate this strange scene that he dreaded to find before him. The tiny road was cordoned off and traffic flow slowed on the other side as drivers tried in hope to find out what the fuss was about. Lights of blue and red flashed and reporters were already gathered like vultures to find out information from the local police. The coroner was yet to arrive and forensics was already at the scene and hard at work.

After parking his car as close as possible to the scene he was almost immediately surrounded by nosy reporters asking all kinds of questions. As always he ignored them.

“What do we have here?” Detective Ray asked one of the forensics team members leaving the scene.

“Go see for yourself. I can’t describe it. There’s a survivor but she can’t talk. It must be the shock.” He shook his head in disbelief cursing under his breath.

Before Detective Ray could say anything more the man disappeared. He joined the local police force to see for himself what he was going to be dealing with; only sheer willpower stopped him from hurling at the sight. There was blood everywhere, brutal. Two bodies what looked like a male and a female both dismembered and torn apart. Insects were beginning to hover around the bodies.

He stepped away. “Where’s the survivor?” He said using his jacket to cover his nose and mouth. Agh, the smell!  

Despite many crimes scenes, he did not have the stomach for this smell.

“Check the ambulance. Still waiting for Social Welfare,” someone replied.

Detective Ray breathed in the fresh crisp morning air and let it out slowly as he walked towards the ambulance. Two medics were nearby; the ambulance driver was a few feet away having a cigarette. A little girl sat inside the ambulance with a thick grey blanket placed over her shoulders. She couldn’t be more than the same age as his son. The medics came forward like mother hens as he neared the girl.

“Detective Ray Banks, Hilton Homicide.” He said flashing his badge at them. “I just want to speak to her.”

Both medics shrugged. “You can try,” Botham said. “She has not reacted at all. We tried to clean her up as much as we could.”

“How she survived is a mystery,” Carrington said. “No injuries, bruising or anything, just covered in blood.”

Detective Ray nodded and sat on the top folding stair of the ambulance facing the girl.

“Hi there, I am Detective Ray but you can call me Ray.” He said full of enthusiasm. "Or not," he said when the girl did not move and remained silent.

“What is your name? I am sure a pretty girl like you has a pretty name?” He said after a moment's silence.

"Give it up," Ray heard Carrington say, "she won't talk."

"Quiet," Ray ordered, shook his head, and dismissed him with a wave of his hand.

The girl lifted her head and looked at him. Her grey eyes, speckled in blue held curiosity but she said nothing. Her dark curls were matted in dried blood and pressed against her blood-stained pale face. Even so, she was a beautiful little girl. 

Ray's eyes narrowed as he asked thoughtfully, “Do you know what a Detective is?” 

The girl slowly shook her head.

“I am sure you know what a policeman is then?” Ray tried to catch her attention by making eye contact, but her eyes were glazed.

She gave a small nod.

“Well, I am kind of like a policeman and I want to help. Do you maybe remember anything?”

The girl's face saddened, she remained silent and looked away from him.

Ray sighed as he looked over to the crime scene and back to the little girl, taking in the situation. His gaze fixed on the small girl and he wondered what his son would be thinking if he sat here in her place, or what would he say to her if he were here.

“Do you like animals?” Ray said suddenly, another thought that just came to his mind. He wasn't really a children person and connecting with kids did not come naturally to him. Except for his son, of course.

“Yes,” she finally breathed in a soft whisper and she looked at him in a curious gaze. "I have a puppy."

He gave her a friendly smile, "me too, and so does my son. He is about your age."

Her eyes brightened. “His name is Kingpin.”

Ray smiled at the sudden enthusiasm and the upward turn of her mouth. Cute, she had dimples, he thought and was pleased with himself for getting her to respond.

"I'm scared," Tears filled her eyes. “I want Mommy and Daddy.”

Pressing his lips together, he said. “I know,” and placed a hand on her shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze. He wished he could do something for her.

"There will be a lady who will come and see you." He said with a frown and a twist of his mouth he added. “A lady will come to see you and take you to a safe place."

Ray didn't know what more to say. That her parents were mutilated and the possibility of her seeing her puppy again was next to never. That her life would never be the same and would possibly grow up as an orphan. He hoped she had family and his heart melted for her as he thought of his son. He stepped away from the ambulance stair to leave but tiny hands grabbed his arm firmly.

“Sarah,” she said in a whisper looking up at him with those curious unforgettable grey eyes speckled with blue. “My name is Sarah.”