Chapter 4: Caught

I started to stumble backward and tripped on absolutely nothing. As a result, I came crashing down.

I ignored the pain of the impact and started running blindly, not daring to look back at the horror I just saw in the alleyway. I didn’t even turn to look to see if the man was chasing after me. Oh my God, what was that? What the actual fuck was that?

I didn’t even think of an answer. I made a sharp right and kept running. I saw two guys walking on the other sidewalk across the street. I glanced at them and they stared back at me like they thought I was crazy. The reason why I didn’t tell them about what I just saw and screamed for help was because they y look like they could help me. Actually, going up to them felt like getting myself into even more trouble.

No, I had to keep running until I found something that could actually help me.

I looked around quickly and tried to figure out where I was. I knew this area but nothing came to mind at the moment. I couldn’t associate this place with anything. In my mind, all I heard were the words ‘he was drinking her blood’ over and over again. His mouth was covered in it and I saw how he opened his mouth for more.

What…what kind of person was he? What was that?

I desperately continued running. My only relief was that I wasn’t being followed by him. At least, I hoped I wasn’t. I didn’t come across anyone else as I ran. No shops were open, not that I could see, and I had no idea where I was going to go.

A hotel was my initial plan but now I figured I had to go to the police or something to report this incident. That poor old lady. I feel terrible for not saving her or even trying to help her. She was just tired and she couldn’t go on. And that creep…he…

I didn’t even know what he did to her or how he managed to decapitate her so fast. And her eyes, he did something strange to her eyes.

It gave me the necessary courage to keep going. I couldn’t stop and be attacked the way she was and I couldn’t let him get away with this. I knew that what I did myself was unexplainable and horrible and I couldn’t understand it either. I didn’t even have time to pause and try to understand. All I knew was that that creep was bad news. He was a danger to society.

He needed to be reported.

I didn’t know where I could find a station around here. I was hoping I would run into a cruiser or someone, anyone who could give me their phone to call the police.

Oddly enough, the streets were empty.

Despair and panic flooded me. I was feeling disoriented and for an instant, I stopped running and stood in the middle of the empty sidewalk, my fingers curling in my hair. I lost all sense of direction and no longer knew what I was going to do. I stared at the inky sky and felt like I was going to pass out.

And just then, to my left, I heard the sound of a bell.

My head snapped in that direction so fast that I felt even dizzier afterward. I saw a man wearing a heavy black coat leaving a corner shop. My heart soared in my chest and I raced toward it. I could finally get the help I needed. I could go into the store and call for help. I’d bring that old woman justice. I’d help get that creep behind bars.

I pushed the door open. The man behind the counter startled and gave me an odd look. I neared the counter and asked, “Can I use your phone?”

“Why?” he asked, putting both his hands on the counter and eyeing me suspiciously.

“I saw a crime back there. There was a man and he was…look, could you give me your phone? I really need to call the police.”

“How do I know you’re not going to run?”

I blinked for a few seconds. “What?”

“We don’t have a landline and I’m not going to give you my phone.”

A light scoff left my lips. “What the hell is wrong with you? I’m not going to run away with your phone. I just want to call the police!”

“This man,” he began, ignoring my words, “what was he doing exactly?”

“I’m not going to tell you details.”

“Oh?” he said, leaning forward. He then eyed me from head to toe before looking back at my face. “What are you doing out here this late at night? You don’t seem like you’re up to anything good.”

I couldn’t believe this. I thought that this place would help me yet this man was giving me a tough time. “Please,” I said. “You need to help me.”

He took a deep breath through his nose and closed his eyes. I watched him, utterly perplexed. He reopened his eyes and said, “I don’t like how you smell.”

My eyebrows shot up. “Excuse me?”

He started to move and I did the same. My back hit the shelf behind me. The door. I had to go for the door. I wasn’t stupid enough to stay here when this man was saying such weird things. I went straight for it but it opened before I could and someone walked in.

My heart dropped to my feet.

No.

The creep from the train. I couldn’t believe it. I stepped backward to try to put as much distance between him and me. His face was clean. There was no blood to be seen anywhere. My back hit the shelf again but this time, cans crashed to the ground. The man from behind the counter stopped walking and looked at the creep who was already looking at him.

“Don’t worry,” the creep said, “I’ll take care of this.”

I couldn’t believe what was happening. The two of them were…in on it? I looked back and forth between the two of them before running. I ran to the back of the store, unsure of what to do.

“There’s nowhere to run, so why don’t you stay where you are?” the creep asked me.

“Get the bell away from me!” I yelled.

“Hey, get out of here. I don’t want this kind of mess in my shop,” the owner said as he bent over to pick up the cans I dropped.

“Sorry, Dave,” the creep answered. “This won’t take long.”

I grabbed the first thing I could get my hands on. It was another can. I threw it at him but he ducked right on time. The owner exclaimed when he saw the can flying and once again told us to leave. I wasn’t paying much attention to what he was saying. My eyes were on this man, this creep, who wasn’t going to leave me alone.

I grabbed another can but he was lightning fast. He grabbed my wrist and squeezed, and I was forced to drop it.

“We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” he said through his teeth. “The choice is yours. Either way, you’re leaving with me tonight.”

I was on the verge of tears. “What do you want from me?”

“That’s a question for later,” he answered coldly. “For now, you leave with me and you don’t ask questions or we’re going to have a problem.”

He started to drag me but I dug my heels on the floor. He looked back at me, completely annoyed. Hysterically, I said, “You killed that woman! You…you gouged her eyes out and drank her blood!”

He turned around to face me, the pressure on my wrist increasing. I wanted to cry out in pain but didn’t. His words were, “You accuse me of being a killer but what about you? What terrible crime did you commit tonight?”

I couldn’t answer him. My lips were glued together and my tongue grew heavy in my mouth. How did he know? How could he possibly know?

“Oh, I know,” he said as if he could read my thoughts. “I know. So keep your judgment to yourself and follow me or you’re going to regret it.”

“What do you want from me?” I asked again. I couldn’t admit to what he said. I didn’t know who he was or how he even knew this. I was more confused than ever.

I was terrified.

“As I said,” he said over his shoulder as he dragged me toward the exit. I didn’t have much strength to fight him back. “That’s a question for later. Much, much later.”