Chapter 2 A Strange Disappearance

I was still tangled in a fog of sleep when my phone vibrated violently on the nightstand beside my bed. I groaned in annoyance. It was a weekend, for Christ’s sake and everyone knows not to disturb, especially in the mornings.

Reluctantly, I reached out for my phone and seeing Knox’s name flash on the screen made my heart drop. He never calls at this time unless it was urgent. So, I answered.

“What is it, Knox?” I asked sleepily.

“Tara, you might want to come to the office. Now.” I didn’t like the sound of his voice. It sounded tight, strangled and forced. I could only hope it wasn’t that serious.

“Why?” I questioned. “Can it not wait till Monday?”

“It’s another case,” he said, making me jolt upright, my heartbeat racing. “But we need you to come to the office for further discussion.”

“Who is—”, I didn’t get to finish my sentence when he hung up on me. Damn it.

I dragged myself out of my cozy bed and freshened up. Then I threw on the first clothes I could find, and rushed out the door, my pulse throbbing with an unease I couldn’t explain. Get it together Tara, it is just another case. I tried to console myself before quickly typing out a message to Nina to let her know I wouldn’t be home but at the station, in case she wanted to come over as usual.

The morning air was still damp and cold from yesterday’s rain when I slid into my truck. The engine growling to life beneath my trembling fingers was the only sound I could hear, and as I sped down the familiar stretch of road, the world felt strangely muted. Was it because it was still morning or was it because I felt uneasy?

Halfway to the station, I saw flashlights ahead of me. Patrol cars were lined up, their red and blue light strobing against the wet asphalt. Yellow tapes weakly flapped in the morning breeze. I was not going to stop but then I saw her.

A brunette woman lay on the side of the road, her body twisted unnaturally. Her clothes were torn and her skin was marred by deep lacerations no human being could have inflicted. An officer kneeling beside her checked her pulse. He already knew it was pointless, yet in this duty, everyone always had a beam of hope even in hopeless situations.

I pulled over, fingers trembling more than before. An officer walked over to me and I showed him my badge. He nodded once.

“Officer, what happened?”

“We can’t tell for sure now, but it looks like it happened last night. Maybe around midnight when everyone was indoors, you know.” He replied, briefly glancing towards the dead body, then back at me. “An animal attack, probably. She didn’t stand a chance at all.”

Animal attack. I knew better, but that only made my stomach turn. Then I was hit by a sudden realization. I left Nina’s apartment shortly after midnight, so this woman lying here could have been me. The more I thought about it, the more I was sure this wasn’t just “a monster theory” as Knox liked to call it. It was real.

I thanked the officer with a stuttered breath and floored the acceleration, the tires hissing on the wet asphalt. I didn’t slow down until I reached the station. The moment I walked in, I instantly knew something was wrong. The silence was heavy. Everyone turned toward me, wearing the same grim expression that made my skin crawl.

I didn’t wait for explanations, nor did I question anyone. I went straight to Knox’s office, pushing the door so hard it rattled against the wall. There he stood, pale, quiet, and jaw clenched.

“Tara…” he breathed, and I waited patiently for him to explain why he drove me out of my bed at that bloody hour. “It’s Nina.”

“Nina? What’s wrong with her?” I take my phone out to call her.

“She’s gone.” Knox said defeatedly. I froze.

“Gone? I don’t understand, what do you mean by she’s gone Knox?” I asked with a shaky voice.

He licked his lips and looked straight at me. “Just like the other cases. She’s just…gone. Lexi went over this morning to hand over some documents for her to work on and —”

I didn’t wait for an explanation. That explanation wouldn’t bring her back. Instead, I turned away and headed for my truck, Knox trailing behind me. We got into my truck and I sped to her apartment. This wasn’t just any case, this was personal.

Nina’s apartment felt cold and empty as we searched for clues.

“No sign of forced entry or struggle.” Knox reported as we scanned every inch of the small apartment, searching for any anomaly, anything that felt out of place. My gaze fell upon a particular section of the wall beside her bookshelf. A hairline crack snaked its way across the plaster. It wasn’t new. It had appeared in her wall some months ago, so I had seen it before. But now, the more I stared at it, the more my instinct was drawn to it.

I pressed my palm against the cool plaster, and I felt a strange energy radiating from the crack, prickling my skin. A faint, earthy scent wafted from it.

I punched the wall repeatedly until a hole appeared.

“Knox,” I called. “Feel this.” He placed his hand over the hole.

“What the hell?” His eyes widened.

“Yeah, I know right? I murmured, my mind racing.

We tore that side of the wall apart to reveal a swirling vortex of deep violet and midnight blue pulsed within the chasm. The strange energy stronger now.

“Tara, get back!” Knox’s voice was laced with urgency, but it was too late. A powerful suction pulled at me, yanking me forward. I stumbled, my feet losing its stance on the floor.

A scream tore from my throat, but it was swallowed by the roaring gale that erupted from the portal. Knox lunged, his hand grasping for my arm, but the energy pulling me was too strong. The last thing I saw was his horrified face, the wall strangely closing back to how it was before.

I scream for Knox one last time, before the swirling colors completely consumed me.