Rain. It always seemed to rain when he was sad. Walking over to his rice cooker, he twisted the dial to twenty minutes, and pocketed his phone. Stepping out through the door way into the early morning light, Mark opens his umbrella and begins to descend the black metal staircase. His landlord, Jacob Marsh, would usually be shouting at him about his unpaid rent, but today he could just enjoy the sound of the raindrops bouncing off his taut umbrella. He hadn't received a call for a body this early in a while. Hoping that this wouldn't be a long investigation he reluctantly unlocks the car and pulls the door open. Climbing into the drivers seat he sighs and slots the key in the ignition. The light blue Rover 214 IS sputters into life and as it begins to move, Mark checks the message he was sent, confirms the address and puts his foot down on the pedal. The car lurches forward, sending him to his destination and unbeknown to him a spiralling path leading to a pitch-black reality devoid of light.
As he pulls up to the scene, a familiar face makes her way towards his car. "Hey Mark." Waving, he gets up and out of his car, accidentally banging his head on the way out. "Hi Carmen," he winces rubbing the top of his head. Carmen was one of his only friends at the station, Mark is half Japanese and some of the other officers think less of him because of that. This doesn't affect him however, he's gotten used to the name calling and pointing fingers. Even when this does happen, Carmen would always be there to defend him, she is half Mexican but the officers wouldn't dare say things to her since she is the second highest rank detective in the Veilham police force. "Mark I wanna warn you, this one it's bad like, really bad."
"Whatever it's about time something happened in this town." He replies, Veilham was known for being a quiet place, there hadn't been a serious crime in about a year.
"That's a bit twisted, don't you think?"
"It was a joke..." Awkward silence followed these words for a couple seconds until smirks grew on both of their faces. She sighs,
"Alright just follow me, jokes aside this one's fucked up."
Locking up his car, he trudged up the driveway, the rain had stopped.
As he arrived at the door he swiped his wet black hair out of his eyes and stepped in. Drip... Drip... Drip. The house was silent except for the droplets of water falling from his leather trench coat. Walking through into the kitchen, he felt a sudden surge of bitter coldness wash through his body. That's when he turned the corner and saw it.
A ghastly figure lay on the floor as if he had been placed there as decoration. Carmen was knelt over the man, "He has cuts along his arms, legs, body and well.. just about everywhere else." She took a deep breath and continued. "He has lost almost all blood in his body and has holes in areas which shouldn't have holes. Mark would you just... take a look for me, I need to take a breather outside quickly."
Mark nodded and Carmen rushed outside. Mark could hear the faint noise of her throwing up. He hadn't seen any case rattle her in a while. He approached the body to get a closer look. "Jesus." He muttered under his breath. The man's face had been cut, scratched, bent and bruised to the point where the victim was unrecognisable. He was a skeleton with skin, his bones appeared to be attempting to escape his skull. Suddenly another feeling rushed through his body. This time it wasn't coldness it was something more sinister. He collapsed to the floor screaming, rolling onto his back and then onto his front again. His brain began to pulsate like an overworked heart. He tore at his head attempting to free his brain from the torment it was undergoing. Then he saw them. Floating in his mind, his memories. 'Were they always there? What are they?' That's when Mark realised, "They're looking at me!" He screamed out in pain and his world faded to black.
"Hello, anyone home?"
'What', Mark thought. "Carmen?"
"Who the fuck else is it gonna be mark; wake up."
His eyelids felt heavy as he pried them open. He could see Carmens long black hair. 'She undid her hair.' Mark thought as he opened his eyes.
"Ohhh welcome back to earth mate. You fell asleep on the body. Pretty embarrassing, I had to lift you off him myself because the others were all laughing at you." It was Carmens voice he could hear. He tried to stand, grabbing at the kitchen counter as he rose. "What happened?" Carmen asked sounding kinda pissed in her tone, "Because one of the other officers told the commissioner you fainted on the body and that has probably put you into thinner ice than before."
"I uhh think I just hit my head a little too hard on my car." He chuckled nervously.
"Stop with the bullshit, actually I don't really care we just need to make our report on it all, come." She led him out of the house, his head feeling heavier than ever.
"You okay to drive like this?" She asked him.
He smiled almost drunkenly. "Oh for fuck sake," she said, "All right get in." Mark wandered unsteadily over to her crimson red Rover 800 Series. She opened the passenger side door for him and he fell in. "God you are a mess." She said as she climbed into the drivers seat, twisting the key in the ignition, revving the engine and leaving the scene.
After he had been dropped back at his house, he checked his phone for the time. It had been two hours. 'Shit', he thought to himself, he's going to have to re heat his rice. Making his way towards the black fire exit stairs that led to his rented roof space, he heard the one voice he didn't want to hear. "TOMOHIRO!" Jacob Marsh, his landlord, had been awaiting his return. "So you thought you could sneak off without saying bye to me huh? Well guess what you can't." The fat little man rushed over to Mark with an angry expression running across his face. "I practically let u you live here for free now, so what I say you do, YOU DO! Am I clear?"
Mark nodded and began climbing the stairs. "Hey not so fast partner." Jacob snickered. "You know what I would really like to start this morning off with? A cheeky Stella alrigh'."
"Please Jacob just let me rest I've had a bad couple hours and I just need some shuteye."
"SHUTEYE?? How about you shut yo' ass up and get me a Stella.. bitch."
Mark looked Jacob up and down and decided a fight wasn't worth it. "Alright I'll go and get you one just, leave me alone for the rest of the day."
"Heh y'see that's the spirit right theresome." Jacob turned around and waddled back through the front door of the house, slamming it upon entry.
'I hate this town.'
Mark walked down to the local Tesco to pick up his 'Stella', 'such a stupid name' he thought to himself as he entered the shop. He found one on a grimy shelf thinking to himself, 'Im sure that joke of a man wouldn't notice if it's warm or cold.' as he was exiting the shop he felt a pulsating feeling in his head. "AAAAGHH!!" He screamed falling flat onto the cobbled pavement. Images of beings he didn't understand drifted through his mind. Tentacles dragged at his head pulling him closer and closer and clos...
He woke up. He was covered from head to toe in beer and was lying out the front of Tesco looking up at the morning sky.
"Oh my days mate, are you alright?" This was a familiar voice, "Mark man how'd you end up on the floor, and covered in beer c'mon you're better than this."
"Shut up Darren," Mark stammered as he rose, clutching his throbbing head. "I thought you slept until twelve what are you doing up now?"
"Don't you remember me tellin' you I've been going for runs in the morning nowadays man, I'm getting fit... I think. Alright anyway Mark I've got to get going but uhh swing by the pub later yeah?"
"Yeah, yeah," Mark spoke hesitantly attempting to wipe the Stella off his trench coat. 'This is gonna stain'. Mark thought to himself and sighed, 'I guess I'll go get him another one.' Mark wandered back into the shop a trail of beer following him as he entered.
Arriving back at his house he noticed the curtains moving and a bearded plump face quickly duck out of view. That same face then wanders out of the wooden front door. "Ahhh Tomohiro you are a good man y'know."
As Mark hands over the Stella, Jacob bursts into laughter.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"
"What." Mark says looking around. Then he realises. "Ohh what, because I'm covered in beer, hilarious I know."
"No mate not that, while that is funny, you've seemed to have gotten a weird scratch on your forearm."
Mark looks down at his arms. 'Oh shit.' He thought to himself.
A mark in the clear shape of an eye had been seemingly etched onto his skin.
"Wow would you look at that, you see Jacob I had a little tumble. Hey you know accidents do happen." Mark says with a slight quiver in his voice. Jacob snorts, chuckles and returns back into his house. "Ouch Tomohiro looks like that one's gonna scar."
Mark ignored him and ascended the stairs back up to his room.
That is no scratch.