Becca’s peace shattered as soon as she got home, and her ice cream lost its flavour without even reaching her spoon.

When she opened her door and entered, she noticed a fat envelope laying on the floor, next to the entrance, with elegant cursive writing that said TO THE SAVIOUR OF A LIFE.

When she grabbed the envelope and read it, she immediately knew who it was from, and started regretting that day.

***

The young girl was walking back home, from an errand she had to run to her mom, Don’s sister, Grace. And as she was about to walk past an alley, she noticed a man squatting on the floor, his face contorted with pain, his shirt, stained with red.

Shadows moved at the end of the alley, probably muggers, the ones who attacked him, but there was no time to call the police or chase them. And even if she did, what would she do? Rebuke them to death? She wasn’t that type of person. If only her uncle Donnovan was there at the moment...

Becca ran towards him to check if he was okay, while attempting to call in the emergency, but her phone was dead and not a single person seemed to pay attention to that side of the street.

Of course the old man wasn’t okay, not with her luck. Blood flowed from a wound in his belly, and he seemed in shock. His eyes were wide open, focusing on her, his lips trying to move, as if wanting to say something, but she urged him to stay still and not to speak.

Becca was lost for a second, laid him on the alley floor, and tried to talk to him.

“It’s alright, sir. You’re okay, you’re gonna be alright.” she spoke, concealing desperation within the stillness in her voice.

The man looked ragged, old, lost and sad. Just like any other living being, he had no wish of dying, yet she didn’t know what to do. The only thing she could think of at the moment, was to press the wound and hope that he went peacefully, knowing at least that he didn’t die alone.

He had a large amount of stab wounds on his abdomen, judging from how many wholes his shirt had. The man’s whole chest was soaked in red, and there was nothing else Becca could do, besides watching him die in her arms.

Helplessness filled her heart, drenched her soul, and she prayed to the skies, to anything that could ever possibly be watching them from up there, to at least take him in peace.

That was when it happened.

A vivid image assaulted her mind, of deep black eyes, staring right into her soul. And a voice speaking right into her heart.

Be kind to them.

Try to save them.

I’m sorry child...

Light emanated from both her hands, soft and warm, but then ice cold and blindingly intense. She saw unaccountable moments of her life, flashes, and bits, and pieces, and then she saw the old man, somehow.

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Becca witnessed what happened to him, the mugging, the covered faces of the perpetrators, and the pain of the stabbings. All in a matter of seconds, in a maddening series of events, every single one happening inside her brain.

Her back burned, her head felt as if compressed between the two plates of a hydraulic press...

And as suddenly as it all happened, everything went calm once more.

She looked at the old man, his grey hair soaked in sweat, the shirt still reddened, torn, but underneath it, only dry, whole skin was to be found. His breathing was stable, and the gleam in his eyes was back, as if life returned to him in full force.

After that, she got up, lost and afraid of what just happened, ready to run away.

But there was a man in her way, his eyes wide in shock.

“What did you just do...?” the middle aged man asked. And Becca’s life became a nightmare.

***

She new it wouldn’t be long until he tried to contact her again. The four days of peace were like the calm before the storm, yet she now held his name and address, so she wasn’t as helpless as before, even if she still didn’t know what to do with these information.

Her hands shook unsteadily, as she tried to rip the envelope open. It contained a folded piece of paper and a reasonably sized, white plastic package.

The girl unfolded the paper, her eyes running across the words.

Did you miss me?

I know you’ve been enjoying this time away, but I won’t leave. If anything, I’ll be like your shadow.

Always around.

And if you ever want to get away, how about becoming someone else?

Open the package if you want to know what I mean.

Come meet me at my place.

I want you to tell me everything about the thing you did that day.

I live at 3rd St, 805, Downtown.

I’ll be eagerly waiting.

Sincerely yours

She wanted to puke.

The girl didn’t think he would stop at all, but that didn’t mean she was ready for that.

Nor for what came next.

She opened the package, wondering about what he meant with ‘becoming someone else’, only to drop it on the floor with a loud and sharp scream.

There was a woman’s face inside the package, a bit dried up, but still bloody.

It was a real human face.

***

The alley became bloody, rusty, metal rods spiking up from the walls, bodies hanging from them, flayed and still grunting.

“There will be more.” a female voice spoke behind Bertrand, who turned around, fairly startled.

The detective was about to ask something, but his words were lost as he looked at the woman in front of him.

She was sanding her nails, and was stunningly beautiful. Very long hair, its colour completely indescribable, as if changing from one tone to another every second. Her body, fully naked, though, showed attractive curves, and chubby edges. The skin was a mixture of lizard skin, insect carapace, human skin, and also had a disconcerting changing colour tone.

Down at her back, Bertrand discovered a scorpion tail, coming right from the base of her back.

“I’m dreaming again, aren’t I?” the investigator questioned, as he felt the same kind of atmosphere that was present in that nightmare.

“You don’t know a single thing yet. Still, you seem to be her replacement... I’ll leave you be. But for now, know that my food is running amok, and before the one who’s going to stop him does it, I have to let you know... There will be more. And I’ll help you see it through in time.” she said, approaching him. Bertrand was completely shocked by the whole thing unfolding before him, so he wasn’t able to move a muscle.

His mind was racing fast, his body completely frozen, due to fear or something similar. He wanted to scream, but no sound emerged from his lips.

Warm blood dripped on his clothes, and when the female thing got close to him, she licked him in the cheek, his skin burning in pain.

“Hmm... Tasty... Just as tasty as the one coming your way.” she smirked. “Careful what you run into, tasty thing... I’ll be watching you.” and as she stepped back afar from him, the woman vanished, along with the bodies spiked on the walls, the blood, and the rusty air.

All that was left in the alley, was the dead woman’s body, her innards all around, and a shocked Bertrand, with his pants wet with piss.