(26th of May, 1999)

Dillon’s Diner. Kimberly and Frank sat there in their usual spot. Waiting for their breakfast to hit the table. The two of them have been so busy they feel as though they haven’t eaten in days. They could envision the moistness of the eggs and grease of the bacon. Frank sitting their nursing his coffee in the meantime. Only after pouring in several packets of sugar of course…

“Need any creamer for that?” Kimberly asked rhetorically.

“A real man drinks his coffee black… you know that.”

Kimberly giggled. “Yeah Frank…” Frank side-eyeing her.

Don’t know if that includes adding more sugar than a bowel of Frosted Flakes. Kimberly thought as Dani brought their food to the table. Dani then took notice of Frank’s expression. A dour look on his face. “Are you okay Frank?” Dani asked.

“Me? Oh yeah! Great. I’m great.” Frank postured.

“One more time and I’ll believe you.” Dani said.

Frank widened his smile. Incapable of hiding the bags under his eyes. Or the cheapness of his smile. “I’m great.” He said. Dani didn’t believe him and neither did Kimberly. It’s been a crazy few days after all. But despite that Dani bid them farewell and walked into the back. It was as they started eating that Kimberly then decided to press the issue farther.

“What’ wrong Frank?”

There was a brief pause… “Oh come on Kimberly… you already know.”

She did already know. Bodies recovered in gruesome states. Some of which were children. Missing people. Almost a dozen at this point. And Detective Drew, who was supposed to be taking care of the situation left two days ago, and she hasn’t heard back from him since. What of the coat button..? She thought.

“Yeah—It’s… been a terrible week.”

“Understatement of the century. And the century is about to turn.” Frank noted. “Any word from that fancy detective?”

“Not yet. But he said it might be a couple days until he comes back.”

“Yeah well… if he was smart he wouldn’t…”

“I thought you were hoping he’d solve all our problems for us.” Kimberly questioned.

“Yeah well. I thought you didn’t.” Frank replied.

“…” Kimberly sat there and thought on it. At first she thought it was important that they take care of this issue on their own, but now… she isn’t so sure. The brief moment she worked with Drew she realized just how in over her head she actually was. Despite the praise Drew had given her for her policework.

“I’m going to level with you Kimberly. As a skeptic.” Frank put down his fork on a finished plate. “I thought all night about this, and I decided this morning… to send Anna and the kids away.”

Kimberly who was chewing on her food, suddenly stopped.

“It’s just getting too weird around here. I don’t know how, but everything’s off. It was just time for them to go.”

Kimberly slammed her hands down on the table. Her eyes burning with discontent. This would typically draw some eyes in a place like this. But in an unusual turn of events. There wasn’t that many people around. Only a trenchcoated man reading his newspaper in the corner.

“How could you do that! What about your kids? They must be scared right now… and you’re just going to abandon them?”

“I’m not abandoning them Kimberly… I’m protecting them. I mean just look around. People are afraid to go outside. Even during the middle of the fucking day. I can’t sleep at night, Anna couldn’t sleep at night…”

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

“Why not go with them then?” Kimberly asked.

“Because I can’t just leave things like this! I’m a peace officer Kimberly. I have a duty to protect the people of this town. Of my town! I grew up here…” Frank said. Leaning back in distress. “I went to the park the night before last… following a dumb lead and…”

“And?”

“I heard a woman scream. Thought it might be related to the tip. It was coming from Molly Mildred’s house.”

“Oh my god is she okay?”

“Yeah… well maybe.”

Kimberly saw how uncomfortable Frank was talking about this. That’s how she knew he wasn’t just pulling her leg. Frank’s hand began to sweat as he put his hands in his pockets. Looking away he continued.

“She was screaming one minute. Then when I knocked on her door and she answered, she was fine. At least she told me she was, but I think—I think she might’ve been lying. She answered the door and seemed incredibly standoffish. Her face was being concealed by the darkness and she spoke to me like I was a stranger. I mean we’ve known each other since grade school!”

As Frank was saying this. The man in the gray trench coat stood up and walked out. Leaving behind a handful of spare change as a tip. As he walked out the door Kimberly noticed something. Why was that man staring at us so hard? She pondered. But she tried not to dwell on it. Instead opting to focus on Frank. What she didn’t notice. Was something that had been lurking from underneath their seats. Staring up at them. Bloodshot.

“I mean if you couldn’t see her. How’d you know it was her?”

Frank smirked. “Let’s just say. She was filled out in just the right places…” Frank said, eyes closed and smiling as he stroked his chin.

“…” Kimberly was confused for a moment until… “Frank!” She threw a balled up napkin at him as he deflected it. “Gross… I did not need to know that?”

“Shit you’re the one who asked.” Frank said as Dani made her rounds.

“Anything else I can get you guys?”

“Just the check.” Frank said, placing a $50 bill on the table.

Dani’s eyes lit up. “Oh thank you Frank. That last guy only left a 75 cent tip…”

“Is everything okay?” Kimberly asked.

“Yeah it’s just… With everything going on not as many people have been stopping in here. And to make matters worse, the mill has shut down temporarily, so Emanuel has been home. Meaning he won’t even get paid next week… And I don’t know how long the mill we be shut down for.”

Kimberly seeing how distressed Dani is about her finances smiles and sets down a twenty dollar bill. Dani’s face having a huge smile plastered on it. “Oh thank you Kimmy!” She said as she leaned down and hugged her.

“Oh, no problem whatsoever!”

She even gave Frank a quick hug. Flustering him a bit.

7:30 PM.

As Kimberly walked back into her house, she sat down on the couch and turned on the TV. Ready to decompress a bit. Not that she had to. With her duty day being fairly relaxed, with no crazy calls or new missing persons. Meowing from down the hall was her cat, Toto. Named ironically after the dog from The Wizard of OZ. He jumped up onto the couch and into her lap.

“Ah! Hey baby!” She said as she nuzzled him. “Did you miss momma?” She said as she kissed his head.

She walked around her house, completing various chores as she did. She swept up the cat hair. She started her laundry. Prepared her dinner then after a while… Ewe… She thought as she sniffed her armpits. I need a shower. Can’t believe Frank didn’t tell me. That squad car had to stink!

Kimberly grabbed a fresh pair of clothes and a towel. Throwing her uniform into the now empty hamper, and her belt onto her bed. As she walked out of her room, she shut off the light. Something hiding in her police belt where her handcuffs were stored… something watched her from the darkness as she went into the restroom. Like an eye without lids though… different from the first one…

Fully nude, Kimberly climbed into the shower and closed the curtain. She turned the water to hot but was surprised by the initial burst of cold water. Kicking herself for not letting the water heat up first. Goosebumps appearing all over her body as it quivered. While she was showering Toto sat on the couch when he glimpsed something rolling across the floor. He perched up, eyes wide. Claws exposed.

The water poured over as Kimberly as she tilted her head and closed her eyes. Letting the hot water soak her curly hair and leaning against the pristinely white lining wall of the tub. It was then she heard Toto screech when suddenly she turned her head and clutched her breasts to cover herself. “Toto?” She yelled. Turning off the shower she stepped out and *squish! Splat!*

“What the hell!” She said as she moved her foot. Exposing a deflated sack with gel-like vitreous fluid leaking forth. She saw this and immediately felt sick. “Toto!?” She said again as she wrapped herself in a towel and rushed out of the restroom. Spotting him in the corner hacking up fur. He meowed with a rasp as if his throat were sore… Kimberly sighed in relief.

Then… *KnokKnockKnockKnock!* Somebody was pounding on her front door incredibly aggressively. “I’m coming!” She said, looking back towards the restroom where the deflated sack was. What’s going on here!? Kimberly thought as she started to feel sick, confused and frazzled all at once.

She opened the door. “Who—who are you?”

A man stood before her. Wearing a wide brimmed hat with a scarf covering his face. He wore a gray trench coat and had on military style combat boots. Kimberly’s eyes were as wide as his as her gaze was immediately caught by his trench coat. It was missing a button. This… is he the killer..? She thought. Her POV raised steadily as her eyes met his. They were bloodshot and blue as the ocean.

“Y—you’re the guy from—the diner aren’t you?” She said. A shakiness in her voice.