The Evil Within: The Detective

The Nightmare

The Nightmare

Leslie stopped when I did as I reached for the little animal. It was still in good condition thankfully and I picked it up. A black hand suddenly grabbed my wrist, coming from under the rubble, and I jumped back with a cry.

Slowly the black figure emerged almost through the rubble. The stuffed animal fell to the ground and I quickly picked it up before I backed up, standing between Leslie and the shadow. Leslie startled me by reached for the animal, which I let him take.

"Leslie, stay back and hold onto that okay? I'm going to take care of that." I told him softly and he held it tightly as I moved towards the shadow.

Taking a closer look I saw the figure was a man, and after a moment I realized I knew who it was. "Joseph?" I said softly and then the creature opened its eyes.

It was the Haunted version of Joseph, though his eyes were all black and what looked like black smoke poured off him. When he held out his hand the smoke suddenly formed an axe, the same kind he had used before. I looked around for anything I could use as a weapon, but there was nothing.

Haunted Joseph raised the ax, though he wasn't close enough to hit me, and just as he started to bring it down he suddenly disappeared. He reappeared in front of me and I jumped aside with a cry, narrowing managing to avoid the ax. He laughed, coldly.

"Is that the best you can do?" He spat at me. I started to stand and he waited until I was on my feet before he came at me again. I ducked under the ax only to have him hit me in the back with the blunt end. I stumbled and fell into the rocks, cringing at the flash of pain.

Haunted Joseph laughed again. "Pathetic. How could I ever love something so weak?" He spat at me.

"I'm not weak!" I shouted back. I grabbed a rock that was nearby and threw it at him. He seemed surprised more than anything when it clipped him in the shoulder.

"Ow. That actually hurt." His expression turned dark and I shifted, getting ready for him to attack again as I knew he would. He flashed to me with the ax already in motion. I started to move, only to slip on rubble. I cringed, waiting for the hit, but it didn't come.

When I looked towards Haunted Joseph I saw he was frozen in place. Standing between us was Leslie, still tightly clutching the little stuffed animal. I stood slowly since I wasn't quite sure what to make of what had happened. "Leslie." I said softly as I moved next to him. "Did you do this?" I asked him.

Leslie looked away from Haunted Joseph and tilted his head slightly. Given the puppy-dog look he was giving me I got the impression he didn't understand it any better than I did. I noticed the ax move just the smallest bit and grabbed Leslie, pulling him aside just as Haunted Joseph began moving again.

The ax hit the ground with an bone jarring clang and I let out a breath. "Either I need a weapon or the ax needs to go." I decided and Haunted Joseph slowly looked around, lifting the ax off the ground slowly as he did.

"That's a neat trick, but it won't save you." He warned me.

"Leslie, go." I ordered the young man. He looked between the two of us, fear in his eyes, and I gave him a smile. "Go. I'll catch up." I promised and finally he left. I took a breath then looked back at Haunted Joseph, who was leaning on the ax waiting for me to return my attention to him once again.

I shifted my stance and lifted my hands, closing them in fists. Haunted Joseph just laughed. "You intend to fight me barehanded?"

"I intend to do more than fight. I intend to win." I replied.

"Against me? You don't stand a chance. You never have." Haunted Joseph raised the ax again and came after me furiously. He didn't flash this time, but he moved inhumanly quickly. I continued to dodge, narrowly avoiding the ax, while I thought about what I could do to stop him.

"Well, you are holding up a little better than I though you would, but that just means I get to have my fun." He laughed as he swung the ax and it just barely nicked my shoulder.

Pain flared from the spot as my skin was split open, deep enough I probably could use stitches, and I pressed my other hand to the wound. Warm blood quickly covered my hand and I could even feel it sliding down my arm. I quickly back away from Haunted Joseph, who had stopped as well.

He was looking at the blood, my blood, on the ax blade with interest. He suddenly ran his tongue down the blade, licking the blood off. "Not bad." He said then he looked at me with a smirk.

"You're sick." I spat at him. "You're not human. You're a monster."

"And who's the one who fell in love with me?" He reminded as he started approaching me again.

"I didn't fall in love you with. The man I fell in love with is kind, protective, a gentleman. He is the Joseph I love and you are something else." I told him.

He scowled and suddenly he flashed to me again, but this time he kicked my feet out from under me and roughly shoved me down, pinning me against the ground. The ax had disappeared and Haunted Joseph just smiled as I struggled to get out from underneath him.

"Emily. Emily, look at me." He spoke softly, as if he were trying to be sweet, but it sent chills through my body. I continued to struggle, and refused to meet his eyes. "Look at me." He ordered angrily as he caught my jaw on his hand and forced me to look at him.

"Look. What do you see?" He asked. I refused to answer and he tightened his grip, his nails digging just a little into my jaw.

"Something that looks like Joseph." I muttered finally.

"I don't just look like him. I am him." He spat at me and suddenly it hit me. I let my body relax and I stared into his eyes.

"If you are him then you won't hurt me." I said and he tilted his head.

"What?" He asked confused.

"Joseph promised me once that he would never hurt me. So if you are him you are also bound by that promise." I said and suddenly he screamed. It echoed through the garage, so loudly it hurt my ears.

Black smoke suddenly started pouring from his mouth, nose, eyes, and ears. It fell towards my face, but disappeared before it actually hit me. Smoke started coming off rest of his body and rising into the air, disappearing. In a matter on moments he was gone and the entire place was still. As if nothing had just happened.

I stood up and then remembered Leslie should be nearby. "Leslie!" I called loudly and I started looking for him. I kept calling his name as I looked around but as I continued to get no reply I started getting more and more worried.

"Leslie!" I screamed as loud as I could and suddenly he appeared, entering from a side doorway.

"Emily." He came up to me with a smile which vanished when he saw the blood on my arm, which I had forgotten about until then. "Not good. Hurt." He said and I nodded.

"Yes, but I'll be okay. Let's get out of here and then I can find something to wrap it up with." I said. I started to go out the door only to have him grab my injured arm, stopping me.

He set his hand next to the wound and closed his eyes. "Go away. Go away. Go away." He began muttering and for a moment I just watched. Just as I was about to stop him and get us going again the wound sealed itself up.

"How did you...?" I stuttered and Leslie smiled at me.

"Come." He grabbed my hand, the other still holding the stuffed animal, and pulled me out of the parking garage.