Angels of Death

Ch.2: The Killer on B6

Anxiously playing with her fingers, Ray watches the elevator doors slide open in front of her.

The surroundings on the next floor are a lot different than what she had just become accustomed to below. As she steps out, she's hit with a musty, dank, near mold-like scent mixed with garbage and dirt.

She quickly realizes where the source of most of the nasty smell was coming from- big dumpsters on either side of her lined against the wall.

Ugh... it smells awful down here.

Fighting the urge to hold her nose, she wanders forward and then stops reflexively upon seeing an actual street in her path. She glances around to find an exit or entrance, or at least a reason for the street, but it seems to simply be there as decoration.

An odd choice of decor, but she can't imagine that the people who come here care much for how things look. Especially since it seems like hardly anyone has come through here at all. It looks just as abandoned out here the floor below, if not a lot dirtier.

She goes to turn around, maybe try and reach the next floor, but she halts. Immediately she realizes that the elevator has stopped here, with no option to move on. She must be stuck here.

Turning around again and frowning at the unfriendly place, her brain whirs with thought. Am I inside a building...? There's really something wrong here. Anyway... where's the way out, then?

Slowly she starts moving, down the darkened hall in front of her. It's not exactly the path she wants to follow, but right now, she has little to no choice.

When she reaches near the end of the hallway, a strange clatter from nearby brings her to a stop.

What was that...?

I've gotta hurry... I don't feel very safe here. Shivering a bit and drawing her jacket in around her torso, she turns the corner, hoping not to see anything suspicious. Thankfully, her prayer is answered— but what she does see only adds questions onto questions.

It's simply more and more unfamiliar territory, dirty, cluttered, and a bit unnerving. She exhales, becoming a little more agitated.

...I don't recognize this place at all... Why am I here?

As she questions herself, her eyes catch something pinned up onto the wall. A slightly torn and battered newspaper...?

That newspaper... could it shed some light on this place? Foolish as it might seem, she edges closer to the soiled and yellow paper, struggling to read what's left of it.

"'A Reckless Murder?'" she whispers aloud, eyes scanning it quickly. Some of the words are hard to make out, some worn away or too faded. Still, she can make out the gist of most of the words.

"'The body of a male was found... The body has gaping wounds seemingly inflicted by a sharp blade. Authorities are treating it as a murder. Since last month, a string of similar murders have taken place in the state... No association or similarities have been drawn with the victim, so nearby residents are asked to exercise caution.'"

An article about a murder... Why is this here? Nothing makes sense in this place. Ray rereads the passage a few times, hoping to make it add up to something in her memories, but nothing registers.

...No clues after all. Guess I'll keep moving.

Sighing to herself, she moves past it. A cool breeze rolls along her bare legs as she walks by what looks like a very dark alley. For a moment she ponders wandering down that way, but it quickly is wiped from her mind. It gives her the creeps- maybe she'd traverse it later, though.