"It's going to be rainy in Delmarva tonight folks. A shadowy overcast had shrouded the entire peninsula and is causing flooding along the southern shoreline. We thought the worst of it had passed but it seems it's only downhill from here folks." The weatherman smiled charismatically, his face damp and shiny from the downpour. "Stay home and stay safe!"
With a press of the power button, the television sputtered before fading away into a dark empty screen the street lights outside reflected in its black abyss. "To hell with that." Charlotte sat the remote down on her glass coffee table as she made her way towards the front door her coat hanging idly on the rack. "Charlotte, you're not seriously thinking about going out there are you?" A tall tan man with messy brown hair followed behind Charlotte his eyes wary and scathing.
"Yeah, I am. I've got a job to do." Without looking up Charlotte continued her sentiment. "Guy gets locked up in the city jail after shooting a "Demon" and the whole town is talking about it? I'm pretty much obligated to get down there." Two days ago there was a murder at a seven eleven in which a man lost his life for being a suspected demon. It wasn't long before the murder was the talk of Delmarva and every man and his dog was buzzing about it. "You were JUST watching the news! You know how bad the storm is right now!"
Charlotte clenched her fist visibly exasperated. "What part of Investigative Journalist do you not understand Andrew?! When the salt spills it's my job to add some pepper!" Andrew blinked rapidly his seething demeanor quickly turning into a befuddled one. "W-What? That doesn't make any sense, Charlotte!" Charlotte was always prone to making nonsensical metaphors such as those and it really had a tendency to tick people off in an argument. "You know what?" Charlotte threw her hands up in surrender. "I'm just gonna go sleep at Roxxane's tonight!" Andrew shook his head a shocked and tired look plastered on his face.
"Charlotte...this is your house..." Too late, the woman was already outside the doorway. "Don't wanna hear it!" Charlotte slammed the door with enough force to cause splinters to come flying out the frame as she stormed down the three flights of steps leading her towards her car. The winds were ghastly and the rain began to turn into hail as it pilled upon the woman's jacket as little droplets of ice. The ground was soaked to the point that it was like a freshly squeezed sponge as the woman walked atop it leaving a trail of muddy tracks on the lawn.
Climbing into the driver's seat Charlotte pressed the ignition just as the door to the house flew open. There were no cars in the street and the road was long enough for any new arrivals to be too far off to pose any real danger so the woman pressed forward practically blasting off into the street as a U-Haul truck came barreling down the road its headlights burning and its brakes absent as it grazed the small red Toyota with its bumper.
The car could move, that's all that mattered to Charlotte as she pulled out of her driveway and into the open road. The way Charlotte's headlights reflected out the truck's mirrors was annoying but not enough to hinder her driving skill as she kept a steady grip on the wheel her sudden brush with death a sobering experience. "Shouldn't I be more worried? Shouldn't my knocking on death's door be enough warning to stay home? Maybe but I can't seem to make any good decisions these days..."
It was then Charlotte began to feel uneasy. "Wait a second, this asshole is going seventy miles an hour in a residential zone..." The other vehicle was far ahead now as its rear lights became faint red hues in the distance. It was then that the truck switched gears and started plowing through a field of corn. "Christ on a...where is this guy even headed?!"
As she approached the place where the truck made its turn Charlotte brought her car to a screeching halt her eyes peering down the strip of destroyed produce. The woman's pupils dilated at the sight of the isles end...
...nothing...
No truck, no further destruction just the remnants of what could have been a good meal. As Charlotte stepped out of her vehicle she noticed even the tire tracks in the dirt were gone. It was almost as if the truck was...deleted somehow. Retrieving her phone Charlotte took a photo of the destroyed field her interest piqued and her instincts on DEFCON one.
Perplexed and lacking insight, Charlotte stumbled back to her car her mind already going through every possible explanation. Maybe there's some sort of sinkhole around there I can't see...or maybe I've just been tripping balls this whole time. Charlotte's eyes flickered towards her scraped bumper the paint still freshly scratched. No...I don't think that's fake...
Charlotte pulled on her car's door though it didn't budge earning a groan from the woman as she turned out her pockets for her keys. With a shining of metal, the keys dropped on the ground and onto the road their silver lining disappearing in a dank puddle of water. Reaching into the small puddle Charlotte retrieved her keys her hand now soaking in the murky water. With the press of a button, Charlotte was back in her car and back on the road, her mind boggled as to what she just witnessed.
It was only a short while later before Charlotte was at the city jails the dank smell of mildew and moisture stinging her nose. Jesus, would it kill them to go down to the store and buy some bleach? Holy hell! "Miss Lile!" At the sound of her name, Charlotte sprung up from her seat and over to the magistrate seated comfortably behind a thick pane of glass. His pimpled complexion and filthy hair were appalling and his "Abstinence is death" T-Shirt was a clear-cut memento from a 90s band that never got out of the garage.
With a vapid smile, Charlotte tapped her fingers on the small counter. "So...can I see him?" The Magistrate didn't even look away from his screen. "Sorry but he's still being processed..." "But it's already been a week since he's got here! You mean to tell me he's been standing around for eight days?!" The Magistrate let out a sigh. "Listen I don't make the rules, and I already checked so there's nothing I can do."
Charlotte's brow furrowed. "Your playing solitaire." "No, I'm not-" Charlotte pointed behind the man. "I can see it in the monitor behind you!" Quickly the man exited the tab feigning ignorance to the whole situation. "How do you even have a job!?" The tired man pointed at his head. "Mind over the mind lady. Mind over mind." Charlotte slung on her coat and opened the door to the horrid storm outside, it had gotten considerably worse since she was inside but that much wasn't on Charlotte's mind.
"Damned magistrate..." Charlotte mumbled. "Barry giving you trouble?" Charlotte's head snapped towards a man with a black bowler hat in a long drenched trench coat with a shiny badge clipped to his white dressed shirt. As the man lit yet another cigarette Charlotte took notice of his slender build and chiseled features. "Don't tell anyone I said this but Barry is kinda known for not doing his job." Charlotte had to do a double-take at the man's approach as it just dawned on her just how cliche the man appeared.
Bowlers hat, trench coat, smoking a cigarette deep into the night. Fit's the description of one of those 1980's "Cop characters." The ones that drive their cars 90mph in residential zones and light up every tracksuit wearing douche that decides to rob a corner store. "I wanted to talk to Kenny Floyd but-" The Cop gestured for Charlotte to follow him. "Alright, let's go get 'em." Charlotte took a step back. "So he IS processed!" The man gave a distant look. "Why wouldn't he be? It's been a week."
Charlotte opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. "Nevermind..." This was all very strange to her and despite his laid-back attitude, she had a feeling this officer was feeling uneasy as well. So this guy just comes out of nowhere and tries to help me with NO explanation? Im not buying it, people just aren't wired that way. Even if this is his job if this guy is expecting something in return. Or maybe he thinks helping me with this will somehow further his goals. I don't know but I do know is that deep down inside we're all selfish in one way or another which means that this guy must definitely- "Your probably wondering why I'm helping you."
That comment made Charlotte blink in surprise, something about having her mind read made her feel violated in some way even if that wasn't what really happened. "The truth is..." The man scanned his ID forcing the sealed door to open with a creak. "I've got a certain quarrel with this guy and I was hoping that maybe you could convince him to open his mouth." The man lit another cigarette this time his gaze turning severe.
Charlotte simply stared at the man a string of questions running through her brain as they all desperately tried to break through her lips. "You really think you can trust some random gal you find outside? I don't believe you, you have a secondary motive. An underlying purpose in bringing me here." The pair stopped in front of a large chamber with a huge one-way mirror covering most of the wall. Inside was a man with long dreaded hair and filthy facial hair that stretched across his chin. His hands were folded as he sat at the long grey table his face steeped in shadow.
"Well, with or without a purpose your now a trespasser." Charlotte spun around quickly as the man grabbed his lighter and set his ID ablaze. "Without that ID the only way you're getting out is by breaking out and..." The Officer gestured towards the building around them, "You can see why that's a bad idea..." Charlotte stepped forward her face red and wrathful as her eyes burned with lethal intent. "Hold on! You said that you had personal business with Kenny! Why the hell would you try to force me to do it?!" It was then Charlotte paused and began to analyze her situation.
"W-wait a minute...why is he already prepped for an interrogation? Were you planning this?!" The officer reached for yet another cigarette his mouth primed for its smoky touch. "Let's just say I've had a lot of time to think about this. I've decided that my means don't nearly justify my ends. This isn't my idea of justice or morality, it's just me being selfish and I'm fine with that." The man took a long puff of his cigarette his eyes becoming bleak and lifeless as he did. "I guess I was right then..." Charlotte rested her fingers on the chaffed doorknob. "In one way or another, we're all selfish. No matter what aspirations we might have.
With a twist of the knob, the door opened the blinding white light inside the chamber overloading the senses.