October 30th, 1925. A rainy night. A windy rainy night that seemed to go on forever. A case emerged from the rain soaked darkness and flew onto my lap, breaking the monotony.

It was around 9pm when I had entered my office, seeing Cait sitting in my chair, flipping through folder with one hand & a half eaten sandwich in the other.

"It's late." I say as I hung my wet jacket on the coat holder by the door. The sound of muffled thunder echoed from the window behind Cait, the sound of the rain hammering the glass like bullets. "Need a drive home?"

"No. Case." She replied with a mouth half full. "New. Look."

I walked up to the table, my shoes squeaking on the smooth wooden floor, and gazed towards the table.

Cait turned the lamp towards the file before me, an orange glow cast upon it.

"Animal attacks? Could be a rogue dog." I dismissed it. "Wouldn't be the first time."

Cait swallowed the food she ate, wiped her mouth with her sleeve and poked the file with a slender finger.

"Head missing. 5 people in the past 3 weeks." She says, "Cops are stumped, as usual. No signs of break in from outside." "And?" "Read it."

My eyes scanned the file. Black font on creamy white paper. A drop or two of rainwater trickled down my face and fell onto the file.

"Eaten and hearts missing?" I read aloud. "Christ..."

Cait nodded and ran a hand through her hair, pushing a piece of hair that hung down here forehead. "Something different. Up for it?" She asks. "I can call Tim when you give me the go."

"Hold on Cait. Who sent the file?" I ask, "A family member? Concerned citizen?" "Nope. Cops themselves...at least Tim." Cait replied as she pulled the file back to her side of the table. "Twenty thousand cut. Says we can take our time but the sooner, the better." "Twenty thousand split between us?" "Each."

My heart dropped & my eyes slightly widened.

Cait saw my reaction and shot me a small grin. "Is that a yes?" "Hold on, gotta read this up first, christ..." I reply. "That's the biggest cut we're potentially gonna get."

I pull a chair towards the table and grab the file once more, meticulously reading it now.

5 people dead in the past 3 weeks. Individuals ranging from 27 to 65, three men, two women. Backgrounds all varied. All of them found dead in the tenements known as Blackwall. Heads & hearts removed, never found, save for blood trails that seemingly lead nowhere. As per the police report too, said blood trails led to dead ends within the tenement & they couldn't find any sort of hidden area or empty space within the walls. The police had blamed it on some sort of animal, or possibly a person of interest.

"Person of interest eh?" I say aloud. "Doesn't say here if the cops questioned them."

"They hadn't. File was just opened up earlier today." Cait said in reply as thunder outside seemed to punctuate her sentence. "And with this weather? I don't know."

I closed the file and shot a gaze at Cait who looked dark in the dimly lit office.

"Are you up for a night drive?"

Blackwall. A shoddy tenement building that was older than myself. It was one of the largest & oldest buildings in the city, home to several superstitious tales & sordid crimes.

And tonight, another one was added to that growing list.

Cait exhaled & partially rolled down the window, the sound of rain grew louder for a quick second as she let the smoke escape the car.

She coughed as I pulled over and saw the building to my left, dimly lit by windows shining in the rainy night.

I reached for the glove compartment & opened it.

A couple of papers, our defunct badges that still looked official to the untrained eye & 2 silver revolvers; fully loaded.

Cait holstered hers, I placed mine and put it on the dashboard.

Sitting in silence, the sound of rain battering the car, thunder & lightning breaking the sky above.

My eyes landed on the gun, gaze focused, relaxed, a sense of uncertainty & a strange sense of comfort.

"Cold feet?" She asked me as she flicked her cigarette out the window beside her.

I shook my head.

"Something's not right." I tell her. "I don't know what it is." "You're not a superstitious type. What's wrong?" "A feeling. Hole in my stomach." I tell her. "Could just be the things I read about the damn place." "We'll be in and out. Ask this Simon guy, get some dirt, call Tim." Cait reassured me, "It won't be more than a few minutes. You could just be tired."

I nod & sigh. "Yeah. Maybe." I take the gun and holster it inside my jacket.

I turn to the car door & mumble under breath.

"I hope so."

Cait & I stood in the rain looking at the building before us; a 12 storey structure that showed its age. That feeling continued to gnaw at me, like butterflies in my stomach. What was going on with me tonight?

"Ladies first." I tell Cait.

Wordlessly, she bounded up the front steps of the building, leading to a large pair of wooden doors that was already partially opened for we had seen a resident exit shortly before we walked up to the place.

I followed behind.

We entered & closed the door behind us. The storm beyond grew muffled once more alongside the muted sound of thunder. Warmth & a peculiar smell filled the air; the smell of wet wood & various scents of what seemed to be food.

We stood in the lobby. To my right were the mailboxes of the tenants; a wall of numerous containers that went up to the triple digits. Just beyond was a flight of stairs covered in shabby carpeting that spiral its way upwards to the left. In the center, where the stairs spiraled around, was a caged elevator waiting for an occupant. To my left was Cait, who was eying the empty desk that looked similar to a hotel reception counter.

A phone, a bell, today's newspaper & a lazily spinning electric fan stood on the counter. The faint sound of a radio show was playing in the distance.

"Warm." I say aloud as I shook the water off my jacket. "Hit the bell."

Cait did so, the sound echoed in the lobby and a silence hung in the air, only to be broken by the sound of a door opening.

To the left hand side, close to where my partner stood, a door opened & an older gentleman stepped out.

"What the hell do you want?" He says. "It's late and my damn show is on!"

"Good evening sir, my name is Cait Shaw & my partner Ethan here.." She said as she produced her badge. "Local police. Are you the landlord?"

I did the same and showed my badge.

The old man's eyes darted to the badges & his demeanor lightened.

"Oh yes yes, apologies." He says, running a veiny looking hand through his coarse gray hair. "I believe you're here for the uh..."

His eyes darkened & a sigh escaped his lips.

"Yes. The deaths." Cait replied. "We're here for a person of interest, a Timur Setkov. Russian fellow."

"Ah. Unit 302. Feel free, I don't care." He says. "Damn Commie. If he didn't pay on time, I'd kick his ass out."

I cleared my throat and spoke.

"Any idea why Mr Setkov would be considered a person related to this?" I ask. "Reports do mention that it could've been an animal attack or something."

"Aside from being a Commie?" The landlord replied with a smirk. "Mr Serling, the one who reported seeing the body in the Laundry room, saw that prick skulk around the place covered in blood. Hasn't been seen since. Must've locked himself in."

"I see. Anything else we ought to know?" I follow up. "Nah. Take the elevator, take your time. Tell me if he's dead." He replied with a dry chuckle.

Cait thanked him, I nodded back & the landlord returned to his shows, closing the door behind him.

"Charming man." Cait said dryly as she walked to the cage elevator, pulling the shutter aside. "302. Come on."

I followed suit wordlessly, closing the elevator & pressing "3" on the panel.

The elevator began to ascend & that feeling in my stomach grew stronger.

Third floor. A strong smell hung in the air. Bad. Like rotting meat.

Cait & I covered our noses with our elbows, stepping out onto the shabby carpet.

302's door was just within sight.

"Door's open." My partner says. "The smell's coming from there it seems."

We approached the door at a steady pace. The door was indeed ajar. The smell grew in intensity as we got closer.

"Christ." I say, mere inches away from the door & noticing a clear puddle of liquid pool by the doorway. "I'm heading in."

I push the door open & entered. The foul smell assailed my nostrils and made my eyes water. Good lord...

The apartment of Timur Setkov was in shambles. The lights flickering off & on. Tables turned, plates smashed, books were all over the place and the wallpaper was torn too, bits & pieces hung in the air.

The kitchen, located close to the main living area, was in shambles too. The nearby window was partially smashed & the stove was on, its flame still burning.

By the foot of the stove, was a spilled pot of what seemed to be some sort of clear stew that slid towards the doorway.

And just close to the pot, was a figure clinging to life, eerily blinking in & out of sight.

I rushed over, the smell was nearly overbearing & I saw a man dressed in a shabby coat with half his face missing.

Oh god..

The entire right side of his face was nothing but goo, a pulsating whitish gray mass of unknown matter, but it was certaintly his head, for I could partially see his brain and skull. The smell seemed to be coming from him.

The left side of his head was intact, his mouth, or at least what was left of it, struggled to breathe. His left eye stared at me, begging for help that I could not give.

Nearby, crumpled in the goo & the general mess was a shotgun, its tip emitted a small amount of smoke...was it just used?

What in the hell...?

"Holy- " Cait exclaimed. "Timur. God, did he get shot?" "I don't think so. His head is...melted." I say, having no other words to describe it.

"Melted? What?" She says, clearly holding back the need to vomit. "We need to call this in!"

"Yes, we shou-"

Temur's left hand grabbed my leg and pulled. His mouth & tongue, whatever remained intact, seemed to say something.

I leaned in, ignoring the smell as I felt my heartbeat rise & the feeling in stomach now gnaw harder.

"Ethan, we need to call this in!" Cait exclaims.

I ignore her and listen to Timur's garbled words.

"....is....till...here."

Wha-

A sound emitted from behind us, a cross between a human scream & what seemed to be a low droning noise.

Timur's left hand rose, shaking, and pointed to a patch of shadow between Cait & I, a patch of darkness just behind a tilted bookcase.

Something stirred The light continued to flicker. It came into view...long appendages...white eyes...claws...teeth.

"What in gods name?!" My partner yells, unholstering her firearm & firing forward.

The muzzle flash showed It more. My eyes burned with pain. Another sound, no, a roar, emanated from the maw of the thing before us.

It roared, leapt forward past Cait and onto the body of Timur, knocking me back towards the gray goo & the shotgun.

Timur screamed maniacally.

As the light continued to flicker & Cait reloaded her weapon, I could see the creature lower its head and vomit more of the gray goo onto Timur's chest area. He continued to scream as the creature paid no heed.

It then raised one of its gangly arms and dug it in his chest, which then pulsated as if entering the creature via its appendage.

Panicking, eyes unblinking & breathing ragged, I grab the long firearm beside me, point it towards the creature and fired it.

A direct hit. An inhumane squeal that knocked it back a bit. It did not die or flee.

It roared. It grabbed Timur's corpse & threw it out the window, shattering the glass and brick, out into the rainy night.

It roared once more, Panicking and now soaked with the rain from outside, I struggled to pump it. Cait was grabbed, its hands sloth like & able to wrap around her waist.

It grabbed me too. I felt a coldness shoot up my spine. I blinked. Instantly, the sound of rain ceased & was replaced with an eerie silence.

Bewildered, I looked around.

I, We, were no longer in 302.

We were in some sort of basement. We stood there dumbfounded, the shotgun still wet with rainwater & goo, laid by my feet.

"What just happened?" Cait exclaimed, fear in her eyes & her gun trembled in her hand. "Where are we?"

"I think it somehow brought us here." I reply. "How...I am not sure."

The place we were in looked like a basement, most likely the basement of Blackwall.

The air was musty, humid & the sound of the storm still rung out.

"What the hell was that thing?" Cait says aloud, "Goddamn thing looked like a human but didn't look or sound like it."

"I don't know either.." I replied, realizing my heart was still racing. "All I know is we need to get out of here." "With that thing still here? I say we kill it if we get the chance." She retorts. "Damn thing was probably behind those murders...Let's find our way out and hopefully get it along the way." "Turn in its corpse, we get the cut...Good point." I agreed as I pulled out my sidearm.

My partner picks up the shotgun and cocked it ready.

Our heads were on a swivel. Without saying anything, we made our way forward, deeper into the basement in hopes of an exit.

We followed a pair of old water pipes, most likely they would connect to the rooms above & would inadvertently lead to an exit.

We could the unusual cries of the creature, distant yet close enough to know it was still around.

As we continued, we came across old bones scattered here & there...Human and animal bones alike.

This seemed to be its feeding ground.

I could also hear other things. Faint voices. Whispers talking in an incomprehensible tongue.

"Do you hear that?" I ask Cait. "No. You hear something?" "Voices." "Voices? No, it must be the wind from outside blowing around this musty area." She says, dismissing it.

The whispers grew louder, a pit formed inside my stomach.

"Stairs!" My partner says aloud, pointing the visible staircase that led upwards in the dim light.

We made our way to it when a wave of nausea washed over me.

The whispers grew even louder and I found myself falling onto my knees at the base of the stairs.

I could only groan to Cait's calls for concern, her voice sounded muffled to my ears.

I could hear voices, multiple whispers speaking in tongues, blaring nonsensical words & sounds that made my ears ring.

I sat up, turned and my eyes widened once more.

Just behind us, where we came from earlier, It emerged, as if peeling itself from a pitch black curtain.

I could see it fully now.

Long tubular arms that was nearly longer than its body. A face crossed between an ape & a dog with sharp human like teeth. Piercing white eyes and feet that ended in hooves. Its skin was pitch black and almost leathery in apperance.

What is this thing..?

I could hear Cait swear beside me alongside a pathetic click click noise.

"It's jammed! The gun's jammed!" Cait exclaims. "The goo, shoot it now Ethan! Kill it!"

Still seated on the floor and my senses still foggy, I raised my hand to shoot, emptying all 6 shots into its body.

The bullets hit, black blood spilled from the creature but it did not die.

"Damn!" Cait yells again, "Ethan, get out of he-"

A quick movement & suddenly the Creature has Cait held in a choke hold.

It held her up, her feet no longer touching the ground.

The shotgun slips out of her hands & the creature stomps on it with its hooved foot, shattering the gun into splinters.

Cait struggled to speak, its hand around her neck, her legs struggling to get loose.

"Let go of her you-" I reloaded my firearm & shot my last 6 rounds into it, 3 of it hit it in the head to no avail.

The creature roars & places another hand on Cait's head. A sort of darkness begins to cover them both, as if the light was being sucked away from them both, they were both fading into darkness.

"No no no no Cait!" I yell, struggling to get to my feet. "No! You bast-!"

Click click click the revolver in my hand went.

The creature roared once more. I heard a sickening crunch. Cait's legs cease to move. I scream.

The creature roars once more & a black ichor escapes its mouth, enveloping them both.

And they vanish, dissipating into specks of shadow that dissolved into nothingness.

The air was still. I was still. I felt my eyes shut, fatigue & everything went black.

I found myself being woken up by the landlord & Tim, the police officer insider we had in a hospital a few minutes away from Blackwall.

I was in a state of shock as per the doctors & had advised to be in their care for at least a week.

They were no signs of Cait anywhere but they did find Timur's corpse & a multitude of bones in Blackwall's basement.

They could not find the creature, the pair didn't believe me. Tim & the police in general wrote the incident off as murder-suicide; pining the blame on Timur; "less paperwork" Tim had called it.

Cait was never seen again.

But I know, I feel where she is... She's in the hands of that creature.

And that creature, that horrid thing...

I can still see it.

In the shadows at night, nestled in pockets of ebony, I see it.

I see it watching. Waiting. Lurking beneath the darkness.

And it knows.