"In news today it appears that the NY Fall Slaughter has claimed another victim. Thirty-one year old Harry Wolram was found dead in an alley off of E and 5th around seven o'clock this morning. Our reporters have learned that Mr. Wolram had been brutally murdered like the six previous victims of the Fall Slaughter. Interviews with individuals who had found Mr. Wolram said that the body looked as if it had been 'torn apart by something.' The NYPD have not yet given any specifics on who they might suspect for these killings, but they have told us that the cases are under full investigation and suspects are being narrowed down as we speak. If you have any information about these cases or have witnessed anything strange or suspicious please contact the police using the following number on the screen. Police are also cautioning residents to not go out alone at night and to stay in public areas where there are other people around. We at the station would like to ask for all of you to please be careful and stay safe… In Iraq-"
Mika shook her head flicking the power button to the TV. Yeah, the news was important, but she had enough doom and gloom for the day. Plus, she already knew that the police were confounded over the lack of evidence and the barbaric treatment inflicted upon the seven victims. She had knowledge that the suspects of the NY fall slaughter were thought to be a serial killer or some hate crime group. Nott, her friend, was on the police force and told her tidbits of what he learned at work. He felt that if he kept her informed it would help her to remain safe. She appreciated the concern, but she was pretty cautious and careful when it came to her life. The thought of being mugged, raped, killed, or shot was not pleasant, so she tried to make sure she never placed herself in a possibly dangerous situation. There was that and the fact that she carried her knife, which Nott had taught her how to use somewhat, with her everywhere outside of the apartment.
As for the other parts of her life she was delighted with how those turned out. For Mika Higurashi, her life was at a good point. Her original name was Kagome Higurashi, but she had always preferred Mika and had it changed after her family moved to the US when she was eighteen. Now, at the age of twenty-three she had already finished with her writing major, had a good job as an editor, found her own place, and had all her debts paid off. She visited her mother and brother on important holidays over in Connecticut. She had a couple close friends, many good acquaintances, and there was a guy she had met a couple weeks ago with whom she shared a few good dates with already. Along with all that, Mika was happy with herself. She kept to her morals, had an intelligent mind. She had an average height of five-seven and she made sure to stay in shape. She liked her wavy, black hair that reached her shoulders, her green eyes, and was content with being pretty instead of gorgeous or exotic.
Looking around her now spotless apartment, she decided to go take a walk since she had been cleaning for the last couple hours of her Friday afternoon. Putting on some trainers, she closed up the apartment and headed out wearing a long pair of brown workout pants and a fitted maroon jacket over a lilac shirt. Smiling at those she passed by she headed towards the park. The autumn air was crisp and the further she got from the buildings and cars she could smell the simple, earthy odors of woods. The trees were turning enchanting shades of red and orange. The sky was clear of clouds, and she heard and saw the small birds flit overhead, swinging across the air chirping to one another. With only an hour before sundown, her feet stuck to the path edging the outskirts of the park. A serene peace settled over her as she took in the soothing view of trees, bushes, and grass.
Out of the corner of her eye, Mika saw something bright yellow contrasting against gray bricks. Looking left across the street, she saw some old buildings a few stories high. The yellow she had spotted in her peripheral vision was construction tape over the doors with the word condemned repeated across the lengths. If memory served her correctly, the buildings were from before the 1950's and the site owners had finally closed them down ten years ago. They had yet to decide what would be built there after they got the structures demolished.
Mika noticed that her feet had stopped. Glancing at the path she was on and then at the old buildings, she came to a decision. Checking both ways, she dashed across the street to the nearest taped door. At this point, the smart part of her brain was telling her that buildings that old were likely to start crumbling onto stupid trespassers gallivanting about. Then there was the possibility that there was already someone or multiple people shacking up in there; people that lived off the street looking for some easy cash or enjoyed knocking other folks around to feel more important and powerful. But the curiosity overtook the sensible reasoning that so often protected her wellbeing. The curious side, quite possibly the devil's advocate in disguise, wanted to have a little adventure by exploring the forgotten remnants of the past. In amends, she promised herself she would be careful and hightail it should anything get suspicious.
On closer inspection, the door seemed to be cracked open. After making sure no one was looking her way, she crouched beneath the tape and slipped through the door, wincing as the rusty hinges gave a sigh-like creak. Not bothering with closing the door and calling more attention to herself with the noise, she looked around the darkened interior of the room. Any furniture on the main floor seemed to have been hauled out years ago, only bits of plaster and chunks of wood littered the ground giving the place a solemn and almost eerie feel. There was, however, a very promising staircase off to the left. Quietly walking over, avoiding large bits of debris, she started up the steps constantly glancing from the main floor to the top of the stairs just in case some hoodlum or unsavory character tried to catch her by surprise.
'What might be up there?' Maybe she would find a magazine from the sixties, or a cheap painting left behind. If she did find something it would most likely be trash and some hobo's belongings, but you never know. Seeing a flicker from further above, she stopped. Her lungs froze and her eyes narrowed, watching the spot where the movement had come from intently. It seemed like hours as she remained there, and the slightly burning sensation was beginning to spread along the inside of her lungs uncomfortably. Faintly, she heard something, like soft breaths. Her heart sped up and some instinctive feeling arose wildly from deep within the primal part of her that was locked away behind civility and human complacency. The tiny hairs over her body rose and the sensation of being watched sent a chill down her spine. It was not like some stranger watching or looking her over, she felt… hunted. It was like she was being observed by hungry, animalistic eyes that would swallow her whole. Instead of being on man-made steps in a building, she could easily picture herself in the wilderness of a jungle or woods with a predator watching her from behind some leafy foliage waiting to pounce. Though the urge to flee was vibrating through her very bones, she did not budge. That was, until the flickering light appeared again and she realized it was light from the wall's window reflecting off a pair of glowing eyes.
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Gasping she turned and began taking steps three at a time as she raced down the stairs. The idea of going through condemned buildings and up mysterious staircases suddenly did not seem such a great idea but incredibly stupid instead. The sound of rushing blood filled her ears, blocking the soft breaths she had detected earlier. Absolute dread crawled under her skin and adrenaline coursed through her veins as she swiftly bee-lined to the front door. The silent mantra of 'run' ricocheted loudly in her head, and she tore through the entranceway without a care or thought for the tape that fluttered to the ground in her wake. She could not bring herself to even look back to see if anything was racing after her. Every instinct was screaming at her to run, and that was exactly what she did. She ran, ran from the ominous building, and ran from the street it was on. She continued without losing any momentum or speed as she sprinted to the modern buildings of the city and the safely populated areas, towards people where she would not be such an open target. Her only wish was to escape. Escape from what lurked back there with the low breaths and glowing ambers that promised a quick and sure death.
Finally making it to a clothing store complex, she slowed down. Her breath came out in harsh pants as she ducked in the doors. Looking back she did not see anyone or anything following her, even that wretched feeling of being prey was no longer causing the tiny hairs on her arms and the back of her neck to stand on end. That did not mean that she was clear of danger or disprove that someone might be tailing her. With this in mind, she weaved through the stores, ducking into different isles in the Bargains & Books, and backtracked occasionally into previous shops or levels in the building until she felt that if there was someone following they would have lost her at one point or another. Then she took an empty elevator to the ground floor and went out a different exit than the one she came in.
Feeling rather like a paranoid and foolish twit, she started for home. She had no wish or yearning to know what exactly had been in the building, looming above her hidden. She rubbed her arms at the unbidden shiver. The experience had chilled her to the bone, and she merely wanted to forget it happened. There would be no more adventures or blindly following her dangerous curiosity. She vowed those two things as she opened the door and walked into her home.
The familiar wood floors, light teal walls, and tidy living room calmed her frazzled nerves. She kicked off her shoes and draped her coat on the hanger, before padding to the bathroom to splash some refreshing water on her face. Happy to push away the thoughts of dim rooms and shadowed figures, she lost herself to the normal movements of making supper. After that was accomplished she opened the window to the fire escape in the living room to let out the humid air that accumulated in her apartment as a result of cooking. She went back and grabbed her plate of her pasta and sank down on her black couch. Then she reached over to the coffee table for her book and ate a fulfilling meal while she continued reading another chapter of Woodsworth poems.
An hour later, the words began to curve into one another and Mika knew she would not get anymore reading done for the night. Feeling exhausted, she managed to make it to her bedroom. There she quickly shed all her clothes and grabbed the first thing from the drawer with all her nightwear. Eyeing the lovely light peach color of the material, she pulled on the loose, silk, spaghetti strap nightgown that barely reached the middle of her thighs. Then she yanked the covers back on her bed and plopped down on her side. As her mind drifted away, she thought she heard something clicking but by the time the sound registered in her sleepy mind it had already stopped. Then there were only her dreams.
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It sniffed at the opening and recognized the scent it had been tracking. The appetizing scent that belonged to the creature it had been hunting since the being had wandered into its territory.