Demons

Jasmine Coltrane

Notes: I would like to thank the wonderful people who took time out of their busy schedules to Beta read this story. Thank you Lillian Luthor, Vertigomac, and Isabelle Knights. All mistakes that remain are my own. This story delves into some psychological topics. I am not a pyschologist nor a psychiatrist. I am a biologist. I did research this topic though but if this topic happens to be in your field of expertise and you find something that is just obviously wrong please let me know. This story can also be found at my website in it's entirety.

Feedback: Please do tell me what you thought of this fiction I would greatly appreciate and if you liked it your feedback may encourage me to write more in the future.

Summary: The murder of a young boy triggers memories from the past for Munch. Although Fin/Munch is implied in this story it is not the main focus of the story.

Warning: This story features characters in a slash relationship of the male/male variety. This story also contains graphic descriptions of violence and implies child abuse.

Prologue

We all have demons. Mistakes or events from our past. Things we have done to individuals and things that individuals have done to us. Often we think that we can escape these demons and move on with our lives trying to find some semblance of normality. What we fail to realize is that normality is a myth. Your life is what you make of it and in the end we always have to face our demons.

Chapter One

Unmarked Squad Car

Corner of Wellshire and 8th Avenue

"I hate Mondays. I think it dates back to my prepubescent school boy days, when I realized that the weekend was over and I could look forward to another hellious week in which I would be tortured by the idiotic hormone driven scum that was the average American boy. Well I'm 54 years old and I still hate Mondays, Munch said turning to Fin who was sitting in the driver's sit navigating traffic on their way back to the precinct."

"Munch, did anyone ever tell you that you talk too much," Fin asked.

"Yes, I think you make a point of telling me that only fifty million times a day."

"Well, sometimes I wish you would listen."

"456, we have report of a 10-87 at State St. and South, can your respond, over?"

"Base this is 456, we are on our way," responded Finn.

Undisclosed location

Battery Park

"Are you sex crimes?" A uniform officer said to Fin and Munch as they approached the crime scene.

"Yeah, we are SVU," Munch responded. "What've we got?"

"Well it seems that about 8:32 am this morning a jogger that was jogging along the battery saw something floating in the water, seems that at first he thought it was a dead fish then he realized what he was looking at was a body."

"We fished the body out on the pier. Come on I'll show you."

"Hey Warner, what's the story?" Fin asked, as he and Munch approached the hub of activity surrounding the body.

"Young white male, I would estimate that he is about 10 -12 years of age. He's been in the water for at least a week; see these marks on the torso", Warner said pointing to the area. "I'd say he was weighed down with some type of rope tied to weights. I'll know more about the rope and weights once I get him back to the lab. There is another thing. Let me roll the body over; see these markings? Warner said pointing. "Stars I would say, 12 of them in a circle. You may be looking at some type of satanic religious markings, along with this script carved into the skin on of the markings. It's hard to make out with the deterioration of the skin but it looks like it could be Latin."

"No," whispered Munch as a wave of pain hit him that was so intense he had images flash in his head images that brought so much pain, oh god, he thought. "Oh God." Munch doubled over and puked right into the Hudson River.

"Munch, Munch, what's going on. Take it easy. Are you okay? Stupid question", Fin said.

Munch kept heaving until he was releasing painful dry heaving. He then straightened up. Images were flashing before his eyes. A teen with striking blue eyes, and curly hair standing over him in a darkened room, Sitting in the backroom of the old synagogue with this same teen and other small Jewish boys. The teen boy was leading the group speaking Hebrew and getting the younger boys to repeat after him. Then there was darkness and pain, so much pain.

"What the hell was that", Munch thought and realized his breath had become panicky. Then he heard Fin calling his name.

"Munch, what the hell man, what's going on."

"Nothing, nothing. It must have been that yogurt I had for breakfast, I told you that dive we ate breakfast at looked unsanitary," he said with a wry smirk. But as Fin looked into his eyes he turned away, and they both knew he was lying. Munch took a moment to get his breath under control. He cleared his throat and shook his head and turned to Warner.

"So some kinda satanic ritual you say?" Munch asked acting as if nothing had happened.

"That could be a possibility," Munch said nodding his head. "Ya know these stars kinda look like the star of David," Munch said leaning over the body

"Yes they do but I've never seen them in a circular pattern like this. Do you have any idea what it means?" Warner asked.

" No," Munch said hesitantly. "No, well, doc see if you can figure out what that writing is. We'll check back with you later. Let's go talk to the jogger," Munch said walking off briskly, not waiting for Fin to catch up with him.

"What's with him," the M.E. asked.

"I don't know," Fin said shaking his head, "something's up, We'll catch you later okay, doc," Fin said following after Munch.

"Sure. I should have something for you in about three hours."

Battery Park

Location of Sighting

"Mr. Hampton, you discovered the body around 8 am this morning, correct?" Munch said trying to desperately ignore the intense stare that Fin was giving him.

"Yes, officer, as I said before I was running along the Battery this morning, which is my usual routine three days out of the week. As I came around for a second lap, I saw the body which at the time I thought was a dead fish but then I realized what I was seeing when I came closer. I immediately called 911. God ya know, you live in the city but you never think your going to see something like this."

"Yes Mr. Hampton, I know. Is there anything else you remember? Did you see any suspicious individuals around?" Munch asked even though he knew it was in vain.

"No, sir. Not that I was really paying attention at that point."

"Well thank you Mr. Hampton we appreciate your help. If you would, let this officer escort you to the 16th precinct and take your formal statement for the record it would be greatly appreciated."

"Will do Detective."

"Well," Munch turned to Fin, "he knew nothing, looks like we should head back to the precinct ourselves and place a search into the database to see if we have any victims fitting the description of our victim."

"Whatever you say, man," Fin said following Munch to the car.

16th Precinct

SVU Division Squad Room

Manhattan

"What do we got," Cragen questioned as soon as Munch and Fin entered the squad room.

"Caucasian male boy, brown hair, about 5'4, unknown age. Probably been in the water for a week or two according to the M.E. Had some type of carvings on his back. Twelve stars in a circular pattern, and some type of lettering, possibly Latin, carved into the flesh below the stars," Fin rattled off keeping one eye on Munch the whole time.

"So, are we thinking this was some type of ritual killing or something?" Cragen asked.

"Don't know Captain. We figured we would come back here and enter in the information that we have so far into the database. Check the missing children reports in the metropolitan area and see if we get any hits. We are waiting from further reports from ME. They said it would take a few hours," Fin responded.

"Okay, update me on your progress in three hours," Cragen said walking back to his office.

"So are we going to talk about what happened out there on the pier or what," Fin said turning to face Munch.

"I told you I just felt queasy it must've been something that I ate."

"Don't bullshit me, Munch."

"Just drop it okay. We have work to do."

"Whatever, I'll let it slide for the moment in the interest justice but you best believe we will be talking about this again."