Authors Note: I've always been a fan of Urban legend and this is one of my many favorites, enjoy :o)
DISCLAIMER: I don't own CSI: Miami and I don't make any money from it
Bloody Mary
"This is the fifth one in two weeks, what do you think is going on here," said Calleigh looking at the dead girl on the bathroom floor, then at Ryan.
"I have no idea, other than they died the same way and in their bathrooms with no one seemingly around," he said, looking down at her. Her face was pale, her eyes open looking empty into the air. There was no trace of anyone there nor that it had been a struggle of any kind. She just lay there peacefully.
"I'll wait for the coroner if you wish to go back to the lab," Calleigh offered, she needed some time away to get some time off from Eric.
"Thanks, see you back there," said Ryan, packing up his gear and walking out the door, while Calleigh knelled down next to the girl waiting for the coroner.
It was a bit later that day Calleigh, Natalia, Eric, Walter and Ryan were sitting in the break room eating and discussing possible theories about the case.
"All I'm saying is that it creeps me out," Calleigh said.
"Afraid a hairy scary monster is coming into the bathroom to kill you," said Eric with a chuckle.
"It's not funny, Eric, something in those rooms killed those girls and left without a trace," said Calleigh annoyed.
"Almost like a ghost," said Walter with a smile.
"That's it," Natalia almost screamed out, getting up and running out of the break room.
"Sorry what, are we suppose to follow her," said Ryan, a little bit confused.
"If we want to know the rest I do suppose that will be the best," said Walter with a sigh, getting up.
"Nat, what's going on?" asked Calleigh a moment later when they were all gathered in DNA.
"Well I know there was something about the scenes, but I couldn't remember what it was, where I've heard something like that before until Walter mentioned ghosts, then it all came back," said Natalia.
"Okay you lost me," said Walter, he didn't seem to be the only one being confused.
"Well back when I was a child it was a urban legend that goes something like this. A towns local Dr. and his wife had an only child, a daughter named Mary. As a teen, Mary came down with Diphtheria, which was incurable at the time. The Dr. pronounced his child dead and felt they needed to bury her right away. They buried the girl in a wooden coffin and tied a string to her wrist, threading it up through the ground and tying the other end of a bell which they hung on a hook above the grave.
If she was wrongfully pronounced dead, she would wake up and ring the bell and they could dig up the grave. The girl's mother would not leave the grave and her husband feared she would die of exposure if she didn't come inside. He gave her an injection of morphine and brought her into the house. The next morning when the father visited the grave of his daughter, he noticed that the bell had been rung "off the hook" and was now laying on the ground.
He immediately began to dig, but his efforts were too late. Mary was dead by the time they got to her, but when she had woken in the night, she had scratched and clawed at the top of the coffin. Her hands were all bloody and her nails were stuck in the wood of the coffin.
The way to call her, according to their version, is to stand alone in the dark in front of a mirror and say her name 3 times, turning around in place after each time. After the third time you will see her behind you in the mirror and she will scare you to death," said Natalia.
"So you are claiming an urban legend killed these teenagers," said Eric with a frown.
"Really, Natalia, isn't that a bit farfetched?" asked Walter.
"I don't think it is, if you check their laptops I'm sure you can find traces that they have been to places like this," she said, turning the laptop to show the story, adding, "I heard this when I was younger, I didn't dare to try it, but…"
"Someone you know did," Ryan finished.
"I think so yes, I mean we all used to joke about this kinds of things, we just didn't do it, just in case. My friend Jane however weren't all that scared of stuff like that so she said to me the night she died she wanted to try. I told her not to, but she said it was all myths and she would be alright…" Natalia turned away as her voice trailed off.
"But she didn't," Ryan held his friend.
"No, she died like these children, which is why it seemed so familiar, I just couldn't place it until now," said Natalia.
"Even if that is a nice theory how do you plan to prove it?" Eric wanted to know.
"I suppose I call upon her," said Natalia with a sigh.
"And die, that is out of the question," Ryan protested loudly.
"No, you all will be there to save me, right outside the door, to jump in when you hear me yell," said Natalia.
"I suppose we can do that, right," said Ryan, looking at the rest.
"Of course you can count me in," said Walter with a smile.
"I'll be there, what about you, babe," said Eric, looking over at his girlfriend.
"Missing the Ghostbusters here, not a chance, when do you want to do it," said Calleigh, looking over at her friend.
"Tonight, should we tell Horatio?" asked Natalia.
"He wouldn't believe it and we're already enough, but now we are having another crime scene," said Calleigh, dragging Ryan along, making Eric cast a glare after them.
"Let's us just hope that your house makes another tonight," said Walter as he walked towards the garage, Eric on the other hand walked towards the AV lab as Natalia swallowed hard. She would never care to admit it, but she was terrified.
"I'll leave the door unlocked okay," said Natalia the same night, turning to her four friends and coworkers, that nodded at her. Not one came with one of the usual jokes.
"Don't come in before you hear me yell, you can't interrupt," said Natalia in a serious tone.
"We won't, just be careful," said Calleigh, her face couldn't hide the concern she was feeling.
"Okay, here we go," said Natalia, opening the door to her master bathroom upstairs.
"Very Horatio," Walter couldn't resist, making the others laugh, but dry not cheerful as always.
Natalia's eyes locked quickly with Calleigh's before she closed the door, only the blonde saw the terror that lay within them.
"What now?" Ryan asked.
"Now we wait," said Eric with a sigh, looking over at his Calleigh, only this time she did not meet his eyes, she had a really bad feeling about this. Leaning against the door to capture every sound if she could.
Natalia stood in the dark in front of the mirror, shivering lightly as she said, "Bloody Mary." She turned around, calling out the name again, turned twice, calling out, turned twice, then stood still. Looking into the mirror, not sure about what she would be seeing, not sure if she wanted to see anything at all.
And then she saw it, what she hoped not to, in the darkness next to her a shadow started to take shape in form of a of a girl, a pale young one by the looks of it. Her eyes, sunken into blackness, except two small dots of red, her hands were bloody and her nails gone, most likely attached to the lid of the coffin as the tale said.
Natalia wanted to scream but she couldn't get out a single sound, instead she sank down so she was on the high of the girl whispering, "Mary."
The girl didn't answer of course, she seemed almost see-through where she was standing, yet she was not. She started to claw on Natalia's clothing in anger, going at her, hitting clawing, kicking making Natalia fall on her back defending herself. A yelp escaped her lips; she could feel her hands around her neck, blocking her air supply.
"Please, stop," her voice was hardly audible as she struggle for breath and to get this monster off her. Struggling to survive.
In a last attempt for help she managed to get out one word from her throat for her friends to hear her, one name, and that was, "Calleigh."
Calleigh on the outside the door, could hear Natalia call out for Mary, turning and calling out again, the quiet, then some mellow sounds and Natalia calling out for her.
"Guys, now," she said, pressing down the handle to get in, but the door seemed to be locked which was odd considering Natalia hadn't done so.
"Break it down," she looked at the three men, her voice filled with terror.
Eric and Walter being the heaviest throw themselves at it making it crash open, only to find what seeming to be a lifeless Natalia on the floor, but something was off, Calleigh could feel it. The room was too cold, and the atmosphere, she was still there, she just knew.
"Leave her, leave us, go to your grave and stay there," Calleigh uttered, making the three men look at her in surprise. Ryan wanted to bend down over Natalia, but Calleigh signed him to stop for a second then she did so herself. Mary was gone at least for now.
"Nat, Nat," Calleigh said, feeling her pulse, too weak, luckily still there, she opened her mouth and cleared her airways, blowing into her a couple of times, and then retracted. Hearing her cough and open her eyes looking at them, saying, "You saved me. All of you."
"At your service," said Ryan and made a bow, making her smile.
"Is she gone now?" Eric asked.
"I hope so," said Natalia with a sigh.
"Do you want us to stay or will you be alright?" Ryan asked.
"No, no, go," she said, shushing them downstairs. Calleigh and Eric was the last two to reach the door. The blonde grabbed his arm saying, "Would you mind if I stayed, I don't think she should be alone."
"No, see you tomorrow," he said and kissed her goodnight. She locked up after him before she walked back up to find Natalia on her bed crying.
Calleigh sat down beside her whispering, "Shhh, she won't harm you anymore, we managed to get to you before she could…"
"I know…I know and I will always be grateful, but I was so scared, I was sure it was over, and she…oh Calleigh," Natalia fell apart in her arms. The blonde just held her until she calm down enough for her to put her to bed.
Calleigh didn't rest her eyes until early morning afraid Mary would come back and she would lose Natalia once and for all. But Mary didn't come back it would seem, not for Natalia or anyone else as there were no more murders like that in Miami.
Calleigh stayed at Natalia's for more than one night so she could feel safe, then she went back to Eric to end it feeling her feelings had changed, then again he knew not being stupid, so he did what was right and let her go.
Feedback always welcome and very much appreciated :o)