So this was it, I was going in. I'd been there before and Everytime I'd survived so logically I'd survive again. There were some some stories of a tall man stalking through these woods.

I'd heard of them during my days working at the Talisman Times I remembered.

It was something I had forgotten but it was all coming back to me the moment I stepped foot in those woods.

It was all so eerie how clear my mind was amongst one of the most dangerous places in all of Talisman.

I just loved how exclusive it all was.

It was so quiet and lonely and it suited my introverted nature.

Anyway there was a story I'd heard where a group of young adults around 18 or 19 went traipsing into those woods one night, they were all drunk no doubt but they saw something that sobered them up real fast, something that scarred them for life. The group was reported to be bruised and severely cut, and some in even extreme pain.

One man had a strange injury on his hand.

The injury consisted of a small hole that resembled something done by a small drill.

Whatever it was had pierced his hand all the way through to the other side. Another woman had lost her eye.

Strangely enough one woman was found with teeth marks on her arms and hands. They spoke of small cloaked figures snarling biting and clawing everything within their reach.

Then they'd ramble on and on about spheres that zoomed through the the trees threatening to slice them to pieces.

Miraculously they all survived but their mental state was greatly altered. Many of them admitted themselves under psychiatric care. I hope the therapy helped but something told me that experience would haunt them the rest of their days.

The Tall Man they screamed.

The Tall Man has returned they raved.

At first I thought it was just a myth to keep people out of the woods but as it turned out these stories were indeed true.

Some I'm sure were highly over exaggerated but the truth remained the same: The Tall Man is Real

He was never associated with any local establishment until now; Morningside Mortuary.

It appeared out of nowhere and now that it's here everyone claims it's been here forever. He must have that effect on people.

He must make people remember things that never existed. He must be able to create memories of things that never happened.

He can twist reality to his advantage and then he confuses us into thinking that reality is nothing about a dream.

I'm smarter than that. I see the unseen. I notice things others don't and I look past all the lies people tell one another.

Here I was heading into those woods which was home to all sorts of monsters.

There are goblins,gargoyles, bogarts, boogymen, dragons, demons, ghosts, werewolves,witches wraiths,skin walkers, wendigos ,vampires and zombies in here.

Every single fear known to mankind is probably hidden in these trees. All the things people want to forget are hidden these trees as well.

If you were to hide a body in here most likely no one would ever find it again. It's a perfect drop off for any unwanted corpse and it would be any serial killers paradise that is if serial killers were as crazy as I was and actually knew their way around this place.

There are very few murders in Talisman so having murders of this severity and gruesomeness was unheard of

The Talisman Times must be having a field day. Each of the deaths that have occured I've always felt someone was watching over the crime scenes with great intensity. Sometimes for a few seconds I'd see a flash of silver and the image of a fleeting shadow.

The shadow was very tall.

One victim, a man by the name of Carl Mars had a huge gaping hole in his back that looked like a bazooka had gone right through him at close range.

It was too large for a bullet hole.

Whoever is killing these people is either enjoying it or they are just trying to get someone's attention.

Whoever this killer is he likes the fact nobody can see him and that nobody will ever find him.

No finger prints no traceable marks to lead to a weapon.

There's never even a scrap of clothing left behind.

There's no finger nails, hair or blood traces. Nothing in any of these crime scenes had even a hint of DNA.

Then another man was found dead in his own home with a small hole drilled into his head.

The wound went straight through his brain and made a clean break out the back of skull.

Very little blood but the place was a absolute disaster, walls were smashed in, every window was shattered, cupboards were torn off their hinges, drawers were pulled wide open, and bookshelves were overturned.

Then there was that same yellow ooze on the rug.

There was a obvious sign of struggle, a a desperate fight for survival had occured in this home.

The strange thing is there were very few bruises on the body and there were no marks that suggested he had been in any fights prior to his death.

This had to be some sign of bad luck for someone like me wandering the woods with homicide on my mind but thankfully I didn't believe in luck.

I believed in patterns not chance.

I believed there were no such thing as coincidences.

I believed everything happened for a reason even the bad things had their purpose.

When I came across that crime scene, the victim being carried away by coroners, I could smell the apprehensive sweat in the air, the sweat of fear not only fear but death.

The smell of Death is a familiar smell to me.

Some days I wish it wasn't but ever since I started this job I've lost a few things along the way, one of which being my wide eyed innocence.

This Job was the beginning of a new career but the ending of my innocent days.

All those crime scenes, all those photos of cadavers, all those trips to the morgue, all the reading of death certificates and all that research on how the criminal mind works made me the tough self sufficient woman I am today yet still I miss the old Magenta.

I miss her perky verve for life her and ever hopeful attitude and always curiously open approach on life.

She was always seeing the best in people. She was always happy for a new adventure.

Is that Magenta still there or did she leave a long time ago?

Something tells me that part of me isn't dead just yet.

There was a time I'd actually skip to work but now I am no longer carefree and excitable instead I march into my office with a great firmness in my steps and a immense confidence of my purpose in life.

Maybe I'm not the sweet innocent child I used to be but at least I know what my purpose is and that what I'm doing is truly worthwhile.I know I'm helping at least, helping rid the world of injustice by solving these crimes.

I'm not in this for the money alone.

I may seem like a hard ass but in truth I have a heart beneath all this tough exterior and stern decorum.

I do care about humanity.

I do care about people even though they emotionally and mentally drain me at times.

I care for others even though these others don't care about me.

Yet I don't take it personally. People have problems of their own and I have mine.

I know that these are two separate issues and don't get those two mixed up.

So in other words If you have a problem with me that's not my problem it's yours.

Just don't blame me for your problems and we'll get along just fine.

Take Responsibility for your problems, deal with it yourself then get back to me.

Don't include me in your drama.

If I wanted to be a part of a soap opera I'd be auditioning for the part of the lonely detective that has very few lines and hardly interacts with the other characters.

I'm not in the mood for games and I never will be. So don't think you play my emotions like a flipping flute.

I'm not some instrument you can control.

I'm a human being with a soul and a individual mind of my own.

I have a strong will as well and I'd this Tall Man thinks he can give me orders to obey he has another thing coming and it's going to be my fist in his face.

So here I am still walking around the woods like a crazy person probably talking to myself as I go along. I could very well be entering the hornets nest and then it dawned on me I could die I here.

Then again I didn't care there were worse things than death anyway. I'm not afraid of getting my boots dirty when I was on a job.

In fact all I wear are boots.

I have boots for every occasion.

The rest of me looks like it's from a clothing line called Spies R Us.

I'm Kim Possible the winter version when it comes to my style of clothes.

I'm fashionable but sporty.

o

Enough about my clothes, I suddenly realized I was a idiot.

I was idiot for venturing into these woods.

The only reason I came here in the first place was because I had had a dream that the Tall Man had entered these woods.

It was most likely a dream that he had planted there in my brain while I was asleep.

He probably had the ability to create dreams and send them directly to my brain using his telepathic powers.

If that were true than that meant he wanted me to come here.

I was stepping right into a trap, a trap he had constructed especially for me.

"Would you like to die today Magenta?"

A hoarse voice whispered to me.

It was a voice that seemed to be coming at me from all directions

"Oh yeah sure, Death is the highlight of my day.

I love venturing into monster infested places awaiting some one to jump out of the shadows and kill me.

Risking my life on a regular basis is a great hobby of mine.

Will I survive this time?

Probably not.

The Tall Man will probably drag me to another dimension, rip out my brain and use the rest of me as spare parts for his zombie army.

Who knows may be if I'm lucky he'll study me first, examine my insides and take me part one piece at a time.

Yeah who knows what horror await me but I'm just going to have to face them head on.

Don't quit now. You've come this far and that's got to count for something. I'll have to face this monster eventually so might as well do it now."

I thought to myself out loud.

"Death becomes you child. Death will overtake you. Death will claim you and I will make sure of it".

This time that gravelly voice whispered through directly to my mind.

"Do you think you can defy death small human? What of your investigation into those deaths? Did all your arduous work and seemingly endless research prevent their deaths? Why couldn't you save them? You want to save them I know you do. The question is what's stopping you and what is it that's holding you back. Could it be that these strong mental capabilities you speak so highly of may actually be failing you?"

"Get out of my Head!!! I can feel you prying into my thoughts, peering into my private life and watching my private dreams. You don't belong there so begone from me monster".

I wasn't quite sure if I said this out loud or I had simply just thought it, because my mind was going all fuzzy.

"Oh relax. I am no monster. I take a few I unwanted bodies and you accuse me of being a monster.

Your kind go on mad killing sprees in hopes to end the bitter resentment you have towards one another, you humans kill in the name of peace and justice. Then these murderers you either glorify or you lock them away from the rest of society. There are those of you that kill without thought and without even the slightest remorse. They take the lives of innocent people who are merely minding their own business by staying home, walking on the streets, playing on the sidewalk, leading their small idle lives.

There are far greater evils than I, believe me.

Yet still you have the audacity to call me a monster. Perhaps you should first reflect upon on the history of your own kind orphan."

The bushes nearby rustled and a towering shadow swept over the ground and a incredibly intimidating figure emerged from the bushes themselves.

"Such a ugly and bloody history full of torture and burning flesh and cries of agony and tears of anguish.

Yet people think my methods are cruel and that I'm a heartless creature of the darkness."

"Perhaps I misjudged you.Yet what of the deaths? The mutilated bodies? What monster caused those?"

I hardly saw this guy move but somehow he had managed to come closer to me.

He was so close I could smell the formaldehyde on his suit.

Oh yes he was wearing a suit, a black stoic suit with a finely starched white shirt underneath.

He had a long black tie with a tiny silver pin in the middle.

He tilted his chin forward in a questioning manner and he leaned over towards my face as he was examining my skin.

"Why did you come here? You're like a babe in the woods. You're so tender and innocent and so out of place.

Your skin bares no marks of age, time has not settled on your face. Compared to me you are nothing more than a child, you come with no weapons yet you think you can fight me and win.

You defenseless and unarmed yet you come here to challenge me. You are either very foolish or very brave."

"No I haven't come to challenge you and I haven't come to fight you. I just came here for answers. I just want the truth nothing more."

"I told you to stay out of my way yet you defied me. I made my point very clear. I warned you and I'm afraid to say my dear now you will die".

"I'm not defying you. I don't care if I die. I don't care if you kill me with your own two hands.

You can drill me through the head, tear out my brain, harvest my organs, play operation with my body.

You want to torture me, go for it. I won't stop you. You want to make me your slave I won't run from you. Look I don't want to make any trouble so maybe it would be easier for the both of us if you just told me where the bodies are. Tell me about the murders and I promise you, I will leave you alone, I'll be out of your hair and you won't have to see me ever again."

"I will tell you nothing of their whereabouts.Those bodies belong to me now so they are no longer your concern. If you really insist on knowing where they are you will know soon enough when you join them".

He dug his bony hand into my shoulder furiously with great strength.

"Wow. You have quite the iron grip."

I calmly purred to him I'm response.

He had grimacing smirk that expressed his determination to destroy me but strangely. enough his grip loosened slightly.

He sighed rather sadly

"You really don't fear me do you?"

"No not even in the slightest. If I did I'd be running just like those kids you scared away several years ago."

" Oh so you know about that. I see You remember. Not everyone remembers that. Alright I admit that was my doing. It was just meant to scare them mind you not to kill".

"I knew it, I knew it, You spared them.

The real question of the hour is why spare them at all in the first place? I mean are you protecting something? Most importantly why are hiding out here? The real teeth clencher is why do I always see you at the crime scenes?"

"That little incident you speak of was simply me taking part in a bit recreational activity. I was bored. No I'm not protecting anything except my own interests. I hide from no one I am merely staying here for the time being until...I find what I'm looking for. As for the crime scenes those bodies hold some value to me. I need them for the future".

"What exactly are you searching for?"

"Why do you care? I don't see how it's any of your business".

"Perhaps not but if you've lost something I'm actually very skilled in that department. Maybe I could help you. May be I could be of service to you".

"Don't be ridiculous.I want to kill you and you offer to help me.

I want to drain the very life out of you and I want to crush you down like a insect on the ground.

I dream of the moment when I will squeeze the very breath out of your throat yet you wish to assist me.

You are either stupid or you feeble minded.

Foolish girl".

"Stop calling me a girl.

I'm not stupid, I'm not foolish and I'm certainly not feeble minded. It's called compassion dumbass. look It's called kindness jerk weed.

You should try it sometime.

It might bring a little color to that washed out face of yours. Believe me kindness and compassion is hard to come by these days but you know it still exists regardless of how cruel the world can be. There's still people who care, people like me."

"So you'd still care for someone who wants to kill you?"

"You didn't kill those kids. You probably didn't even kill others either. So you have no reason to kill me. All I did was ask you a few questions. You showed me where to go and I came. I really highly doubt that you want to kill me."

"You are very wise for a human. I showed you nothing. You came here on your own accord. You used your own instincts and you found me Yet you're right I have no intentions of killing you as for the others i could have killed them myself but I waited for them to die and they were dead I took them."

"So you did nothing?"

"Oh I may not be the killer you're looking for but I'm no saint I assure you."

"What about your blood on the crime scene? How do you explain that?"

I noticed that he had cut on his hand and his hand had thick yellow liquid emitting from the wound.

"The yellow stuff is your blood, the reason I can tell that is you have a wound on your left hand and it's still quite fresh. Looks like it was bleeding quite recently. How did that happen?"

"When you said I did nothing that's not entirely true. I interfered once but I regretted it. It was a creature, a creature I've never encountered before in any dimension.

It was stronger than I anticipated. It bit me.

It had millions of arms and no face.It looked like some humans sick nightmare. That's the one that did all this."

"Why was your blood on the bathroom floor? What brought you there?"

" It was a accident really. I wasn't planning finding this creature, was looking for something else I found that thing instead.

There was a man there.

He had a thing for young girls if you must know.

I was considering on killing him but then that thing showed up.

I thought about leaving him there to fend for himself with that monster but like an idiot I stayed. I fought it off and that scumbag stabbed me right in the throat."

"There was no knife at the crime scene of John Brody. Come now what really happened? There's no need lie to me. There's no judgement here. Out with it.

"Very well that thing attacked me. He broke a few of ribs and he I believe he crushed my windpipe but I soon recovered".

"Then why are you still bleeding?"

"I recovered somewhat but not completely.

Yes then there's the bit with my throat.

It's rather difficult especially when I wish to speak".

"So you're dying."

"Yes in a way I suppose I am.

I'm fading, my strength is fading. I can feel it weaken within me little by little. The temperature in my blood keeps dropping and if that continues than it soon may be...be the end of me".

"How can I help?"

"Help me hunt down this creature and capture it so I can make antidote out of it's blood."

"Now that's more like it. I have a feeling this is going to be fun".