A/N: Heyyyy, sorry for the late post. I would've done it earlier in the week but my wifi suddenly died for two days so...that was fun. Also, this is the first time I'm trying the creepy font thing so hopefully it doesn't mess with anything here. Anyways, that's all from me, have a nice day!
Don really didn't want to get within ten feet of the crime scene. Unfortunately, considering his job, he didn't have much of a choice.
"I'm already regretting this" he grumbled, following the map that would lead him to it. Without even looking at the scene, he already knew that it was going to be rough. "Why did I think it was a good idea to pick this job?" he lamented, slamming his head against the wheel. Even on a normal case, it was hard to look around. Wailing spirits, clawing shadows, there was no place on earth that didn't have at least one person haunting it. Although, if he was lucky, the spirit of the one murdered would still be lingering around. That usually made all of it worth it.
Usually.
This time though, not even getting the answers to the universe is worth walking into the scene.
"It's going to be okay" he chanted, taking a deep breath as pulled up to the scene. "Just calm down and don't panic." He parked his car and got out, taking some calming breaths before he stepped around the car. As soon as he did though, he stepped back in shock, his eyes instantly drawing towards the building.
It was a warehouse, those dilapidated ones that you find on the side of the road or in the middle of nowhere. It was made of bricks, falling apart in some places and moss growing on others. Some windows were broken while the others have years worth of dust and dirt clinging onto them. Graffiti was visible on the side, telling him that at least some people were aware of its existence. But that building wasn't what made him pause. No, it was something else.
The building was covered in a black mist.
The fog was thick and fluid, curling and swirling around the building like a snake. It acted more like water than anything else, rolling in the air like waves. Don could see a few tendrils holding onto the ruined walls in a vice grip, never letting go despite the mist's erratic movement. The fog reached high, swirling into some sort of storm that reached into the heavens, tainting the grey sky with its black aura.
Don could feel it, its oppressive nature. Something so foreign and unwanted that the nature around them reacted to it. The grass nearby had wilted, the trees stretched and twisted. The sky around them had grown dark, like it was about to rain. Cold wind breezed through, strange considering that they were in LA. Don could see everyone else zipping up their jackets, burying themselves in their clothing to stave off the cold. Mutters of the weather and worries about possible rainfall could be heard despite the fact that the crime scene was indoors. One couldn't be certain when it came to these old buildings.
Was this the result of that ritual? What the hell was their purpose?
All questions that he didn't want to try to answer, but ones he knew he had to.
"Walking into what's possibly a gate to a hellish dimension for a crime scene? Seems like today's gonna be great" he grumbled underneath his breath, walking up to his team who were standing a few feet away.
"Is it just me, or does this place give you the creeps?" Colby asked, shoving his hands into his pockets.
"I don't think it's just you," David said. "The entire area is dead."
"Think there's some chemical leak?" Megan asked, looking concerned.
"Don't think so" he said as he finally caught up with them. "Someone would've said something. Plus, this doesn't seem like a place you'd store chemicals. Seems more like a storage mechanical parts."
"Whatever it is, I don't like it" Colby muttered. "Remind me why we do this?"
"Well it's definitely not for the pay" Don snorted, causing everyone to grin. "We probably got Stockholm Syndrome-d at some point in Quantico."
"Don't we have to get treated well in order to be Stockholm Syndrome-d?"
"Well it's either that or admit that all four of us are masochists to some degree. And I don't think any of us are drunk enough to open that can of worms."
"Fair enough," David replied, smiling.
"I don't know. I'd like to see Don open that can, maybe that'll finally explain the constant trips to the hospital" Megan said, elbowing him. His outraged hey getting ignored in favour of amused laughter.
"Alright alright, as fun as it has been, we have a job to do and I don't think I can bail any of us out if Merrick decided that we've finally lost it."
"Bold of you to assume that you're not first on the chopping block" David grinned, causing Don to shove him playfully.
"Oh don't worry, I never forgot. I'm just looking out for other candidates."
"Afraid of losing our ongoing bet on who's gonna snap first?" Colby said from behind them.
"Nah, more like I'm afraid of proving Dad right. With all the times he's called me insane over the years, I'm pretty sure he's just counting the days until that comes true."
"Don't worry Don, we'll try and keep his 'I told you so' comments until after you're out" David reassured, patting Don on the shoulder.
Don snorted before looking forward, looking up towards the ominous swirling storm, his apprehension rising every second. With how things were going on right now, he wouldn't be surprised if the bet ended sooner rather than later. "Yeah…sounds real assuring" he muttered, all the good humour from the teasing leaving him as soon as he heard them.
The screams of the dead.
He froze as he heard their agonized screams, all high pitched wailing and howling as the winds whipped around them. It was hard to hear through everything, their collective voices bringing him back to the lowest and most harrowing moments in his career. But, beyond all those voices, Don could barely make out a few words. Words that, once he realized what they were, caused him to pale instantly:
Ŗ̶̭̰̱̤̟̟͖̫̼̳̦̙̮̯̙́̏̓̈́̔̀̅͛̅̍̈͠ų̶̧̛̛͇̰͈̠͉̻̙͔̲̤͑̈́̇̅̉͘͠n̶͙͓̟̱̼̍͆̓̉̌́͑̋̏͆́̚̚͠,̶̨̢̩̞̲̮̱͉̤̰̬̦̈͑͌͒͗͒̐͘ ̵̼̼̟̬͕͎̖̼͚͉̖̗̭͔͙̹̝͙̀̍̓̉̿̓͘͝l̶̡̛̩̼̰̘̦͖̪̎͑͐̂͋́̉̂͂͐̄̀̽̈́͌̎̕i̶͇̘͇͎̱̬̍t̷̡̨̝̝͉̥̻̳̭̏̎̈̔̿́͆́͘͜͝͠ţ̵̧͖͕̪͍̰̥͎̠̭̝̥̠̈́̓͆̃̊͂͌̀͒͋̓̚̕̕̕͝͝͝͝ļ̶̧̧̯̱̳͍̦͉̪̜̟͍̹̦̘͙̺̅̽̏͑̇̌͘ę̷̧̣̠̯͕̙̦̭͙̩̲͎̭̪͇̋̄̎̏̄̏́̅̑̂͋̀͌͠͠ ̶̨̡̦͉̦̻̟̥̜͙̣͈͙̭̣͎̰͑̽́l̷̡̲͉͕̮̞͙͙̼̭̲̬̣̞̞̤̔̀̐͌͆ͅͅi̶̡͓̦͚̞͗̒̔͑̄́̽̀̾̏͘g̴̨̢̧̮͚̣̮̼̠̮̥̪̞͓̦̹͕̲̮͚̓̒̒̏̾̓̃̈̾̈́̏͆̈̅̎̇̈́̅h̵̥̫̲̰̮̄̎̑̆̑̅͐̀̋͝͝ͅṭ̴̛͑̽̀̕͘,̵̛͖͈͓̥̗̫̞̲̦͊͒͗̒̂̓̈́̈͐͛̍̓̈ ̸͎̯͊͆̎̀̐̐̄̈͒b̵̡̛̜̹̳̱͍͔̯͔̝̟̬͕̯̣͔̈̾̓̈́͒͂͌͘͜͜͠ͅȩ̵̗̣̟̮̼̲̟͖̺̖̼̓͗̂̈́͐̊̇̈́̍͒̂̚͝f̵̥̙͔̖̝̄̀̑̔̎͛͜͝ǫ̶̡̨̠̥̱̬͈̩͖͚̞̩̑͛͐͛͐͑̂͒̎́́͒̇̄̅͜͝͝͝r̸̞̬͈̝͚̝̝͇̔̆̎͂̇̎̽̒̆̓̍̽̐̈́̋͝ę̴̣͓̤̝͇͍̲̳͇͆͆̎́̕̚ ̴̡͙̜͔͓̠̝̣̼̪̬̤̳̠̖͙̿̈̊̒́̂̚̕t̸̨̛̛͎̮̘̖̩͔̞͙̮͍̰̗͍̼͉̣͎̪̑̊͋͊̐̉́́̈́̈́͝ͅh̵̢̳̟̯͔͍̼̠͖̹̥̜̖͚̱̰͓̘̟̆̍͂͋̉̀̍̔͛̈́̄̀͗̈̓͘͠ĕ̷͉̜̒͌̋y̵̧̤̫̹̘̪̹̞͖̮̫̮̣̬̼̻̍̒̽͒͒̒̿͛̉̎͛̿̏̈́͘͝͝ͅ ̸̧̡̙͔̘̥̞̎̆͆̏̑͂͌̓̂͝r̵̯̺̻̩̼̺̝̦͈̘̩̱̲̖̓̂̓͒̄͝͠ę̸̨̼͕͉͕̗͍̞͙̞̹̞̦͖͎̻̔̂͌͆̌̉̀̚͜ȁ̶̢̳͎̲̟̠̃̌͑̔̈͒̒̏͜l̵̨͙̺̰̓̽̆̽̀̈́͛̂̈́̑͆͆͊̀̋̕͝͝ị̸͛̋͋̓̂͊̈́̊̍̎̕ẕ̷̢̡̢̢̰͖̲̺͙̹̫̈ͅé̵̢̨̹̯̳̜̘̟͆̈̂͘͜ͅ ̴̹̗͖̘̰̮̥̓̓̓͝y̷̨̡̢͔͙̱̟̟̦̹̬̤̞̮̬͍̾͋̽͝ǒ̸͙̞̫̱̋̂̉̓ų̴̱̙̹̟͍̖͎̼̟̭̔̓̎͑̒͌̉́́̒̐̀̅͌͊̽̑͝'̴̨̱͇̗̞̟̥͉͆͌͋͂́͆̏͝ṛ̷͓̗̥̮̩̹̰͇͚̗͖͎̞͇̻̲̼̽̎̐̐́̏̅͐͐̅̃̀̉̈́̕̚̕̕͘͘é̶̢̡̢͔̫͈̘̖̗͔̪̿̀̕͝ ̵͇̤̙͎͕̻͎̗̃́̄́͗̾̒̑͆͒̏̕͠ͅh̴̢̧̯̲̳̗̺͚̰͙̲͓̪̆̋̓̃è̸̡̧̧͕͈̜̱̣̭̘͉̩̠̤̳̱͐̀̽͑̈́̑̉̒́͑͐̉̋͊͘ͅͅr̷̜̔̄́̀́͑̉̀͋̈́̍̊͊͂̒̎̐͛͐͋ȅ̵̡̪͚̟̙̱̯̀̿̐.̶̡̢͈̦͚̝̼͚̭͔̪̔̂́̄̈́̀̏̐̉͘͝
"Uh guys…I think I'll survey the perimeter first" he said shakily, shoving his hands inside his pockets in an effort to keep his cool.
"Don, are you okay?" Megan asked, concerned.
"I'm fine, it's just that something about this doesn't sit right with me."
"Are your instincts acting up?" It was Colby this time who asked.
"Yeah. I've just got a really bad feeling about this."
"Don, you can't back up now. We need you" David urged.
"I'm not backing out. I'm just saying that you guys go first, I'll talk to the others before I get to you."
All three of them gave Don a suspicious look, a look that he knew exactly why they were giving him. "Don, you're always the first person who wants to see the crime scene, why are you running now? Are you scared?"
YES! "No! It's just that-"
CRASH!
All four of them jumped when they heard it, a loud sound like something had fallen. Whatever it was, it was heavy. In that instant, the winds picked up and everyone around them grew more frantic, the air growing more oppressive. "What the hell was that?" he shouted at one of the people who ran out of the building, coughing away the dust that had settled over them
"Something collapsed, we just don't know what or why."
"The machinery fell! Someone's injured!"
"Shit!" Don hissed before yelling out. "Megan, call the paramedics! Colby, I need you to round out the witnesses. This could be an attack from the killer. David, go inside and assess the situation, report back to me when you know what's happened. I'm going to try and keep everything under control, make sure that nothing else is off and that the crime scene isn't tampered. Got it?"
"Got it!" they said as they nodded in unison before running off to do their own duties.
Don took a deep breath to calm himself down, but he almost choked at the sheer anxiety that was permeating through the air. The winds grew louder, whipping around them and carrying, lifting the tarps and markers that were on the ground. The rattling from the windows grew louder, so loud that Don was afraid that they would fall off. People were actively fighting against the elements, the wind growing so strong that it's pushing people around. But somehow, beyond all the chaos, Don was able to shout loud enough to issue order after order, coordinating with the other teams on what to do.
He ground his feet and gritted his teeth, fighting against the wind that threatened to push him over. The screams of the dead from the massive storm behind him were drowned out by the blood rushing through his ears, the adrenalin overriding any fear he might have at facing the supernatural.
"I need a team to the right and make sure that the outside is stable. Forensics, I need you guys to conserve the evidence as best you can. The three of you need to keep to the road, guide the paramedics and whatever evac crew they have to us. David, what's the si-"
But once again, before Don could finish his sentence, everything grew still. The only sounds they heard were the sounds of people and items falling onto the floor as the winds drastically stopped, leaving them with nothing but chilling silence. Looking behind them, Don could see that the black mist had stopped swirling and was instead sitting in the air, like it was waiting for something.
"What the hell?" David hissed as he looked around, looking slightly freaked out. "What was that?"
Don was about to answer, when the leaves on the dead trees rustled as small but freezing cold air blew towards them, carrying the voice from the storm into the wind. Voices that formed into a warning as chilly as the air.
Ỹ̶̥̱͓͈̫̦͈̀ô̵̜̥̺͔̏̃͆̚͠ǘ̸̺̋̿̃̌͑͜͝'̸̘̻̰̂̽͝ŗ̶̦̣͓̰̙̭͐̓̚͝͝ê̵̠̥̘̙̘̓̐́͝ ̵̳̟̱̎̋͛̔͐͑̿ţ̴̫͎̘̔͂̚ơ̵̜̲̑̈́̒̓͂ō̴̫̋̾̾͘͠͝ ̸̢̱̑͒l̴͖͙̟̼͓͐a̷͈͆̇̔t̴̟̓̆́̀͗̔̕e̶̜̙͌͒̇
T̶̢̺̜̳̰̝̍̑̅̃̆h̸̨̡̯͕̒͆̉̆͑̀͜ẹ̴̪̝͐͒̿͛̚͝ͅy̵̡̩̩͊́͑̀́͋̅ ̶̫̪͍̞̓̿͐̿͝k̷͈̘̬̦̹̱͑̅͛̍n̷̡̘̳̘̰̅̈́̉̎͐͗͂ơ̴̙̲̣̏̂̅̓̀w̶̡̙͇̹͋̌͋̂́ ̴͉̅̇͊̑̎̈́̾y̴̚ͅo̶̱͍̲̝̺̪͍̊̀͊́͝ù̴͎̦̺̳̜͝'̷̝̑̓́̒r̶͍̯̉́́e̷̗̐̆̾͑ͅ ̴̛̛͙̩̺̥̹͋̇͜h̶̡̬̟͔̹̳̭͌̋͗̎ẹ̸̝͓̲̮̩̌̂͛̕͜r̵͎̀è̸͇͕̏̐̾͗͝
Y̴̙͔̹̪̤̣̤̋ǒ̴̡̗̱̪͈͓̀̕u̴̡̳̟̾͝r̶͍̳̪̠̹̫͆̑̉̎͑̾ ̷̛̛͓̓̃͗̅̕f̶̟̟̆a̸̠̺̗͖͉̠̥͊͐͊͆̋͊͝ẗ̶͖͔͎̮̫̤̈͜e̶̻̔́̂́̊ ̵͈̮̙̝͂̎̑̉͠í̶̘̈́̈́̒̆̽̄s̵̡͇̰̳͎̜̈͆͒̿͜ ̸̝̌̋͌ņ̶͚̤̒͆̐̔̓̄͜͠o̶̥̹̥̗̝͂̽͘͘w̸̨̲̿̀͝ ̵̺̳͖̫̘͈͐̽͛͒́͐̐w̵͍̺̅r̴̫̖͙͓̓̃̓į̵̧̥̘̩̫͒͌̊̒͊͗t̶̤͖̂̈́̽̈́̆̏t̴̜͂̒ě̴͇̻̮̩̈́ͅn̵̯̲̻̩̳̙͈̏̀ ̸͙̱̝̫͙̞̩̄̀̃̌͝į̵͙̭̼͕͒n̵̮̻͕̟̻̒͜ ̸̫̟̲̒̀̽ş̵͍̥͉̇̉t̵̺̦̠̳̺̖̉̈́̎o̸̬̣͈͠ń̵͇̽ȅ̷̱́́̑͊͂
T̵̡͓̭̪̟̯͈̥͖̭̠̫̝͉͈̭̔͋̄̅̅̈́́̄̚͝͝h̴̢̡̢̛͙͚͙̭̺̫̻̱̜͖̼̫͇͑̽̎͗̀͗͗͐̿͋͆́̅̀̌́̈́̀͝ͅĕ̵̢̧̛̱̼̜̻͓̹̺̱̻̙̝̮̞̞͈̺̠̼͋̋͐͐́̄͗̅̀͛̂͂̀͂̕ ̸̨̢̙͉̩͔̭̤͊̅̈́̀̋̉͂̃͌̋̿̈́͜͠l̴̡̧̧͉̼͈͚͖̻̦̜̺̭̬̟͚̠̤̒̋̽̃̄͆̉̔́̇̿͜͝à̴̗̝͇͗̍̃̓̃͂͌́̑̀̚͝ͅs̸̟͉̖̪͖͈̆̂̐̍̒̈́ẗ̶̞̰̮̫̓́ ̶̡̖͕̰̬̗͔̥̹̟̬̰̓̾̾͗̈́̉̆͂̄͆̏͐̆̚͠ͅb̵̹̾̿̚͠l̵̮̼̙͖̦͓͚̙͌̈́̏͜o̵̤̪̻̬̠̯̰̊̾̽̕̕͜͝ò̶͍̠̣̙̤̱̠̝̖͇̤̦͚̠̀̆́͂̅͊͘͝͝d̸̡̧̳̙̼̯̖̠̬̫̪͖͈̙̳̭͈̦͖̾̉͌̔͆̉̔͑̽̅̃ ̶̨̢̗̹͈̝̹̝̮̮͕̣̤͖͍̩̫̻͙̯̓̇̽̂̅́̂̂͒͌͑̚t̶̩̱͉̬̼̥̭͈͇͉͔͎͖̙̓̊̾́̀͊̔́̓́̒̕͜͜͝ǫ̸̣͔̭͔͍̹̣̳̦̞̰̯̮̦̼̣̔͌̀̌̇̀̋͘̕͘ͅ ̶̬́͆̄͂͛̃͋͊̐̔͒͋̐̇̕̚̚͝͠͠b̶̢̧̛͔̯͕̞͓̻̻̞̻̦̥̟̻̗̲͙̿̂̃̎̒̂͊̋̄͜͝ͅë̶̖̺̖̞͉͉̩̆̔̉́͛́͌́̋̌ ̵̗͈͔̩̍̎̌̓̑́̌̂́̾̓̈̓̚͝͝ͅs̸̘̳̗̮̥͓̼͖̍͑p̵̱̝͚͔͐̄͆̋̂̅́̈̓̍̅̚͜͠͠͝͝i̵̡̧̮̮̦̠̗̝͕̗̎͌͊̊̈́̏̿̊̓͐͊̅̍͌͘͝ͅl̸̡̡͉̰͙͔͉̰̹̟̦̞̪̎̓̓́̍̄͂͂̈́͌̊̕̕͝ļ̵͙̩̥̫̰̳̭͌̒̐͆̽͛̓̓͝ē̷͖̹̖͔̟̥̦̤̻̳̄̿͜ḑ̶͚̼͖̜͓͓̼͈̜̔́ͅ ̷̡̡̩̻̬̙͔̯̼̯͋̄̄̀̃̈́͛̒̏̈̒̅̄̏͘̚ẅ̷̞̗̤̲́í̸̡͚̺̬̪̖̩̬̫͓̞̰̠͎̽͒̄̀͆̌̋͌̍̊̈͘͜͝l̷̻̥͓̟̫̹͈̱̰̇́̐̑̇͂͑̚l̷̡̧͕̺̰͙̫̩͈̼͔͓̩̤̰͒͜ ̸̧̤̫̹̤̯̈́̄̋́̒͋͒̋̓̓́̒̀́͗͑̍͌̈́͝b̷̢͇͓̦̙̱̤͓̭͙̱̱̮̫̔̊͗̄̓̐̅̿̀̈́̕ȩ̸̢̼̠̯̼̻̹̻̙̺̤̼̪͚̖͎̥̓̆͂̅͊̈̐̀̂̊͂̉͗̈́͜͠ ̸̨̬͚̯͉͖̙̹̩̺̫͇̼̦̣̭̩̠̩͒̋̿̒̉͌̏̾̕y̶̗̗̗͙̋̍͂͋̔͐̏̉̈́͐͌̃̿̐̕͠o̸̧̳̙̥̩̭̦̼̠̠̙̫̭̥̼͙͖͂͐͗̅̍̀̔͒̾̇̂̏͘͜͝ȗ̶̡̞͈̘̭̣͙̲̹̏ͅr̵̮͈̻̮̱̙͒̉̀͒̈́́͐̌̓̑̀̀̃͋͘͜s̸̡̥̦͚͎͍͚̦̹̟̬̰̔͐̅̀͊̈́̊̓̍̋̊́͒̋̏̉̚̕͜͜͝,̵͎̝͈̞̺͕̟̱͎̻̱͒̌̎̀̀̾̓̍̇̐̀̿̿̕͘̕͜͝͝ ̸̗̯̹̩̳͕̲͇̟̲̹̣̰̰͇̠̘͑͐̓́͊͜͜V̷̨͔̝̲͙̪̒͛è̸̫̼̤̱̄̀̔͊͐͆̋̽̀͗̀̀͘͝i̶̭̤̼͎̇̈̃̉̊͋̕͘l̵̰̯͉̱͙̗̳̬̩̱͉͗̎͆͌͗͐̆͗̀͆̈̚̕k̶̞͚̟͉̪͉̗̦̰͍͍̩̩̠͂è̷̱̲͉͇͍̪̬̯̞͜è̵͙̯̦̣̦͎̀̇̌̋̒͌̈̊̚͝͠p̸̨̨̛̮̙̟̺̜̯̭̥̬̙͖̪̟̄̊̂̈͆͝e̷̡͓̻̝̮͙̦̤̗̮̜͈̖̖̳̓̂̊̓̉̈́͛̅́͘͝ͅr̷͙̦̂͘
And with that final line, a sharp pain suddenly struck through Don's head and he shouted in pain before collapsing, the last thing he saw being David with the face of another man behind him, smiling ominously as he whispered:
Remember me, Veilkeeper.