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MONSTER	By : Radius Category: +A through F > Devil May Cry Views: 10988 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own the Devil May Cry game series, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 14
- 15
- 16
A/N: Radius here, with another delightful chapter. No sex scenes here but the story is starting to pick up the pace. And what the heck, there’s a cameo of another DMC character here too. I thought it’d bring in a nice touch. I hope you guys dig it. Thanks for staying tuned and thanks for being patient. It really sucks I can’t load my chapters like I used to. Hopefully, though, I’ll be getting a reliable home internet access sometime soon. :-(

<< | Relax… There’s Always Tomorrow | >>

“Rainbow? Are you there? It’s me Damsel. Please pick up. I’ve been calling you forever. At least call me back. I’m worried about you. It’s important we talk.”

                Damsel hung up as she walked out the door of a small mechanic shop. She was still dressed in her dirty blue overall uniform, her chin smudged with oil. Without the usual Gothic makeup she looked five years younger and almost vulnerable. It was early in the evening with the sky drawing in a cool breeze. Her shift was finally over. Freeing her hair from a cap she was forced to wear to conceal her hair color, Damsel sighed in relief. It was as if a load of stress lifted off her shoulders. Nagging customers and a bossy manager were always a pain in the ass to deal with, today was one of the worse.

Damsel headed to an open parking lot, waving ‘goodbye’ to some of her fellow mechanics on the way there. She stood near a payphone and checked her messages. Spook left her over twenty text messages while Saint Rose Mental Institution left her only one. There was none from Rainbow though.

She rubbed the back of her neck. That was her fortieth message she left him. She was getting worried now. It’d been over a week since they last talked. Either Dante was being overly possessive or Rainbow was tired of her. Damsel took a deep swallow, hoping it wasn’t the latter. After all, Rainbow didn’t seem like the type who gave friends the cold shoulder. He was just too kind to do that.

The paranormal investigator went through her purse. She scoured through hoards of bubble gum wrappers, years’ old receipts, a cracked compact mirror, crackers, a can of cheese whiz, and other objects that had no reason for being there. Had someone checked her purse, they would’ve thought she was a crackpot, crazy woman.

                “Damn it,” she muttered in distress, her finger catching a nasty paper cut. Sucking on it, she continued looking through her bag of goodies.

                Rainbow had written his apartment’s address to her on the night they spent together. No longer satisfied with leaving voice messages anymore, Damsel was determined to see him face-to-face. Aside from making friendly conversation and making sure he wasn’t lying dead somewhere, there was the matter of his survey.

It could’ve been nothing, just like Agent Scully insisted. Perhaps she was looking too hard or smoked too many dubies. Still, Rainbow’s survey struck her as important. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but something about it was peculiar. The mention of the dogs and cats was worth a talk. According to the surveys, dogs and cats all over the city were acting funny. At least lunch with Rainbow would reassure her that nothing was wrong and it would shut up the curious voices in her head.

Unfortunately, her favorite eighties-loving punk rocker wasn’t returning any of her phone calls and she couldn’t find the address he had written for her. Looking into every pocket of her purse and reading all the papers she came across, she couldn’t find his address.

Damsel always regretted how crappy her memory of places was. Whereas people like Spook were excellent in recalling important tidbits, she certainly wasn’t. She could barely remember her own home address, let alone someone else’s. In fact, on the night Rainbow and her were together, she made him write his address in three multi-colored post-it notes, just for events like this. Rainbow even kissed each one, leaving imprints of his lipstick behind. That, alone, was an incentive not to lose any of them. But that’s exactly what happened. For three days straight, she searched her house and purse, hoping to find any of the three post-it notes Rainbow left her. She found none.

For a second, Damsel entertained the thought of visiting the only person who would know Rainbow’s whereabouts. But he was a last resort. In fact, Damsel only remembered where he lived because Spook had an annoying habit of visiting his block everyday, vowing he’d get the best of him.

No, going to Han Solo’s shop sounded like a bad idea.

Damsel checked the deeper parts of her purse, spilling out some of its contents. Her cell phone abruptly rang. Damsel’s heart jumped a beat.

“Hello? Hello?”

“Dude, we’re a block away. Are you ready?” Agent Scully spoke on the other line.

Damsel settled back down. “Oh. It’s just you.” She sighed in disappointment. “Yeah, I’m already out. I’m by the parking lot’s pay phone.”

“Dude, what’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing. And stop calling me ‘dude’. I’m a ‘dudette’, remember?”

“Whatever. You pissed? You sound pissed.”

“No. I’m not.”

“Yes you are. I know Spook is. Dude, he’s sulking right now.”

Damsel bit her lip. She knew why Paranormal Five’s leader was feeling disgruntled right now. She saw it on the news just an hour ago. She refused to comment on it, though. It’d only add fuel to the fire.

Her eyes caught sight of a pair of familiar headlights down the street across her. Damsel bent down to retrieve the fallen items from her purse.

“I see you guys,” she said, soon zipping up her bag.

“Cool, dude,” Agent Scully replied before hanging up.

Damsel rolled back her head, letting it crack. Then she waited for the black van to reach her. She was still frustrated that she still couldn’t find Rainbow’s address. Unless he called her back she wasn’t going to see him any time soon. Still, there was nothing she could do about it right now.

Paranormal Five’s black van entered the parking lot and stopped in front of her. A second later, the door slid aside. The first thing Damsel saw was Spook’s grim face.

“Well, this certainly sucks…” he Spook.

He sat near the round table, drinking beer and watching the monitors. Paranormal Five’s leader didn’t appear as his usual, cheery self. The ashtray was littered with half used joints. Damsel knew he was really pissed since Spook rarely let a skunk go to waste like that. Meanwhile, the rest of Paranormal Five shared similar moods. Chewbacca grumbled some obscenities under his breath while, up front, Radar stared blankly out his door window.

For a long time, no one spoke again. Still near the phone booth, Damsel nearly regretted having her shift over. She felt the storm about to hit. Even as the music played quietly from the van’s stereo the tension in the air kept escalating to the point of being claustrophobic.

“Look, how was I supposed to know?” the psychic finally erupted, breaking the silence. He looked back at Spook with a huge frown.

“Hrrr… you’re the psychic,” Chewbacca answered for their leader. “Ya should’ve seen it coming, dimwit. You’re the psychic remember? Hell, ya could have, at least, asked your girlfriend.”

“She didn’t come home until a few hours ago.”

“And she couldn’t call you back?”

“What the hell for, Chewbacca? I’m just her boyfriend. She’s not obligated to call me. If anything, she’d get in trouble for disclosing information like that to a civilian.”

“But, dude, you told her what we’re after,” argued Agent Scully from the driver’s seat. “She knows what our group is about. She still should’ve given you a heads up or somethin’.”

“Damn it!” Radar appeared frustrated. “We’re considered civilians! She’s not obligated to tell us anything. We’re lucky she even called me.”

“Yeah, when it’s already too late, dude.”

“Man,” Spook finally spoke, his voice strained and slow, “I just knew we should’ve checked out that place. All the reports were pointing to it.”

The group kept bickering to each other after that statement. Damsel wished they lowered their voices since she was sure her boss would overhear the shouting occurring at the parking lot and call the cops. He was eager in finding an excuse to fire her.

“Hey, cool it, guys,” she said, still standing by the pay phone. “Okay? It’s over, it’s already done. It sucks but it’s done. There’s nothing we can do about it. Let’s deal with what we’ve got right now.”

Everyone quieted down. Damsel took a deep breath.

It was one of those days where she wanted to head straight home and cover her face with a pillow. She should’ve known things were going to be sour today. It all started when Spook printed out an email early this morning.

Supposedly, it was from one of the victim’s parents. And it wasn’t a friendly email. The mother didn’t appreciate them making a big event of the recent murders, from the ongoing colorful blogs to the photos displaying the recent death toll.

It left Damsel feeling guilty throughout the day.

She didn’t know why. After all, they were a paranormal investigation unit tracking down an elusive and dangerous creature. It was their job to seek information and attract potential eyewitnesses. Their mission would help bring an end to the murders and bring closure for all the victims’ families. That should’ve put her mind at ease. And yet, Damsel still felt bad. Even if her other team members blew it off, the email still stuck with her and made her rethink the true mission of Paranormal Five.

And then there was this little fiasco…

“There probably aren’t many people at the theme park right now,” Damsel told the group softly. “The news hounds just discovered it themselves so we’re not totally behind on things.”

“Wanna bet?” Spook suddenly asked.

Damsel checked the monitors Spook pointed at. Viewing them, she noticed three channels were covering Late Breaking news. On each screen, there was news vans parked outside an amusement park. Yellow tape and police sirens colored the scene. In one of the news channels, there was mention of a black beast sighting while another reported a possible connection to the dead college students’ incident.

“Ah, hell…” said Damsel, sinking her shoulders.

It was a damn shame. The investigation Paranormal Five tried hard to crack was about to open wide for everyone to see. Up until now, most people saw the incidents as isolated and unrelated ones. Not once did someone report the possible involvement of a black beast. Now, every paranormal investigator in the city would know, including that asshole, Griffon.

“Let’s get going,” Spook ordered grimly.

Damsel immediately got in. The moment the slide door was secured the van sped off.

***

                The billiard ball smacked against three isolated balls at the far right corner of the pool table. Yellow and red rolled left before dropping into a hole. That left black. Dante strolled to the other side of the pool table to aim at the remaining ball left. He took his time with this one, targeting it with his white ball. His hand steadied itself while his fierce blue eyes remained focused. The second hand drew back.

                Dante hesitated.

                White against black. How ironic. It almost reminded him of… No. Better not to think of it right now. Black was gone. Black wasn’t coming back. Black was never going to see white again.

                Dante finally aimed and fired. The white ball slammed aggressively against black. For a few seconds, the eight ball was airborne. Too much force, Dante blankly thought to himself and sighed when the eight ball landed far away from its designated spot. Dante stood straight and went around the pool table to retrieve the black ball from the ground. In his hands now, the investigator leaned against the pool table and looked at it for awhile.

                Despite the hard metal playing from his jukebox and the aroma of pizza heavy in the air, his surroundings felt empty. They were nowhere near as colorful as a certain place he’d been accustomed to visiting. He wished it didn’t matter. After all, he had many breakups before, some a lot worse than yesterday’s. It shouldn’t have been a big deal. He was free now, free to have anyone within range. His handsome looks and well-equipped attributes guaranteed that. He didn’t have to answer to anybody either or worry about hurting their feelings over a blunt remark or getting caught with his pants down. Today should’ve been a good day, one that was full of potential.

And yet…

All day Dante was uncomfortable in his own home. Somehow, the beer tasted bitter. The music sounded annoying. The air felt heavy. And none of the men or women he saw today appeared interesting enough to talk or fuck. With the evening hours already approaching, Dante felt like fried shit.

                Dante gently put the black ball down on the pool table. He didn’t know what his next action should be. It was too early to hit the sack and last night’s drinking binge still settled in his stomach, threatening to spew upward violently. He wasn’t in the mood to watch a movie either. He wasn’t in the mood to do anything, in fact.

                “Stupid retard,” Dante muttered to himself, “We weren’t in a damn relationship anyway, so sober the fuck up already…”

                His words lacked the strength needed to legitimize the statement.

                Okay. So he missed him. But so what? That didn’t mean anything. Their breakup didn’t mean it was the end-of-the-world. There were other fish in the pond, sea, lake, or whatever. He’d survive. He’d catch another fish. He’d find a better one. It’d be one who enjoyed modern music and didn’t dress like he was auditioning for the Rocky Horror Show. This new fish wouldn’t get sentimental over stupid things or play with slinkies and Carebears. And this new fish would have some balls too, just enough to give him a piece of his mind when they argued. This fish would be perfect and wouldn’t be anything like the old one. Well… perhaps there could be a few carry-over traits, like a beautiful voice that stirred the soul. And maybe he could have an unpredictable, energetic nature. And engage in wonderful conversations. And have a great sense of humor. And smell like raspberry. And have full, red lips. And screw like a god. And look gorgeous. And look even more extravagant in a dress. And… Well… Maybe the new fish could be a lot like the old fish, just different. Not so different, but…

                Who was he kidding? No new fish could be like the old fish. The original came from a rare species, a very rare species. No one could stand up to par with him. He was too special, too extraordinary. And now his old fish was gone.

                Goddamn fish…

                Dante gathered the rest of the billiard balls and prepared to have another round, determined to make the use of today. He heard the door open and immediately looked up, his heart jumping. The fact the scent didn’t smell like raspberry indicated to him who it wasn’t.

                “Long time no see,” a woman with long blond hair said by the door.

                She wore a black corset top and leather pants with knee-high boots. Removing her dark shades, she revealed blue eyes that glowed white for a brief moment.

                “Trish…” Dante realized.

Trish, his old time partner. Created by the Devil Prince, Mundus, Trish’s features were based on his mother’s. Originally, the demoness was designed to kill him on Mundus’ behalf. Trish double-crossed the Dark Emperor and helped destroy him instead. Life always had a funny way of tying things in a twist. Their situation was no different.

Dante moved away from the pool table, smiling. “I thought you were in Germany.”

                The tall woman shrugged. “Devil turned out to be a dud. No pizzazz whatsoever, just a creep with yet another ‘take-over-the-world’ plot.”

                Dante snickered. “Now you know why I’m picky with my assignments. Still, at least you didn’t have to confront a guy he shrieked like a girl and dressed like a pimp.”

                “Yeah, Lucia told me about that Arius character.” Trish chuckled and closed the door behind her.

                “I figured you were in town. I heard lots of folks here talking about an ‘electrifying’ woman in these necks of the woods.”

                Trish snapped her fingers and a spark of yellow electricity crackled in the air. “I saw a few demons. I thought I could use a workout before dropping by.”

                Dante smiled.

                “Though, I have to admit, those demons I tangled with weren’t much a challenge. They were scared shitless. And it wasn’t me they were afraid of.”

                Frowning, Dante approached her. “What do you mean?”

                She shrugged. “It’s going to sound weird but… in the middle of my cleanup job I saw something big and black appear. I couldn’t get a good look of it and its scent didn’t indicate it was a demon. Even more, the demons I was dancing with started acting weird and hurried off to lord knows where. I mean, really, Dante, these demons high-tailed it. By the time I turned back to see the black creature, it was gone.”

                “Huh. That is odd.”

                “Tell me about it.” Trish yawned and stretched out her arms. “Is that creature one of your marks?”

“No.”

“Really?” Trish arched her eyebrow. “A creature that terrifies demons and you’re not hunting it down? Is it a friendly then?”

“I wouldn’t know. Probably not. Hell, it’s probably that animal everyone’s fussing about lately. Again, I wouldn’t know. I’m on vacation.”

                Trish blinked. “You? On vacation?”

                Dante confirmed it with a nod.

                The tall woman crossed her arms. “Okay. Who are you and what have you done with my partner?”

                “I’m serious, Trish. I’m taking some days off from the hunt. Maybe more.”

                Trish remained quiet.

“Are you crashing in just for tonight or longer?” asked Dante, switching the subject.

Trish hesitated. Then she smiled. “Just for tonight, handsome.” She went toward his desk and grabbed a slice of pizza. Chewing on it, she added, “I’m headed to California. There’s some big sport there, or so I’ve heard. I figured I could crash in and rest my ass.”

                “I don’t suppose we can trade bikes while you’re here, eh?” Dante peeked through his office’s blinders to check out Trish’s ride. The impressive shovelhead rested right outside his doorsteps. He gave out an impressed whistle.

                “Is yours giving you problems? Again?” Trish refrained from saying the first thing that popped in her mind. “Sorry, but I’d rather be Mundus’ monkey wrench again than trade my bike with you. I’ve seen what you do to yours.”

                “Ouch. That hurt, Trish.”

                As Trish ate another slice of pizza, Dante smiled a little. It was good to see his partner again. It’d been months. A capable hunter in her own right, she was eager to stretch her muscles a little by finding good mark. Unlike him, she was a full bred Devil. Despite her biological nature, however, she had to be the calmest and most compassionate woman he ever knew.

They made a good match and many people in town often thought of them as an attractive couple. And why not? They had a lot in common and firmly knew the types of lives they lived. They didn’t need to lie to each other. He knew her and she knew him. For awhile, they entertained the thought of being together. They even made love one cool, rainy night on the rooftop. But that was the only time they touched each other like that. Both of them immediately regretted the intimate union, or rather, he did. He viewed Trish as divine and beautiful and couldn’t get over the physical resemblance she shared with his mother.

Their relationship was never the same after that raining night.

                “How have you been?” Trish asked softly.

                “Hmmm?”

                “You look… kinda strung out. Too many watered-down beers last night?”

                “Yeah. My head’s a mess.”

                “You ought to take it easy with the booze. You never know if a big-ass Devil is going to drop by and introduce himself by shoving his foot up your ass.”

                “He’s welcomed to try.” Dante folded his arms and looked at Trish. “It really is good seeing you again. You’re probably the best thing that’s happened to me today.”

                Trish slowly nodded back. “Likewise, Dante.” She paused. “Really, Dante, you sound strange. Is something wrong?”

                “No, why do you ask?”

“I don’t know. First, you’re on vacation, and now you sound like you’re going to hang yourself any moment.”

                Dante chuckled. He returned to the pool table and sat on it. “Really, I’m fine, Trish. I only feel shitty because I shot too many drinks last night.”

                Trish wasn’t convinced by his answer. She joined him at the pool table, her brows pulling together while her eyes grew alert.

“This isn’t a hangover,” she commented quietly. “You’re going through something heavy. Don’t try to deny it, I can read you well. Mind telling me what happened?”

                For a moment, he wanted to tell her to shut up and mind her own damn business. He felt too mentally exhausted and drunk to say the words out loud, though. He also had to admit that he wanted to get a few things off his chest. Sure Trish was moody and a bitch sometimes, but she was also a great listener.

                “It got to the point where I forgot I was human,” Dante finally confessed. He leaned further back on the pool table and stared up at the ceiling. “I needed to remember how to live.”

                Trish waited patiently for him to continue.

                “Everything’s changed here, Trish,” he murmured quietly. “I thought I knew this city inside-out. I walk these streets everyday. Somehow, though, they changed.”

                “That tends to happen. Time never sleeps. Nothing ever stays still.”

                Dante became silent again. Trish squeezed his knee with a hand.

“I’m here for you, Dante. And I think you made the right decision. I went through the same thing. Remember I took off for a whole year and you called me crazy when I told you my reason?”

                “Yeah, I remember.” Dante scoffed at himself. “I was pretty stupid and insensitive, now that I think back on it.”

                Trish smiled. “It’s good you’re taking time for yourself, Dante. You’ve got me, Lady, Lucia, and all the other devil hunters picking up the slack anyway. You take as long as it takes to settle things.”

                “I know… It’s just… I don’t even know if I can do even that.” Dante brushed hair from his right eye. “I was never good at being normal. Even as a youth, I tended to fuck things up and cause trouble. And now, nearly twenty years later, I’m still fucking things up.”

                “What do you mean?”

                He shrugged. “People. I can’t get along with them. I’ve been doing my own thing for such a long time, I forgot how to act… normal. I don’t know. Maybe that’s why he left.”

                “Who left?”

                Dante thought a moment. He didn’t want to open this particular can of worms. Unfortunately, Trish was not only a talented devil hunter, but she was a persistent woman too. No amount of charming, side-tracking, or threats could stray her from reaching her goal.

“Just some guy I knew.”

“Some guy?” Trish cocked an eyebrow.

Dante shrugged his shoulders. “Someone I was involved with.”

“Oh.” Trish finally understood. “I’m betting you pissed him off by being your usual self?”

For a brief moment, Dante made eye contact. Then he nodded. “Like I said, I can’t help it. I never wanted a relationship to begin with. I told him that.”

Trish laughed. “Oh, now everything’s clear… As if your last girlfriend didn’t give you a few pointers on have to behave yourself.”

“C’mon, Trish. Let’s not go there.”

“Well? You obviously don’t see a pattern here. You’re still acting like a kid who believes he’ll never grow up. This is, what, your thirtieth fling?”

“Twenty-ninth,” he corrected and couldn’t hold back a grin.

Trish shook her head, disappointed. “You need to learn how to play nice with the other kids.”

“Hey, since when the hell did you become Dr. Phil?”

“Since you forgot to learn table manners.” Trish rolled her eyes. “Look, I’m not trying to preach to you. I’m just saying what’s on my mind. You can take it to the bank if you want.” Trish yawned. “Anyway, I’m heading upstairs to rest. I’m really tired. I’ll be gone in the morning so don’t worry about me eating all the food while I’m here.”

“Or clogging the drainage with your damn hair.” Dante snorted when Trish gave him the middle finger. His eyes grew soft afterward. Taking her hand, he kissed the back of it, “You’re welcome to stay longer, you know.”

He brushed his lips across her fingers, later kissing each one.

Trish paused, watching him for a moment. She kissed his forehead and immediately took back her hand. “Maybe next time, handsome.”

Trish got off the pool table without another word. Dante nodded and kept his distance. The demoness headed toward the door behind his desk. She stopped and looked back at him

“I worry about you, Dante. I know why you’re having a hard time. Let me suggest something to you.” She crossed her arms and leaned on one hip. “The next time you hook up with someone else don’t let fear run you to a wall. Embrace the unknown and have a bit of faith in yourself and in the next person you’re with.”

Dante stared at her, wondering if she was thinking about his recently failed relationship or the one they used to have together.

“I don’t want to get involved with anyone anymore,” he replied quietly.

Trish noted his tone and words. “You really liked this guy, didn’t you?”

Dante didn’t say anything, staring only at his boots.

Trish titled her head sideways. “I know I’m just a devil broad with a human face, but even I know when to set my ego aside and shoot for what I want. I died once, so I know what’s on the other side. I know what it’s like to have everything taken away…” Her lips formed a bitter smile. She stared at an empty space between Dante and entrance door. “You think you have all the time in the world. But you really don’t. I was lucky. You saved me. But now you need to save yourself.”

Trish swallowed hard. Then she opened the door and exited the main room. Dante heard her climb the stairs, her long heels clacking all the way up.

Silent, Dante continued sitting on the pool table until he moved toward a window. Pulling up the blinders, he stared up at the early evening sky and thought about what Trish said. Trish usually had no idea what was going on in his life, always arriving in the middle of a crisis. Yet, she always had the right thing to say for each occasion. Even if her response pissed him off, Trish was right.

Deep down, Dante knew why his old fish swam away. The investigator knew why he couldn’t fully claim Seth. His life was controlled by an interior force, one that refused to let go of the past and was firmly attached to his dead mother and lunatic twin brother. It spoiled all the riches he found and constantly reminded him of the inevitable. Would it forever run his life? Probably. His father fought a similar battle. When he finally won and obtained all that he wanted from life, fate knocked on his door and took everything from him. Fate would probably knock on his door as well. So what was the point? Why fight for something that was going to be taken away anyway?

Dante shook his head. No, he thought. He couldn’t think like that. Even if his father lost everything he had, at least he had something to begin with. He lived. Despite being a Devil, Sparda lived as a human. He gained memories and experiences that neither man nor fate could take away from him. Dante wanted the same for himself.

The phone rang.

Dante hesitated before answering it. All day long he anticipated hearing the voice that always sent his nerves tingling in excitement. His old fish really did have such an incredible voice. No surprise since, during one of his drunken states, Seth mentioned he used to sing opera.

Grabbing the receiver, Dante slowly put it to his ear. He took a deep breath and mentally prayed to hear that beautiful voice again.

“Hello?”

“Okay, I know you told me you’d sleep on it and all but… did you watch the news?”

Dante sighed disappointedly. It was only Enzo. “No. Why?”

“So you didn’t see what happened at the amusement park last night?”

Dante thought a moment. In a low voice, he asked, “Is it about the mess in the Funhouse?”

“Er, not really. They’re still wondering if it’s connected to what they found, though.”

“What they found?” Dante asked, confused.

“Turn on your TV. You’ll see.”

Dante grabbed the remote from his desk. Clicking on the television set across the room, he immediately saw coverage of the Late Breaking News. Police sirens flashed blue and red behind a male reporter. The sign of the amusement park was above. It was currently closed off, a yellow tape cautioned people to stay away.

“They’ve roughly found sixteen bodies last night,” continued Enzo on the phone. “Jesus, it’s been all over the news. I’m surprised you didn’t hear it from someone else already. You really do live the life of a caveman.” Enzo paused for a long time. “Dante…? You still there?”

Dante’s mouth was dried and his forehead felt moist. “Bodies…? Last night..?”

“Yeah. But the news guys just caught on. Apparently, the cops already knew about the bodies, since this morning. That new police Chief really runs an airtight show.”

“Nate.”

“Huh?”

“Nate Peterson. Remember the incident in Chicago?”

“Holy shit. Now I remember.” Enzo chuckled. “Must be nice to have a friend high up now. He call you up for lunch yet?”

“He’s been busy.” Dante sounded serious when he said, “Tell me more about what happened at the theme park.”

“A worker at Happy Land called the police, reporting a funny smell at the Haunted Mansion area late last night. An officer investigated it but found nothing. Another worker called this morning and this one found a shit load of half eaten bodies, realizing they were hidden among the fake corpses and skeleton props. Can you fucking believe that? Anyway, it meets the same description as the ones I told you about. They can’t even ID the victims because they’re so disfigured. Currently, forensics are piecing together their time of death. From my sources, it was a pretty recent job. Two days, at the most.”

Dante tried to calculate the information inside his head. Enzo’s sources were right. It had to be a recent job. He was there two nights ago and his nose didn’t detect any rotting corpses. Well, he thought he smelled something funny in the air one time. It was a horrible mixture of shit and pickle juice. It was a weak smell, though, weak enough ignore since there were other odors in the amusement park.

“Where are the bodies now?”

“St. Jane Memorial Hospital.”

“Good. I might check them out for clues. I’ll have a better idea what I’m dealing with.”

“Glad to hear it. Good luck, though. Those fresh corpses in the amusement park are being autopsied right now. There’s no way you’ll be able to waltz in the hospital and play doctor. Your best bet is to check out the college kids from the day before, the ones from under the bridge. They sent them to that same hospital but they’ll be heading to the funeral parlor real soon. You better put on your dancing shoes right now and dance while the night’s still young, babe.”

“Right.”

Dante hung up. He thought of heading out immediately. Instead, he took a few moments to hear the rest of the news report.

***

“A total of sixteen individuals were found mutilated at Happy Land’s Amusement Park this morning with authorities revealing the shocking news just an hour ago. Authorities have yet to reveal the identities of the victims, however. When asked if this incident bore any connection to the string of murders occurring throughout the city, the new Police Chief, Officer Peterson, only stated the Department was looking into the matter and would disclose information in due time. Stay tuned for the latest update in this groundbreaking story.”

                Seth continued staring at the small television screen in front of him, his eyes wide opened and mouth horribly dry. He felt like he wanted to vomit or pass out. He couldn’t tell which, it was so hard to distinguish. Meanwhile, his damp hands couldn’t stop trembling while his legs threatened to give way to gravity. Swallowing hard, Seth tried to concentrate on folding his clothes but couldn’t. The news was too disturbing to ignore.

Alone, in a laundry mat a few blocks away from his apartment, Seth changed the channel to see if the other stations reported the same incident. Sure enough, they all gave similar grisly details. Sixteen. Mutilation. Unknown suspect. Horrible smell. Seth couldn’t bring himself to stop watching. He forgot about his laundry and remained transfixed on the live footage currently showing.

He saw the amusement park. He saw the red and blue lights and yellow tape. Teams of investigators went in and out of the crime scene with grim looks on their faces. A large crowd of spectators were also there, with more coming. Among them was a familiar girl.

                “How affected are you by the events that have taken hold of the city lately?” the newsman asked and held his microphone to the lips of a girl with black-and-white hair.

                “Um… ah… well… huh…”

                Seth watched Damsel-in-Distress continue staring back at the camera pointed at her. She looked like a frantic deer caught on the headlights of a speeding car. Behind her were four young men. The one with the long hair and blue streaks kept making doggie ears behind her while the one with the green Mohawk kept shouting ‘Paranormal Five’ and held a business card.

                “Do you feel safe in this city?” continued the newsman.

                “Well… um… er…”

                “Will you and your friends support a citywide curfew that’s being proposed tomorrow?”

                “Ah… um… huh…”

                The footage focused on the newsman. Speaking directly at the camera, the finely dressed male reported in a serious voice, “Well, there you have it. A resident of the city that’s at a loss for words. This is Jose Gonzales, reporting live at the crime scene from Channel… Hey!”

                “Paranormal Five!” interrupted the young man with the Mohawk, shoving a business card in front of the camera’s lens. “We’re Paranormal Five! We’re investigators and we’re the first ones to see this shit coming! Us! It’s our case, damn it! It’s ours! So all of you jerk-offs lay off! We’re the ones…! What…? Hey! Hey, leggo of me!”

                Seth watched a police officer pull the young man away. The news reporter cleared his throat and readjusted his tie.

                “Now back to you…” he muttered.

Seth took another deep swallow. Jesus. It was happening all over again. The same nightmare he tried to deny had come back to haunt him in his new life.

At first, he couldn’t see the connection or rather, didn’t want to see it. He figured it was just a random incident, caused by some Hannibal Lector-wannabe psycho. He should’ve known better.

God. Not again. The Animal…

Seth couldn’t finish folding his clothes. With his legs feeling like rubber and heart racing hard and fast, he left the laundry mat through an emergency exit door to get some air. It led to a back alley.

Seth breathed in the night air for a moment and sat on the ground, resting his head against the brick wall behind him. He heard a couple of cars honking and a few babies crying. Once in awhile, a siren wailed and someone laughed. The city was always funny, always predictable. Every night he visited his roof top just to see the overview of the city. Seth adored and despised it. He wanted to be a part of its environment, to interact with it. But he couldn’t. If he were a religious person, he might’ve thought he was a damned man accounting for his past sins.

Reaching into his left pocket, Seth pulled out a skunk, hoping the effects would calm his nerves like it always did. He hated relying on the drug. In the past, he used as many chemicals as he could to cure his mind from reality. No drug was left alone. Since he moved here, though, he tried to meet reality with open eyes. But he confessed he was a weak individual, one who hated to confront anything beyond his control. Most of all, he hated having to confront the Animal. Perhaps Dante was right after all. Maybe he really was a pathetic wuss who ran away at the first sign of trouble. It certainly explained his infatuation with the eighties. That was the only time he was ever happy.

Phil Le… he taught him so much then, so much about life. And love.

Phil Le… No. Better not to think of him right now.

While lighting his joint, Seth heard a noise to the left that was deep into the alley. Turning, he discovered a black cat. Searching for food, the feline emerged from the shadows. It paused and noticed him. Seth remained quiet, calmly observing the alley cat hiss at him with intense eyes. Over and over again, it showed its teeth and slowly advanced toward him, unafraid. Seth ignored the cat and took a deep inhale.

The marijuana smoke drifted from his throat and into his lungs. Seth hoped it would transport him back to last week, where things were simple and fun and he still had Dante.

Dante… Yes, Dante. As hard as he tried, Seth couldn’t forget that man. It was almost pathetic. He spent the most of yesterday crying and denouncing all of John Hughes’ movies, even going so far as to call Molly Ringwald a disillusioned slut in ‘Pretty in Pink’. Today was no different. Consumed by self-loathing, Seth tried to lose himself with everyday chores that consisted of cleaning the apartment, looking for work, and washing his clothes. It did little to nurture his broken heart but offered a nice distraction.

Seth hated himself. Dante’s expectations of their relationships were far different from his own. Crying over a man who was arrogant, insensitive, and wouldn’t change for anyone seemed like a waste of time. Yet, he was still attached to him. Dante was the most beautiful man he ever laid eyes on. Was it lust, then? Some perverse version of love? Or was it because Dante was the unreachable? Love was frightening sometimes. There was comfort in not being able to obtain the unreachable.

Seth took another inhale. The drug had settled over his body like a warm blanket and he giggled from the effects. Everything around him looked funny, from the half bent trashcan in front of him to the broken street light beyond the narrow space. Laughing louder, Seth half expected for Dante to show up, just to smack him on the head and tell him to shut up. But it never happened. Alone in an alleyway infested with piss and beer bottles, Seth grew quiet.

There was another loud hiss.

Seth turned. The black cat from before was still creeping toward him, except now, he had two more friends. Emerging from behind a large trash bin, a gray and orange cat glared at him viciously. With their tiny claws extended and sharp teeth showing, they all made their intentions clear.

Seth softly chuckled and looked up at the sky, at the half-weary moon.

“Cry at night, no one in sight, an’ we got so much to share…” he sang softly. “Talking’s fine, if you got the time, but I ain't got the time to spare… Yeah…”

More cats emerged from other streets. Seth took another inhale of his joint, ignoring them as they jumped over fences and raced across the street. Nearly forty cats were closing in on his position. Seth continued to focus on the moon, still singing and laughing to himself. As far as he was concerned, if they wanted to kill him they were more than welcome to do it. It was probably better for everyone. He didn’t see the point of living anymore. Let someone else finish his last load of clothes, pay the rent, put up with the homophobic landlord, look for a stable job, suffer from a terrible heart break, run from the past, despise the Animal, and cry for him. He was done.

The three felines in the alleyway drew closer. The others emerged at both ends of the narrow spacing. Blocking the two paths, the cats hissed and snarled. Seth finally looked away from the moon. The three earlier cats were ready to pounce. Seth blinked and stopped laughing.

“I’m no monster…” he whispered softly to them.

The black cat was about to make its move but it abruptly stopped. Head pointed upward, the black cat and many others sniffed something in the air.

Seth heard a low growl. Looking past the cats down one end of the alley, he noticed a Doberman. Its eyes glowing red and teeth foaming at the mouth, the canine barked. Its bark was soon followed by another growl at the opposite end of the alley. Seth saw a second Doberman there.

“Jesus…” he said.

Those Dobermans…

Instinct forced Seth on his feet when the Dobermans charged. One of them snatched a gray feline’s head with its teeth, immediately tearing it off. The cat’s blood splattered across the bricked wall and pavement. The second Doberman followed suit. Before a dark gray cat had the chance to scurry past it the canine lunged toward it, catching it by the stomach. Shaking its head furiously, the Doberman pulled off both skin and intestines.

Seth saw the group of felines panic and run in all directions. Several, however, leapt up and clawed at him attacking his arms and legs.

“Shit!” Seth spat, dropping his joint.

The drug didn’t help. He was suffering from reality. Seth started to open the exit door he came from but more cats pursued him. His skin tore off in chunks as he yanked their sharp claws and teeth out and threw them off of him. Unfazed, the cats came back with a vengeance. Their attacks, however, were cut short by the Dobermans. The two powerful canines snatched each cat away from Seth, cutting through them easily. Any time a feline drew close to the brunette, they redirected their attacks.

For a moment, Seth stood horrified. The cats’ blood sprayed over his clothes. Everything from his Sketcher shoes to his brown faded jeans was a crimson mess. The drug in his system no longer shielded him from the truth. In fact, it made things worse. The dogs appeared larger and more vicious while the cats’ screams rang loudly. Seth shut his eyes tightly and covered his ears. Yet, none of his actions protected him from the bloody massacre.

And then there were more howls…

Opening his eyes, Seth discovered large groups of dogs emerging from both directions. They barked and tore apart any cat they came across. More blood was spilt and inhuman screams were heard. The sight of it seemed too much for him. Seth leaned toward the brick wall and vomited, spewing up his dinner. He struggled to remain on his feet.

“That Animal… That Animal… The damn, bloody Animal…” he muttered to himself, incoherently mumbling like a madman.

His hand found the knob to the exit door.

Back inside the laundry mat, Seth slowly slid down the floor. Shocked. Part of him overheard the screeching of cats and smelled fresh blood in the air. His mind was numb, though, able to recall details of what he’d just seen without provoking an emotional outburst. There remained a sour taste in his mouth.

Seth could almost sense the irony of it all. The cats thought they cornered him. Now, the dogs did. Seth wanted to laugh at the joke of the century but couldn’t. Instead, he crawled on all fours toward a nearby trash bin and vomited again and again and again. Once his stomach settled, Seth wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. When he wiped his hand on his jeans it came up wet and bloody.

This had to end, Seth thought. This cycle had to stop. The Animal was having the time of its life, enjoying the scene outside. To the Animal, the smell of blood was just as sweet as any rose. And this was just the start of its vicious campaign. The deaths in the amusement park and the ones before it were just appetizers. The main course was still underway.

Seth looked down at his crimson-soaked clothes. He couldn’t control the Animal. The Animal was too powerful and it would never let him go. Seth sucked on his lower lip. So long as he was in this city, everyone was in danger, including Dante. The Animal was determined to destroy whatever happiness he found. It discovered his relationship with Dante and succeeded in tearing them apart. Who knew what else it was capable of doing? There was only one way out of this.

He had to kill himself. It was as simple as that. With him gone, the Animal would go too. Everyone would be safe.

Seth considered completing the task tonight. He could always stand outside and allow the cats to make short work of him. Then again…

No. Relax. There’s always tomorrow. No need to do die tonight since his last load of clothes was just finishing. A whole day would do. It would give him enough time to do all the things he enjoyed. He’d leave his apartment looking like new. He’d wear something grand and decent for the occasion. He’d throw a beautiful going-out party, complete with cake, ice cream, and music.

Yes. Tomorrow would be a good time to die.
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MONSTER