Silver Silhouette

by Rodzil LaBraun

  When the marks on both necks were determined as human bite marks, and video surveillance revealed both Henry and Jill making appearances far away from their home, a special unit was called into to investigate.

  4 - County High

  Tish walked briskly through the halls of County High. Her literature class was on the far side of the complex and required her longest walk of the day. And it was test day, too. Her teacher, Ms. Pye, loved locking the classroom doors as soon as the bell rang on test day, forcing late arrivals to knock and reap the embarrassment she felt they were due. Tish was never late, but she feared it every day, almost enough to report the teacher for fire code violation. But, of course, she would not actually do that.

  Once again she was on time and settled into her chair as the bell rang. Ms. Pye locked the doors causing the student next to her to chuckle. It was Will Brobson, the class president. She returned his smile and made small talk briefly until the teacher announced it was time for the test. They were the first two students to finish but had to sit quietly waiting on the others. When the bell rang again it was time for lunch, and Susan met her at the door. They always had lunch together.

  As with probably most high school students they tended to sit at the same lunch tables each day. It was a bit depressing to Tish, though, so she would pick a new open table as hers every week, and look forward to seeing who would join them. On Monday she selected the table beside the other cheerleaders, so Susan led her to that table again today. And it filled up quickly with mostly the same people as the day before. Hunter Reynolds had taken to sitting beside Susan for a couple weeks now, and monopolizing her best friend's conversation. That was fine. It freed Tish up to talk to more people.

  Today two of the most popular girls on the cheer squad sat across from them and did their best to recruit her and Susan for the coup against this year's cheer captain. It was ridiculous, of course. Their leader had done nothing wrong except fail to invite the whole squad to a recent party. It was stupid politics and they should know that Tish would not want to get involved. She did her best to sound sympathetic, but Susan completely ignored them until finally they got up and walked away.

  "So will it be mutiny?" Susan said in a silly pirate voice.

  "I doubt it gets that far," Tish replied as Will Brobson took the empty chair across from her. "Hey, Will."

  Will settled into the chair quickly like he was afraid someone else might pry it away from him, clanging his tray down loudly which caught the attention of everyone at the table.

  "Sorry," he whispered, smiling while leaning back in the chair which complained from his weight. Will was not a small person. He was tall and a little overweight, but definitely not physically intimidating. His tendency to wear an earth tone sweater over his shirt and tie gave him more of a teddy bear vibe. "That's the first time I ever saw anyone give up their seats at the nice people's table before they finished lunch. How did you get the snob sisters to leave?"

  "They just sat down long enough to discuss cheer business," Tish answered. Will was an intelligent and creative guy, but had social skills beyond his nerdy interests. This was not the first time that she felt Will was flirting with her. "What have you been up to?"

  Puffing up with pride he replied, "Oh, I've been busy editing my short story for the school contest. Trying my best to make is easy to read."

  "Is that the one you let me read about the greyhound?" Tish loved the story the way it was, and couldn't imagine why he felt it needed editing. Susan must have been between breaths in her conversation and overheard.

  "You wrote a story about a bus?" she asked rascally. Tish knew she was just trying to be funny in front of Hunter, but didn't like to see Will picked on.

  "No, they actually make dogs called greyhounds, too. Perhaps you have seen a picture of one, maybe on the side of a bus?" Tish was self-appointed defender of all. It just came natural to her.

  Susan cast a glance her way with a half apologetic smile, which slowly twisted into a sexy grin that was Susan's signature defense mechanism. "Yeah, maybe?" In the background Tish could see Hunter nearly salivating, mouth agape. She wouldn't doubt that the effect was the same on every boy at the table. Her best friend had that influence on nearly everyone, like melting butter. But Will's gaze remain on Tish. Susan was not his type apparently, and Tish obviously was.

  Tish was not as slender as her best friend, and had much lighter hair, practically blond. She had not mastered the sexy walk or devious smile either. Though not overweight, her body was not quite as toned as Susan's. Tish knew some guys preferred girls with a little meat on their bones. Maybe Will was one of them.

  Tish had considered a few times whether or not she would accept a date invitation from Will, when the time came that she was ready. She had concluded that she probably would. Easy to talk to, respectful, intelligent, these were all things that she considered a good candidate. She tried not to worry about things like how others would view a popular cheerleader dating someone like Will. She considered herself above such petty concerns, but how could she be really. Everyone wanted to be liked, and Tish was no different.

  Will did his best to monopolize her attention during the meal break, but her mind started wandering. Should she wait any longer before accepting a date offer? And, if not, would Will be the best choice for her first? Susan had a top ten list going for some time now, but Tish had never officially formulated a ranking. But she knew there were a few guys that might make her weak in the knees. Hunter was one of them, but Susan's interest in him removed that possibility. Jeff Corbin was another, he was so handsome and confident. Just shy of arrogant, but with hair and a physique that practically made it called for. But he was currently dating her friend Lindsay. They didn't really seem like a couple, though. So, he could stay on the long term list.

  Jamal Williams was possibly the sexiest guy in school, a total heart throb. But the competition for his attention was fierce, and that was not Tish's scene. Besides, he was currently taken as well. Missy Taylor, the volleyball team captain had won his affection of late. And, to be honest, they were a perfect couple. Tall, muscular, beautiful, they belonged together. And Missy was just about the nicest person she had ever known. So, Jamal could not be on her list.

  When she really thought about it, there was only one guy in school that she felt she could even fall in love with at this age. And they were not actually friends anymore. For years, though, he had been her best friend. It started in elementary school and lasted until about two years ago. It was right about the same time that Susan came to town. And she joined the cheer squad. Tish had become more popular but he had become a bit of a loner. Aaron. There was still something warm deep inside her when she thought about him. They had been so close.

  Tish could remember clearly the day they met. Aaron's parents were friends of her parents, or perhaps business associates. When she was young she couldn't really tell the difference, since work was a huge focus for her mother and father. Anyway, they brought him with them to the house. Tish's parents showed him the game room and left him there to play while they talked. Then they asked Tish to come down from her room to entertain him. As an only child Tish remembered how cumbersome the request had felt. But she obliged, reluctantly. Something about Aaron broke through her barriers quickly and by the time he had to leave she felt she had found a lost brother, or at least a new friend. They got together after school often, and spent long summer days getting into silly trouble. They were best friends.

  And technically, Aaron was her first kiss. At age twelve she was starting to feel more like a woman, and steered the conversations toward subjects like playing house. Aaron had not yet reached the age of finding girls attractive. But, somehow, she had convinced him to give her a kiss. The kiss was longer than a peck, but lacked any notion of passion. She had enjoyed it just the same, though. The feel of his lips against hers. The closeness, their faces touching, the implications that they might become boyfriend and girlfriend. Tish relished it, but kept it hi
dden. When Aaron pulled away from the kiss his expression was blank. At least he wasn't disgusted by it, she had thought. And that gave her hope. Instead, he had simply crossed it off the list of things that Tish wanted to do that day which allowed him to move on to things he was more interested in. She recalled feeling hurt, briefly, realizing Aaron had no interest in her as a girlfriend. She should have expected it at that age. Then, the knowledge that they had shared a kiss felt like a stepping stone toward a relationship. But things moved quite slow in that regard.

  "Are you okay?" She heard the words, and pictured Aaron's young face at the same time. But his lips did not move. And it wasn't his voice. "Tish?" She snapped out of her trance to see Will's worried expression. "Did I say something wrong?"

  "Oh, no," she replied, and noticed that the food before her was barely touched. "I'm sorry, Will. I was just thinking about how I did on the test." It was an obvious lie, and she felt embarrassed for saying it.

  "Are you kidding?" Will answered. "I'm sure you aced it. You always do."

  When she walked alongside her best friend to the next class she was deep into her memory regarding Aaron. Susan asked if she was okay twice, then just stayed silent for the rest of the walk. Young Aaron was fun and active, and always looking out for her. He was caring but in a boyish way, not overly sensitive. More protective, like that of a close friend or older sibling. She had thought they would always be close, but something had happened. She couldn't fully remember what exactly. A conversation had created a wedge, and then the wedge grew, no doubt with negative contributions from both of them.

  By the time she reached her next class her heart was hurting. The reminiscing had brought back old, smothered feelings. Regardless of what had driven them apart Aaron was the closest male friend she had ever had. It was a waste to dismiss him from her life. In fact, he was definitely top of her list for guys she would like to date. She wondered if that old friendship could be rekindled, then transformed into something more romantic. If it was up to her it could, and it should. But it wasn't entirely up to her. She would have to talk to Aaron again, see how he was doing. They had barely spoken a few words to each other this school year. She'd have to fix that.

  5 - House of Stones

  Lacey and Stacey sat quietly at the top of the stairs. They were scared. Too young to understand what was going on their emotions simply matched their parents. Lacey, being two years older than her six year old sister, sat with her arms around Stacey hushing her each time she tried to whisper. The police had been in the living room for a long time now. When they first arrived Lacey thought her parents were going to be arrested. She clung to her father's leg until he insisted both girls go upstairs to their room. He promised that everything would be alright, but she could sense his nervousness. So, she listened to every word she could overhear. Unfortunately, she understood very little.

  There was a long pause while one of the detectives, Jones, made a few notes. So far, he was the only one asking questions. Since the initial introduction Detective Bell had said nothing. He answered each glance with a tired smile. Jill interpreted it as a lack of respect for his partner. And Detective Jones did not even attempt to include him in the conversation. It made the interview even more uncomfortable. The clock on the wall stared at Jill during each silence, thirty-three minutes they had been sitting there answering basically the same questions as the day of the incident.

  "Well, I believe that is all I need for today," announced Jones. "I will let you know if we get any leads worth mentioning. In the meantime, contact me if you remember anything else or see anything unusual." He turned to his partner for the first time since his arrival. "Detective Bell, would you like to ask the Stones any questions?"

  Detective Bell leaned forward and opened his eyes wider, as if awakening from a nap. "Yes, please," he answered. "Would you mind waiting in the car?" Jill was almost as stunned by the request as Detective Jones.

  "What for?" he snapped back.

  Bell smiled slightly, but looked impatient. "It will only be a few minutes, I think. I will happily share anything with you that relates to your case."

  Jones grunted and looked at his partner as if he didn't even know who he was. Perhaps they were not partners after all. Bell stood abruptly and loomed over the other detective as best he could. He was short and thin, but there was authority in his eyes. "My division conducts only private interviews. I apologize if your captain did not fully explain. Feel free to call him. From the car, please."

  Jones reluctantly gathered his paperwork and headed toward the door. He turned back to say something, but Detective Bell stopped him short. "Yes, they will contact you if anything comes up. Thank you Detective Jones." Bell then began pacing the room, ignoring the other officer as he finally departed. Jill grabbed her husband's hand. Henry was typically a strong personality, but the incident had shaken him. His lack of confidence had her rattled.

  "I am Detective Bell," he said as he stopped behind the sofa, placing both hands there and leaning forward to stare at them one at a time. "And I do not work for the regular police force. I am part of a special division that deals with cases like yours. I have a few questions for you, and it is very important that you answer honestly, and with all due seriousness. These questions will not be like Detective Jones'."

  Henry spoke timidly, "What kind of cases do you deal with?"

  "Unusual cases. Cases that look like they belong on TV. Cases where people are afraid to say what they really experienced for fear at being laughed at or taken to a mental hospital." Henry and Jill glanced at each other with big eyes. Detective Bell waited.

  Henry stuttered his reply, "We're not afraid to answer the questions. We just don't have any more information."

  Detective Bell returned to sit on the edge of the sofa in front of them, leaning forward intimidatingly. "Well, then, this won't take long at all then. Are you ready?" They nodded.

  "In similar cases the victims have often caught a glimpse of their attackers before falling unconscious. When they awake it feels more like a dream to them, so they don't tell the police everything. I fully understand why you would feel that way, if this is the case. For some, the face they remember seeing is, let us say, not human. Since I deal with these cases on a regular basis, and treat every testimony with respect, you can feel free about sharing your experience with me. My findings will not be shared with the regular police or, even more importantly, the media."

  Jill squeezed her husband's hand tightly. As he tried to determine what she meant by it, Jill whispered as she glared at the Detective's shoes, "I may have seen something."

  A long pause had Henry confused and the Detective intrigued. "Go on," Bell said.

  "It was dark. I was mostly asleep. I can't be sure that I remember it correctly," Jill said, her eyes gradually rising until they finally met the detective's.

  "I understand. Please continue." Stealthily Bell removed his notebook and pencil from his jacket pocket.

  "There were two of them, one on each side of the bed. They looked human to me. But it was dark. My first thought was we were being robbed. But when they reached for us I worried for our lives. It happened so fast, I was not fully awake. I could be remembering it all wrong."

  "Honey, it's okay. You don't have to...." Henry was cut off abruptly by the detective.

  "Let her finish. This is what I need," he said. "To find your attackers."

  Jill looked at her husband, almost apologetically, then back to the detective. "It was a woman. The one that attacked me. I don't remember anything about her appearance. I just remember thinking it was a woman."

  "And what else? What about the attack?" the detective asked.

  Jill took a deep breath. "She put her hand on my mouth. And her face got closer at the same time. She opened her mouth like she was going to bite me. But her teeth looked normal, you know, human. Shouldn't I have seen.... fangs?"

  "Sweetie, they were not vamp..."

  "Quiet, Mr. Stone! You will get your chanc
e. Let her finish before she forgets, or worse yet, doubts herself." Bell returned his eyes to Mrs. Stone with a sympathetic appearance not typically seen in the detectives on television. "There were no fangs. Just human teeth. Please continue."

  Jill shook her head, "That's it. That's all I remember."

  "Are you sure? Any detail, imagined or unbelievable, may be of great help."

  "Well," she replied, completely unsure of herself. "As I drifted off to sleep I wondered why she wasn't ripping my throat apart. You know, like the vampires on TV. I expected a lot of blood. Like I said, I was still kind of asleep, and I may have thought it was a dream. And then, as I faded away, it looked like both of them started shaking. Like a seizure, you know. I'm not real sure of that part. That may have been my imagination."

  "Thank you," said Detective Bell as he finished his notes. "Anything else you can remember?"