Shadow Play_A Dark Fantasy Novel

by Jill Ramsower

  “Quinn, I happened to notice this incident report and I'd like to handle the interview myself, if you don't mind?” Though the words were a question, it was clear that it was more of a command than a request.

  “Of course, Detective, here's the paperwork from last night.”

  Flustered, he shuffled through his papers before handing the incident report over and smiling broadly in her direction. I hate to say he was a suck-up, but he couldn't have kissed her ass more if he had been down on his knees and puckered up.

  “Miss Peterson, please come this way to my office where we can talk a bit more privately.” Definitely one of the higher-ups in the station, she led me to one of the few enclosed offices and closed the door behind us.

  “My name's Detective Maura O'Brien. How are you feeling after the altercation last night?” she asked with genuine concern on her face as she sat behind her desk.

  “I'm okay, I'll feel better once I get a chance to go see my friend at the hospital.”

  “Definitely, I'm sorry to keep you but as you know, it's important to get the facts as early as we can so that we can hopefully find the person who did this and keep them from hurting anyone else. How about you tell me what happened.”

  “Well, Ashley and I had been at the Huntsman club for a number of hours and had decided to head home. There weren’t many cabs in front of the club and we could see that just down the road on Victoria Street we would have better luck, so we started off in that direction. When we went to cross the front of an alley further down the block, I was grabbed and pulled into the alley. I don't think he had a weapon, but he wanted our money and was threatening us while he held my arm.” I touched my arm to indicate where the creature had grabbed me. “Ash was trying to protect me by jumping between us, but that made him angry and he shoved her hard against the wall and she passed out onto the ground. Before he could hurt me, a man we had met at the club, his name is Lochlan, came into the alley and scared the attacker away. That's all there is to tell, the entire incident only lasted a couple of minutes.”

  She sat quietly a moment, absorbing what I had said. “Can you give me a description of what the attacker?”

  “Um, it was really dark in the alley, so it was hard to see. He was short and stocky with dark hair, no facial hair. There really wasn't anything special about him to describe, just a generic white guy.”

  Her head cocked to the side a bit and her eyes narrowed ever so slightly. “And can you tell me about this man that helped, Lochlan … ?”

  I had a friend in high school who used to have panic attacks and she would describe the onset as an electrical current that started at the top of her head and buzzed down to her hands, making her heart hammer in her chest and her hands sweat. I had always been pretty laid back and was never able to truly relate to what she described but in that moment her words came back to me as that precise feeling shot through my body.

  “We had just met him that night at the club, I don't even know his last name.” I adjusted in my seat, trying to settle my nerves. Realizing the movement made me appear guilty, I chastised myself and did my best to sit still.

  “Did the attacker take anything?”

  “No, he didn't get a chance.”

  Leaning back a bit farther in her chair she asked, “Did you not have a purse with you?”

  “We both had small clutches.” I realized my mistake, but it was already too late.

  “He was robbing you but didn't just grab your handbag and run?” Her head now cocked to the other side and I could tell she saw straight through the inconsistencies in my story.

  “I guess not.”

  “It's also mighty unusual that he was able to shove your friend with such force to injure her as badly as he did. Are you sure there wasn't more than one of them?” Her eyebrows rose, daring me to contradict my own story.

  I couldn't fathom why she was interrogating me like a suspect—I was the victim here! Feeling defensive, I pursed my lips but tried my best not to sound ruffled. “Maybe he was a weight lifter or something, I don't know how he did it.”

  We held eye contact for longer than I was comfortable with before she spoke again. “Are you sure there wasn't anything else about the evening worth mentioning, anything unusual?” she said the word like it was code for something and while I wondered if she knew about the monsters, I certainly wasn't going to broach the subject with her.

  Yes, officer, I hadn't wanted to say but it was actually a little gremlin man that attacked us and a couple days ago I saw a little elf on my table and a vampire walking down the street.

  Of course you did, my dear, and do you see the leprechauns too?

  Oh yeah, I'm sure that would go over great. Instead, I did my best to look and sound sincere. “I wish there was more I could offer but I'm afraid with it being dark and as scared as I was, there's nothing more that I remember.”

  Her lips turned down at the corners and she gave a slight nod of her head. “I understand. That's all the questions I have for now but if anything should surface later, here's my card, you can call me anytime.” She handed me a standard issue white business card with the PSNI logo in the top left corner and I slid it into my purse.

  “Thank you for your help, I'll definitely give you a call if I remember anything.”

  I wished it was that easy and I could just turn this over to the police and let them sort it out for me, but that wasn't the case. I was somehow wrapped up in this and for my own safety, I was going to have to start getting some answers, soon.

  9

  We had taken Ashley to the Mater Hospital, which was only about a mile from the police station, so I walked the short distance to give myself time to think.

  I got the feeling that Detective O'Brien was suspicious of my story—was this just part of normal life in Belfast and I was simply the ignorant American unaware that mythical creatures roamed the night? Surely word would have gotten out to the rest of the world if magical creatures were an everyday occurrence in Ireland.

  Even if she suspected me of hiding the truth about something, I didn't think there was much she could do about it. There was no way she would prove that I lied and it was actually a draug that had been in the alley. The absurdity of the whole thing hit me and I started to giggle as I walked.

  What exactly was a draug?—or the little green man for that matter? The small crumb gatherer could have been some kind of alien, for sure, and I would say a wererat was also an option. However, the most fitting possibility for the little man was an elf. I pictured the Keebler Elves and the next thing I knew, I was full blown laughing as I walked down the sidewalk. Someone was going to think I was crazy, but I was starting to think it might be true, so no harm, no foul.

  The vampire woman appeared to be an entirely different species than the little man. That thought made my steps falter. Not that it changed anything, but it had not occurred to me that there could be more than one category of monsters terrorizing the streets of Belfast. I had been trying to fit all the creatures into one broad category, but perhaps there were all types of nasties loose. The uncertainty had my eyes scanning my surroundings and I increased my pace. The woman unquestionably fit the vampire stereotype, and I supposed she could be a Faery. She certainly wasn't the Tinkerbell type Faery, but Grimm fairy tales certainly contained horrors that could explain the woman.

  As for my attacker, it reminded me most of Gollum from Lord of the Rings. Maybe I needed to add hobbits and orks to the list of possibilities as well. I’d thought of him in my head as a gremlin, but I wasn’t even sure what those were.

  My head hurt with all the impossible questions and it hadn't helped that the sun had started to peek through the clouds and was making my eyes burn from the brightness. I dug through my bag and found my sunglasses that used to be such a staple back in the States, but so far, I had hardly needed them here with all the rainy days. Even with my glasses on, I wished that I had a ball cap to shield my eyes even further. Fortunately, I was already approaching the h
ospital entrance and could get out of the garish light.

  Ashley would have been moved from the ER and admitted into a recovery room, so I went to the nurses’ station to ask for her location and then made my way to her. Ash was flipping channels on the small television screen hanging from the ceiling on the opposite wall.

  “Hey Ash! How are you feeling?” Relief flooded me at seeing my best friend and I began to choke up but was able to stifle it down as I bent over and gave my girl a hug.

  “They think my head is okay, but there was swelling so they're keeping me another day or so to monitor that. My arm was a clean break, which is good, but I have to keep it in this contraption for a month.” She pouted the last part as we both glanced down at her shoulder-to-wrist cast, held off her body with some kind of sling cushion system.

  “Well, at least you're left handed.” I offered as a weak consolation.

  “That's got to be a first, it usually sucks being left handed.” Hearing her sound almost back to normal had me grinning from ear to ear as I scooted myself up onto her bed to sit facing her.

  “I’m so glad you're feeling better, you scared me last night.”

  “I was pretty scared myself, now tell me all about what happened after I got KO-ed.”

  Scooting closer and in hushed whispers, I told her about Lochlan's appearance and my interview with the detective.

  She listened intently, her forehead crinkled in concentration before she spoke. “Bec, not to say I didn't believe you before, but now, I really believe. That thing was not human, or animal for that matter. I don't know what it was, but man was it strong. I think it’s time for us to book your ticket home, you can get a seat on my flight.”

  “Ash … I can’t.”

  “What do you mean you can’t? Of course you can. I’m not letting you stay. As your bestie, it is my duty to tell you when you are being a dumbass, and guess what?”

  “I know, I know. But aside from this feeling that I need to be here, there’s more.”

  “Like what?” Her tone had gone cautious and she eyed me warily.

  My eyes met hers in a plea. I wasn't sure what I was asking her for—maybe hoping she would prove me wrong, and maybe I was just hoping she wouldn't think I was a freak—probably a good mix of both.

  “Ash, you know how you teased me about my necklace.” She nodded solemnly so I continued. “I started thinking about how that thing had tried to grab my necklace, and how I've always felt so strongly about not removing it. I tried to take it off.” My voice lowered to a whisper. “I couldn't do it.”

  “Like you couldn't get the clasp to work?” she asked.

  I shook my head slowly. “I brought my hands up and I tried so hard to make them do it, but they wouldn't move. Ash, there's something special about this necklace—I think it's why I could see the vampire woman, why I could see the little man—why all this stuff is happening.”

  “Are you saying you have a magic necklace?”

  “I know it sounds absurd, but I guess I am.”

  “Why don't you come here and let me have a try at the clasp.”

  “Ash, you only have one hand, you can't take it off.”

  “The break is way up on my arm, if you just lay your head down here by my hand I can totally give it a try.” She gestured with her good hand for me to lay my head on her lap.

  “I can't believe I'm doing this, if your arm hurts you better stop.”

  I bent over the bed with my neck positioned right next to the hand of her injured arm. My hands were sweating profusely, and my breathing increased as I squeezed my eyes shut. Thirty seconds, a minute, two minutes went by before her good arm dropped back to her side and I stood back up and met her eyes.

  “I can’t make it budge, but Bec, I don't know that it means anything. You’ve worn it for so long it’s probably just rusted shut,” she offered softly. “Have you asked your mom about it—where you got it?”

  “Not yet. What I do know, is that creature was ready to chop my head off to get his hands on my necklace. He yanked on the chain so hard I thought my head was going to come off, but you just saw my neck, it’s not even bruised.” Her anxious eyes bore into mine.

  “There's no telling how and why all that happened. What if you had a protection spell put on you or it's all just a coincidence and the little monster just liked to collect pretty things?”

  “I have no idea, but I feel like I need to figure it out. Asking questions is hard though, when I’m not willing to chance telling anyone else about the necklace until I know more. Lochlan wasn't there yet to see the creature grab for it so I didn't tell him that the necklace was what it was after. I'm just not sure who to trust and since this thing isn't coming off my neck, I figured I'd keep its potential magical properties to myself.”

  “I'm not convinced it wasn't a coincidence, but just to be safe, I think that's a good idea. Man, Becca, this is some crazy shit.”

  “No kidding.”

  “There’s nothing that will convince you to leave this place?”

  My head slowly shook side to side, my features apologetic.

  “Well, I suppose my job then is to help where I can. Were you able to learn anything from that Lochlan guy?”

  “I didn't get to talk to him for long last night, but he did say that the creature that attacked us was called a draug. I haven't had a chance to Google it and other than that he didn't tell me anything about it that I didn't already know.”

  “Oh man, I think I've heard of that!”

  I was so startled that I stood up off the bed. “Are you kidding?”

  “No, but I'm having trouble pinpointing where I remember it from.” She squeezed her eyes shut and scrunched up her nose. “Give me my Kindle,” she demanded, reaching for the bag I’d brought her.

  Ash was a voracious reader. It was no wonder she sought a career in publishing. She turned on the reader and began searching frantically through her library while I patiently waited.

  “Ah-ha! I knew that I had heard the term—this book that I read not too long ago had a draug in it and it was a type of Fae or Faery.” She handed me the device and I skimmed the pages.

  In the book, the draug was a Faerie that used people's own desires to lure them to remote locations to kill them. That's not what had happened in this instance, but it wasn't entirely off base. At least it was somewhere to start.

  “All the creatures you have seen could definitely be categorized as Fae. At least we have a good idea what we're dealing with, to some extent.”

  We sat in silence for a moment as we both processed the fact that there was a mythical race of people living here in Ireland. She wasn’t happy about my refusal to leave, but Ash would support me in something that I was so passionate about. She only had a few days left on her trip, and my guess was she would resist leaving me there alone.

  A nurse entered the room and informed us that it was time for Ashley's pain medicine. The meds made her super groggy so she insisted that I head back home instead of watching her 'drool all over herself.'

  I sat at my computer that evening and recalled what I had learned after my visit to the hospital. Despite initially intending to head home after my visit with Ash, my legs took me of their own accord to the Huntsman.

  The building wasn't nearly as impressive now as it had been the previous night. In stark contrast to the night before, the dark elevator lobby was entirely empty, and my footsteps echoed off the worn marble floors. The elevator took me to the top floor and opened to an eerie version of the club that had been so vibrant and alive the night before. The cavernous room was completely deserted and silent aside from the distant drone of the heating system. The heavily tinted windows and thick drapes kept out all but a soft glow from the sun.

  “You shouldn't be here.”

  I let out a startled gasp at the unexpected voice. Seated in shadow against a far wall was Ronan's quiet friend, Michael. Although he had been present most of the night while we all danced and laughed, he had been more of an
observer rather than a participant. He seemed more at home here in the dark by himself than in the middle of the crowded dance floor. He wore jeans and a t-shirt and sat back in an assessing manner. He had papers in front of him on the table and was smoking a cigarette, the red embers visible at a distance when he inhaled.

  “You're probably right, but I'm here anyway. I'd like to talk to Lochlan.”

  “That's it kitty, keep chasing your curiosity,” he drew out with an unimpressed smirk.

  Crossing my arms, I took a few steps in his direction. “You suggesting I'm going to end up dead?”

  “Or worse.” Emphasizing his point, he stubbed out the cigarette in a black plastic ashtray.

  His words both frightened me and angered me. “I know I'm in over my head, but it seems I don't have much of a choice—it's not like I want these Faerie creatures to keep coming after me.” As I spoke, my voice rose with my frustrations and I clenched my fists at my sides.

  As soon as I said the word ‘Faerie’, his eyes shot to mine and all nonchalance evaporated leaving in its place menacing intensity. “Be very careful, Rebecca, the creature in that alley is not even remotely the most dangerous thing out there.”

  Duly noted.

  His hand slowly lifted to point toward the back hallway. “He's in the office.”

  With narrowed eyes and a growing agitation, I made my way to the open office doorway and stepped inside without bothering to knock.

  “I need some answers, and before you tell me to look inside myself, I need answers from you. About the Fae.” I helped myself to one of the two chairs in front of the desk and sat back with my arms crossed.

  He’d been typing on a laptop when I walked in and upon my interruption, he purposefully shut the screen and leaned back in his chair. “Do you think answers are going to change anything?”

  His question made me think for a moment—would anything change? The Fae would still be out there and I was still going to be a weak human compared to them. However, knowing what they could do, how to avoid them, and other information like whether more creatures would be after me would help keep me alive.