This dread sinks as the smell of the carpet cleaners my mom uses on the faded steel grey carpets of our home. The walls are recently cleaned. I know my mom loves to keep a clean home, but this feels a little abnormal for her.


I sigh as I look around the faded earthy walls of our house. I see a few family photos and a painting our cousin did before he died from heart complications. Mom always said they will be worth something with my grandkids one day. I don't get how that is possible but, we will see.

"Hello?" I call out to help verify the suspicion I am home alone.


I waltz my way to the kitchen and run my right hand along the wall. The feeling of the bumps in the paint for some reason help sooth the inner worries I have. It occurs to me I may want to call the chief and make my way to getting my phone, so my parents don't get too suspicious. That and I should probably buy something for supper. If they are on their anniversary dinner, I have to let them enjoy themselves.


I get into the kitchen and go to the phone we have on the counter. The white marble makes the red and black appliances really pop out. My mom said steel was too bothersome to be cleaning every day. I never understood why. It has always been me, my mom and dad.


I grab the phone and press in the local departments number. It begins to ring. I find myself trying to keep calm when the receptionist picks up the phone.


"North Bay Police Department, how can I help?" The man says.


"Hey, It's Hodge. Put me through to the chief please?" I ask.


"Sure thing, see ya around." He says to me.


The phone buzzes for a moment and then clicks. I wait a moment in silence. I feel uneasy in this moment. I can hear a click followed by fumbling on the other end of the line.


"Chief here, what's going on Hodge?" He says quickly.


"Parents aren't home, anniversary dinner, I need my phone. Jim's still got it." I say.


"We will be there in ten minutes, we just filed to put Jim into our custody." The chief says to me over the phone. "Officer Hart sends his apologies and requests to be on your investigation team." He adds.


"I want his full background before I decide. Actually, make that everyone on my team." I say.


"Well, You deffinitely have done your research on the processes havent you?" He asks. "I'll have them compiled and ready for tomorrow, when we assign you a covert office." He adds to the conversation.


"Right, I have, chief." I smirk.


"Well, I will be there with Jim in a few minutes-" He stops suddenly when I hear his the bust open.


"Chief!" I hear a voice in the background of the line.


"What is it?!" He angrily says for being interrupted.


"There's another body. It turned up at Circle Lake." The voice replies.


"Hodge, looks like we are leaving a note for you parents saying you and Jim went to the movies, agreed?" The chief asks.


"Getting the note written now, see you soon. Heard the news." I admit. "Think we may have a potential Serial case?" I ask.


"We'll talk on the way to the scene." The phone clicks.


I place the phone back onto its reciever. I find myself scrambling for a recipe card and pen from the mason jar on the counter. I quickly jot 'Went to Movies with Jim, Be Back Late'. My grammar deffinitely needs more work. I sigh and add my name to the card.


I bolt for my room, grabbing my pocket knife. It may only be a four inch blade, but at least if the killer is nearby I have a way to defend myself. I scramble into my deep blue room and search my oak dresser's drawers for my black knife. I see it slide along from underneath my socks in the third drawer. I smirk and slip it onto my belt loop.


I close the door to my room on my way out and leap down the steps, rolling when I land at the bottom. I feel like today is all going by like a blur. I run towards the front door and slide on my sock until I smack against it. I grab my shoes and slap them onto my feet as fast as I can manage.


BEEP!


"Perfect timing." I say to myself as I swing the front door open, panting.


I slam the front door by accident and lock it quickly. I turn around and sprint to the car the chief is in. Jim, sitting in the back seat. I open the passenger as soon as I get close enough to the crown victoria. The faded white paint just tells me this one is a retired cruiser. Either way I hop in and close the door.


SCREEEEEEEEECCHH!!


The car whisks down the road quickly. The urgency of the speed even says we are looking at the possibility of a serial killer in our little town. I feel even more uneasy. Who would be doing such a thing?


"So, catch me up." I say.


"Well, let's start by, this time the murder weapon, if this is the case of serial murders, is a different animal simulated device. From what the officers on site are saying, it looks like wolf marks. The victim is male, unkown ID. John Doe is being put up as a screaming wolf attack." The chief explains.


"Right. No publicity yet." Jim says quietly.


"You okay cuz?" I ask.


"My dad wasn't home when we went by." He replies.


"Oh.." I sigh.


It gets a bit awkward for a moment. I can't say I would be surprised if that was the case, but whats in common with the two victims? I start to wonder.


"Was Mary Wiltson confirmed as the victim?" I ask.


"Well, she was." The chief replies.


"Well, what was in the box?" I ask


"Her teeth..." He says trying not to let his stomach turn, just based on the expression of his face. "Evidence suggests, her face was gnawed on with animals teeth and thats how they extracted the teeth to send to us." He adds.


"Oh my god." I say. "So, the murderer is deliberately behaving like an animal?" I ask.


"Yeah, but the weird part was the note attached." He continues.


"You're telling me." Jim shudders.


"What, what did it say?" I can't resist the wish to know more.


"I am neither human or animal. Nor am I physical or ethereal. Look up at me, you see a god. Live in my justice, then you will not live in fear." The chief says.


"Thats... creepy." I say.


"I think it's a riddle, Hogde." Jim says in the back seat.


"What could this be a reference to? I mean, outside of the obvious paraphrasing of Gacy and Manson." I say.


"With that being said, it sounds like he has a god complex." Jim replies.


"I coudln't agree more boys." The chied nods.


The car slows down as we pull up to a little neighborhood beach line and play park for little kids. A rather nice deep brown painted hockey shack is standing there for the winter time. Most of this area of town uses this rink on a regular basis. We all sigh as the car comes to a stop and we face the walk to the lake. Dozens of officers are keeping the crowd away. Keeping the body I found would be easier to hide from the public. This one, however, is right by a very nice community thats known to be safe.


We all get out of the car. I can smell the sweat from the crowd as some of the local news stations have already made their way here. Many questions are being shouted over one another. Some parents are panicked trying to find out if it is their kid who was discovered. Two bodies in the same day. I am not ready for the coming year. I really am starting to believe this is someone we need to stop quickly.


We walk over to the playground and discover nothing unusual on the way towards the lake itself. The place that the body was supposed to be found. I don't always know what to think of the first few hours of the investigating teams. Sometimes they overlooks the smallest things and that's when we loose the traction we have on finding this sociopath.


"So, the lake is just up ahead." Jim says trying to not sound as if he is nervous.