It was a hot and sultry evening in Holbrook drive. Pat Carter sat in his vest and underwear, staring at the bloody knife in his hand and at the walls soaked with the blood of the Carpenter family. Still dazed, when ten minutes later, a police car arrived to take him back to the institute from which he had just escaped from.
“Put that knife down Pat!” the policeman said as he carefully walked towards Pat. His colleague ready to pounce at the slightest wrong move.
Pat just sat there, face dead, blank, staring at the walls, as if nothing had happened.
“It's just as the doc said, Jim,” PC Alec Warber said.
“Sure, Alec,” PC Dave Johns replied. “He's blanked it all out again, just like up at the hill that night.”
“That sure was weird, Dave, nobody but him knows what happened and the doc says, he can't say anything. It was so horrible, his mind refused to accept it, which is why he has no recall, even after all the methods they used on him.”
“Looks like he did the same here, Alec. Look at his eyes, so empty as if nobody is there behind the face, just a body and motions, no feelings at all, it is too weird for me.”
“We had our instruction Dave, just placate and disarm him.Then phone the docs, let them see to him, under no circumstances, try to rush him, just take it slowly.”
“Listen, there is no way I want to be even near him. I heard stories about that night ten years ago, how they found him, wandering, mumbling about something up there draining peoples life energies. It sounded worse than any horror movie I have seen, Alec.”
“I know, the only person who really knew is here and he has been silent ever since that night. From what I heard, I cannot blame him. He was locked away for years, nobody could figure him out.”
“They say, there could be something still loose up there, within the walls and circuits.”
“That's just tales to scare the kids, Dave, pay no heed to them, mate.”
“I'm not to sure about it, Alec. I've always had a bad feeling about the whole area, even in daylight it creeps me out, haven’t you noticed. The building is in the woods but there are no animals wandering about and no bird sounds. You can't say that is right!”
“The doctors says for the first years he was there, he used to keep flicking his head as if he was scared something was after him. It wasn't a nervous twitch the report said, more a deliberate action. Almost like he WAS trying to find the truth. Then one day, he stopped, and became totally unresponsive to everyone, just totally withdrew into himself, and never came back.”
“It does make you wonder, what is going on behind the blankness?”
“Dave, don’t start going into analysis again, you know it freaked me out last time.”
“Yes, but you had to admit. I was right about the case.”
“That I can't dispute, your method may have been off the wall, but we got a result.”
“Okay, time to call in the experts.”
“PCs Warber and Johns at the scene of the Carpenter murders, we have the assailant placated and disarmed now, can you call in the medics please. Over and out.”
Alec turned away, something flickered behind the dead façade of Pat Carter’s blankness and he sprang like a released cobra for the policeman. Before Dave could react, his friend had been carved up and lay bleeding on the floor, Dave knew, he had to keep an eye on Pat and make sure he did not get free. Even though his partner lay bleeding in front of him.
Without a second thought, he hit him hard on the neck with the nightstick. At first, Dave wondered if this was good policy. Pat turned and looked him straight in the face, lips pulled back, like a lion on the kill. Then, he had a moment to recover before falling face down, on the kitchen floor.
Knowing time was of the essence know, Dave hauled the limp body to a chair and tied him to the stove, using handcuffs and kitchen flex, he was tied up well and wouldn't move.
Dave went into the hall, head bowed, even though he knew he should check his colleague. He knew it was pointless, there were so many cuts on the body and such blood loss, even major surgery was hopeless.He was sat in the corner, crying, when the medics finally arrived twenty minutes later.
“Come on son,” the senior ambulance said. We need to get you away for a while.”
“Go next door and have a cuppa, we’ll clear up in here, you've seen too much in such a short time. Take some time out of here, the coffee will calm you a bit and the sugar, will help keep the shock away for a bit as well.”
The next day, when Dave returned to duty, he was greeted by his Sergeant “Morning, Dave.”
Half in a daze he replied “Morning, Sarge.’
“That was awful last night, we don’t want you to go through it again but while it's fresh, can you write a report out please?”
“I don’t see why not Sarge, it'll never leave me.”
After he finished the report, Dave sat back and re-read it through three times, to make sure it was all there. He had left nothing out, from the frightened little girl screaming down the phone that she had just seen Pat, carve the family up. To the last thing he remembered, sitting in the corner crying over Alec’s bloodied body and wishing he could beat the crap out of the monster.
As the chief came into read the report Dave said “Now we have a bloodbath, a quadruple homicide to clear, and a suspect dead to rights. Who we cannot charge, as he is mentally incapable, sir.”
“Yes PC Johns, that is true, I want you to come with me to the institute in an hours time, I am sure you have some question to ask the doctors there.”
“That is so true sir!”
Two hours later the police car arrived at the institute with the chief and PC Johns in the back. As the chief and PC Johns got out they were met by a doctor. “Good afternoon,I am Inspector Jacobs of Holchurch constabulary, I will be leading the investigation into the incident at the Carpenter house, but first I am sure PC Johns, has a few questions he wants to ask.”
As the doctor turned to PC Johns, he could see the cold anger in his eyes.”How did he escape? He was supposed to be locked in a secure cell, with only a small door for food.”
“We have a theory on that,” the doctor defenively replied.
“Please.Go on, I would love to hear this one.” Dave said sarcasticilly.
“PC Johns, that is no way to talk to the doctor,” the Inspector chided Dave.
“With all due respect, sir. Last night I went to a triple murder, saw a friend beaten to death and carved up like meat in a butcher’s, and he has a theory!”
“I can never imagine the horrors you saw or went through officer but please believe me, there was nothing we could have done to stop it, if you watch the video, you will see what I mean.”
As they sat watching a video of Pat in his cell, the door firmly closed. There he was pacing around, like a caged animal, muttering to himself. At approximately 11:15 pm, the video went blank, for 5 minutes and when power came back, he was gone.
“What happened therw? “he cannot just have vanished into thin air, the Inspector said.
“I'll run it again, watch for the ten seconds before it goes blank!” said the doctor.
As they did, the doctor slowed the film down to a split second interval, just before it went off Dave said “What was the flash we saw?”
“That was the energy from the creature. It blew all the electrics controlling the doors, which is how he escaped last night.”
“You mean the thing helped him escape.”
“No! It didn't help him.”
“You mean, he has been in contact with it and asked for help,” the Inspector asked.
“Worse than that even, Inspector.”
Together the two policemen said “How do you mean worse?”
“We think he has become the monster now.””
“If that happened last night, how do you plan to keep him contained, if he can blow all the doors at will?”
“We can't but we don’t think he is a threat anymore!”
“Why? He has just killed four people, you saw he cannot walk free whenever he wants,” the Inspector queried.
“Why do you think he went to that house, of all the houses on the road?”
“You tell us, doc, you have the answers,” Dave snapped back.
“In his mind the Carpenters are responsible for the deaths and his condition. Their son was the leader of the group. In killing them, he has in some way got retribution for all the suffering he has had. He hasn't moved since he came back last night, the electrical impulses in his brain are rapidly closing down now.”
“And then...”said the Inspector.
“The body will cease to function and he will die, Inspector.”
“How sure are you this time doc?” Dave asked.
“About 85% .”
“There's not a lot we can do now, I know it wont bring Alec back or let me forget the horrors but it will have to do!’ Dave finished.