Page 2 of The Sins That Bleed

The Haunting

RAI

M y eyes snap to the shadows, darting around the darkness, convinced that I’d seen movement among the empty desks.

But I’m here alone.

With only the low hum of computers around me, I sit alone in my office, the shadows appearing to darken as they creep closer and closer towards me.

The motion sensor lights went out on me hours ago, but I’ve been so absorbed in pouring over all the case files, I’ve not bothered to turn a light on or walk out of my office to turn them on again.

Only the harsh glow of my computer screen glaring back at me lights the area, creating a halo that makes seeing beyond it difficult and eerie. I tear my gaze away from the rows of empty desks and try to read over the details of the missing persons to see if there is any detail I might have missed.

There’s something crawling over my desk; my heart gallops as I look at the spider moving its way toward me but it stops. Looking closer I realise it’s the cap of a whiteboard pen and I huff out a breath in relief.

I’m going insane.

I shake my head and turn back, I can’t afford for my mind to lose its sharpness.

“Give me one lead, anything to work with.”

I speak into the stillness, trying to ignore the call of the darkness beyond, the need to prove to myself there’s nothing there.

I can’t ignore the way my body is tensed as though someone is watching me, but I chalk it up to tiredness causing the paranoia.

I’ve been working on this case for months and with the lead going cold, I’ve been working all hours of the night to try and find a way forward.

A dark shadow moving beyond my computer screen distracts me again, I freeze, not daring to breathe.

That wasn’t my mind playing tricks on me, I saw something this time.

My heart pounds in my chest as my palms grow clammy.

I stay as still as I can, the fear taking over as I struggle to gain control over it.

A low hum dances in the dark and I tell myself it’s the photocopier, though it can’t be. The haunting lullaby wraps itself around the mechanical noise like poison ivy. I strain to listen for any other sounds, one heartbeat, two heartbeats.

Footsteps.

A light flickers on, then another and another. Each fluorescent tube making a tinny sound as it comes back to life and bringing the footsteps closer with it. The light is heading in my direction, but I can’t see anyone. My breath comes faster as the panic seeps in.

“What the fuck?” I whisper to myself.

“Hello?” I shout out the open doorway into the room beyond.

Nothing.

I silently slip open my desk drawer and take out my gun, flicking the safety off and holding it out of sight, my chair rolling backward when I stand. My muscles are screaming at me—I’ve been in the same position for too long, and they’re threatening to seize up.

“If there is someone out there, show yourself! I’m armed and this office is closed.”

I ignore the edge of panic in my words, I’m not sure a bullet would do anything to a ghost. Only the low buzzing sound of the artificial lighting responds to my calls. I take slow breaths to try and get myself under control.

Something in the air is off, unnatural.

Goosebumps break out across my arms, and I prepare myself to face whatever it is that has me on edge. I’m not a believer in the supernatural but this is creeping me the fuck out. The humming grows louder but the footsteps have stopped. There’s nobody standing before me.

“Show yourself!” I scream into the empty office, fear taking over.

I’m hit with a subtle hint of cherry as I try to even out my breathing. I’m losing my damn mind. I run my hand over my hair, my body coiled tight to fight my way out of this nightmare when a large shadow comes around the corner where the elevators are.

I don’t hesitate, I aim my gun as my finger squeezes the trigger.

“Woah, dude! Put your gun away, it’s only me.”

Nico .

I release the trigger. I nearly shot my partner.

Nicolai’s six-one frame fills the open doorway on the other side of the office as he shouts over to me, his hands in the air to show he’s not a threat.

I flick the safety back on the gun and drop it on my desk with a thud, taking a shaky breath and laughing at myself for getting so freaked out that I nearly shot him.

I need to sleep.

“Fuck, Nico, I nearly shot you! What are you even doing back here?”

“Saving your sorry ass. You’ve been staying late every night, and you need a break. Decided I’d play hero and rescue you from yourself.”

Nicolai’s voice gets closer as he makes his way over to me. His blonde wavy mohawk’s almost glowing under the harsh lights of the office as he passes under them.

“What’s got you spooked, anyway? It’s normally me freaking out, although, I guess you’ve been on edge lately. Come on, let’s get you out of here.”

He swoops into my office, rounding the desk with his long strides and starts putting the files back in order, pushing me out of the way with a slight nudge.

I’m so tired that I let him tidy up and I don’t bother responding to his question.

He’s right, I have been on edge. No need to make him smug about it.

“There, everything is tidied away, lock them up and grab your stuff.”

I do as I’m told, locking the files away and shutting down my computer. I haven’t got the energy to argue; besides, Nico will throw me over his shoulder and carry me out of here if I try—it wouldn’t be the first time.

We walk through the empty office toward the lift lobby, the thought of crawling into bed and getting some sleep draws a yawn from me. Nico stabs a finger at the call button to go down, jamming it multiple times as if that will speed it up.

“You know that never works.”

He sighs. “I know, but I like to pretend it does. Makes me feel productive.”

He turns and grins at me, his straight teeth beaming, and I can’t help but chuckle at him. We’ve been partners at the International Crime Bureau for over a decade, coming straight out of the academy and working our way up the ladder together.

We immediately hit it off, with his sunny personality and my grumpy one, we balance each other out. He’s more like a brother to me than a colleague, and I wouldn’t want anyone else by my side.

When the elevator dings and the doors slide open, we enter the metal container and Nico pushes the button for the garage.

The pre-recorded voice of a woman tells us the doors are closing and I watch the office beyond as they shut before me.

The lights turn off, one by one, until the whole office is back in darkness, only the emergency lighting softly glowing.

Before the doors fully close, I rub my eyes, because I can’t see what I thought I saw. I take a step forward and swear I see two red eyes blinking back at me from the shadows.

“Did you forget something?” Nico asks, his hand stretching out to hold the doors.

The eyes I’d seen disappear within a blink and I swallow my words. “No, I’ve got everything. Just tired is all, man. Thanks though.”

I step back until I can rest against the metal railing, forcing my eyes to look at him so I don’t see those scarlet ones again. I want to believe it’s the tiredness making me see things, but the sensation of an unnatural presence has settled into my bones.

Like an entity has attached itself to me, destined to haunt my weary soul.

“Let’s get out of here,” Nico chirps as we step into the underground garage.

The sensation of being watched doesn’t ease the whole way to the car, and even then it lingers, those blood-red orbs will follow me in my dreams tonight.