DETECTIVE D

Chapter 11 I'll BE WAITING

Detective D's heart was pounding in his chest. He had been trying to make sense of this case for weeks, and now Dr. Marcelo was offering him a potential breakthrough. "I'm on my way," he said, already halfway out the door. "I'll be there in five minutes."

"I'll be waiting," Dr. Marcelo said, and the line went dead.

As Detective D arrived at the psychiatric hospital, he noticed a peculiar atmosphere. The usual calm and collected Dr. Marcelo was pacing back and forth in his office, looking troubled. "What's going on, Doctor?" Detective D asked, his curiosity piqued.

Dr. Marcelo stopped pacing and turned to face him. "I've been going over the patients' files, and I think I've found a connection. Mr John , had a peculiar tattoo on his wrist. A symbol that looks like a cross with two curved horns on either side."

Detective D's eyes widened as he remembered the same symbol etched into the walls near the crime scenes. "That's our guy," he muttered to himself.

Dr. Marcelo continued, "I believe this symbol is linked to an ancient cult that worshipped Fredrickson, the man from the 1537 legend. They believed he had supernatural powers and could grant them immortality."

Suddenly, a loud scream echoed from the hospital ward. "What was that?" Detective D asked, his heart racing.

Dr. Marcelo's expression turned grim. "I fear it's Mr John. He's awake, and he's not alone."

They rush to John's room and knocked on his door ,he didn't even respond yet before Dectective D forced his way inside. As they burst into the room, they were met with a chilling sight. John was sitting upright in bed, his eyes wide open, but they were not his usual brown color. Instead, they had turned a milky white, and his pupils were dilated. He was staring straight ahead, seemingly frozen in place.

Detective D approached him cautiously, noticing that the symbol on his wrist was now glowing with a faint, eerie light. "John, can you hear me?" he asked, trying to keep his voice steady.But John did not respond. He didn't even blink. It was as if he was in a trance-like state.

Suddenly, a low, raspy voice spoke, seemingly coming from John's mouth, but it didn't sound like his voice at all. "Welcome, Detective D," it said. "I've been waiting for you."The voice sent chills down Detective D's spine. He exchanged a nervous glance with Dr. Marcelo, who looked equally perplexed.

"Who are you?" Detective D asked, trying to keep his composure.The voice laughed, a cold, mirthless sound. "You'll find out soon enough. But first, you need to understand the truth about Fredrickson"

The voice from John s mouth chuckled again, the sound sending shivers down Detective D's spine. "Fredrickson, magician of Mystic Shadow, the one who made a pact with darkness, the one who defied death itself."

Dr. Marcelo stepped forward, his eyes wide with excitement. "The legend is true, Detective! Fredrickson was a powerful alchemist who sought immortality

As Detective D and Dr. Marcelo watched in horror, John's body continued to contort and twist, his eyes glowing with an otherworldly energy. The voice from his mouth spoke again, "Fredrickson's lover, Mariah was wrongly accused of witchcraft and executed by the very people he trusted. He has sought revenge ever since, using his mastery of dark magic to manipulate and destroy."Detective D's mind raced as he pieced together the clues. "So, the murders, the disappearances, they're all connected to Fredrickson's revenge?"

The voice laughed maniacally. "Yes, and it's only the beginning. Fredrickson's powers grow stronger by the day, and soon he will unleash his full wrath upon this community.

"So, you're telling me that Fredrickson is still alive, and he's behind these murders?"The voice laughed again. "Alive is a relative term, Detective, but his true form is something far more sinister."

Suddenly, the hospital room was plunged into darkness, and Detective D felt a chill run down his spine. When the lights flickered back on, John's body was gone, but a message was scrawled on the wall in blood: "The Shadow Master comes."

Detective D and Dr. Marcelo were shocked as John's returned and suddenly back to normal, his eyes no longer glowing, his body no longer contorted. He looked around, confused, as if he had no memory of what had just happened."John, can you hear me?" Detective D asked, cautiously approaching him.

John nodded, still looking dazed. "Y-yes, Detective. What happened? I remember being in my bed, and then...then nothing." Dr. Marcelo rushed to his side, checking his vital signs. "He's stable, Detective. Whatever happened, it seems to have passed."

Detective D's mind raced with questions. What had just happened? Had they really seen what they thought they saw, or was it some kind of mass hallucination? And what did it have to do with Fredrickson and the murders?

As they helped John out of bed, Detective D knew one thing for sure: this case was far from over. He needed to get to the bottom of the mystery, and fast, before more lives were lost.

!Detective D approached John, his eyes fixed intently on the young man. "John, we need to talk. What's going on? What's happening to you?". John looked up, his eyes glassy and unfocused. "I don't know, Detective. I don't remember anything."

Detective D pulled out a chair and sat down next to John. "Let's start from the beginning. What do you remember about the night you disappeared?"John 's eyes fluttered closed, and he took a deep breath. "I remember going to the woods, like I always do. But then...then I saw something. A figure, tall and dark. It spoke to me, but I couldn't understand what it said." Detective D's eyes narrowed. "What happened next?"

John's voice dropped to a whisper. "I felt a strange sensation, like my body was being pulled apart. And then...I was somewhere else. A dark place, with strange symbols on the walls."

Detective D's mind raced with possibilities. "What happened in that place, John?"

John's eyes snapped open, and he looked at Detective D with a mixture of fear and pleading. "I don't know, Detective. I swear, I don't remember. But please, you have to believe me. I'm not doing this. I'm not causing these...these things to happen."

Detective D's expression softened slightly. "I want to believe you, John. But I need your help to uncover the truth. Can you think of anything else, anything that might help us understand what's going on?"John's eyes dropped, and he shook his head. "No, Detective. I'm sorry. I wish I could remember more."

Detective D placed a hand on John's shoulder. "Don't worry, John. We'll get to the bottom of this. I promise."John's eyes widened, and he nodded slightly. Samuel chipped in "do you know what happened to Rodriguez the day he died"

"Yes...I remember something. Rodriguez was with me in the woods that day. We were exploring, like we always did. But then...then we stumbled upon something. A strange symbol, etched into the tree. Rodriguez touched it, and...and then he just collapsed." Detective D's eyes locked onto John's. "What happened next?"

John's voice trembled. "I tried to help him, but...but he was gone. And then I saw it. The figure, the same one I saw before. It was watching me, waiting for me."Samuel's eyes narrowed. "What did the figure look like, John?"

John's eyes dropped, and he whispered. "Tall, dark, and imposing. With eyes that glowed like embers."Detective D's mind raced with connections. "John, I think we're getting close to the truth. Can you remember anything else?"

John's eyes flashed up, and he grasped Detective D's arm. "Wait...I remember something else. Rodriguez had a piece of paper in his pocket. With a symbol on it...the same symbol we found on the tree."The room fell silent, as the detectives exchanged a weighted glance. The puzzle pieces were falling into place, revealing a dark and sinister plot.

What about Samantha? She is Dead, dectective D said with a hint of sadness, John's eyes widened in shock, and he shook his head. "No, no, no! Samantha can't be dead! I saw her, I talked to her! She was alive, I swear!"

Detective D's expression turned somber. "John, they found her body in the woods, near a symbol. I'm sorry, but she's gone."John's face crumpled, and he collapsed into tears. "No! No! No! This can't be happening!"

Samuel placed a hand on John's shoulder, trying to comfort him. "We're sorry, john. We know how close you were to Samantha."