Into The Darkness
They say every city has a monster.
Ours didn't hide in the shadows. He wore tailored suits,smiled for cameras, and shook hands with politicians . Every one knew his name, but no one dared to whisper it above a murmur. The first time I met him, I didn't know I was walking straight into the darkness.
The first time I met him… he was covered in someone else's blood.
Three months earlier …
Friday evenings were always the busiest.
My name is Ivy Carter, and at twenty-two, delivering food wasn't exactly the dream I'd imagined. It was exhausting, the pay was terrible and my feet always ached by the end of every shift.
But I didn't have a choice.
My little sister,Emma,was lying in a hospital bed, waiting for a heart transplant. Every extra delivery, every tip, every late-night shift brought me one step closer to paying another hospital bill.
My phone buzzed.
St. Mary Hospital.
My heart skipped.
I knew exactly what the call was about.
Another bill.
Another reminder that time was running out.
I stared at the screen for a few seconds before slipping the phone back into my pocket.
"Just one more delivery" I whispered. "Then I'll go see her."
I adjusted the food bag in my hands and looked down at my phone.
My shift had started six hours ago,and my legs ached from climbing endless flights of stairs. A few loose strands of my red hair had escaped my ponytail,sticking to my pale face from the summer heat. I sighed as I look at my phone.
Room 407.
"One last delivery," I whispered to myself.
The hallway was unusually quiet. The soft yellow lights flickered above me, making the long corridor feel almost empty.
I stopped outside the room and knocked twice.
I knocked twice again .
"Food delivery"
Silence.
I frowned.
Maybe they hadn't hear me.
I frowned. The door wasn't fully closed—it was slightly ajar.
"Hello?" I called softly.
Thinking the guest had left it open by mistake, I pushed it wider and stepped inside.
"Seriously?" I muttered.
Relieved,I stepped inside.
I glanced at my phone again.
"I've got your—"
The words died in my throat.
The room smelled of expensive cologne…
…and fresh blood.
A man lay motionless on the marble floor.
Standing over him was another man in a black suit,his white shirt stained with crimson. A knife hung loosely in his hand as blood dripped onto the floor.
Slowly….
He looked up.
Our eyes met.
His eyes were cold. Calm. Almost… amused.
For a second, neither of us moved.
Then my delivery bag slipped from my trembling fingers.
The drinks crashed into the floor.
Silence.
"Oh," the man said, his deep voice almost playful.
"It seems we have company"
My heart pounded so hard I thought it would burst out of my chest.
"I—I…" I couldn't speak.
He took one slow step toward me.
Then another.
I stumbled backwards until my back hit the wall.
He stopped just inches away.
His gaze travelled over my face,lingering on my wide, frightened eyes before a faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
"You look terrified."
I couldn't answer.
He tilted his head.
"I've met people who beg for their lives…." He murmured. "But you're too shocked to even scream."
His smile widened.
"Interesting."
