So Scary 5- Fallen Shadows

So Scary 5- Fallen Shadows

My name is James Hollis. I'm a private detective who was looking for a kid named Daniel. Unfortunately, this boy had been hiding himself under the radar, and I couldn't seem to find him. These days, I have no idea where to start but the problem was that he couldn't be found. Maybe, it's best for me not to look for him. But his mother insisted me in doing so. So I figured, what the hell? I might as well do the unthinkable by beating up some folks, who don't tell me where he was or I could something worse than that.

But do you want to know about me? There's nothing much to tell. Life can become so fragile these days that I couldn't handle anything myself. Such as marriage and relationships. There was one time my mother used to tell me that I gotta change myself for the better good. Like attitude and whatnot. But just for keepsake? I don't really care what the hell that anyone says. I'll just do my damn job. That's it.

I drove to the dark neighborhood where kids usually play, and do something out of the ordinary, which the police often wouldn't recognize. But I have recognized it alright. They were doing drugs most of the time. But that's something which always goes down in these lonely streets of New York. I mean, what else is new? I didn't come here to warn them about the drugs or anything else. Not my problem. Instead, I asked them about Daniel, and where he could be. He might be hanging out with these folks for all I know. Because most of them were black, and this was something I should be careful about. Not that I was a racist or anything. But it depends on a certain kind of character that a black person displays, right in front of me.

One of them says, "Don't know, mister." He just smokes his cigarette like a grown up. But at this point, I don't give a rat's @$$ of what he was doing right now. But if he doesn't talk, I could tell it on the police, than cause trouble, right in front of the kids. These were lost souls to begin with. No parents to run off to. That's the thing. Because you don't have a place to go, or to live somewhere safe. So I came here to look for the 13-year old kid, who just ran away from his own mother. "Dear Lord," she had said, "My son! I hope he's okay." And I was like, "Don't worry, Mrs. Hamilton. I will find him. No matter what it takes." It took years of experience to find people who either cheat, steal or do whatever what they were doing. But like I've said, I didn't care. I just do my damn job.

And if that wasn't enough, I might have to be careful whom I'm asking or talking to. Because these days, you don't even know whom you can bump into. Like one of your old buddies, ex-girlfriends or even a wife for that matter. The thought of her sent me down on the gutter, drinking booze and whatnot. The last time I remembered that she went out with her old flame, who went all the way back in high school. It was funny how you used to be a cop at some point, and then found out that your precious wife was cheating on you. Christ! I miss that gorgeous body of hers. And I regretted beating her old flame like that, just to show I was a tough cop. So... yeah. That's when I got started in becoming a private detective after I got suspended.

As for the relationships right now, I didn't have time for that $h!t. Except sometimes, my secretary who kept lowering herself down, picking up the files and folders from the floor, due to her clumsiness and whatnot. But let me tell you something that this hottie had a nice @$$, and sometimes I got hard thinking about it. Like what I wanted to do with her. It's been a long time I got laid. But like I've said again, I didn't have time for that or anything else. Period.

So here I was, still asking the black neighborhood. And some of them had said, "Daniel had been seen going with someone. But with a black cloak." I was like, "What do you mean by that?" The black woman sounded as if she got scared of this black-cloaked figure that seemed to be running things around here in this kinda neighborhood. Whoever he was, he sounded big trouble. But the woman had said, "I don't know, mister. But his voice... Dear God. I don't know what to make of it." So I left her and asked for directions from anyone else, who might have seen Daniel around the area. One of them had pointed to the old warehouse. So, I went there.

When I reached the warehouse, there seemed to a group of people, with the same description that the black woman had said earlier. Except this time, the figure wasn't just one, but there were many of them. I couldn't keep count since I was staying inside my car. I knew it wasn't Halloween yet. But what I do know? There's something else going on here, and I'll have to find out for sure.

So, I took pictures of these cloak-hooded figures. And I thought I saw something like one of them was carrying a sword. It looked like a medieval charade. Yikes! This bites the cake out of me. I took the pics again and then stopped. There he was, Daniel the runaway, who just walked out from the warehouse. And he seemed... scared? I don't know. I couldn't even tell it from here. But I figured, I'll just get out of the car, and tell Daniel to come with me. I did just that.

And then Daniel just saw me, and stopped. When I approached him, I said, "Daniel? I'm James Hollis. Private detective." I showed him my badge. "Your mother sent me here to look for you. This is you, right?" I showed him the picture of him from my wallet, which was taken a couple of months ago before he ran away. Mrs. Hamilton gave it to me.

The boy got stumped when he heard that. But then he took a few steps back and stopped. He looked back at the warehouse.

"Listen kid," I said. "She's worried about you. Okay? Let's get out of..." Then something stopped me. A black hooded figure just appeared out of nowhere. He could be fast for all I know. But if any of them comes after me, I'll let them know whom they're messing with.

"Is there a problem?" the figure said with a deep voice. I mean, the sound of his voice seemed way to creepy for me. That black woman was right. But I couldn't see his face. In fact, this guy who shrouded his existence from the entire world as if he didn't want to know what he looked like. But whoever he was, I didn't want to know at the moment. I've finally found the kid.

"The kid comes with me, pal. His mother sent me here to get him."

"Oh, I see. You are some... officer?"

I laughed at that, as if it were a joke. "To tell you the truth? I used to be one. But I'm a private detective now. So, if you don't mind... I'd take the kid with me."

The figure looked at the boy. And Daniel didn't say anything. Not that he was mute or deaf. But he seemed to be scared of something. It might be the figure himself.

"I don't think it's necessary... detective. Daniel is with us. He's a lost soul."

I sighed and approached him closer. Then I took out a gun, and pointed towards him. "You see this? If you don't hand him over to me, I'll..."

The figure laughed like some kind of wild animal. I stepped back, thinking I might be dreaming here. Then he stopped. "Do you know what I am?"

At first, I didn't want to think or say anything to this costume-type clown. But all I know was I might get myself into trouble, just like always. "I don't care. Just hand the boy to me. And I'll leave you alone. Got it?"

"You seem to forget... detective. That we are here for the lost souls. We provide them with food and shelter. But it comes with a price. This boy, Daniel is clever and he provided us that we need the most."

"Like what?"

"Lost souls."

This time, I laughed at him. And Daniel finally spoke. "He's telling the truth, Mr. Hollis. I'm the one who led them to the other runaways like me."

After hearing that, I stopped laughing. "Are you serious?" Daniel nodded. "It's true, Mr. Hollis. I'm sorry. When I ran away, I found these guys, and they... provided me with food and shelter."

"But your mother... She's awfully worried about you."

"I know. But..." He looked at the figure and then back at me. "I did them a favor, Mr. Hollis. I don't think I could go back."

"You see... detective? I did everything for the boy. Now... You can leave."

"I don't think so, pal." The figure raised his sword when I shot him several times. But he didn't go down. He cut off my hand, and I screamed in pain. Daniel was horrified to see the fountain of blood, spraying out of it.

"Please..." Daniel pleaded to the figure. "Don't hurt him." The figure stopped. I tried to find something to cover the intense bleeding from my missing hand, but I couldn't. I think I'm losing it.

"Very well." The black hooded figure looked back at me. He approached me closer, and then raised his deformed hand to cover my missing one. It felt like something that was growing, and yet I didn't know what it was. My jaw dropped open when I saw my hand was completely healed.

"Now... detective. If you come back... I'll..." I stopped him by saying, "Please... His mother is worried. Let me do something for you. I can lead you to... lost souls. After all, I'm a private detective..." What the hell am I saying? I guess I did really care about the boy, other than being a complete jerk.

"Hmm... Interesting. So you would exchange your life for his?"

"Yes... I'll do anything for you. Let the boy go." Daniel didn't say anything. He was so quiet that he might have been shocked to hear of what I've just said.

"Alright... detective. But know this. There won't be any trick, whatsoever. I'll let you return the boy to his home. But you must come back. If not, I'll come for the boy and his mother. Do you understand?"

"Yes... I do." So, I've returned the boy to his home. Along the way, Daniel didn't say anything much. I wanted to ask him who these black-hooded figures were. But then, I figured that I might ask one of them later, once I come back to the black neighborhood. I just sealed a deal that I may regret for the rest of my life. The only thing matters was that the boy was safe, and Mrs. Hamilton became happy about it.

Next story- The Hell Tape.