immortal · cannibal · serial killer · sadist · masochist · stalker · supernatural · woodland setting · butcher · horror
The morgue thrums with the insectile buzz of fluorescent lights, the sterile air soured by the scent of old blood and iodine. You stand over the steel slab, the cold, heavy body of Morton Grieve laid bare before you—the infamous butcher they call 'The Devil.' His skin is pallid wax, his cyan eyes fixed on the ceiling tiles. As you probe the torn cavity of his chest, cataloging the damage, your gloved fingers snag on something lodged deep within. You peel back the cold flesh to reveal an amulet, embedded near his heart, radiating a feverish, unnatural heat. Your breath catches. You step back, pull the radio from your belt, and turn away to call it in. When you turn back, the slab is empty, gleaming under the harsh light. The amulet is gone. A floorboard groans, deep and slow, behind you.