Multiple suspicious disappearances from one small area of town and not one solid lead or decomposing body.
Grant stared at the board, sixteen pairs of eyes glared back. Accusing, pleading, wanting justice. But how could he provide justice if there was no trail, no apparent perpetrator?
*****
Sarah hurried home, her boots tapped a staccato beat on the pavement. She didn’t want to be out this late, damned last customer spilling half a carton of milk on the floor. She’d had to stay and clean it up, it would have reeked in the morning if she hadn’t. All those recent disappearances snaked around in her mind.
Nearly home, just a few shadowed doorways to pass and then she could kick off the boots, run a bath and pour a glass of JD. It had been a long day. A rustle to her left, yellow eyes in the dark. A scream cut off before it could start.
Silence.
*****
Pain.
Foul-smelling air, so thick it was an effort to inhale. Sarah struggled against the bindings that had her trussed up and practically immobile. Muted screams barely made it passed her parched lips. Strange lights flickered in the darkness, not electric or naked flames. Sarah struggled again then froze, the dry rustle she’d heard in the doorway was here with her in the darkness.
Her head snapped back as something pulled sharply on her hair. There was a rasping sound to her left, a shadow, then yellow eyes gazing down at her. Curiously emotionless. A soft pressure against the skin on her forehead dragged along her hair, slicing through the strands. Sarah couldn’t move, those eyes kept her still as every hair was removed from her head.
Inside though, inside she was screaming.
*****
Different pain.
Groggily Sarah awoke, no longer trussed up but still bound. Tied, spread-eagled to a flat surface. Shame flooded her as she realised she was naked. Oh God, was she part of some perverted ritual? Tugging on her bindings was futile but she did it anyway. Pulled every way she could think of until her body was wracked with pain and exhaustion.
Uneasily, Sarah slept.
*****
It was the dry rustling that woke her this time. Louder now and surrounding her from every angle. Sarah opened her eyes to see multiple sets of yellow eyes looking back at her. Again the eyes mesmerised her into stillness and silence.
One of the strange, flickering lights lowered towards her revealing the scaly skin, snub snouts and sharp fangs of her captors.
A chittering noise by her head was the signal. The eyes and snouts and fangs bent towards her, acrid smelling saliva burned her skin where it fell. As they had sixteen times previously, the Frajha feasted well.
