"I'm a Criminal Profiler" (Full Story) Creepypasta

[Music] the silence in the car was stifling a tight constricting rope of the marriage in shambles as we drove to my late uncle's cabin with a trunk full of food it was hard to believe that a mere two weeks ago things between kamila and me had been fine only one thing seems certain now and that was the fact that this damn lockdown was the worst thing to happen to our relationship in over nine years of marriage we had spent three weeks quarantined together in our apartment I stared at the walls while dealing with the sort of paperwork I normally hand off to subordinates and Tamila tried to paint with me inadvertently hovering the confinement was driving us insane causing us to lash out at each other in ways we'd never done before when I can no longer stand all the insults and I rolls aimed at my general direction I suggested a change of scenery what better cure for cabin fever then to stay at natural cabin out in the woods the ultimate social distancing nature would give us some space from each other as well as the freedom to roam and stay active can you look at the [ __ ] road Paul my wife waved an arm with the dashboard feels like you've caught every pothole on the way over here I'm sorry dear I said mentally counting the crimes of passion that have crossed my desk over the years nine out of ten times the victim knew the perpetrator eight out of ten in ex and a boyfriend or a husband had lost control of their rage it didn't take as much as you'd think did she know that no they never do my job as a criminal profiler took up 80% of my life with never-ending business trips over time and lecturing gigs I was almost never home it hadn't been a problem in the past because we both chose not to have kids and Camilla had her paintings and art shows to keep her busy we enjoyed the odd evenings and weekends we got to spend together but our career always came first initially this common ground had made us a true power couple now however this was a [ __ ] stupid idea Camila threw herself against the seat folding her arms and pouting at the road in front of us she always looked like a little girl when she did this a prissy doll with light wavy hair in large blue eyes her temper tantrums were one of the many things that had been enduring at first but now drove me up the wall that in the swearing I had enough of it at my job I didn't need to hear [ __ ] this and [ __ ] that any other word on the GPS had cut out a good 20 minutes back then luckily Camila didn't notice I was hoping we were heading down the right dirt road I've been up to my uncle's place every summer as a kid and I thought I knew the way well everything seemed familiar enough even the heavy fog from the nearby lake that gave the woods that signature dark ominous vibe Camila bolted upright staring out her side window [ __ ] lock the doors lock the [ __ ] doors and don't slow down she cried what what is it I demanded drive him steady and jerking my head to the right to see what she was shouting about we were driving through a particularly sandy patch of Route and the wheels on the pickup struggled with some of the dirt piles and pits a man stumbled out in front of a car two hands onto the hood I hit the brakes even though we were hardly moving at that point and stared at stranger the man looked a mess covered in filth grime and what looked like blood his clothes were torn as though he'd been mauled by a bear and there was a true terror in those red brim to bruised eyes as they began beating his hands on the hood of our a low guttural moan food the cars the man who is mouth is heard anyone like a large machine grinding gears than a human voice Jesus I gasped watching the streaks of blood streaming down the man's chin as he continued wailing his mouth was a gaping hole filled with mucus and blood but no tongue [ __ ] Drive my wife screamed grabbing the wheel as I battered her away can you stop I'm not about to drive over this guy I needn't have worried since the wounded stranger was already on the move leaving a puddle of blood on the hood he stumbled past my side window twisting his neck to look back at the other side of the road his wails grew louder as he lunged himself with each step hurrying to get away I wanted to call out to the man tell him to stay so that we could call him an ambulance but Camilla was completely out of control in the seat beside me screaming at me to drive trying to push my leg down on the gas pedal so I pedaled it and after a couple of false starts we sped the rest of the way to the cabin I had no time to think about directions as adrenaline coursed through my body and muscle-memory took over and we arrived half an hour earlier than expected I assured a distraught Camilla inside and brought in our backs before heading out back to one spot of land that always got three bars of cell reception i called 9-1-1 and told the dispatcher about the man we'd seen the approximate location of the sighting as well as the coordinates of my uncle's cabin the operator let me know that a local officer might stop by later in the evening to question us I took my time walking the perimeter before returning to the cabin the initial shock and fear had worn off and a professional courtesy had started to blossom I ran back through the scene in my mind combing over all the details my vision receptors had passively documented there's a lot of brains process on a subconscious level that we don't know about and it takes a considerable amount of effort to piece it all together after a traumatic event and what was the victim wearing it was hard to see under all the dirt but the clothes it seemed ordinary enough loose-fitting pants and a jacket and dark colors what was the extent of the man's injuries again hard to say he was definitely stumbling a lot when on the move but that could have been caused by exhaustion not a limp the only visible wound was the bloody mouth with the missing tongue why hadn't I helped him it was all too easy to blame my wife's reaction but the truth was that I had panicked - I was meticulous in my analytical work but had minimal field training that injured man was out in the middle of nowhere with night approaching and it would have been entirely my fault if anything happened to him before emergency services found him I heard the cabin door open and closed as I walked around to the front to see Camilla standing on the old wooden porch staring at the pink sky as though searching for answers in the krinkle sunset did you get through on the phone she asked and voice raspy and tired yeah they might send someone over to talk to us about what we saw I walked up to her attempting an embrace but she shrank away from me your tired eyes narrowing we shouldn't have [ __ ] come here her lips trembled as her voice grew accusatory we're out in the middle of nowhere [ __ ] Paul we are how far from the place we saw that man maybe 20 30 miles how screwed are we if whoever did that to him comes for us - Camilla you need to calm down I said already knowing it was the wrong thing to say before the words were out of my mouth no we need to get the [ __ ] out of here she snarled and we both winced if the malice in her voice this wasn't us how did we become the stereotypical bickering couple we swore we'd never be all right I snapped back do you want to get in the car and drive through that st. jacked-up Road only in the dark we can go right now if that's what you want Camilla hesitated hugging her body defensively before giving me a resigned shake of the head most likely the man we saw was involved in some freak accident less likely but also possible and he had an unfortunate encounter with a wild animal least likely of all he was running from another human being I didn't see any ligature marks on his wrists and it's pretty damn near impossible to mutilate a live victim without restraints if you really can't get over this we can head home around midday tomorrow that's when the fog settles but I swear Camila if we're going to go back to the city one of us needs to check into a hotel room or something because I cannot spend another day fighting like this I was hyperventilating by the end of my speech but it felt good to finally bring up the topic of separation however temporary Camila opened her mouth and stunned silence with pure her written on her face I had never spoken to her so harshly before hey there folks a voice interrupted us I turned to see a tall uniformed police officer strolling down the road to the cabin the man looked to be in his early 40s with gray flake speckling his trimmed beard and dark sideburns poking out from his police cap he wore aviators even though it was nearly dark and not been sunny earlier in the day there was a polite Duty like smile plastered on his face the type you might expect from a cashier informing you that your credit card had just been declined my right hand instinctively went to my side grazing the concealed semi-automatic through my jacket hello officer my name is Paul fever this is my wife Camilla we weren't expecting you this soon I'm sure you worked the man replied in a manner so artificially cheerful that I shuddered my name is officer Harry Bullock I'm here to take your statement about the man you saw on the road today sure thing officer Camilla piped up extending an arm to the cabin door perhaps you'd like to come in and discuss things further officer Bullock's false smile widened exposing a thin line of yellowed crooked teeth he raised a hand up to his sunglasses and slid them down his nose revealing two expressionless black eyes that ran down my wife's body well thank you ma'am he said taking a step forward toward the cabin wait stop I cut him off could we please see your badge and ID officer I don't mean to be rude but an officer's showing up to a secluded cabin on foot is a little odd I know for a fact that the nearest police station is about 30 miles up north went there to consult on a case not too long ago the man claiming to be an officer took a step back readjusting his aviators and losing the false smile I parked my patrol car further up the road because I didn't wanted to get stuck in a sand if you followed me mister fever I can show you all my credentials he said turning to walk back no I think we'll wait here for you to go fetch them I called after the man who was already halfway up the path you just knock on the door when you get back officer turning to Camilla I quietly said let's get back inside the cabin and check the locks and the windows and doors I don't think that man was a cop my wife's eyes grew wide with fear as she looked for me too the retreating figure then back at me again [ __ ] Paul what are we going to do don't panic I said guiding her inside and securing the deadbolt behind us well Johnny fever had built this place to be safe against just about any threat you could imagine we'll ride out the night and head back as soon as the fog clears tomorrow there's too much odd stuff going on Camilla nodded and I couldn't help thinking how beautiful she looked just then the years had not taken away much her skin was still clear and smooth her eyes playful and bright wavy strands of hair partially covered the side of her face and I instinctively moved to tuck them back behind her ear she didn't pull away this time allowing me to take her into my arms and hold her for several minutes do you think that man will come back she mumbled into my shoulder I don't know I don't think so not in disguise anyway I thought to myself not wanting to scare her we said about unpacking the food closed and other stuff we brought with us there was a lot of it since we'd intended to stay until a lockdown was called off when you're both very quiet during this time probably straining our ears to hear any knocks on the door part of me hoped I'd be wrong about officer Bullock but after he'd not come back for over an hour I was forced to accept my suspicions were right something very strange was going on I stared out the small kitchen window after finishing up the dinner dishes my mind heavy with the implications of that day Paul are you finished with those Camilla stood in the door wearing a negligee or the negligee I should say the light beige one that had practically hardwired my body to respond in anticipation yes I replied why don't you come to bed she said her voice a soft croon of tones so tender and seductive that I unwillingly felt my urgent fear slipping away they came back when we finished making love and kamila dozed off in my arms it was a good feeling knowing the cover of my body was making her feel safe enough to relax having spent most of my adult life diving into the minds of the country's most sadistic killers however I knew just how flimsy of a shield limbs could be I wanted to protect her us but the weight of our predicament lay heavy on my shoulders we were miles away from help with only aged wooden walls between us and whatever was going on in the woods outside I still had my Glock 19 semi-automatic but that wasn't all that reassuring truth be told I didn't feel all that confident in combat I'd done all the training sure but everyone knew us behavioral science guys were hired for brain work not muscle I tried to stay awake but it was difficult my muscles were already relaxed and the smell of Camilla's hair had me drifting in and out of sleep that's when the dream started a hazy mix of the day's events but amplified the man on the road was there again only this time with a long black tongue no eyes or fingers he tapped all 10 bloody finger stumps on the hood of our car grinning I expected rain Camilla to scream and the seat beside me but when I turned to look my wife was missing her head officer Bullock was in one of the dreams - standing just outside the second-story bedroom window tapping on the glass and smiling and my sleeping wife I woke at dawn covered in a cold sticky sweat that made me desperately crave a shower kamila slept soundly at my side unfazed by the drenched bedsheets slipping out of bed I quickly rinsed off in the bathroom and dressed before heading downstairs to the kitchen I've really needed some comfort food after my night of feverish dreams I lit up the gas stove and popped on the coffee pot before scavenging for sandwich supplies a wave of nausea hit me as soon as I open the fridge there it was right in the middle of the top shelf tastefully staged in front of the ham cheese and pickle jar a freshly severed human tongue on a tea saucer suppressing a dry heave I grabbed a napkin and carefully moved a saucer to one of the bottom shelves obscuring it behind a stack of butter sticks I knew I shouldn't have been tampering with evidence but I didn't want kamila sing the gruesome scene and freaking out as soon as I'd hidden the nasty thing I turned off the stove and went out back to call for help there was no time to bother with 9-1-1 I still had the number for the Chief of Police for the nearest apartment and called him directly who's this chief Crawford's groggy voice barked into my ear sorry to bother you Earl this is an emergency it's Paul fever we work together on that machete killer case a couple years back I heard some shuffling then more coherent ly yeah yeah of course patient fever what can I do to help the FBI did you happen to work late last night and get the report about the men with the missing tongue you mean the call from the other day I was just leaving when I heard one of the officers on duty calling in to say it was a false report false report I asked bewildered what do you mean by that well the caller gave very vague descriptions of a spot the supposin victim was seen at Keith Crofford replied attempting to muffle Aeon so why didn't anyone go out to interview the witness I demanded angered by the evident incompetency of the local police there would be a big fuss once they realized they had screwed over an agent hey now my guys went out to the specific coordinates the witness left with the dispatcher they found the cabin but it was abandoned boarded up shut they tried to call the guy back but the phone was disconnected what the hell are you talking about Earl I had begun pacing the perimeter again staring into the depths of the forest as I tried to wrap my mind around the chief's blatant lies I'm the one who called in the report and I'm currently at the cabin with my wife some guy claiming to be an officer showed up yesterday but he didn't have a badge and left this morning I woke up to find a goddamn human tongue in my fridge and you're telling me here people really came up here to check things out there was no reply on the other end I knew static I pulled the phone away from my ear and looked at the screen to see you had begun flickering I shook the phone in exasperation not really thinking it would help but desperately hoping it might after a few more flickers the screen went black I cursed the stupid device and headed back to the cabin trying to wrap my mind around what I just heard something made me slow my stride it was the feeling of being watched that familiar tickle at the back of my neck that given my current predicament made all the hairs on my body stand on end I jerked my head left and right strained to see into the dark forest beyond my uncle's old vegetable beds no nothing there as far as the eye could see the feeling wouldn't give though so I turned back to look at the house and felt my lungs and heart simultaneously freeze in my chest someone was watching me from the upstairs bedroom where I'd left my beautiful wife asleep by herself officer Harry Bullock looked down at me just as I'd seen him in my dreams only on the other side of the window for once his smile was genuine and as he lifted his right arm and waved to me I sprinted up the rickety cabin stairs and barged into the bedroom frantically searching from the life to my deep dismay she was no longer dozing peacefully in bed the uniformed man claimed to be officer Harry Bullock stood at the window peering out into the woods Camela I cried out my voice bouncing off the wooden walls of the otherwise silent cabin she's not hair the fake officer said turning to face me he had not changed his clothes since the previous evening and still wore the aviator sunglasses and police cap that obscured so much of his face where is she I roared at the man she was just here half an hour ago what did you do to her was it really half an hour ball and that crooked leer again that would be understandable Woodman stepping out quickly leaving a wife alone for a few minutes while you called for help what the hell are you talking about I spat back clenching my sweaty palms into fists I knew I had to calm down and act rationally Bullock's gun was visible in a holster comfortably perched on his hip and I would be of little use to Camilla if this turned into a bloodbath time works a little differently around these parts Paul Bullock said turning back to the window it's a lonely sort of place sometimes I'm glad to see a familiar face nor face of all people imagine my surprise we've met before then I said knowing that even if we had the disguise would prevent me from recognizing him only once the man grimaced not nearly enough time to get to know someone well is it what you want no I nothing much Paul I only stopped by to check on the mrs. gorgeous one she is you were lucky man what did you do to my wife I spoke gritting my teeth as I tried to keep my cool oh I was nowhere near quick enough Paul we all have scores to settle in this place she's out dancing with the skeletons in a closet of her own with that Bullock walk past me and out the bedroom door I followed him downstairs trying to think of something to say without so much as a nod in my direction the intruding fake cop undid the deadbolt on the front door and walked out of the cabin I stood at the kitchen window watching him walk up the dirt road and out of sight I could have followed him screamed and shot at him demanded to know where he had taken Camila for better or worse that wasn't how I operated under pressure I had made a living thinking processing and systematizing before taking action the best thing I could do was to stay put for a bit and gather my thoughts to assess the situation I looked at the refrigerator remembering the bloody tongue inside and wondered if this was the cause of my lack of hunger or thirst or or what something else I hadn't eaten lunch the previous day and it was now what late morning noon I wasn't sure I sat down at the old kitchen table and stared at my classroom knuckles trying to tally up the facts I had no phone but I still had my handgun in car my wife was missing but it was unlikely that she was taken by the stranger who seemed to come and go as he pleased a gruesome thought crossed my mind sending waves of panic through my body what if Camila was missing but her body was still somewhere in the cabin it was an awful thought but I couldn't push it away I had to investigate I went back upstairs processing my surroundings the way I would a crime scene I checked behind the old furniture my uncle Johnny had crafted dropped to the floor to check under the bed scrutinized the portable shower and sink for any signs of blood splatter sniffed the air for Bleach logically I knew that I had not been gone long enough for someone to kill my wife dispose of her body and cover up the evidence but logic was no longer the cornerstone of my thought process finally I rummaged through Camila's belongings hoping to find her phone then it wasn't there giving up I went downstairs to the only other bedroom my old room while the rest of fever cabin had only been abandoned for a couple of months since uncle Johnny's death the thick layer of dust that coated my childhood belongings indicated that no one had used the guest room in years I stood in the doorway indulging in the fleeting pang of nostalgia that my old Superman bedspread and paperback detective novels of vocht even in my current state of anxiety flashbacks from my childhood summer days filled my mind with happy tender thoughts I realized I'd been standing there for a while grinning at my old bed like a fool when what I really needed was to learn how Camila had disappeared snapping out of it I repeated the diligent process of searching the room for traces of my wife nothing anxiety crawled its way back up my spine as I threw one last appraising glance at my old summer dwelling alarm bells went off as I finally registered the slight discrepancies I had failed to pick up while reminiscing I had loved Superman as a boy but now distinctly remember that my uncle had actually bought me Captain America sheets uncle Johnny had explained it's practically the same thing it wasn't and I remember my 9 year old self feeling slightly disappointed even though I appreciated my uncle trying to get something he thought I would like I had never owned the Superman sheets that were now on the bed walking over to the desk I picked up the pile of detective paperbacks I had loved crime stories as a kid probably one of the reasons I ended up pursuing a degree in criminal justice but most of the titles didn't ring any bells these weren't my old books it was like some AI program had downloaded my childhood memories crunched the numbers and produced this near carbon copy of a room with a few of the blanks filled in wrong I went back to the kitchen scrutinizing every last detail had the table been square or round hadn't uncle Johnny and I painted those stools white when they started to splinter was the mat at the foot of the stairs supposed to be red or green I could have driven myself insane running around the cabin playing a mentally ill version of spot the difference until I ended up banging my head on the wooden panels muttering something about fake walls that may have been the case if the screams from outside and snapped me out of my impending psychosis I ran out the back door stinging my ears to hear better my distant cry Camilla followed by hysterical sobs growing faint in the distance I blindly followed the noise stumbling into the forest the tall grass reaching my ankles as I tripped over hidden branches and rocks my surroundings grew dark as the trees thickened closing in around me all the while Camilla's distant voice could quieter and quieter until all I heard were the sounds of my own footsteps and frantic panting breath I stopped for a moment realizing how stupid it was to run blindly into a forest without a compass or supplies even if I'd caught up to whoever had taken Camilo away what would I do to them I had my gun but what if they did too if someone even took her that is of course someone had my wife wouldn't just wander off into the forest on her own crying for me to come save her as part of some elaborate scheme or what she this train of suspicious thought made me turn around and slowly start making my way back I could no longer hear Camilla's cries and I was going to get lost if I kept up my foolish journey into the thick woods the tiny patches of sky above me were fading to perfume could it be night already no must be clouds or something I hadn't been running from within 20 minutes I was sure of it I found the way out of the woods to be much more challenging than my way in though I followed my footsteps carefully there was less and less room to walk between the trees I was at the point of squeezing through a triangle of birches when my nose nearly brushed a black leech on the tree bark in front I shuddered jerking my head back hitting it on the trunk of the tree directly behind me I cursed reaching to rub the back of my skull in hopes of soothing the sharp collision pain to my horror something that was definitely not my hair grazed my fingers something cold and slippery squishy a [ __ ] leech panicking I gripped the vile thing with my fingers desperately trying to claw it off the back of my head I hopped around in a manner befitting a tribal dancer wincing and moaning as hysteria arose in my throat the parasite wouldn't dislodge its tiny teeth and the spot where it had latched on was beginning to ache in the end I resolved to just get out of the damn forest and deal with the creature back at the cabin where I could light a match and set fire to the thirsty suckers head when I snapped out of my anxiously chase I realized that the woods had grown significantly darker if I didn't get out of there soon I'd be stuck outside in the merciless pitch black of night I squinted at the ground hoping to retrace my footsteps what I saw meet my heart turned to stone before dropping to the bottom of my already churning stomach thousands of small black shapes were making their way toward my feet fat slithery hungry mouths ravenously seeking out a patch of free skin to latch on to the closest leeches were already at my boots I staggered back the ground beneath me no longer a crunchy patch of grass but a nauseating cacophony of squash then it started raining leeches the slimy bodies hailed down on me from the branches above latching onto my head face and neck at the same time the forest floor swirled in black as the tiny predators came for my shoes and legs I reached for my weapon as the last to Gephart hoping the noise of the gunfire might scare the army away but had barely managed to pull back the slider when a particularly thick leech bit down on the skin between my fingers causing me to drop my semi-automatic the swarm of beaches had covered me head to toe and I was entirely powerless to stop them the ones on my head busied themselves was sucking on my closed eyelids crawling inside my ears of my nose and filling my screaming mouth I let out muffled cries flailing around blindly trying to rip my throat in eyes of their sharp jelly-like bodies it was getting harder to breathe my mind flashed back to all the times I'd sat at my desk poring over strangulation cases in a calm orderly fashion now that I was one with those victims I felt the helplessness all-encompassing pain and pure terror of a human body struggling for air just when I was on the brink of losing consciousness the bloodthirsty bugs began screeching as the strangest sound I'd ever heard a choir of tiny vocal cords vibrating and shrill Hewson I took another shot at batting away the leeches on my eyes surprised to find that they fell away with ease I opened my aching swollen eyes and saw a purple light filling the dark forest around me the globe grew brighter as the screams philetus bombarded my eardrums my vision cleared enough for me to see that I had been enveloped in a painless fire that seared the remaining bugs on my body to ashes silencing them forever the purple glaze didn't burn me or my clothes instead the longer I stood in the fire at the better I could see the less pain I could feel I stretched my bloody arms and torn sleeves out in front of thee watching the wounds and my skin healing beneath the warm flickering flames once the lacerations had scabbed over the flames dimmed to a soft purple glow that radiated from my skin and illuminated the woods around me Paulie what did I tell you about wandering into the woods on your own boy I would recognize that voice anywhere but it couldn't actually be cut it uncle Johnny I uttered my voice bewildered but also hopeful childlike there he was casually leaning against a nearby tree trunk Johnny fever not the iconic TV show DJ but a definite fan of his only younger than I had ever known him to be this must have been what he had looked like in his 30s this younger version my uncle I had known and loved wore red plaid shirt a pair of Levi's and a polished set of brown cowboy boots he was lean and muscular with a sharp face clean shave and a mischievous glint in his eye I could finally see the family resemblance my aunts had always fussed over uncle Johnny and I looked like we could be brothers Polly don't expect me to come bailing out your behind every time you get into trouble he chuckled spitting chew tobacco on the forest floor I couldn't believe what I was seeing am I dreaming I wish you were Sonny I wish you were what is this place and you I hesitated you're dead some sort of dead buddy Paul eaten look I'd love to stay and chat and all but it's not easy for us to just show up for the living like this I always had a soft spot for you kid so I couldn't let you perish without a chance to fight you know but I can't stay much longer uncle Johnny stood up straight and turned his back to me I'll show you the way out of the woods but you're on your own after that [ __ ] ask me what you need - while we talk and I'll do my best to help you understand wait I exclaimed searching the tall grass from I issued weapon I need to find my gun it's not here anymore whatever bastard you pissed off and made sure of that my uncle said already walking away from me with the purple glow lighting our path my uncle and I started making our way out of the murderous woods we walked in silence for a while as I gathered my thoughts into semi-coherent questions what is this place I finally asked Polly I can't pretend to know something like that uncle Johnny side but if I had to guess it's a place where the walls between the world of the living in the world of the dead are paper-thin and the cabin I had to know it's not really ours isn't is that what you see uncle Johnny turned to me smiling ear-to-ear whenever immortal stumbles into a place like this they have some sort of anchor a safe spot that keeps them rooted to the world of the living the closer you watch that anchor Polly the less power they have against you what do you mean I asked as the trees started to clear and I caught a glimpse of a cabin in the distance spirits Polly Restless cruel vile Souls and you gathered a whole law haven't you I can't pretend to know everything but I sensed they'll do anything to get back inside these woods just to tear you limb from limb they have Camila I felt my stomach not up if the cabin is a safe spot how did they take her from there the cabin is your safe spot Polly uncle Johnny replied she has to find her own anchor to the living world if she has one you have to understand something everyone experiences this place differently this isn't the gate to heaven or hell but it's a path somewhere in between mortals are usually not welcome but sometimes they are not given much choice we were out of the woods now I continued walking but uncle Johnny didn't follow when I turned to ask him if this was as far as he could go he was already gone I still had so many questions I walked back to the cabin mulling over the events of the day the fake officer Camilla's disappearance and the leeches uncle Johnny I and let's not forget the damn tongue in the fridge if majek was to help me navigate my way out of this place it would have to be a different kind one that accepted the impossible as reality the first thing I did when I got to the cabin was march upstairs and find my laptop I was afraid it had stopped working like my phone had but it seemed to be functional perhaps trying to contact the outside world was what had fried my phone in the morning so I quickly ejected my 4G modem from the laptop I might need it later on I brought up my work files and located the folder for the machete killer I had profiled when I was working with Chief Earl Crawford's local police department how could I have not pieced it together sooner women had started disappearing from their tents at campsites not far from these very woods the victims all fit a certain type petite light haired women with blue eyes just like camilla my thought feeling my insides churn their bodies would show up weeks after the disappearances the killer would stage the bodies near campsites using handcuffs to hang the victims from trees the corpses were always found to be long dead and heavily mutilated my team had come up with a profile that helped law enforcement bring three men in for questioning chief Crawford had called in a personal favor asking me to interview all three men to see who best fit the profile they had taken me approximately half an hour to say with almost complete certainty that Henry Breyer would fit the profile to a tee a 47 year old delivery man who lived with an overbearing mother who had two prior charges for impersonating a police officer and attempted rape Henry Briarwood who had been seen lurking around the crime scene campsites Andrew Briarwood who had hung himself in prison the day after the jury ruled him guilty on five counts of murder and sentenced him to life in prison I now knew without a shadow of a doubt the true identity of the mysterious officer Harry Bullock you [Music] it was growing light outside the cabin I hadn't slept and I didn't need to no hunger no need to use the bathroom I stared at the time on my laptop realizing it was stuck on 5:00 p.m. of the day my wife and I arrived at the cabin if I was to guess that was around the time when we saw the man without a tongue I shut the laptop and put it away I was now armed with information but little else my mind hummed with the realization that fake officer Bullock was actually the spirit of Henry Briarwood a very dangerous man I helped put behind bars the fact that he was just one of hundreds I had testified against chilled me to the bone how many had ended their lives in jail cells or died in prison fights were their nefarious manifestations also dwelling in the woods outside fever cabin just waiting for me to come out both of Briarwood disguised appearances made sense now on the first day he had tried to lead me away to a non-existent patrol car and on the second he had hoped I would chase him out of a cabin demanding to know where he had taken Camila he definitely wanted me out in those woods I wasn't sure if it was really Camila I had heard screaming in the woods or yet another ploy in any case I didn't have time for theories I needed to find my wife and to do this I had to leave the safety of the cabin and face whoever or whatever was waiting for me in those woods I did something then I can't quite explain a purely intuitive action performed with no real thought behind it I went over to Uncle Johnny's old closet which Camilla had not yet utilized and began sorting through my dad uncle's clothes his 80 year old self was a much heavier man with the simpler sense of fashion than the Cerebral uncle Johnny from the woods it took me a while to find some of his older things finally I found it the worn patchy denim jacket my uncle had worn during the summers I had come to stay with him he always put it on when going out into the woods even on the hottest days the denim had grown soft over the years and I was careful to put the jacket on without and walked over to the mirror and noticed a faint purple glow radiating from the fabric somehow that made sense in this bizarre Otherworld I couldn't stay in my safe spot but I could bring a totem with me when I went looking for Camilla I scavenged the cabin for more useful supplies or weapons finding one of my uncle's rusty old folding knives and a wind-up flashlight I was really hoping to find a compass button there weren't any in sight perhaps things like time and Direction just didn't matter here maybe if you just walked long and far enough you'd get to where you needed to go with these thoughts in mind I stepped outside into the bright daylight I worked on winding the flashlight as I walked towards the wood if time kept hopping around the way it had before nightfall would come sooner than later I held my breath upon crossing the threshold of the forest after expecting to see something there's someone looking about maybe more of my childhood phobias would pop out I thought shuddering at the thought of a murderous clown stalking me through the woods nothing of the sort happened the woods were as I'd always known them as a boy tall dark and mysterious the sound of fluttering leaves and birds chirping lulled my anxieties but only a little as I walked on my thoughts were on the Briarwood case from two years ago I would never forget the violent jolt of sitting down at my desk and seeing Camilla's face staring back at me from the fact case file on my desk that raw stab of fear still burns in my memory the terrifying flutter of what if the girl in the photo had not been my wife but a local student by the name of Cady reader a beautiful talented young woman who was finishing up a degree in wildlife conservation when she first went missing from a campsite not far from these woods local news had lapped up the story and I felt uneasy seeing Katie's picture on my newsfeed during those first couple of weeks she went missing the resemblance was uncanny the same light wavy hairs Camila's those blue eyes always slightly doe-eyed with wonder faint crow's feet hiding a life spent smile and laughing made me sick when they discovered Katie's nude mutilated body hoisted up in a tree with cheap handcuffs a blood-stained machete wedged into a patch of trunk below her dangling feet Katie was the second victim to be disposed of in this signature manner and the behavioral science guys were brought in to draft a profile of the unsub as always there were so many creeps that fit the bill the police felt overwhelmed trying to figure out exactly which prior sex offender stalker or jealous ex actually committed the crime they had knowed it down to three guys Henry Briarwood was the last of the interviews I was positive he could be the perpetrator the moment I saw him the other two men had been timid and fidgety and ultimately ashamed of the prior convictions that landed them on the suspect list Briarwood was the essence of cool and as he talked about himself with an unrestrained light after learning all I could about his background domineering mother absentee father figure problems maintaining a healthy relationship with women etc I got him talking about the crimes have you been following the machete killer case I asked him in my most dismissive tone I needed Briarwood to think I was just going through the motions to feel slide it at my ambivalence to his performance as a killer I baited the very core of his narcissism secretly registering every twitch every stir of body language well it's hard to miss it it's on the news in everything nothing like that ever happens around here he said trying to read my face those poor girls you know mm-hmm I nodded taking out my phone pretending to answer a text don't know why they brought me in the Briarwood offered going visibly tense he enjoyed the first half of the interview more talking about his background had made him feel important you know and routine checked up stuff I replied my eyes still glued to the phone it's very gruesome slitting their throats like that no behalf mumbled to himself after a few more questions I had bid Henry Briarwood good by allowing the interrogation team to take over they got plenty of useful information out of him now it wasn't my job popular books and movies have always depicted my career as this all-encompassing obsession with serial killers but in truth I was mostly an analyst I learned everything I could about the unsub running it through an internal database of a hundred similar cases when I showed up in court for the Briarwood case they asked me only one question did the defendant fit the profile Henry Breyer would fit the profile to a tee and two years ago I left the court know it a couple of days after the conviction he hung himself in his prison cell predictably the woods grew darker the further I walked as I squeezed through a narrow path in a thicket of birches all around me the sounds of nature began to die down soon I was walking in silence listening to my hammering heart and uneven football I took this to mean I was getting far enough from my safe spot for enemies to start trying their luck and slowed my pace to a halt in a small clearing Kamilah I called into the forest flinching at the haunting echo that ran through the stillness Camela I cried out again louder this time why did you betray me a voice whispered in my ear and I jumped forward spinning around to see my wife's naked corpse staring at me with tears in her eyes Camila I gasped Oh God no no I cried I'm ripping my head at the side of my wife's swollen decomposing flesh she was all black and blue now her limbs covered in bruises and cuts a pair of handcuffs hanging off her left wrist there was a deep horizontal gash in her throat with streaks of dry blood running down to her chest and stomach cannot rest she said because of you I cannot rest after a double-take I realized that it wasn't actually my wife the resemblance was striking but as the initial shock wore off I was able to spot the differences in chin nose length and ear shape the eyes though those deep pools of sky were next to identical I was about to respond when another voice whispered in my ear we cannot rest because of you we are trapped here horrified I staggered back to see another light hair dead woman beside me she was beaten so badly that both her eyes were swollen shut we want to rest a new voice a different dead girl had stepped into the clearing her nude body a canvas splattered with torture and pain more and more deceased a woman stepped out of the woods chanting variations of it's your fault and let us rest at me a dozen corpses that looked like my missing life and circled me somewhere in earlier stages of decomposition others had already lost parts of their skin one woman was almost entirely a skeleton with maggots swarming the crevices of her skull the victims of Henry Briarwood Katie reader I croaked turning back to the first girl who continued staring at me with Camilla's sad blue eyes I'm so sorry Katie's expression was vacant as she approached me bringing her hands up to my neck clasping it gently the other victims followed suit and soon I was completely enveloped by dead woman gripping at my neck shoulders and wrists their touch was cold and devastating I felt all of it then every single one of their death experiences the shock the [ __ ] the desperate will to survive their imminent deaths and the stabbing pain of every bruise and cut their thoughts were the worst my mind spun flashes of mother's father's friends and pets Katie's last dying thought had been that she hadn't called her mother enough he drugged me and took me to his shed not far from here Katie spoke her broken gaze locked on mine he waited for me to wake up before he started I was so scared oh god I swallowed as countless ice fingers strengthened their grasp on me one of the girls began tugging on the sleeves of uncle Johnny's old jacket I knew I had to resist push them away but I couldn't tear my eyes from Katie she moved in close enough for me to smell the earthy stench of death on her breath you never said a word it cried and screamed and cursed and tried to kick him but the restraints were too tight then he brought out the knives and I fell silent more hands were pulling up my jacket now desperately trying to claw it off my back I held onto it with both hands elbowing some of the victims who had begun moaning as they drew in closer suddenly Katie's grip of my throat tightened a menacing snarl contorting her features you are the reason we're trapped here reliving the horrors of these woods every single thing we cannot sleep we cannot rest we are trapped in our living nightmares beaten killed and hung from trees over and over and over I tried to say something but Katie's chokehold was tighter than a noose for the second time since arriving at fever cabin I was dying from ex-fix iation I had to act fast I pulled my uncle's old folding knife from my pocket closing my eyes before I jabbed to inside Katie stomach I opened them once she loosened her hold on my neck it was the leeches all over again the moment the blade pierced the skin the apparition began screaming as purple flames enveloped her body I watched the once beautiful face of Katie reader turned to charcoal the other corpses kept coming clawing at my back their eyes were feral who faces contorted bodies capable of remarkable strength I went into a panicked frenzy slashing the knife left and right in an attempt to defend myself the screeches were deafening as one by one the victims of Henry briarwood lunged at me impaling themselves on the knife's blade and combusting into purple flames when the last of them burned up I fell to the ground my body convulsing in sobs as I ran my hands through Katie's pile of ashes I'd not wanted to inflict any more pain on those girls every one of them a life stolen away it's good to see you actually have a conscience Briarwood stepped into the clearing he was no longer wearing the ludicrous disguise and dressed simply in a gray sweater and jeans a [ __ ] monster I screamed at him jumping to my feet with my knife at the ready that knife won't do much against me Paul I'm already dead remember I'm not even here to hurt you I just need you to understand some things what have you done with Camila I demanded desperate for some sort of hint at my wife's whereabouts funny you should mention her ran into her earlier she asked me to pass these along Briarwood grinned raising a patch of legal pad pages he walked up to me and placed the pages in my hand you should probably go back to the cabin for now Paul thought I try your luck in these parts twice and one night what do you want from me I cried in exasperation as Henry briar would turn to walk away look over my case again he replied throwing me a final glance look over my case again you talked to me for 20 minutes Paul is that really long enough to get to know somebody with that Briarwood disappeared into the woods I considered chasing after him but for the first time since sleeping two nights ago I felt exhausted was there a hidden logic behind this as well uncle Johnny's jacket glowed brightly as the night descended on the silent woods I sat down on a tree stump in the clearing trying to gather my thoughts shadows crept along the forest floor as tree branches swayed in the silent wind with bated breath I waited for whatever came next I would face another thousand corpses and swim in a pool of leeches if it meant I could get my wife back Kamilah I look down at my shaking fist to see that I was clenching the sheets of paper Briarwood had given me the flashlight was lying on the ground not far from my feet picking it up I wound up the lever and turned it on leaf hit me like a rain shower after a hot summer day it was a letter in Camilla's handwriting she's alive I whispered into the dead of night holding the papers to my chest [Music] [Music] you Camila's letter Paul I'm sorry I went away I woke up and you weren't there but someone else was I should have felt some sort of panic maybe called out for you I could hear you walking around downstairs rummaging through the fridge I couldn't move though It was as though a hundred tiny pins were holding me in place gently prickling my spine but I wasn't afraid all I could think was how much the girl sitting at the foot of the bed looked like me we had the same eyes nose even her thumbnails were short and stubby like mine she was much younger however a teenager her face was alive with emotion tears pooling in her eyes the way she looked at me with so much silent affection made me feel like a child who had just learned to tie their shoelaces it's going to sound so strange but something inside my head clicked in place and I knew who she was mom my mouth not quite able to produce a sound I never talked about my adoption and most people would never guess how often I've lain awake staring at the ceiling just wondering who she had been where she had gone I suppose all adopted kids secretly hope that there's a justifiable reason for being denied the love and care of the person who made us still there was no relief and knowing my biological mother was dead again I can't begin to explain how I knew this to be true but I did downstairs I heard one of the doors slam as you went outside and the girl reached for my hand the moment my mother's soft pale skin grazed mine the bedroom disappeared within a blink of an eye I was no longer sitting on bed sheets but Anna knitted blanket on the ground beside a lake in the woods despite the fog I felt no chill Johanna the woman still sat at my feet holding my hand that's what I named you when you were just a bee what happened I asked trying to stifle the emotions bubbling at the back of my throat I can't blame them for not telling you about it my mother's side I was already seven months into the pregnancy though it barely show I was only 16 and my parents wanted me to abort or give you up for adoption so I just packed up and left my hometown behind my parents had never so much as acknowledged my adoption though I was the only light-haired member in a giant family of second-wave Italian immigrants I tried to ask questions but they were always met with defensive guilt inducing retorts how could you think that Camila I had no idea where to go or what to do my mother continued I was very hormonal when I left home already seriously doubted I'd be able to keep you and me off the streets I didn't have much in the way of money only enough for three or four more meals I'd hitchhike to my way to an off-road diner my mother's eyes never left mine as she spoke even though the things she was telling me we're incredibly sad there was an era of removal about her like she was telling the story of someone very distant a friend of a friend I still couldn't say anything not until she finished her story I took their cheapest meal some eggs and toast I refused the coffee because I'd read somewhere it was bad for the baby I was sitting there trying to come up with a plan figuring I should get one last ride to the nearest city and find a women's shelter I'd be safe there until after the birth that's when he slid into my booth and introduced himself as Jack he was not much older than me early 20s at most not handsome by any means but not bad-looking either he was confident and well-spoken asking if I was okay it was kindness from a stranger and I took it not long after that I was in his car it didn't register at first the subtle transformation that had taken place when we were no longer in a public place jack was no longer cheerful and his voice had lost its softness made me uneasy and I stopped making small talk wishing the city lines would appear that's when he turned off the main road and into the woods though a part of me knew what this meant a hopeful sigh tried to ask what he was doing where he was going he only roared at me to shut up he was sweating and agitated and after maybe 20 minutes of awful bumps and swerves he stopped the car near a remote wooden shack in the woods at this point I knew I was in a lot of trouble and the fear had made me irrational I jumped out the car and tried to run but I was carrying low and every lunge forward fell as though my pelvis would shatter I got as far as the edge of the woods before he pushed me belly first to the forest floor the pain of the fall was nothing compared to the horror of knowing he had hurt not only me but you inside of me instead of getting up to run I rolled over on my back and stopped screaming I think I even stopped breathing as I waited for you to give me a kick to let me know you were okay just as I finally felt your movement the man grabbed my legs and dragged me back to the shed I resumed screaming and tried to jerk my legs away by kicking but he was too strong he lifted me onto a wooden table restraining me with rope and shoving rags in my mouth so I wouldn't scream I struggled to breathe through just my nose which was filling up with mucus because I was crying I watched Jack fumble with something in the corner of the shed he didn't say it worked but I could see he was tense I wished I could talk to him plead with him to spare me spare us he didn't look as though he wanted to go through with it when he turned around I saw that he had a butcher's knife in his hands he held it awkwardly as he stepped forward and hesitated then came up to my head every time I tried to scream the rag in my mouth seemed to suck more air from my lungs then he brought down the knife in the right side of my head erupted in pain through water-filled eyes I saw him holding my bloody ear in his left hand a small smile playing on his lips as he watched me writhed in agony that's when a different all-encompassing pain exploded in my midsection it was my first contraction and it was enough for the water to break and spill out of me pulling between my legs before running down the sides of the table a look of horror crossed the man's face as he set aside the knife he ripped open my blouse and stared at my heart and belly you were kicking and when he saw some of your legs jab at my belly button he cursed he began pacing the shed muttering something to himself and running his hands through his hair I could see large dark sweat stains on the underarms of his sweater the second contraction combined with my limited air supply and the steady blood loss knocked me out cold the third brought me back and I saw I was no longer in the shed but in the back of the car with the rag still in my mouth my body was in shivers and my eyes couldn't focus I wasn't sure if it was the fall ear removal or something else but I knew that I was dying the next and final time I came to I saw a woman and felt water being splashed on my face Cara zoomed past and the woman was shouting something I let go then knowing you were safe allowing myself to slip into the sweet unconsciousness of death [Music] once I was removed from the tortures of the physical world I watched them load my limp body into an ambulance where the paramedics performed an emergency c-section to get you out I could tell by their faces they didn't think you would live but you were a fighter I wanted so much to go with you to make sure they took care of you in the hospital but I couldn't not long after the ambulance drove off I was back inside the shed watching the man who claimed to be Jax sitting in a corner crying ever since then I've been trapped in these woods never making it far from the shed the man was gone for a long time and I think he moved away after what he did to me it's hard to tell how much time passes in these woods but when he came back with another girl he was at least 20 years older and entirely cool and collected after his return girl after girl died in the shed joining me in these woods we all look the same and we all feel the same things we spend our days walking this forest mourning our lost lives wishing to see our loved ones out in the world of the living but we can't leave and we can't rest not while the man who did this to us roams free eyeing his next victim after my mother had finished her story we sat silent for a long time I had so many questions but I couldn't quite phrase a single one of them after a while my mother asked me about my life so I've been telling her little by little it was more of a dialogue when I told her about my childhood and teenage years since my mother would keep interrupting wanting to know if my favorite ice cream had been mint chip like hers or if I liked drawing she had done it's been a little sad since I've caught up to the adult years she just listens but she has nothing to compare it to since she essentially died a child when we are not talking she watches me paint sometimes she will sketch with me and I can see that had she pursued that talent she would have grown into a great artist Paul I felt you in the woods the other night I felt you dying and wanted to help you but no matter which way I ran your cries grew more distant I begged my mother to take me to you but she just shook her head suddenly serious your husband is the only one that can help us she said he got it wrong once but he won't this time I believe in him Paul I held my breath as you teetered on the brink between life and death and cried with relief when I felt you safe again I've passed along this letter in hopes that it will find you I don't know if you feel it but I do I think the girls here feel it too the trees are abuzz with it the water ripples carry it onto the shore of the lake we're nearing a pinnacle of whatever this entire journey has been about there's a reason we ended up in these woods and it wasn't just our constant wars over the past few weeks in a twisted way this entire thing started with me or more precisely with my biological mother LAN Summerson dying 32 years ago on the day of my birth it started with me Paul but it can only end with you I love you Camila I read the pages of Camilla's letter over and over until sunrise stopping only to wind up the flashlight eventually I took the letter away into one of the pockets of uncle Johnny's jacket and started making my way back to the cabin the forest was alive with the sounds of birds insects and leaves rustling in the wind combined the noises sound like a constant low hum almost a cheer the woods were egging me on sending me off on a mission but also eagerly anticipating my return could I pull off what they were asking I had already been mistaken once this new information about the machete killer's timeline had just blown the case wide open how did the investigators in my team get it so wrong with Henry Briarwood the true unsub's reign of terror had spanned decades and probably involved several different states both his MO and signature had evolved over the years and I wouldn't be surprised if this guy staged the bodies and trees not as an act of some sick twisted fantasy but as a distraction Henry Briarwood had been tried on five counts of murder and suspected of maybe another two victims there had been far more women in that clearing some were skeletal which probably meant their remains had never been found I had no choice I would have to leave fever cabin and go back to the city to access the full case files and process the suspect list from scratch [Music] [Music] [Music] I have to think about the last summer I stayed with uncle Johnny we made quite the pair me a sulky 17 year old denied the company of his peers for two months and him Oh easy sixty year old man who liked smoking and watching TV and occasionally building things out of wood there are a few things more dull to my teenage self in nature and hearing an old man talk about how much bigger herring were back in the day though I'm sure I wasn't exactly the best company with all my eye rolls and sarcastic remarks either one day we were out on the lake when we heard gunfire it wasn't uncommon in those parts of the woods there were multiple campsites on one end and a popular hunting lodge at the very heart of the forest damn little man gonna scare away all the Ducks uncle Johnny grumbled throwing another fist of crumbs in the water as he shifted his weight he had gained quite a few over the years and I was surprised the old wooden bench he'd constructed still held up so well little men I raised an eyebrow watching the Ducks fighting over the crumbs it takes a little man to feel big when he kills something Polly uncle Johnny had this way of nodding as he spoke a visual underscore to a point he was making the smaller a man feels the more blood he's willing to spill to feel big I think that was the first time I really started thinking about why people killed anything a thought process which eventually led me down my chosen career path even today with all the different correlations and conclusions we've drawn from criminal behavioural patterns at the back of my mind I still hear uncle Johnny talked about little men and what they'll do to feel big the lockdown took me by surprise so much had happened since Camila and I left the city that I was hardly prepared for the empty streets clothes shops and occasional mass pedestrians scurrying in and out of buildings like rats the GPS had started working again and I let it guide me down the shortest route to our apartment as much as I wanted to grab some things and keep going the limits of the normal world were starting to kick in I barely made it to my bed before passing out I don't know how long I slept but the world felt very different when I finally woke up I was ravenous enough to find an old can of beans in one of the cupboards and gobbled it down straight from the can as I ate the events of the past few days played back in my mind even more bizarre than the last was that going crazy or was my wife really hanging out with a bunch of dead girls in the woods I laughed then first a nervous laugh then a full madman's roar there had been too much nervous energy constricted in my chest and it felt good to let it go after calming down I got out my laptop and connected to the Wi-Fi the time and day updated showing me impossible numbers a month and that's how long it had actually been since Camila and I packed up our things and rode off in the late afternoon bickering like a married couple from the panel's of a Boomer comic I guess that's what snapped my mind back in place despite the absurdity of it all the mere fact that so much time had passed proved the otherworldly if I was only a crazy man stumbling around in the woods hallucinating a supernatural crime drama how had I not starved to death in that time I grabbed my backpack and semi-automatic plenty of ammo and drove to my office the entire building was in lockdown and the sleepy guard shook his head at me pointing at his face mask after a frustrating back and forth through the glass with me waving my badge and claiming urgency the guy let me in I headed straight to the storage room where we kept all the files for the machete case I had a lot of scans in my laptop but not all the storage box contains something of immediate importance to me now a timeline of the crimes according to the lead investigators on the case the first machete victim had been killed in late 2016 that timeline had factored into my profile no doubt as did the signature staging of the victims bodies and trees having learned about the death of Camilla's biological mother however I realized just what sort of cunning individual we were dealing with my initial profile had indicated a man with an average - lower IQ who struggled in relationships with women had a menial job prior convictions of sexual assault etc that was Henry Briarwood all right but it was not the profile of a killer who had managed to evade capture for three decades evolving yes he went along no we were dealing with the chameleon someone who had started young and honed his craft over the years someone who had kept a low profile for most his life and knew how to make women feel comfortable around him a man who probably had a wife and kids maybe hosted some little league games someone who was meticulous and fully in control of his urges never letting mishaps get in the way of his work something must have happened in the man's life in 2016 something that triggered a killing spree that he disguised with the new machete killer signature as much as I wanted to hold up for the next three weeks reading over every crime scene and coming up with a new profile from scratch I knew that time would not allow for it there were greater forces at play here forces the had Camila so I pulled up the documents on the other two suspects the two men I had dismissed almost immediately for not fitting the original profile one was a 30-year old campground peeping tom too young I thought a second however was starting to look more probable Richard Sutton was a 50-year old local freight company owner he was native to the area but had moved West for college where he met his wife and settled in her hometown he had moved back to the area following a messy divorce in 2016 and set up a new office branch in the city the cops had pulled him for questioning in 2017 due to harassment complaints from women who had seen the local media coverage and feared that they could have been potential victims this guy did fit the rough new profile and I wished I could remember questioning him but my mind kept drawing blanks there had been nothing remarkable or memorable about son nothing I could put my finger on especially after he'd been so obviously overshadowed by Briarwood I couldn't remember what he even looked like or sounded like a perfect chameleon my next move was purely intuitive but a total breach of protocol I pulled up the guy's address and took off to go see him I didn't know what I was expecting to find or what I would do when I saw him honestly at that moment I felt like a mere marionette with an invisible puppet master tugging me along on a blind adventure I pulled up to Sutton's house a neat two-story in one of the city is nicer suburbs and rang the doorbell no one answered but I thought I could hear shuffling on the other side of the door this is agent fever with the FBI the door opened a sliver with the chain still in place a bloodshot eye peered out at me mr. Sutton I'm here to ask you some questions I announced flashing the man my badge I promise to remain at a safe social distance and not touch anything if you let me inside I was pushing my luck and I really hoped Sutton would bite he didn't the door slammed with the crash and I heard footsteps hurrying away drawing my weapon I jumped a gate and made my way to the back of the house scanning the windows for signs of activity nothing I tried the back door not really surprised to find it locked this was the moment where my actions stopped being questionable and became downright illegal there was no time to think him only act as the surreal urgency of my mission crept up my spine I could lose my job for this the whole vigilante arc rarely fared well for agents but and there was no turning back now I shot the lock in the door swung open I darted in doors not waiting to see the curious heads of neighbors popping out to see where the noise was coming from a disturbing scene greeted me inside I realized the wealthy suburban facade only spread to the exteriors Sutton's kitchen was absolutely disgusting there were dirty plates scattered on every surface and containers littered the floor countless empty vodka bottles lined the walls the smell of rotting food and stale booze made me cover my nostrils with my left elbow as I moved further into the house with my weapon drawn the living room was much the same at first glance a typical hoarders dwelling with more booze bottles old newspapers and random piles of trash scattered about a second look revealed a more sinister truth behind the stack of old newspapers on the coffee table I walked up to the yellowing pile of papers and felt my stomach sink as I saw that they were actually a gathering of carefully selected articles the top one was a well-preserved two-page spread about the tragic death of a pregnant girl by the name of LeAnn Summerson an out-of-town hitchhiker who had mysteriously died on the side of the road 32 years ago unable to help myself i leafed through the other pages dozens of light haired blue-eyed dead women looked up at me different ages of varying countries and states a broad spectrum of deaths some suspected a foul play others simply missing-persons reports my trembling hands dropped the newspapers as I struggled to keep my breathing steady had stepped into the monsters den only half expecting this to actually be the guy I threw another appraising glance at the room trying to find potential hiding spots but couldn't see any that left upstairs I took careful deliberate strides as I ascended the steps cursing every squeak the old stairs produced without backup the odds were in Sutton's favor and I could easily be walking into a trap I stopped before reaching the top of the stairs why can sweat off my face as I gathered the courage to face a man who practically killed for a living Richard I'm just here to talk I called out into the silence trying to garner some sort of reaction a hint of the subjects location look we can still sort this out I know you've been going through a tough time the state of the house indicated a major lapse in control which met Sutton was spiralling probably experiencing some sort of mental breakdown nothing no response not even a creak from a floorboard the first room to my right was the master bedroom and I threw the door open rushing inside with my back to the wall and gun at the ready I didn't see him not at first he looked so small crouching down in the farthest corner of the room his bloodshot eyes half glazed glued to mine he stared intently raising the shotgun with trembling hands until he pressed the tip of the sawed-off barrel into his quivering lower jaw I knew I've seen him before recently at bat but couldn't quite place the face of this reduced to Sheffield man until he opened his mouth releasing that signature moan that will forever haunt my dreams that guttural mechanical wail that escaped a gaping dark hole of a mouth I'd recognize it just about anywhere you I gasped as the tongueless leash of the shotgun in his mouth and fired painting the walls of the bedroom a nauseating mix of blood and brain matter there was no logical explanation for what happened next I did not call an ambulance I didn't call any of my superiors attempting to explain the circumstances under which I had discovered Richard Sutton's last act of defiance only one thought ran through my mind as I wrapped up his mostly headless corpse and sheets he will not get away this easy you son of a [ __ ] though he was surprisingly heavy for his lean frame I still managed to carry Sutton's body outside and dump it into the back of the pickup I hoped the sheer fact of broad daylight and my confident man who wouldn't arouse too much suspicion from the neighbors though honestly I was past caring at that point hitting the gas pedal I barreled through the city streets until I was on the road leading back to him to Johnny's cabin I slowed down when I got closer to the place where my wife and I first spotted Richard Sutton running out of the woods I didn't know how we had crossed from one world to another and the last thing I wanted was to show up at the real fever cabin with a dead body in my pickup and no evidence of any sort of paranormal activity again I wondered if I was just a raving lunatic and again my intuition told me that no I wasn't I was never one for Supernatural stuff and always snickered at the psychics who were sometimes called upon in case but even I with my limited views on these things could see how decades have inflicted pain and terror could fin the divide between this world and the world of the wronged after an hour of driving they started losing faith in finding that same dirt road that had started this entire ordeal frustrated him I looked at the GPS which was still working another sign of failure finally I decided to just turn off the road and try driving down the next dirt road into the woods within five minutes the GPS started lagging before turning off altogether I kept driving vaguely acknowledging that I had taken a turn onto one of the many lakes uncle Johnny and I used to visit all those summers ago I thought I'd escaped it an unremarkable voice spoke at my side and I nearly swerved off the road when I saw a young Richard Sutton sitting in the passenger seat panicking I hit the brakes and turned to face the man who brutally murdered dozens of women across the country I reached for my weapon knowing full well how futile of a thing it was against a dead man don't worry Sutton emitted a small chortle you're not exactly my type I stared at the youthful monster as he peered into the thick forest around us he was just as Camilla's mother had described neither handsome nor unattractive not sure or tall just average there wasn't a single detail to latch on to not a mole or a twitch a funny-looking sweater and odd haircut nothing everything about Richard Sutton was forgettable and I realized that was deliberate curiosity stirred in my temples and I found myself wishing we had more time to talk I wanted to dig around in Sutton's brain and learn the hows and whys of his life but that's not what this was all about it's really not that interesting Sutton offered a response to my thoughts and it doesn't matter now I don't want to tell you that your job isn't important because in some ways I'm sure it is in other ways it completely misses the mark since it doesn't account for the fact that some of us are just born this way I know you'll be looking into my life agent and I can tell you now that you'll find nothing you won't find any problems with my mother or father you won't find any hints of me abusing animals as a child or being socially awkward with my peers I'm the average Joe on paper and my compulsion to kill has roots in something that a data scientist can hardly hope to explain at the end of his speech the young Sutton opened the car door and jumped out of the pickup leaving me with the following words I should really get going I'm not sure I want to stick around for what happens next you just keep going until you reach the lake agent it all ends there so that's what I did shaking as I was I just kept going my mind racing but also going ever so slightly numb I guess at that point I didn't know what to expect anymore and if anything that gave me the advantage of accepting whatever came my way the lake was still in haunting a soft mist played on the surface of the water the forest trees assembled around the shore in a dreary attendance their tall shadows moving on the ground below my feet as I walked with Sutton's lifeless body in my arms I'd left the sheets behind and it was hard to look away from the remaining half of the face of the man who had caused so much devastation in these very woods upon reaching the shore I let his body drop into the shallowest part of the water running ripples across the lake I took some steps back distancing myself from the body waiting ssam emerged from the woods others rose out of the water there were too many to count though I did get to the number 17 before giving up altogether they were all beautiful and young dressed in a variety of fashions that reflected the trends of their time blue-eyes glimmered in the Twilight some with tears others with a vengeance the victims of Richard Sutton approached his body some kicked at it others screamed the spirit of Katie reader the one who looked so much like Camila that I had recognized her immediately spat right into what remained of Sutton's gaping tongueless mouth it took his tongue you know Katie said to me smiling he had driven up here with his last victim just before you and Camila came she was so much younger than the rest of us only 11 when he killed her my mutual rage grew into a force that helped us permeate the physical world and I tore that tongue right out of his sick face the youngest victim appeared beside Katie her eyes pleading he's mister fever please find the shed my body is still there and my parents need to know of course i murmured and then louder all of you i will find every one of your cold case files and make sure the world learns the truth about your deaths many women smiled at me others nodded an appreciation to my side i heard footsteps and turned to find Camila walking out of the woods with a girl that looked like her younger sister [ __ ] Camila laughed running up to me for a kiss you're a lot more eloquent in your letters you know I teased wrapping her in a tight embrace this is my mother LeeAnn Camila pulled away to take the young girl by the hand nice to meet you I nodded feeling the familiar pang of anxiety that always accompanied seeing an in-law and shaking my head at the absurdity of that feeling given the current circumstances LeeAnn Summerson gave me a shy smile as she shook my hand but said nothing turning instead to Richard Sutton's body the other girls drew back and fell silent as the very first victim approached the corpse Camilla's mother bent down and put a hand on son's chest I will never forgive you but now I can forget you as soon as she said it to the sky above the forest exploded in a bright purple glow the same tinge of color that had saved me and healed me from the leeches the victims of Richard Sutton stared up at it some laughing others smiling many cried tears of relief one by one they floated up into the sky letting the purple flames envelop them in eternity Camilla's mother was the last to go after her the glow began to fade until it transformed into a beautiful otherworldly purple sunset I can't go until you clear my name a familiar voice sounded from the woods behind us I turned to see Henry briarwood watching Camilla and me from a distance I will reopen the case as soon as I can I promised him feeling the all-encompassing guilts of having cost an innocent man not only his freedom but his life as well I'm so sorry Briarwood gave me a brief not before disappearing back into the woods I've really screwed that up I told Camilla as we walked back to the pickup no one's perfect Paulie you did the best you could I heard my uncle's voice ring through the woods I stopped dead in my tracks peering into the dark trees to either side of me did you hear that I asked Camilla who had kept walking in front of me hear what she threw me a questioning glance nothing I said shaking my head and smiling as I followed my wife out of the woods [Music] you

Channel: The Dark Somnium

Views: 225,924

Rating: 4.8993549 out of 5

Keywords: creepypasta, scary stories, horror stories, scary story, creepypasta stories, creepy pasta, creepypasta reading, creepy stories, nosleep, creepy story, nosleep stories, the dark somnium, nosleep horror, best horror stories, creepypasta horror, creep stories, Criminal Profiler story, Criminal Profiler creepypasta

Id: SN6yC5QhhqI

Length: 87min 57sec (5277 seconds)

Published: Thu Jul 16 2020