Everything Comes With A Price (The Grabber Fanfiction)

Stray

 Albert

The house was old—it was his parent house. The side door that led into the kitchen never seemed to open right, the door was half an inch too large for the frame, it always took a little convincing with some elbow grease and a good shove.

Albert had plenty of practice, if he took his time and went slow enough, he could avoid any creaking. Enough late nights sneaking in after one too many taught him that. Those nights were a long long time ago—his golden years, he called them. Albert still held his breath as he crept through the kitchen, despite the fact his father was long gone. It was an irrational fear, as if his father was going to raise from the dead just to beat him one last time. Although it was impossible, he wouldn't put it past him.

Albert left the door unlocked, because according to him this town was safe; just as it had been for the last fifty years. Even now when the rest of the town lived in fear, Albert didn't worry about the monster who stalked the streets. He didn't fear the so-called... Galesburg Grabber, and as long as his brother—Maxwell, continued crashing on his couch, the less the rest of the town should either. The Grabber's days were numbered, because Albert couldn't come home covered in blood like he used to.

He spent the last few months pouring his time into the special room in his basement. Albert didn't have much of a direction when he started on the secret project, it was merely a pass time; next thing he knew he was adding soundproof paneling on each wall to drown out the sound of screaming, of course. A shred of him thought it would drown out the constant ringing as well, but even through soundproof wall he could still hear it—the black phone. The phone that rang, and rang despite the fact it was disconnected a long time ago. If he ever needed proof that ghosts were real all he'd have to do was pick up that phone. Though he didnt think he'd be able to stomach hearing his mother's voice on the other line.

Albert found an old metal bed frame which he bolted into the ground, along with an old mattress; both of which he found on the side of the road. The metal frame was rusting in a few places, and the mattress was yellowing—probably from dried sweat, and considering the undetectable smell other bodily fluids. There was also a spring that poked through the fabric, but other than that it was good enough. The basement was perfect, it even had a toilet, and a small window.

Albert was getting antsy he could only daydream about all the sadistic possibilities he'd have down there. He wasn't sure he could wait till Maxwell went back to Durango; he couldn't wait that long to kill again. Albert needed his fix, he needed something, or someone, to satiate his craving for blood. Because killing in the back of his van wasn't enough anymore. It was risky to sneak a body into the house, but that was a risk he was willing to take.

Albert turned the knob slowly, then pressed his body weight against the door. As gently as he could, he pushed it open. The door opened with a soft pop. The kitchen was pitch black. Albert could barely see the floor beneath him. He stumbled his way through the kitchen, despite the darkness. He couldn't have Maxwell bombarding him the moment he walked in, which was what happened most night. He just didn't have a single ounce of patience left in his body, so he'd rather avoid any interaction all together.

Albert peaked into the living room through the entry way in the kitchen. His brother never had much luck with women, not until the drugs. The second he started using, they started to flock to him, like bees to honey—or maggots to a rotting corpse. Perhaps there was a suave side to Maxwell, that Albert never had the pleasure of meeting, though Albert very much doubted that. There was a real reason why these women threw themselves at Maxwell, and it wasn't because he was a smooth-talker. He paid them for their time, but not with money. They were paid with little see through bags filled with fine white powder. In life you learn that no one does favors for free, there is, and always will be a catch. Because everything has a price, and sooner than later everyone has to pay up.