𝚂𝙼𝙸𝙻𝙴𝚈 𝙵𝙾𝚇

𝙲𝚎𝚕𝚕

Paul and Ace were walking to the station where Eric had spent the night. They were still unsure if he would be there, it would've been impossible, they both saw him at Paul's house.

After getting in, they ask the officers to go visit Eric. They let them in.
Strange, they haven't noticed he's gone? Did he come back to not look suspicious. Though, with the way Eric ran around on the side of a building like that, they shouldn't be too surprised if he snuck in and out of a cell.
But there he was.
Sitting on the bench, his arms resting on his lap, his big mop of hair hung over his face so he could not be seen.
But as soon as Paul and Ace's shadows covered the dim light that gently hugged him, he raised his head up to face them.

Eric's Eyes looked drained, it was easy to tell he didn't sleep much. He had faint stubble on his chin from where he didn't shaved. Strands of his hair stuck out like a chicken's feather. But his dazed eyes blink awake, and his slouched posture shoots up.

Eric speeds over to the front of the cell, clutching onto the bars, tip toeing, eager to finally see familiar faces.
"Ace! Paul!"
Paul stumbles back, he manages to catch himself though, with the support of Ace's hand touching his shoulder too.
"Guys, I'm innocent! It couldn't have been me, I was in here all night, ask the cops! Ask these guys for the love of God!" Eric cried, pointing a thumb back at the fellow inmates.
One of them was asleep, looked homeless, probably was. There was also a man who looked like he came out of a business meeting, his shirt was a wreck, looked like he got drunk and got into a fight.

Paul shook his head. "Don't fucking give me that shit, we both saw you now!"
"Whoa whoa, what?! No you didn't! I was literally here all fucking night because of you, don't give me that shit!" Eric barked back in anger.
Eric's head twitches to Ace. "Ace, C'mon back me up here! You know I wouldn't-"
"I saw you there."
...

"Ace, what?" Eric's voice broke.
"I saw you, you were climbing on the building, like you could stick there... you tried to drag Paul off... you were trying to get in.." Ace confessed, he didn't look Eric in the eyes though.
"The fuck are you on about? I was here the whole time! You've gotta belive me!" Eric cried out louder.

Paul clentched his fist, scared to be in Eric's presents even though he was locked up. He stormed away shuddering.
Ace turned to see Paul walk away.
"Ace, please! Asked the cops! Check the security cameras!"
Please!

Paul walks out, the cold breeze hit him. Like the breeze of last night, but this time he was lucky he wasn't being tossed over a balcony.
He leans against a wall waiting for Ace, watching the cars go by, witnessing a couple argue out of a house, one of them leaves eventually.
After 20 minutes, he heard a few steps (a quick jog) behind himself. He turns to find Ace.
"I talked to the cops. They said they'd review the security cameras, this will truly prove if Eric did it."
Paul blinks at him, his face scrunches up into an angry and confused expression. "You were there! Of course it was him!"
Ace puts his hand on Paul's shoulder and goes to talk but Paul pushes him away and walks off.
"What we saw was nothing like Eric. Hell, that thing wasn't even human!" Ace yelled to Paul.
Paul stops and turns to Ace.
"He was wearing the fox costume, sure it was all the same materials and details as Eric's costume. But how do we know its not just some disguise?"
Paul thought for a moment. He should've thought of that too, but he was just so delerious from the lack of sleep, the anxiety he felt by just looking at his balcony or Eric.
It was a possibility of course.
"Okay, you have a point. But how do we stop it?"
Ace looked down, he scratches the back of his head, slowly stumbling about on the spot.
"That thing likes to climb right?"