𝓛𝓮𝓸𝓷 𝓚𝓮𝓷𝓷𝓮𝓭𝔂| ɪᴍᴀɢɪɴᴇꜱ ʙᴏᴏᴋ 4

Witness Protection

A Week Ago...

I laugh at Nell's joke as we carry our drinks and weave through the crowd trying not to accidentally knock into anyone. So far the night's been a pretty fun one, though Nell seems to be enjoying the attention from the mysterious stranger a little too much. Even now I can feel his gaze on us from the corner, where he stands alone, drink in hand and face focused towards us. I brush off the ominous feeling, turning away from him to face my best friend. 

"It's kind of creeping me out, the way he's literally been obsessing over us since we got here." I call out as the music drowns out my words. Nell rolls her eyes as she adjusts her dress from slipping too far down, even now I'm surprised it's still covering her chest, though barely. I can't stop myself from looking back at the corner, the shadows hide his face and most of his body, but every now and then the strobe lights shine on his eyes, showing me that he's still obsessing over us. I can't help but to wonder if this much interest can lead to anything positive. I need a break from this guy's stare. "Bathroom?" I ask Nell. She groans in fake frustration, downing her drink as I just leave mine, then arm in arm we bustle to the bathroom. It's pretty full up, so Nell insists on waiting for me outside, even as the odd stranger seems to have gotten closer to us. A shiver runs through me, but thanks to the alcohol I can't hold my bladder. 

Quickly I do my thing and come out of the toilets only to find Nell's missing. Frowning my eyes search the busy crowd for her blonde and pink hair, but there's nothing. Worry gnaws at me as I ask around, trying to find any evidence of her, but the man's gone too. I grab my phone, dialling her number as I push through the people and finally get outside. I'm breathing heavy by the time I'm out in the night, noise from the bar muffled between the sounds of the city. I tap my foot impatiently as I dial again and again, there's nothing else I can do. I glance down the alleyway to my right, it's only short but has a corner that's out of sight, there's a good chance Nell's finally plucked up the courage to seek the hook-up she desperately came here for, but equally something else could be happening too. I don't hesitate as I make my way down the alley, heels loud in the night even as I try to tip toe. 

A moan echoes from the corner. I freeze, smile tugging my lips. I'm so glad I was right, and I'm glad Nell's finally getting over that awful ex of hers. I turn back with the intention of waiting until she's done, but then a pained cry makes me jump out of my skin. My eyes widen as I swivel and rush around the corner, coming face to face with Nell. She's stumbling towards me, arms outstretched as blood trickles from her mouth. Her foreheads cut to shreds and bruised, and her mascara and tears make her look like some Halloween decoration. I can't stop my eyes from looking down and down, to where her dress has at least ten different knife wounds. I think I sob, catching her as she collapses dead, and behind her the stranger from the bar glares at me. I scream, seeing the bloodied knife in his hand ready to strike, but then the sounds of laughter and kissing approach. A couple stumble into the scene, scaring the man as he scrambles to lift his jacket over his face and he sprints past them. The couple are clueless to begin with, until I'm sobbing and screaming for help. 

At some point police from the RPD turn up, doing their investigations and questioning me. I describe the man as I sit in the back of some police car, a blonde rookie wraps me in his jacket as I shiver from fear rather than the cold. He also crouches in front of me, using baby wipes to clean Nell's blood from my hands. She's dead, and there's nothing I can do to help. It doesn't take the cops long to figure out that Nell's murderer is a serial killer who's been kept secret in Raccoon City, so as to not scare the locals. The Bladed Butcher, as they're calling him, has been on a rampage for months, but I'm the first to ever survive seeing his face. I'm an important witness, as they tell me, and I'm also in danger. The Bladed Butcher is smart yet determined, he's likely to come after me, and I need to be protected. The RPD's resources are limited, so they lob me with the rookie, insisting that I have to stay at his apartment so he can make sure I'm safe until they catch the guy, now they've got his face it shouldn't be hard.