Of Supernatural Origin

Five: Will

(The picture Conner showed is above. Or to the side, depending.)

Indigo was... interesting, to say the least. On her way to the police station, Will swore someone took her picture. Probably some weeaboo perv, she thought. Who else would? Additionally, someone meowed at her and Roe. Meowed! She was starting to think that it really was just a crazy kidnapper, and not some monster.

What greeted them at the police station wasn't much better. A terse woman told them to go see Officer Ritzo, a fat, balding man who smiled at Conner and frowned at Will. she almost scoffed at that. They flashed their fake Social Services badges.

"Officer," Conner greeted with a nod and a quick smile. "I'm Agent Darwin, and this is my partner-"

"Agent Dimond," she finished for him. "We're here about the kidnapping. Do you have a file?" There was no point in skirting around it.

Officer Ritzo nodded slowly. His jowls jiggled. "Here you go, agents," he said, pulling out a file. He pushed it across the small desk in a way reminiscent of 1940s detective shows.

Conner picked it up. "Thank you. Are there any witnesses we could talk to? Someone who heard or saw something?" he asked, making a questioning gesture with his hands. Will tried not to show her surprise. Usually Conner didn't ask those questions, or didn't think to.

Officer Ritzo shook his head. "Nope."

"One last question. Can we take this?" Will asked. gesturing to the file. Officer Ritzo nodded. "Thank you," Will said. She turned and left.

Conner followed, wishing the man a nice day before he left. They drove back to the Demonnochi Motel, where Tab and Roe sat inside, still researching.

"You got the file? Awesome, mate," Roe said with a smile.

"Roe, I know we're Australian, but that doesn't excuse you from that god-awful word," Tab said.

Roe shot her a quick glare. "Buzz off," he muttered.

Will cracked a little smile and grabbed her clothes. She went into the bathroom and changed into a blue tank top, her letterman jacket, and dark blue jeans. She folded the blouse and pencil skirt neatly and walked out, then put them in her duffel. Roe and Conner were sitting on the bed, talking. Tab was going over the file. Will sat between the boys. They continued their conversation as if she wasn't there.

Tab cleared her throat. "When you three are done, can I have some help?"

They all looked guilty and walked over. Will peered over Tab's shoulder. "Let's talk to the mom," she suggested. "Maybe she saw something she didn't want to tell the police."

"Good idea," Roe said. "I'll go."

"I will too!" Conner cut in before Will or Tab could say anything.

She noticed Tab smile a little. It was one of those slightly smug smiles. The kind that happens when you know something others don't. Why? Will mentally shrugged it off. She didn't know Tab that well yet. Maybe it was just how she smiled.

Roe went into the bathroom to change. Conner was still in his suit. When Roe came out, Will didn't see Conner look him over. However, Tab did, and she smiled again.

"Let's go," Conner said. The two were halfway out the door when Will spoke up.

"The address is 97 Pinebrook Street. You might need that," she said, sarcasm tinging her tone.

"Right. Whoops," Roe said. He gave a quick, tight smile and then they were gone.

Will yawned and fell back onto the bed. A few seconds later she got up and sat by Tab.

"Anything important? Or is it all just crap?" she quipped. Tab smiled.

"Mostly crap," she responded, tossing the file aside. Papers spilled out onto the plain white blankets of the motel beds.

"Hey, at least Conner and Roe are out getting information," Will said with a shrug.

"Yeah," Tab murmured. "At least they are."

Will's brows furrowed. Tab sounded a bit sad, suddenly. Tab sounded a bit sad, suddenly. Like they wouldn't have Conner and Roe for much longer. Of course, Will knew they'd die. It was an inevitability, it was what humans were made to do. They'd die even sooner, with their life. But the way Tab sounded... like they'd die tomorrow. It gave her the chills. Tab had been a bit distant since yesterday, anyway. Perhaps the kidnappings brought back memories.

Will reached around Tab and picked up the file. A couple papers fell and she swiftly inserted them back into place. While Roe and Conner were gone, she might as well look over it.

***
Will was roused from the world of bad police reports by the door opening. She went for her gun, only to stop as she realized it wasConner and Roe. Before her or Tab could ask any questions, Roe was already off and chattering.

"The mom did see something. When she went to check on her kid, she said she saw something leave through the window. So we went and checked, but there weren't any footprints."

Will nodded. She looked over at Conner and noticed he was focused on Roe. A sort of admiration shone in his eyes. Why? He knew all this already. Hell, he'd helped find it out.

"So this thing can fly?" Tab asked, a mite incredulously. Conner and Roe shook their heads.

"There weren't any footprints, but there were markings," Roe continued. "More like... drag-prints?" He pulled out his phone and looked through, then shook his head. "I haven't got them. Conner, you do."

Conner nodded and fished out his phone. He showed them a picture. It showed a piece of ground. Running straight down the center of the image was a long, thick mark. On either side dirt and pebbles piled up. It looked like something heavy dragged itself across the ground.

"Drag marks," he explained.

"So it slithers," Tab said. The other three nodded.

"Did you get anything else?" Will asked. "Last words she said to the kid, noises, maybe?"

Roe sat, drumming his fingers against his thigh. "I don't know. I went to look at the room."

Conner coughed awkwardly. "She was all torn up about her last words," he said. Then he stopped.

Will rolled her dark brown eyes. "Which were..." she prompted.

"'Now go to sleep or the bogeyman will get you'," Conner quoted.

Will raised an eyebrow. The bogeyman? The actual, original bogeyman? "No way," she said.

Tab shrugged. "Every legend's gotta start somewhere." Conner nodded in assent.

"Okay, yeah, but the bogeyman is a story. It doesn't actually exist," Will argued. "It could be a Tulpa for all we know."

"But Tulpas get their energy from like thousands of people," Conner argued back.

"Not always," Will said. "Sometimes it only takes a couple people."

Tab scoffed. "Yeah, a couple extremists. Not little girls."

"What's so wrong about it being the bogeyman anyway?" Roe cut in.

Will had to pause at this. Was there anything wrong with it? Not really, a monster was a monster. But they bogeyman was a story! Stories are never just stories, Will remembered her mother saying. She supposed it applied to this too. But she was tok far into the argument to back out now.

"Well, there's nothing wrong with it," Will said. "I just think we should consider other things before jumping straight to the original bogeyman." Roe began to nod. Finally, she was getting somewhere.

"Yeah, yeah," Roe agreed. "But-" here Will sighed- "the bogeyman makes the most sense."

"Okay, okay," Will said, finally giving up. "I give in." It was clear she was fighting a losing battle.

"Let's just go back to research."

The four turned around with a huffy sigh or glare and began again.