The Mist

Chapter 2 Teaser

The smell of bacon drifting in from the kitchen could not purge my memories of the previous night. This was probably because I hadn't slept at all. I had stayed up all night with my photographer contact, developing those pictures.

The pictures of the girl on the wall were strange, for reasons beyond the obvious. In the red light of the development room, the wings all but disappeared, leaving her alone on the wall, seemingly suspended between sleep and death.

The pictures of the bed seemed to toy with me, and I couldn't be certain if it was real or just the effects of a tired mind. I had forced my friend to stare at the photos with me for an uncomfortable length of time, but to no avail; he saw nothing. I on the other hand, couldn't see the same thing twice. I had taken three pictures of the bed, and they all seemed to change every time I blinked or looked away. In one instant the bed was empty. In the next picture I saw the shadow once more, lying above the covers. And in the third picture was the girl herself, sitting up in bed, appearing to look directly at me. Not at the camera, but at me, standing in my friend's development room. She held my gaze until, and I will swear to this on a Bible, her head tilted to one side. I recoiled in an instant, and when I looked back, all three photos were empty, containing a bed and nothing more.

"Jackson, get up! Breakfast is ready."

I changed into fresh clothes and headed downstairs. My friend and roommate, Peter, was plating the bacon next to the already scrambled eggs on two plates.

"Man, you look rough. I was asleep before you got home, and you don't look like you slept a wink. I don't care what you say, you're definitely not getting decaf this morning. Sit."

"Thanks, Pete," I managed to get out as I sat in front of my plate across from the window. I always sat across from the window. Call it a cop habit, but I just didn't like having my back to the outside. "Yeah, I pulled an all-nighter getting some pictures developed from that crime scene last night."

"Yeah, I heard about that on the radio this morning.  Apparently, someone called in an anonymous tip to three different stations, and they've all been talking about it ever since."  As he was saying this, Peter crossed the kitchen and sat in front of the window.

"How in the world...?  I was called in at midnight, and only the police were there.  I didn't even see any neighbors, and I know none of our people talked to anyone.  I was there, and I can't even begin to imagine describing it to someone."

Could it have been the killer themselves?  Calling in to brag or to receive more notice?

"Thanks for breakfast, Pete.  I'll take my coffee to go.  I'll probably be on this case for quite some time."

**~~~**

"Jackson!  You're off this case: effective immediately!"