Something Evil's Lurking in the Dark

@ Miley Cyrus;

It was a dreary night in the city of New Shire with the sound of rain pounding against the side of Oliver's office window. He had just been assigned a new stack of cases by his supervisor, and it had been unfair to say the least. Oliver had been looking forward to the weekend to blow off some of his pent up steam but there was no way this work was going to finish itself. Leaning back in the chair, he loudly sighed at the dead silence in his office before proceeding to open up the next case file. He quickly skimmed over the file, identifying the victim as an Emily Thatcher. Nearing the end of the file, his eyes wandered down to the asterisk which had been highlighted in bright yellow. Don't have information from the victim. Too traumatized to explain circumstances. Oliver ran a hand through his hair since it must have been hard to explain how her friend died before her eyes. Maybe Emily would be ready to talk now that a few days had passed, especially if she ever hoped that the police would find the killer. Standing up, Oliver smoothed out his jacket and buttoned it. He grabbed his jacket from the coat rack, determined to pay Emily a visit despite the weather.

Oliver pulled up to the house to be as annoyed as ever from the congestion of traffic and stop lights. Taking a moment to collect himself, he leaned over the passenger seat to take out a notepad and pen from the glove compartment. He flicked up the collar of his rain coat and rushed towards the address listed in the file, hoping that this was the place. Oliver quickly moved inside of the apartment complex towards the fifth floor apartment C. Tapping his knuckles against the door, he quietly waited for Emily to answer the door.

--

"Okay. Just take a left over here." Callie mumbled to her boyfriend, looking down at the directions from Google Maps. There had been non-stop talk about this one abandoned building on the internet forums, citing numerous ghost sightings all over the place. There was nothing that could stop her curiosity from taking over as soon as she read it. "Five bucks that you run out of this place first, Brayden." She lightly teased as they pulled into the empty lot of the ghost building. The building was practically falling apart with its stone complexion showing cracks from years of abuse against the weather. Stepping out from the car, Callie ran up to the gate that was padlocked shut along with numerous warning signs. One said 'Private Property' while another was spray painted with alarming red ink stating 'Don't go inside!'. Rolling her eyes, the brunette glanced over her shoulder as Brayden trailed behind. "C'mon, Slowpoke." She used a slight running start then proceeded to jump and scale the fence, landing on the other side within no time. Callie wiped off the dust that had accumulated on her hands back onto her jeans while looking around.

Going up the steps of the decaying building, she wondered what would await them on the inside. "Supposedly, this place used to be a mental asylum for the crazies.." She informed her boyfriend, peeking her head inside of the dirty window. She placed her hand onto the metal doorknob of the entrance and gave it a nice jerk before it gave a loud creak open. Callie used both arms to pull back the door open. "Damn, that door was actually heavy." Using her hand, she waved her hand around to see past the dust that had accumulated in the air.

@ XxLithiumWingsxX
Emily sat on the couch, her fuzzy purple blanket wrapped around her, gazing off into space, her hands locked around her cup of tea but keeping it in her lap instead of near her lips. The rain was dancing steadily on her window panes in heavy rhythms and it made her anxious. Lately, everything made her anxious. She set her cup aside with a sigh, rubbing her temples as she tried to clear her mind. Ever since...the incident, she hadn't been the same. While it was never expicitly stated that the killer might be after her, the policeman who'd interviewed her certainly hadn't eased her worries that he might.

She tried to put it out of her mind, to focus on something else, anything else. The tv in front of her was off and she took the moment to examine her appearance in its dark reflection; ivory skin, wide dark green eyes, heavily contrasting black hair. She hadn't cut her hair in a while, she realized as it skimmed the bottom of her bra strap. She rather liked it that way.

When she heard knocking at her door, her heart nearly stopped. She turned around, looking at the door. It seemed so intimidating now, walking down the long hallway in the dark. She hadn't arranged to have any visitors. Her friends or family would've called before they came. She slowly stood up, the blanket still around her shoulders like a fuzzy cape, and she cautiously walked to the door. When she looked through the peephole, she relaxed a little when she saw a man standing there. He didn't look like he'd come to do her in.

She unlocked the door and the few locks that were on it, pulling it open enough so that her small form could take up space in the doorway. "Hi," she began, balancing herself in the doorframe. "Can I help you?"
--

Brayden nodded as Callie spoke, his thumbs tapping on the steering wheel of his Range Rover. It was his baby, besides Callie. Ever since she'd discovered this abandoned building on the internet, she'd talked about it nonstop. That was another thing he admired about her. When she wanted something, she stopped at nothing until she got it. Their getting together had been something like that.

"You say that now, until you see a spider," he teased her back as he pulled up to the empty lot, grinning at her as he parked. "Oh my god, a spider!" He said in a high pitched voice, mocking her, before he started laughing. He turned the car off before following her up to the gate, shoving his keys in his pocket. He whistled. The hospital was nothing to laugh at. It was in shambles, cracked and eroded from years of decay and tormenting weather. His eyes trailed over the many warning signs written on the gate and he felt a chill rush up his back.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," he said as he proceded to climb over the fence in a little less graceful manner than Callie used. He tugged his flannel free from the fence and moved to join her as they walked up the steps. "Jesus," he muttered as she spoke, shaking his head as he thought of all the documentaries he'd seen on such exploits. He laughed when she pulled open the door, flexing his biceps at her. "That's why you leave the heavy pulling to the professionals."

He made a face as he walked in, being greeted by layers of dust and dirt, looking around as he ventured in any way. Winking at her over his shoulder, he said, "c'mon, I'm sure there aren't any spiders in this old, abandoned hospital."

@ Miley Cyrus;

He completed one circle of steps in front of the doorway while waiting for Emily to answer, allowing her to take her time. There was no one else inside of the hallway besides Oliver anyway. Just from down the hallway, he could hear the acute noise of a couple fighting and screaming at each other. One had cheated on the other and the other would never forgive in return. Oliver knew to stay out of relationships as it would only complicate his nature. From behind the door before him, he heard the sound of footsteps slowly coming towards the door. They were careful, tentative, as if he were some sort of assailant coming to finish her up.

When the door slowly creaked open, he viewed the petite girl from behind it. Just from the pictures inside of the file, her complexion mirrored Emily Thatcher's . Although, the girl from the pictures had bright, excited eyes paired together with lips that curled into a joyful smile. He could not help but notice how she practically hid behind the door as if it were a defense weapon. It was a bit amusing to him that he could take it down in one foul swoop but scaring her would not help his purpose. "Good evening, Ms. Thatcher. I'm with the police, and I am working on your case." He introduced, reaching into his pocket slowly to produce his badge. Placing the badge back into his pocket, Oliver cleared his throat slightly before proceeding to tell her. "I was hoping that you would be willing to share what you saw the night of October 14th. May I come inside?" He glanced just past her to view the room. It was a disheveled mess with the smell of processed food reaching him front the front door.

--

Callie rolled her eyes in return when he flexed his muscles as the dust settled. "Were you a professional when you practically tripped over that fence?" She innocently questioned, automatically stepping inside of the building. The foul odor quickly reached her nostrils that seemed to be a mix between decay and death. "Ew, someone was wearing the wrong perfume when they came here." Callie joked while picking up her shirt to cover her nose, exposing some of her flesh. Moving forward towards the reception desk, or what seemed to be it, she peered over the edge to see more dust covering papers and binders. "Hmm, boring." She quickly concluded, skipping right past it.

Right behind the desk, she found a map of the whole entire building and reached into her back pocket to produce her phone. "We're gonna need this." She mumbled while taking the picture. Placing a finger against the dusty glass, she trailed it front the starting entrance. "I say we head straight for the best part - the max security ward." Callie grinned over her shoulder at him, mapping out the route they needed to take. "If there are any spiders, I will just feed you to them anyway."

@ XxLithiumWingsxX

Emily immediately knew he was with the police due to the hardened coolness that came along with him. Not hostile, but it gave him an edge that she knew many men on the force experienced after years of working with crimes. She nodded towards him when he produced his badge from his pocket, her eyes glancing towards it before she opened the door up wider so he could come in.

She felt a lingering darkness in her head and she pulled her blanket tighter around herself, as if it could protect her from any sort of harm. She didn't exactly want to talk to him, but if she ever wanted to experience some sort of justice, she knew she had to. "Yeah. Yeah, right, come in."

Her eyes darted around the hallway suspiciously before she shut the door behind them, quickly locking the door before she led him to the couch she'd previously occupied, turning the lights on this time. Her house was a bit unkempt (a bit being a stretch), but she was certain he'd seen worse and even if he hadn't, she wasn't going to bother with it now.

"I alright gave the police my statement, what else is it that you need to know exactly?" She asked nervously as she took a seat beside him, keeping a space between them. Just because he was 'the law', didn't mean she felt completely safe being with him. She wasn't sure if she'd ever feel completely safe ever again.
--

His cheeks reddened as she spoke and he rubbed the back of his neck. "I was just..." He looked around, wrinkling up his nose as the further in they walked, the worse the stench got. It smelled like something died in there. Something probably /has/ died in here, he thought, shaking his head as he followed Callie over to the decaying desk, glancing at the stacks of yellowed papers and layers upon layers of dust on...well, everything.

"Good call," he remarked, nodding in agreement, his eyes scanning over some of the paintings on the walls. They were more disturbing than cheerful; at this point in the aging process, the colors had all run together and smeared into large blobs. He grinned back at her in response, following after her as he stated cheerfully, "that's my girl."

"If the spiders eat me, then they'll have good taste," he boasted, grinning cheekily at her as he wrapped his arm around her, following her down the dim hallway. It seemingly got darker the farther in they went, but he wasn't bothered in the least. He could handle whatever they came into contact with, be it a stray cat or a homeless man. Besides, this place is supposed to be abandoned, he thought, and there's no such thing as ghosts.

@ Miley Cyrus;

Pausing for a moment, he then stepped inside of the apartment to view it in its full glory. Oliver glanced around the room and concluded that it pictured the same way that he had thought. There were random articles of clothing everywhere along with empty bags of chips and what not. There was no judgement in his mind though, and he had seen worse some people in worse shape. Emily was human after all. Oliver followed the purple cloaked girl back to the couch, giving her a decent amount of space in between them. It was obvious from her distant manner that she still wanted to be alone, and he would try his best to leave as soon as possible.

"I was hoping that you could give me your side of the story again. Any detail that you may remember is important, Emily." He questioned in a calm manner, despite having multiple things to ask. Oliver knew that it was best not to overwhelm her at the moment. One question at a time. His expression remained calm and collected, not wanting to bring her an harm. "Take all the time you need to remember." He attempted to encourage her while taking out the notepad and pen from inside of his coat pocket.

--

Giving a light shove, she laughed at how inflated his ego actually was but continued to walk beside him. "Make another right over here." She announced while moving down the hallway, getting excited already. The temperature in the air was starting to drop at a slow rate as they moved closed to the maximum security ward. "Y'know, when I was reading online, people kept saying that they heard rumors that one woman actually killed two of her guards before hanging herself from her window." She informed, hoping to give Brayden a bit of a fright.

Callie started to squint her eyes through the darkness, wondering where exactly they were. All beside them stood empty rooms with the walls completely padded to protect the patients from themselves. "This is so awesome. You always see these rooms inside of horror movies, but we are actually here." She could hardly contain her excitement, putting her phone back into her pocket. It seemed that they were in the right area. "Okay, okay. If I am correct, the room that the lady hung herself in is... right here." Callie led them inside of one of the rooms and unhooked herself from Brayden to poke her head outside of the window. Looking down, she could see that it was at least a four story drop to the bottom.

@ XxLithiumWingsxX

"Okay." She took a deep breath, trying to remind herself that he was only here to help her and her friend, Anna. She stared past him, going back in her mind and remembering. "Anna and I were on our way home. We'd met up for lunch and went shopping on the boulevard for a bit. We stopped at the park to rest for a bit. You know, that one where the little ducks swim in the pond? I love them, they're so cute.."

Realizing she was rambling a bit, she blushed, her pale cheeks turning light pink, before she continued hastily, "anyway, I was leaning over looking into the water, watching the ducks and everything, and that's when it got weird.."

She hesitated for a moment. She'd explained all of this to the police officers but they'd brushed her off, telling her she was traumatized and had simply blocked it all out. But she remembered. She'd never forget something like that. "This guy, we'd seen him before, at the restaurant and again at the park he was there, like he came from thin air. And Anna said she knew him, so she went to talk to him and then he...he got really mad. I don't know what they were talking about but it made him really mad. He..he bit her. And not in a sexual way or anything, he just bit her in her neck, like it was something he did all the time. And of course I freaked out and I screamed and I guess that's when he remembered I was there 'cause then he looked at me and he didn't even look..human. His eyes were really dark, and he had, like, these marks under his eyes."

"So, I screamed and he looked at me and dropped her to the ground and I was going to run but he was fast. Way too fast. He shoved my head under the water and I tried to move but he was too strong. He held me under for a while and then all of a sudden he left. And he took..." Her breathing was a little heavier now, and this time when she did look at him, her eyes were as wide as saucers. "He took her head with him."

--

"You should get a job being one of those GPS navigation ladies, I could listen to you give directions all day," he remarked, following her down the hallway. He looked over at her with his nose crinkled as she continued to talk. "Sure she's not related to you?" He joked, although he felt goosebumps on his arms. He didn't exactly believe the woman would be down there waiting for them, but he didn't want to disturb her final resting place either. He'd seen the movies, he knew how that worked.

Brayden was waiting for his eyes to adjust in the darkness, listening to Callie as she spoke before he nodded in agreement. "Totally. They should shoot a horror movie in here, they wouldn't even need any props." He followed her into the room, already unnerved when he felt the temperature drop in the room. He knew all about cold spots and he was certain they'd stumbled onto one here. He looked around the room, taking in the dirty mattress and torn pillow.

"Hey, look at this," he said as he reached into the hole in the mattress, ignoring the dirt and dust around his fingers before he pulled out a yellowed, torn book with ripped pages. He opened it up, grimacing when he saw what looked like dried blood scattered throughout the pages of it. "I guess your friend here was an artist."

@ Miley Cyrus;

Listening to her, Oliver jotted down some small amounts of information that had been missing from the report. Even the little part about the ducks. He had said that any little detail would be accounted for. Based upon the time of day, he was surprised that they would be bothered Most of the time, predators waited for the night time to come to hide in the shadows. Oliver paused when he heard of her speaking of someone biting her friend's neck. It was no surprise that she jumped at every little sound and was scared of anything that moved. Vampires. Of course, he was one himself, but Oliver did not prey on the innocent blood of civilians. "I understand, Ms. Thatcher. Please, take a deep breath. I know that was a traumatic experience." He made no attempt to reach over to comfort her, maintaining his distance. Glancing down at his list of notes, Oliver let out a soft sigh and readied his pen. "This man.. Do you have any idea what made him suddenly leave?" Vampires never left their victims without making sure that they were dead.

This case was starting to become more complex than he had ever realized. Oliver had no information on a newly-born or rogue vampire entering the town, but it would not be the city's first. About to ask another question, he opened his mouth but then quickly closed it. "Please be quiet for a moment, Ms. Thatcher." He requested, listening closely. There was something out there that was.. moving about. Oliver furrowed his eyebrows slightly before standing up to pace about the apartment. Another sudden noise of movement. "Okay, I think you should come with me. I believe that your safety may be jeopardized." He attempted to tell her in the best way possible. Moving back towards her bundled up in the purple blanket, Oliver held out his hand for her to take. "Time is of the essence."

--

"Oh, that is such a lie. You would swap me as soon as you found out there was a British accent." She countered, pulling herself back in front of the window. There had been claw marks that probably came from her nails when she constricted her throat. At first, Callie thought that those rumors were just jokes but it seemed to be true. Or from something else at least. "Ha. Ha. I am sure crazy lady was not related to my bloodline." Callie crossed the room towards him near the mattress, leaning over to see what he had produced. Raising an eyebrow, she took some of the drawings out of his hand. "I have always wanted to paint something with my blood." She joked, looking over at him with a small grin. Her eyes scanned the rest of the drawings until she paused on one of them. It seemed to be some type of symbol, but she could not seem to put it down. Folding up the paper, she tucked it into her pocket for safe keeping while the rest went back into the mattress. "I feel like she should pop out of no where any time soon. Or maybe, like, seeing her ghost being hung from the window again." Callie gave a slight shrug of the shoulders. "Seems like nothing else is in here though. This was a bore."

@ XxLithiumWingsxX

Emily nodded, trying to relax, taking deep breaths the way that he had instructed. She inhaled through her nose and exhaled through her mouth. After a couple of breaths, she felt a bit at ease. She looked at him when he asked her a question and she shook her head a little before she started thinking again. "I'm not really sure...I don't know, but I think it's because someone stopped them. Someone called the cops, and it wasn't me. And it must've been shortly after he stopped drowning me because I was still sitting by the fountain when they got there."

She stopped speaking when he told her to. Somehow, the expression on his face told her everything she needed to know. She clutched her blanket tighter, feeling a little ill at ease when he started pacing around her apartment. She didn't pace often, but when she did, it wasn't for no good reason. When he spoke to her, she automatically believed him. For whatever reason, she was going to let her fate rest in his hands. Looking into his eyes, she knew she believed him. She let her purple blanket fall back onto the couch, accepting his extended hand instead, her small fingers fitting easily between his much larger ones.

"Okay," she said softly, clutching his hand with hers, much like a small child would. Although granted, their was a bit of a size difference between the two of them. "Let's go."

--

"You would sound hot with a British accent," he concluded, chuckling to himself as he looked over at her, his eyes running over her form while she moved from the window. She was absolutely gorgeous and he had a hard time grasping how he'd gotten so lucky. He watched her as she took the book from him and he laughed. "Babe, I'm gonna pretend you didn't say that," he teased.

He looked around as she spoke, nodding in agreement. "This place gives me the creeps. Let's go further down the hall, there's probably a torture chamber or something nearby. I wanna look at it, it'll give me some ideas for when you're being naughty."

He grinned, walking down the hallway, looking around in the darkness before he came upon another room, this one much bigger than the others with a large window, allowing slivers of light in. His eyes were wide as he looked at the table, straps and headgear still on it. There were tools on the table beside it and he felt a knot form in the pit of his stomach. "This looks like an operating room, but somehow I don't think this is the same kind of hospital."

@ Miley Cyrus;

Her explanation only clarified his own suspicion of the vampire coming back to get Emily. She had been lucky the first time, but Oliver was sure that she would not be the second. Taking her hand, he figured that there was not much time before the vampire would trail her scent back to the apartment. He moved towards her window to find a fire escape, pulling open the window. "Take the fire escape down to the alley below. Quickly." He urged her as a thud was heard right against her front door. A wave of blood quickly followed behind it, sending a feeling of hunger into his stomach. Oliver grit his teeth to prevent himself from losing control while rushing down the ladder to Emily just below. He knew that he should have stopped by the blood bank to get something to eat before coming.

"My car is parked not far from here." He informed her, taking her hand once more. They would have to blend into a crowd soon and get out of the shadows. Oliver wanted to avoid as much contact with the other vampire as possible since it would only lead to conflict. Breaking off into a light run, he led her back to his car that was parked down the street. "I am going to take you back to the precinct, Ms. Thatcher. You should be safe there." He opened the car door for her and lightly jogged to the driver's side. Once the vampire would see that she was missing, the hunt would truly begin. Oliver inserted the key into the ignition and sped off onto the road.

--

Callie grinned over at him since she had finally gotten him to admit that he was freaked out. It made her giggle a little on the inside, especially after he had laughed at her from the spider incident. "Oh, you're the one who's naughty most of the time. I'm not even going to mention what you proposed last night. Even the ghosts might blush a little." She teased, lightly bumping hips with him as they walked. Entering into another darkened room, she found herself squinting once more. This time, the room smelled of old bleach and blood. It was not that much bearable than the last one. "..Maybe this was where they would do.. that electric shock therapy stuff." She proposed, hoping to ease her own worry. It made no sense as to why they would need scalpels or headgear to operate on the patients. If anything, they just needed a psychiatrist to work through their problems. "Yeah, I don't think they did naughty stuff you were of thinking in this room." Callie awkwardly laughed while reaching out for his hand. Even though she loved the thrill, this was taking it a bit too far.

@ XxLithiumWingsxX

When he lead her to the fire escape, she didn't heitate to follow his instructions and climb out of the window. Her small feet pattered quickly as she climbed down faster than she ever thought she could. Her heart was starting to pick up as she was certain that her killer was going to close in on them and try to steal their heads next.

When he took her hand she squeezed it, nodding as he spoke, rushing with him into the crowd of people. She felt better the further down she went. After all, no one would dare to make a move in broad daylight with so many people around, not even a crazed murderer. Right?

She got in on the passenger's side, quickly shutting the door and buckling up her seatbelt, trying to calm herself down. At this rate, she was going to have an aneurysm at some point soon.

"Thank you," she said after a moment, glancing over at the handsome detective and setting her hands in her lap. "If it wasn't for you, I would probably be dead by now."

--

"Uh huh, and might I remind you and all the ghosts here that you're the one who agreed do doing said naught things with me," he replied, bumping his hips back against hers. He remained by her side when they entered into this new section of the hospital, automatically clutching her hand in his, stepping slightly forward, as if he was protecting her from the darkness of the room.

"Yeah, it looks like it," he agreed, his thumb rubbing against the back of her palm. He tried to ignore the fact that the instruments on the table had dried blood on the tips, evidence of the fact that they had indeed been used.

"Come on, let's go. There's nothing interesting in here anyway," he replied, tugging on her hand. He didn't want her to see these kinds of things. The horrors had had taken place here were much too terrifying to imagine. "If we get back early enough, I might try some more of those naughty things on you."

@ Miley Cyrus;

Despite being a detective for the police department, Oliver sped down the street and was going well over the speed limit. The more space they put between them and the vampire was for the better. His hands gripped the steering wheel as he glanced over at Emily. He could hear her heartbeat racing at one mile a minute. "I am just doing my job. For now, I would advise that you stay at the station overnight. We can give you some food, clothes, and a place to sleep. Although, they may not be the best a hotel could offer." He offered, not feeling comfortable with the idea of her being alone. Oliver was already feeling on the edge with that vampire out and about, but he needed to protect this girl. She had no idea what her friend had accidentally dragged her into.

Pulling into the station, Oliver got out of his side of the car to open the passenger door. "How are you feeling, Ms. Thatcher?" He asked, despite already knowing from her heartbeat. It was slower, calmed but it was not completely at a normal rate, which was understandable. "I hope you don't mind if I continue to ask you questions inside of my office. Now that the killer may still be after you, it is imperative that we find this man before he finds you."

--

A part of her wondered what had actually happened to all of these people. It seemed like they were in a hurry to evacuate from all the dried blood on the medical supplies.. either that or they never sanitized in the first place. She felt a small shiver travel down her spine, urging her to step closer to Brayden. Callie's eyes dropped to the ground, taking a moment to pity those who had to go through this.

Luckily, she had Brayden by her side to just give her some sense of ease otherwise she would have been long gone by now. "There's plenty things that are interesting inside of here.. just too terrifying to actually figure out what it is.." She corrected, feeling the temperature drop suddenly once more. Callie shivered while huddling her jacket closer to her body. "Christ, it's cold in here. W-We should just get back outside for now, and maybe I will actually let you." She flashed a sly smile, ready to leave the building. Perhaps she should have actually listened to the warnings on the side of the building. Reaching into her back pocket, she found her phone and pulled up the map once more. "Crap, I'm running out of battery." She quickly scanned the photo she had taken earlier and attempted to identify their location. "I.. I think we should make a left over here. It says that there should be a staircase that leads back down to the main level."

@ XxLithiumWingsxX

Emily nodded as he spoke about her options. She had already been trying to come up with a plan and staying at the precinct seemed like as good an idea as any. At least then she'd be surrounded by people who were equipped to handle this sort of thing. And if Oliver was going to be there, well, that'd be even better. She reflexively tensed for a moment before she tried to relax. It was a bit overwhelming, but she'd deal with it. After all, she wouldn't be much help if she was in a panic the whole time.

"Okay. Yeah, okay, that sounds fine. It's not the Hilton, but the Hilton is overrated anyways," she gave him a small smile, her green eyes locking on his before she looked away. She felt a little more at ease as they pulled into the station.

"I'm...not good, but adjusting. I feel much safer being here," she admitted, her eyes shifting around a bit before they started walking up the steps to the precinct. "No, no. It's okay, really. I want to help in any way that I can. If I can help you to capture this guy then, well, I'm prepared to answer your questions until midnight."

--

"I'm just glad that this place is finally out. At least they can't torture anybody else now." Brayden assured her, his hands rubbing up and down her shoulders. The room, admittedly, had gotten much colder now. He wasn't sure if he was colder or if the thought of the grisly events here had gotten to him.

"Yeah, babe, let's go," he agreed, taking his jacket off and draping them around Callie's shoulders. "Oh, is that a promise?" He replied cheekily, grinning as he guided her out, his arm around her protectively. He was already beginning to feel a bit more at ease the further they got to the exit, although the darkness surrounded them was a bit unnerving even still. When she looked at her phone and declared it almost dead, he almost shivered. It seemed like something out of a horror movie or something. "Alright babe, you're the GPS," he said with a nervous chuckle, glancing around before they started to take the stairs. He let his hand slide down, giving her bottom a small squeeze before he moved his hand back up, chuckling under his breath. "Oops. Sorry, it's so dark in here..."

@ Miley Cyrus;

Offering a small smile, Oliver reached out his hand for her to take. It relieved a bit of the tension that had built up over the past half an hour. As long as she was underneath his protection, Oliver was sure that he could fend off her assailant. "I am glad to hear that you feel that way. If you want, I have a couch in my office that is currently unoccupied. Unless you would rather sleep on a cot in one of the cells." Those were the two options that he could offer her. Oliver was not quite sure if she would be comfortable sleeping in the same room where he would be working.

"The police department appreciates your cooperation." He escorted her inside of the station and brought her into his office for the questioning. Of course, he had to explain to his supervisor what had happened, leaving out the whole supernatural ordeal though. Once he cleared it with her, Oliver returned back to his office with a cup of decaf coffee and shrugged off his coat to place it onto the coat rack. He sat down in his office chair with a sigh and placed the cup of coffee in front of her. "Decaf. Okay, I believe that I cut you off. Is there anything else about this man that you can recall?"

--

Callie graciously received the jacket that was draped over her shoulders. "I am not making any promises with you, but I said I would consider it. If we ever get out of here." She shoved her phone back into her pocket with a sigh. All she could hope for was that they would actually get out of this hell hole. When they started to move down the stairs, she felt a pinch against her bottom and let out a quiet yelp. She turned on her heel to point an accusing finger against his chest. "It's going to get darker if I have to knee you in the groin for self protection from those pinches." Callie gave a sweet smile then gave light kiss on his cheek before continuing on down the stairs. Once she hit the platform on the bottom, she ran a hand through her hair. This definitely did not look like the entrance they had come through. "Shit.." She muttered to herself, taking out her phone once more. It seemed that they had taken the wrong staircase down to the basement of the facility. "The people on the forum said.. to avoid to this place at all costs.. All of them."

@ XxLithiumWingsxX

Emily smiled back at him as she took his hand, finding the coolness of it to be somewhat calming. She felt like he could handle anything that came to the pair; there was just something about him. I guess that's why he works on the police force, she thought vaguely before the two of them continued walking. She knew people were staring at them, but she really didn't care at that point.

"Alright, I'll take the couch, if you don't mind," she said quietly, tucking a piece of dark hair behind her ear. She didn't mind being in close quarters with him as much as she did before.

She sat down, graciously accepting the cup of coffee, taking a slow sip of it before she set it aside. Her mind was already whirling, trying to remember anything about that horrible night that she might not've before. "Not really..." she started to say before she looked up at him, tapping her fingers on her knee. "Wait. When they were arguing, I'm pretty sure Anna told him..." She forced herself to think harder, to remember what she could hear. "She was trying to be quiet, and I was trying to respect her privacy, you know? But I'm pretty sure when he grabbed her wrist she told him 'not now'. That's why he got mad. She didn't want to do something for him. She said, 'not now, James.'"

--

"Of course we will," he assured her, although he did feel a little paranoid, being in such a dark, dreary unfamiliar place. He'd be glad if they never saw this place again. Clearly it was a mistake coming here. "Gee, babe, I hear ya loud and clear." He put his hands up in surrender, a nervous chuckle expelling from his lips. Callie was beautiful and dangerous.

When he looked around, he bit his lip. This definitely was not where they had come out of. To be honest, he had no idea where they were. It seemed like they weren't getting out of here any time soon. His mind wandered back to the paintings on the wall and the bloody drawings. "What exactly is this place?" He muttered, looking around at all the darkness surrounded them. He almost flinched, expecting something to lunge out at them. His grip didn't loosen on the rusted handrail.

@ Miley Cyrus;

Oliver gave small nod and was delighted to have some company. Sometimes it did get a little bit lonely working by himself.

Going back to work, he started to jot down some notes again until she mentioned a name. "James. You're sure that this may be the name of her killer?" He asked just to make sure that he had heard it correctly. James was a common name within the city of thousands of people, but it was a start. Oliver could try tracing back names to new residents in New Shire or many new employees. "That's very useful information." He concluded to encourage her to continuing sharing with him. Pausing for a moment, Oliver recalled that he had never mentioned his name during the haste. "I apologize for my rudeness. I never introduced myself to you, Ms. Thatcher. I'm Detective Shurman. You can call me Oliver, if you wish. It is less of a mouthful for people." He cracked a small smile to lighten up the atmosphere. Outside, the sounds of lightening could be heard accompanied not long afterward by some thunder. The weather forecaster had predicted it to be a horrible night.

--

No one dared to even mention what they had seen when descending down the stairs, but Callie could feel a light draft bringing along the strong scent of decay. "I-I really don't know. Everyone just said.. to avoid it." She wondered if this is where they stored the dead bodies of those who had passed on during their stay at the asylum. The incinerator would have to be inside of the basement and with the putrid smell.. "Let's just turn around." She concluded while starting back up the stairs just in time to hear the sound of a light giggle. Callie automatically froze, not knowing how to react to that. The adrenaline starting to pump throughout her body while her mind screamed at her to run. "We could just follow the same way we came." Grabbing Brayden by the shirt, she tugged at him to come back up the stairs. "Where are you going?" The voice called out to them from the darkness. "This has to become sick joke that someone left behind."

@ XxLithiumWingsxX

Emily nodded quickly when he asked her. "Yes, I'm positive," she said firmly. She could hear it now clearly, Anna talking to her murderer. It chilled her to think that someone she was so close with could kill her so easily with no remorse. She just didn't understand some people.

"And I'm Emily, but you already know that. It's a pleasure to meet you, although I do wish it was under better circumstances," she replied, her smile matching his. When she heard the roll of thunder, it made her shiver. The weather for the night was terrible, getting even worse than it had been all day. While she wasn't particularly fond of the rough weather, she was certain it'd help her eventually lull to sleep, if she ever did get any tonight.

--

"Well, it smells like the place you go after you visit that room upstairs," he muttered, trying not to let the creepy feeling in his stomach get to him. He knew if he stepped off the staircase that would be it. They'd confirm what they already knew. The smell had practically done it for them.

"Yeah, I'm with you on that," he muttered, turning on his heel to follow her out. A chill ran down his spine when he heard giggling. It was pretty sure that, that wasn't Callie. It was distinctly childish and didn't sound like it came from beside him. His alpha man instincts had him crunched between turning and facing the evils around them or running with his tail between his legs. "Yeah, let's go. We can find some place more interesting, with preferably more light and a nicer perfume." When someone spoke to them, his grip on her tightened and he shook his head. "Just keep walking, don't even listen to it. It's probably some homeless freak with nothing better to-" He was cut off when something was thrown at him, narrowly missing his head. He bent to pick it up as they walked up the steps and he shouted. In the dim lighting from upstairs, he could make out a decaying finger in his hand.

@ Miley Cyrus;

Oliver had some more questions to ask, but he decided that those could wait until the morning. It was starting to near midnight without him even realizing it. Just from the dark circles forming underneath her eyes, he could see that she needed some sleep. He closed his notepad with a small sigh then gestured for her to take the couch. "Emily, please, get some rest. It has been a long day for me but especially for you. I can wait until tomorrow morning to ask you some more questions." Standing up, he moved towards the closet and produced a blanket with a pillow. Oliver gently placed them down onto the couch for her to use then returned back to the chair. Unlike her, he never had any use for sleep other than for relaxation purposes. "Don't worry about me. I have slept in this office chair too many times that I have lost count." He laughed while returning back to some paperwork he had to finish up.

--

Just ducking out of the way of the flying object, she urged for Brayden to leave it and groaned when he picked it up. She no longer wanted any part of this building. "Preferably with some alcohol and nice jazz music in the background, too." She tacked on, rushing up the stairs. It felt as though they were running from some unknown entity even if it had not been chasing them. When Callie reached the top, she paused to gain back some of her breath and glanced over at him, wondering what it had been. She quickly viewed the decayed finger, smacking it out of his hand. "Oh my god! That's disgusting." Even she could not take the sight of the blood and the critters crawling on it. Callie shoved the finger back down the stairs with her foot hopefully never to see it again. "That's it!" She exclaimed while reaching in her pocket to find that her phone had just died on her. Running a frustrated hand through her hair, Callie tried to remember how they had gotten inside of the building and retraced her footsteps. "I would rather keep moving than stand here."

@ XxLithiumWingsxX

She glanced at the wall to find that it was already nearing midnight. Had the time really escaped them so much? Evidently, it had. She looked up at him as he spoke before she sighed, reluctantly nodding in agreement. She didn't want to stop, feeling one step closer to solving her friend's murder, but she couldn't deny the fatigue that was taking over her. "Okay," she agreed with a small sigh as he gave her a pillow and a blanket to use. She slowly stretched herself out on the couch, finding a comfortable position for herself, closing her tired eyes. "Alright, I'll see you in the morning then," she murmured, keeping her eyes closed. "Try not to work yourself too hard."

--

Brayden tried to keep himself together as they emerged together from the staircase, his heart racing, dropping the offending appendage immediately when she smacked it out of his hands. He made a mental note to wash his hands as soon as he could. "Let's just try and retrace our steps. The sooner we get out of here the better," he muttered, shaking his head as he grabbed her hand, guiding her away from the tormenting staircase. He looked around, trying to remember where all they had come from before he nodded towards one hall. "Let's go this way. I'm pretty sure this is where we came from."

@ Miley Cyrus;

"Good night, Emily." A small smile played on his lips from behind the computer since there was no way to over work someone like him. Oliver was practically made to become a workaholic. When he was sure that she had fallen asleep, he started to investigate more into the case. He started by the first name of James and worked his way out from there. Apparently, there were a few who had been seen on local camera walking along side of Emily's friend. It may have been by coincidence though. Although on one feed, the pair disappeared from the camera. Oliver frowned slightly, wondering how that had been even possible. Unless.. They had disappeared down an alleyway out of sight. He started to fit the piece of the puzzle together slowly.

--

"You better not touch me with that hand that was holding that finger." She protested just to lighten up the heavy tension In the air. Callie followed closely behind him, looking around their surroundings. Every single hallway looked similar with the same white walls and the same eerie vibe. It was like walking around in circles. "We need to mark the walls with something. I feel like we are going no where, Brayden." Callie gave a defeated sigh, not knowing what to do about the predicament they were in. She started to blame herself for the whole ordeal. If she had not insisted on coming to the abandoned building, they could have been at his apartment eating pizza and watching Netflix. "I feel so stupid." She muttered to herself while rounding another corner towards a familiar looking hallway.