Shadows in the Dark Read Online Free

It was silent in the room for a second. I
looked over at the man and saw that he was getting rough with
rubbing his finger on the sharp part of the knife. Too rough.
He pierced his skin, opening a gap in his finger, letting blood
seep through and drip on the floor. All of a sudden, he threw his
knife at my face.
The knife stabbed into the floor right next to my head, barely
missing. It stuck in its place, not even budging.
“ Don’t you dare refuse, detective!” His yell sounded muffled from the mask covering
his face, echoing around the room. “ I put
a lot of thought into this, I swear! You must do it for me, it’s
only fair!” The man grabbed my shirt
and threw me against the wall, making me grunt in surprise. He
slammed his hands against the wall and put his face up close to
mine.
“ Detective,” he
said as quiet as a whisper, “you have no choice. Listen to
me, listen to my voice! The clock is ticking, you must not disrupt. Or
your world with surely erupt. So accept the fact that you
must kill. For if
you don’t, I most certainly will.”
He started a slow chuckle as he backed away from me, not breaking
eye contact. He grabbed the knife and pulled it out of the ground,
sticking it into his pocket. But he wasn’t done talking.
“Taking someone’s life isn’t so bad. It’s actually the best feeling
I’ve ever had. Let’s hope you commit to doing your job. Or else you
will end up like poor old Bob.” He started laughing hysterically,
tilting his head back.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” I said, feeling my heart beating
faster than ever. The man stopped laughing and slowly looked down
at me. He knelt down and a small, almost silent, chuckle came from
behind that mask.  
“Rhyming Ralph, that’s my name. Murdering people, that’s the
game.”
    …
    Not even attempting to get
out, I lay motionless in the trunk of the Ralph’s car. The ride was
bumpy, no doubt about that. But I made it through.
Ralph stopped the car, opened to trunk, and dragged me out. My back
hit the ground pretty hard, making me grunt. But that was the worst
of it.
Before Ralph had stuck me in his trunk, he had put the bag back
over my head. Having no idea where I was, only knowing I was in a
grassy field due to having the grass brush against my skin, I did
panic a little. But I knew he wasn’t going to kill me. He said
himself that he needed me. Well, unless I refused to do his dirty
work. But I was a detective. I was Detective Eli. I would figure
out how to stop this somehow. Hopefully.
Ralph ripped the bag from my head, and I finally saw where I was. I
was in the middle of a grassy field surrounded by trees. The tall
grass blew rhythmically with the wind, swaying like the waves of a
gorgeous ocean.
“Where am I?” I asked. Ralph only looked at me, but didn’t say
anything. He stood there for a few seconds, and then turned around
to walk away. But I had more questions.
Ralph grabbed a bag from the back of his car and carefully set it
down next to me. I already knew what it was, but I asked any
way.
“Is this the bomb?” Once again he didn’t answer. He just stood
there for a second, then turned around.
“Wait! At Bob Garrison’s crime scene, you left a picture! A picture
of a little girl! Who is she? What does she have to do with this?”
My breathing became harder as I watched Ralph’s jacket sway in the
wind. He stopped and stared at the ground, not saying a single
word. Then, he slowly turned around and looked at me.
“That little girl’s life is in your hands. If you want her to live,
then don’t screw up my plans. You do as you’re told, and she won’t
be harmed. I will turn myself in, truthfully and unarmed.
 Don’t think about running, that wouldn’t be smart. Because
I’ll be watching you during that part. Let’s hope that you finish
in time. Or her death will just be another crime.”
Ralph turned back around and started to walk away. A sudden rage
filled my heart and head. I could feel the blood