2019 Late Halloween Night
Promise City
Promise City Graveyard
The wind howled through Promise City Graveyard.
Near crouched beside a freshly disturbed patch of earth, examining the tracks left behind by his quarry. The Promise City Teeth Snatcher. A serial killer who removes the teeth of his victims.
'Sunohara, tell me again why I'm spending Halloween chasing a man who collects human teeth?'
His commlink crackled.
Near knelt in a particularly strange mound of mud.
Sunohara: 'Because you're the one who decided to become a vigilante, Edward.'
'Remind me to fire you.'
Sunohara: 'You don't pay me.'
'Then I'll stop paying you nothing.'
Sunohara: 'Very funny.'
Near rose, brushing the dirt from his gloves.
'I'm beginning to think the criminal has left the city.'
Sunohara: 'Oh? And what makes you say that?'
A branch snapped behind him.
Near turned. His blue eyes immediately narrowed at the sight.
A clown stood between the gravestones.
Its face was painted white, its smile stretched unnaturally wide. A rusted knife hung loosely in its hand.
Near stared.
'…Seriously?'
The clown lunged.
Near dodged, driving his elbow into its chest. But instead of falling, the creature shattered into a cloud of black smoke.
'Magic?.. Impossible.'
Three more figures emerged from the darkness.
A skeleton warrior carrying a rusted sword.
A Revolutionary War soldier with a hole through his chest.
And a Civil War soldier whose empty eyes glowed an unnatural green.
Sunohara's voice came through the commlink.
Sunohara: 'Edward? I'm detecting something strange on your signal. Are you alright?'
'Define alright.'
The skeleton charged.
Near drew his blade, parrying its rusty sword before kicking it backwards into a gravestone.
The Revolutionary soldier raised an ancient musket.
Near threw himself behind a stone angel as the weapon fired, not a bullet, but a burst of sickly green flame.
'Sunohara!'
Sunohara: 'I'm working on it!'
'Work faster!'
A voice drifted through the graveyard.
'Such a spirited little creature.'
Near looked towards the cemetery gates.
A man stood beneath the flickering streetlamp, dressed in an old-fashioned black coat. His pale face was framed by dark hair, and an ancient pendant hung around his neck.
He raised one hand.
The creatures stopped moving.
'Welcome to Promise City, vigilante.'
Near tightened his grip on his sword.
'And you are?'
'Seren Lestat.'
The man's smile widened.
'A warlock, born in an age your historians barely remember.'
'Wonderful. A Halloween enthusiast'
Lestat laughed.
'Tell me, Near. Do you believe the dead should remain dead?'
'I believe people who attack me should remain down.'
For the first time, Lestat's expression changed.
Then he lifted his hand.
Every gravestone in the cemetery began to tremble.
Near stared at the rising earth.
'Sunohara?'
Sunohara: 'I'm seeing it.'
'Please tell me this is a technical malfunction.'
Sunohara: 'Unless your equipment has developed the ability to raise the dead, I don't think so!'
The ground split open.
A figure climbed from the earth, wearing the uniform of a British Revolutionary War soldier. Unlike the others, he carried no weapon. Around his neck hung a tarnished pendant.
He looked at Near with an expression of profound confusion.
Then he looked at Lestat.
'Where… am I?'
The warlock's smile vanished.
'You are not part of this summoning.'
The soldier touched the ancient pendant.
'My family… Where is my family?'
Near stepped between them.
'Easy. Nobody's answering questions until someone explains what's happening.'
The soldier looked at him.
'Who are you?'
Near hesitated.
'Someone having a very bad Halloween.'
The soldier glanced at the modern city beyond the cemetery walls.
His eyes widened.
'Good Lord.'
He stammered
'T-That is not my city..'
He looked down at his uniform.
Then back at Near.
'Have I been dead?'
Near slowly turned towards Lestat.
'You have a lot of explaining to do.'
The warlock's eyes burned with dark magic.
'Oh, I intend to explain everything.'
He raised both hands.
The creatures turned towards Near once more.
'But first, let us see whether Promise City's legendary vigilante can survive the dead.'
Near lowered his stance.
His commlink crackled.
Sunohara: 'Edward,' Sunohara said quietly. Sunohara: 'Whatever you're dealing with… I don't think it's human.'
Near watched the monsters advance.
'Then it's a good thing I'm not here to arrest it.'
He drew his second weapon.
'Happy Halloween.'
TO BE CONTINUED… 🎃