The Chimera (Legends of the Dark Creatures Book 2)
Chapter Twenty-Four: The Darkness Within

It was a few minutes past three in the afternoon when Ashley arrived at the Sheriff’s Station. Her practice session with Mila had ended about an hour ago when Mila received a call from her mother and left. Realizing that she hadn’t eaten anything since last night, Ashley had stopped by a local fast food outlet and grabbed herself a sweet doughnut and a fizzy soft drink. She had sat there for almost ten minutes and throughout that time she kept staring at the Diner across the road. It was a saddening sight. The Diner’s sign longer greeted people with its green neon light. People passing by would occasionally peek through the closed windows, gazing at the empty wooden chairs and tables that each held a special memory for them. Ashley herself had even closed her eyes at some point; trying her best to imagine the little chime the bell made whenever she opened the door.

As Ashley sat at the food outlet she felt like her heart was going to explode. She was never going to see Claudia again. The ten-thousand-year-old vampire that had been living under the name Coley here in Ravenhill was gone forever. Despite her horrific past, Claudia had turned away from the darkness and she led a very peaceful and quiet life. Even though people didn’t know what she was, they all loved her.

She was especially fond of Ashley and her friends. Whenever a falling out occurred between them, Claudia was usually the one who would resolve their issues.

No one would ever know what happened to her. Claudia was immortal and after staying in Ravenhill for seven years she had been planning on leaving town before people began noticing that she hadn’t aged a day. And that’s what everyone now thought; that their favorite diner owner and friend Coley Andrews had just left town and would maybe come back someday.

But she was never coming back Ashley thought to herself. On the day Ashley and her friends fought battled Sebastian, Claudia fell at the hands of the Hunters. All she could do was hope that Claudia’s death was a peaceful one. Ashley kept thinking about what she could have done if she were there. Not just for Claudia but for Alex as well.

Ashley’s hands folded into a fist. She had all this power and yet she couldn’t protect those close to her. The power she had wasn’t enough. Once again, Ashley recalled how unless she was against the Dark Trinity. She remembered how grateful she felt when Ethan had saved her. She had even run off to thank him. But in the end, she was just a tool to him; a tool for his plan. This plan would most likely endanger the town and the only one powerful enough to stop Ethan was Deimos; who was trapped in the spirit realm. Deimos was their only hope.

Ashley let out a surprisingly sinister chuckle. All she ever did was place her hope in others. Deimos, Richard, Adrian... They all wielded immense power and she was the one who was always who needed saving. She wanted to be powerful too; she wanted to be strong enough for not only protect others but herself.

Shaking off her thought, Ashley sighed and walked to the entrance of the Sheriff’s Station.

“If it isn’t our little troublemaker,” a brunette with brown skin and dark eyes said, opening the door before Ashley could even hold the handle. “Hey Leo, look who decided to stop by today.”

“At least she came in willingly this time,” Officer Leonard laughed, as he stepped out of a room while carrying three large boxes.

“Hey... no fair,” Ashley complained. With a frown and a smile in her heart, Ashley walked inside the building. Officers Leonard Hunk and Meagan Russell were two of the three deputies in the Sheriff’s department. They both graduated from Ravenhill High three years ago and had chosen to pursue careers in law enforcement.

“So what did you guys do this time?” Meagan asked. “You, I’m used to seeing, but imagine my shock when I saw the Chief Deputy Sheriff reel in your entire squad; including his son.”

“They are still here?” asked Ashley, tilting her head and looking at the Deputy Sheriff’s office.

Meagan nodded, “In his office. And there was some handsome guy who appears to be very close to Sara-- wait, don’t change the subject. Come on, spill.”

Ashley saw the door to Mr. Anderson’s office open. “That will be enough questioning,” Mr. Anderson said to Meagan.

“Sorry sir,” Meagan replied standing straight.

Mr. Anderson laughed and said, “Relax deputy. And there is nothing to worry about.”

“Is that right?” Meagan’s eyes narrowed as she looked at Ashley questioningly. She raised both her arms retiringly and said, “If you say so. Oh, and sir-” Meagan then run into her office and pulled a large brown envelope from one of the cabinets.

Handing the file to Mr. Anderson, Meagan said, “It seems like the SPD is completely taking over the Stacy Hill case--” She then cut off when she remembered that Ashley was in the room.

“It’s alright Meg,” Ashley said with a smile. Almost everyone in town was sensitive around her whenever they spoke about Stacy.

Ashley was guided into Mr. Anderson’s office. Upon entering, Ashley saw Samantha seated alone on a brown couch. Claire was seating next to Sara and Spencer. Luke- dressed in a green T-shirt and black jeans- was standing next to his father’s old desk, reading some files.

“We’ve been waiting for you Ashley,” Mr. Anderson said. “Before he left, Robert told us what happened in Ethan’s... um... Pocket Dimension?”

“But he didn’t tell us why you were there in the first place, Ash,” Luke added.

“I went to make a deal with Ethan,” Ashley said, taking a seat. The eyes of everyone shot wide open.

“What kind of deal exactly?” Spencer asked folding his arms.

“It doesn’t matter now,” Ashley replied. “Ethan doesn’t mean to harm anyone in our town but that’s only if we don’t get in his way.”

Sara made some hand signs asking Ashley what it was they shouldn’t get in the way of.

“I honestly don’t know, Sara,” Ashley said. “But I think it would be best if we all steer clear away from him for the time being.” Ashley threw a gaze at Mr. Anderson. “Mr. Anderson you said there was something you wanted to show me.”

“You can call me, Liam,” he replied and walked to his desk. He beckoned everyone in the room to come closer to him. When everyone was gathered around him, Mr. Anderson began to open the files one by one.

“These are some unsolved cases that have been keeping my dad awake over the past years,” Luke spoke.

“Yes and each one contains very bizarre elements,” Liam agreed.

Ashley got a file and opened it. It was a report about the murder of a twenty-five-year-old woman named Mildred Summerhold. The report said that on the fifteenth of November 2018, Mildred was found dead in the woods by a jogger. Her neck had been sliced open but there wasn’t a single drop of blood found anywhere near the scene. The M.E who was part of this case further concluded that Mildred’s neck had been slashed postmortem; meaning that she had probably died before her killer cut her throat.

“Most dark creatures usually kill their victims this way,” Spencer uttered as he glanced over the file Ashley was reading. Everyone’s attention was now on him.

“Dark creatures? Don’t you mean vampires?” Liam asked, his brown eyes flaring with confusion.

Spencer smirked. “Vampires are just one branch shooting out of a very scary tree.”

“What do you mean?” asked Liam.

“Well, vampires aren’t the only creatures that feed on the blood of the living.” This time it was Ashley who spoke. “Many living creatures can become dark ones. The reason vampires are many is because of how easy the transition into one is.”

“All we had to do was have our sire’s blood in our bloody and die with it,” Spencer finished, reminding everyone of what he was. “Life is in blood and to survive, dark creatures have to feed on it. But some simply feed on humans and later use compulsion to erase their victim’s memory of the act.”

“Which one are you?” Liam suddenly asked and a wave of tension spread through the room.

A defiant smirk formed across Spencer’s face. “Let’s just say I am the kind you won’t be worrying about.”

Sara held Spencer’s by the hand, looked into his eyes, and shook her head disapprovingly.

Spencer sighed and said, “I am on a blood-bag diet... for now... ouch!”

Sara had squeezed Spencer’s hand and Ashley smiled when she noticed how adorable the two were.

“Sorry love,” Spencer said, throwing his arm around Sara who smiled back at him.

Luke coughed and grabbed everyone’s attention. “Um... So dad... These cases... You think that supernatural creatures were involved.”

“I am not entirely sure,” Liam replied, retreating his gaze away from Spencer. “But lately, cases like these have been increasing. Like this one.” He opened a file. “Charles Markus, an international tourist who suddenly went missing about two weeks ago. But what was peculiar about this incident was that the woman he was with at the hotel room they’d booked said that he went into the bathroom for a shower. After one or two minutes she walked in two join him but all she found was a hot shower running and a towel on the floor.”

“And there was no way he or anyone else could have entered inside?” Claire asked.

“Not that we or the Salem Police Department could replace. Ravenhill has always been sullied with mysterious cases,” Liam said. “The many unsolved murders, kidnappings, and disappearances have been bothering not only me but our current Sheriff as well as many others before her.”

Sara raised her hand and signed, saying that some of the cases Liam was showing them were resolved by the Hunters. Sara then picked up the file Ashley had been reading earlier and said that she was the one who personally destroyed the vampire that murdered Mildred Summerhold.

“That’s my gal,” Spencer boasted and Sara’s face flushed red.

Liam chuckled and turned towards Ashley. “Luke told me all about what you have done for the town--” He paused and looked at everyone. “What you all have done. Protecting us from demons? I don’t know if I should be proud or worried about your kids getting hurt.”

Ashley smiled at the Deputy Sheriff and said, “Honestly you shouldn’t be thanking me. It was, after all, because of me that Ethan awakened.”

Sara walked over to Ashley, held her hands, and shook her head.

“Come on Ash, we all know that it wasn’t your fault,” Luke said, holding her shoulder.

“My son’s right, Ashley,” Liam said. “Right now we shouldn’t dwell on what happened but focus on what we can do. This is why I would like to assist in any way I can. I may not have any superpowers but I don’t think my mind can be at rest if I am put on the sidelines. And to be honest, if these were ‘normal’ cases I would have asked you, kids, to step aside and let the professionals handle it despite your gifts.”

Spencer walked over to Mr. Anderson. “I don’t know about the rest but this kid...” He pointed at Sara. “This kid right here has not only been protecting this town but people around the world as well. I am sorry for my attitude earlier but I hope I too can be of use.”

Liam and Spencer shook hands. This was the start of a great partnership and friendship Ashley thought. With the Hunters’ in chaos, after Ethan killed five of their Grandmasters, Ravenhill needs all the help it could get to protect the ordinary town’s people.

Ashley sent a glance over to Samantha who had been quiet all this time. Sam was dressed in dry clothes-- probably Meagan’s-- and kept her eyes fixed upon the files she was reading. Ashley wasn’t still sure if Sam had been lying to her all this time. Ethan had said that any human in his Pocket Dimension would die if the sun rose; however, Sam was perfectly fine when Ashley found her.

“Ashley,” Liam suddenly called. “This is actually what I wanted to show you and why I called all of you guys here.”

Ashley was presented with the same envelope she’d seen Meagan give Liam. She opened it and a shiver went through her when she saw the pictures inside. The files were autopsy reports and showed the two people lying on an operating table. According to the report, the two were both staff at the Oregon State Hospital’s psychiatric wing. The male- forty-three years old according to the report- was found with his blood frozen while the female who was thirty-three years old with short dark hair had died after her upper body was severed in half by an unknown yet extremely thin and sharp object according to the report.

“Those two- Miriam Golfs and Thomas Briley- were Stacy Hill’s attendants at the asylum,” Mr. Anderson spoke. “They were killed the day Stacy escaped.”

“Stacy couldn’t have done this,” Ashley said. “She may be supernatural but not this powerful.”

Liam lifted his head. “Wait, Stacy is a supernatural like you Ashley?”

“Well not like me,” Ashley said. “She has the power to see into the future. Which is why she tried to kill me eighteen months ago. It was all because she saw that I would be the reason Ethan awakened.”

Everyone in the room was quiet. They all had so much pity in their eyes that Ashley felt even more anger toward herself. She didn’t want their pity. What she wanted was to end this once and for all even though a side of her kept pondering if it would ever end.

“Anyway,” Ashley said, breaking the silence. “It is clear that Stacy had help. Someone wanted her out of the asylum and judging by the way Thomas’ blood was frozen... it’s possible that whoever took Stacy was a Water Element Master like me.”

“So they killed Thomas by freezing the water in his blood?” Luke asked. “But I thought Water Element Masters can only control pure ocean water.”

“The dark ones can,” Ashley replied and ended there. She didn’t want to bring up the fact that she too was able to control water other than pure ocean water. “Anyway, Mr. Anderson... Liam, I am not sure why someone would help Stacy escape but I have a strong feeling it involves me. Stacy will come for me but unlike last time, I am not going to let anyone get hurt or killed.”

“So, how do you propose we handle this?” Liam asked.

“Just leave the details about that to me,” Ashley confidently stated.

Before she said anything else, her phone which was inside the pocket of her hooded leather jacket, vibrated. Pulling it out, Ashley found that she had received a text from an unknown number.

Game on

That’s what the text read and Ashley knew exactly who sent it.

She placed her phone in her pocket and told no one about the text she’d just received. It was funny she thought. Normally, anything relating to Stacy would send Ashley on the edge of a breakdown. but after reading the declaration of war Stacy had just sent, a malevolent thrill stirred up inside her. She wasn’t afraid; in fact, she was looking forward to meeting Stacy and whoever she was working with.

Ashley’s body was tingling with excitement. She wondered why she thought she was powerless earlier.

“You are not a dark creature half-breed but you have the potential to become an even more powerful being”

Those were Ethan’s exact words and for once Ashley was going to believe that monster. Stacy wanted a war and Ashley was going to give her one. One of the creatures helping Stacy was a Water Element Master; and a powerful one at that. This was a perfect chance to test how strong she’d really gotten.

Ashley bit the inside of her lip when she thought of how exciting events were unfolding but little did she know that the ugly thoughts she harbored were slowly feeding a dark power within her that would one day threaten to destroy everything and everyone she held dear.

...

As if Ashley doesn’t have enough on her plate already.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter.