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Enclosed is my story.
the alchemist
The suspect was wanted for numerous murders of men, women, children and even a judge. Tonight, he would arrest the perpetrator for his crimes. Tonight, the city will be safe again to venture at night and the murdered victims avenged. Detective Conroy had worked on the case for 2 years and it was drawing to an end. He could feel it, the tip off from the mystery caller seemed correct. The eerie maintenance tunnel he was jogging down felt like the secret passage into another world.
The world of the serial killer dubbed “the alchemist”.
Despite the echoing footsteps that would’ve awoken the dead or alerted a serial killer to his presence, Conroy didn’t care. If the caller was correct, there was no other way BUT the tunnel he was running down. Besides, in the unlikely event that he couldn’t get his man tonight, the lair would have contained enough evidence to guarantee the arrest and perhaps discovering the motivations behind the murders or the location of any other missing people.
Conroy saw the distant light at the end of the tunnel; he drew out his 9mm pistol and approached the entrance of the alchemist with readiness and caution for anything.
His experience in wonderland was about to begin.
Candles illuminated the octagon room revealing the dark burgundy walls decorated with stains from various chemicals and scratch marks of pentagrams and other cult symbols. Shelves of bottles, books on the occult and victims body parts, heads of victims he recognised from DNA testing on dismembered parts and family photos adorned each wall.
It almost felt reminiscent to the case with the Goth serial killer and his bondage dungeon, which ended with the Goth killer dying from an (predictable) allergic reaction to bullets. The detective wanted this suspect alive this time and he was to do all he could to take the wanted man back for further questioning for his murders.
The slim, middle-aged detective spotted the alchemist, dressed in monk’s robes, hunched backed in a chair and reading some ancient book. Damn ugly, no doubt very old or very scary. Perhaps even deaf to have not noticed the loud stampede of footsteps down the corridor.
“Police raise your hands up!” Conroy shouted he pointed the handgun at the old man. Shooting him in the back seemed very tempting.
“So… you have arrived. I assume the phone call I made was sufficient in getting you here, yes?” The alchemist replied in a calm tone.
“Sweet jesus…” Conroy couldn’t believe it. The alchemist had been lead here like a mouse lured in by the aroma of stinking cheese. “Why, how do you know me?” quizzed the detective.
“It matters not, my son, how I know you, why I asked you here was to convert you…” replied the hunched stranger. His gaze still upon the book.
The proverbial mousetrap had no doubt been sprung. If conroy was to survive, he needed to be in control. “PUT YOUR HANDS UP TO WHERE I CAN SEE THEM!”
The alchemist continued to speak. “Tell me, mr conroy, are you another follower of light or are you someone else? Are you in the shadows or better yet, a follower of the dark?”
“Shut the hell up! I tracked you this far alchemist, I care not what you’re raving about nor do I care whether my alignment in life is in the light or dark! All I care is doing what is right and let good prevail! “
The hunched back man turned and leaned forward revealing for the first time his leather face “Ah, you’ve finally answered my question. You’re a believer of the light.” The alchemist sniggered with delight and disgust.
“Foolish mortal, you’ve chosen to believe in the light without even a second thought of contemplating how darkness can benefit you…nor, how the light can betray and eventually destroy the most devoted of its followers.”
The detective grew impatient, the old hunchback was making no sense and in conroy’s eyes clearly delusional. “Quit your babbling and put your hands UP!” The alchemist ignored the detective’s demands.
“The light is evil, its heat burns flesh and fields of man and bringing merely hell on earth, it eliminates freedom and illuminates mans convictions and eternal domination. We become the prisoners of light. The freedom to rest, the freedom to pleasure, the freedom to hide from ones…inner fears, Gone. The darkness is quite opposite, the darkness gives freedom to all, it’s provides the means to give man his greatest desires and needs without guilt. The need to sleep, the need for pleasure, the need for…rebirth.”
“Rebirth?”
“Oh yes, think about it, we give birth and die in darkness, darkness is very much apart of us….from start to end, watching us even to the time when we are snatched away from the forces that serve the light “ The man chuckled, Conroy began to feel nervous.
“Put it this way, take this curious customer.” The old man turned around and retrieved a pickling jar from the shelf above the table. The detective stared on in disbelief. He didn’t recognise the face from the list of murdered people photos, inside was another victims head. Pickled and preserved for the alchemist’s amusement for decades to come.
“Johnny needed to repay his “loan shark” the “substantial” loan that he used to purchase gifts for his numerous mistresses that he frequently visits at night. To satisfy his inner dark pleasure you see. He can’t get the funds from being in the light, working daytime hours for money, no, he turns to the darkness, decides to enter a loving family home, murder a single mother and her 2 daughters aged 4 and 10. He saves himself for a new chance at life and sends 3 of the lights followers to their reward… so he said. Isn’t the darkness wonderful?
“You’re sick. The darkness also hides the evil of man and monster alike. I’m glad that you killed that man and saved the government paperwork for a once in a life time chance on the electric chair…”
“it’s a matter of how man and monster decide to interact. It’s up to man whether they prefer to hide or embrace the darkness… now, won’t you reconsider your… alignment?”
“Go to hell. I’ve had enough of your babbling and your half arsed attempt to persuade me. Raise your-“
“How disappointing that you still remain loyal to the light and disappoint the darkness…” The alchemist interrupted “let me show you personally what the darkness offers…” the gentle smile on the persons face was now gone. Instead the hunchback began to mutate, tearing the fabric of the monk robes, gaining mass, black fleshy muscle and…horns. He was some sort of daemon of another world. The detective started to feel foolish, his bold move of arresting the “serial killer” single handily without radioing for back up, now potentially meant his name being added to the long list of dead. The demon hissed and snarled.
“I WILL SAVE YOUR SOUL FROM THE LIGHT EVEN IF IT MEANS TAKING YOUR LIFE! I WILL RIP IT FROM YOUR CORRUPTED BODY!!!”
The beast lunged forward claws drawn and attempted to swipe at the scared detective. Conroy dived out of the way and backed off to gain some distance from the monster, He fired several shots from his 9mm in quick succession, bullets sinking into the monsters flesh with little apparent effect.
The monster turned, lunging forward to swipe at the fleeing Conroy again. Sensing the danger he turned and side stepped making the creature smash into a stack of shelves breaking the contents of the jars onto the demon itself.
Time seemed to slow down around Conroy; his concentration was on the beast and thinking up a plan to survive. He knew he couldn’t outrun the beast down the 100 metres or so of corridor nor would guns hurt it. Thinking was cut short when the beast finally succeeded in grabbing conroy and raised him to the monsters eye level. The noxious stench of the beast now highly intense, the beast began to taunt the detective.
“WHEN I DISMEMBER YOU I WILL HAVE YOUR CARCASS IN MY JARS AS MY TROPHY OF MY CONVERSIONS!!!”
Conroy was hurled to the other side of the room, crashing into shelves of books. An almost electrical pain surged down his back as he picked himself up. Panic began to set in as he cowered into a corner of the room, Death looming ever closer. A very large jar of acid and lantern oil caught conroys eye, perhaps salvation from this nightmare. With renewed vigour and desperation, Conroy threw both of the liquids at the beast, catching it by surprise and blinding it as the acid and oil reacted. Conroy ran for the exit, the head start would help him escape. The monster now blinded, began to swipe wildly, the detective fired at the beast again hoping to distract it away from the exit.
The creature burst into flames as the searing lead unexpectedly reacted with the oil, the beast began to move erratically catching practically everything alight as it stumbled around the room. Conroy began to flee, leaving the beast to burn. An almost ironic gift from the light he so hated.
He began to sprinted down the tunnel, pushing his legs and body to the max away from the deafening explosions echoing down the corridor as the other various chemicals of the alchemist lair caught alight.
Conroy ran up the stairs and sealed the maintenance door behind him. It was still night and the fresh air felt good to remove the stench of the lair. Police and fire sirens could be heard in the distance, smoke bellowing out of the door as the lair burned. Conroy slumped to the ground exhausted. Everyone would want answers from Conroy now, why he was here and what happened. No one would believe him and no doubt accuse him of sabotage and vandalism.
Maybe the alchemist was right, maybe in darkness there was hope to save him from the ensuing chaos in the morning. Conroy grinned, the darkness gave him freedom and options to escape, he could drive away now or lie his way out of this one…
the alchemist
The suspect was wanted for numerous murders of men, women, children and even a judge. Tonight, he would arrest the perpetrator for his crimes. Tonight, the city will be safe again to venture at night and the murdered victims avenged. Detective Conroy had worked on the case for 2 years and it was drawing to an end. He could feel it, the tip off from the mystery caller seemed correct. The eerie maintenance tunnel he was jogging down felt like the secret passage into another world.
The world of the serial killer dubbed “the alchemist”.
Despite the echoing footsteps that would’ve awoken the dead or alerted a serial killer to his presence, Conroy didn’t care. If the caller was correct, there was no other way BUT the tunnel he was running down. Besides, in the unlikely event that he couldn’t get his man tonight, the lair would have contained enough evidence to guarantee the arrest and perhaps discovering the motivations behind the murders or the location of any other missing people.
Conroy saw the distant light at the end of the tunnel; he drew out his 9mm pistol and approached the entrance of the alchemist with readiness and caution for anything.
His experience in wonderland was about to begin.
Candles illuminated the octagon room revealing the dark burgundy walls decorated with stains from various chemicals and scratch marks of pentagrams and other cult symbols. Shelves of bottles, books on the occult and victims body parts, heads of victims he recognised from DNA testing on dismembered parts and family photos adorned each wall.
It almost felt reminiscent to the case with the Goth serial killer and his bondage dungeon, which ended with the Goth killer dying from an (predictable) allergic reaction to bullets. The detective wanted this suspect alive this time and he was to do all he could to take the wanted man back for further questioning for his murders.
The slim, middle-aged detective spotted the alchemist, dressed in monk’s robes, hunched backed in a chair and reading some ancient book. Damn ugly, no doubt very old or very scary. Perhaps even deaf to have not noticed the loud stampede of footsteps down the corridor.
“Police raise your hands up!” Conroy shouted he pointed the handgun at the old man. Shooting him in the back seemed very tempting.
“So… you have arrived. I assume the phone call I made was sufficient in getting you here, yes?” The alchemist replied in a calm tone.
“Sweet jesus…” Conroy couldn’t believe it. The alchemist had been lead here like a mouse lured in by the aroma of stinking cheese. “Why, how do you know me?” quizzed the detective.
“It matters not, my son, how I know you, why I asked you here was to convert you…” replied the hunched stranger. His gaze still upon the book.
The proverbial mousetrap had no doubt been sprung. If conroy was to survive, he needed to be in control. “PUT YOUR HANDS UP TO WHERE I CAN SEE THEM!”
The alchemist continued to speak. “Tell me, mr conroy, are you another follower of light or are you someone else? Are you in the shadows or better yet, a follower of the dark?”
“Shut the hell up! I tracked you this far alchemist, I care not what you’re raving about nor do I care whether my alignment in life is in the light or dark! All I care is doing what is right and let good prevail! “
The hunched back man turned and leaned forward revealing for the first time his leather face “Ah, you’ve finally answered my question. You’re a believer of the light.” The alchemist sniggered with delight and disgust.
“Foolish mortal, you’ve chosen to believe in the light without even a second thought of contemplating how darkness can benefit you…nor, how the light can betray and eventually destroy the most devoted of its followers.”
The detective grew impatient, the old hunchback was making no sense and in conroy’s eyes clearly delusional. “Quit your babbling and put your hands UP!” The alchemist ignored the detective’s demands.
“The light is evil, its heat burns flesh and fields of man and bringing merely hell on earth, it eliminates freedom and illuminates mans convictions and eternal domination. We become the prisoners of light. The freedom to rest, the freedom to pleasure, the freedom to hide from ones…inner fears, Gone. The darkness is quite opposite, the darkness gives freedom to all, it’s provides the means to give man his greatest desires and needs without guilt. The need to sleep, the need for pleasure, the need for…rebirth.”
“Rebirth?”
“Oh yes, think about it, we give birth and die in darkness, darkness is very much apart of us….from start to end, watching us even to the time when we are snatched away from the forces that serve the light “ The man chuckled, Conroy began to feel nervous.
“Put it this way, take this curious customer.” The old man turned around and retrieved a pickling jar from the shelf above the table. The detective stared on in disbelief. He didn’t recognise the face from the list of murdered people photos, inside was another victims head. Pickled and preserved for the alchemist’s amusement for decades to come.
“Johnny needed to repay his “loan shark” the “substantial” loan that he used to purchase gifts for his numerous mistresses that he frequently visits at night. To satisfy his inner dark pleasure you see. He can’t get the funds from being in the light, working daytime hours for money, no, he turns to the darkness, decides to enter a loving family home, murder a single mother and her 2 daughters aged 4 and 10. He saves himself for a new chance at life and sends 3 of the lights followers to their reward… so he said. Isn’t the darkness wonderful?
“You’re sick. The darkness also hides the evil of man and monster alike. I’m glad that you killed that man and saved the government paperwork for a once in a life time chance on the electric chair…”
“it’s a matter of how man and monster decide to interact. It’s up to man whether they prefer to hide or embrace the darkness… now, won’t you reconsider your… alignment?”
“Go to hell. I’ve had enough of your babbling and your half arsed attempt to persuade me. Raise your-“
“How disappointing that you still remain loyal to the light and disappoint the darkness…” The alchemist interrupted “let me show you personally what the darkness offers…” the gentle smile on the persons face was now gone. Instead the hunchback began to mutate, tearing the fabric of the monk robes, gaining mass, black fleshy muscle and…horns. He was some sort of daemon of another world. The detective started to feel foolish, his bold move of arresting the “serial killer” single handily without radioing for back up, now potentially meant his name being added to the long list of dead. The demon hissed and snarled.
“I WILL SAVE YOUR SOUL FROM THE LIGHT EVEN IF IT MEANS TAKING YOUR LIFE! I WILL RIP IT FROM YOUR CORRUPTED BODY!!!”
The beast lunged forward claws drawn and attempted to swipe at the scared detective. Conroy dived out of the way and backed off to gain some distance from the monster, He fired several shots from his 9mm in quick succession, bullets sinking into the monsters flesh with little apparent effect.
The monster turned, lunging forward to swipe at the fleeing Conroy again. Sensing the danger he turned and side stepped making the creature smash into a stack of shelves breaking the contents of the jars onto the demon itself.
Time seemed to slow down around Conroy; his concentration was on the beast and thinking up a plan to survive. He knew he couldn’t outrun the beast down the 100 metres or so of corridor nor would guns hurt it. Thinking was cut short when the beast finally succeeded in grabbing conroy and raised him to the monsters eye level. The noxious stench of the beast now highly intense, the beast began to taunt the detective.
“WHEN I DISMEMBER YOU I WILL HAVE YOUR CARCASS IN MY JARS AS MY TROPHY OF MY CONVERSIONS!!!”
Conroy was hurled to the other side of the room, crashing into shelves of books. An almost electrical pain surged down his back as he picked himself up. Panic began to set in as he cowered into a corner of the room, Death looming ever closer. A very large jar of acid and lantern oil caught conroys eye, perhaps salvation from this nightmare. With renewed vigour and desperation, Conroy threw both of the liquids at the beast, catching it by surprise and blinding it as the acid and oil reacted. Conroy ran for the exit, the head start would help him escape. The monster now blinded, began to swipe wildly, the detective fired at the beast again hoping to distract it away from the exit.
The creature burst into flames as the searing lead unexpectedly reacted with the oil, the beast began to move erratically catching practically everything alight as it stumbled around the room. Conroy began to flee, leaving the beast to burn. An almost ironic gift from the light he so hated.
He began to sprinted down the tunnel, pushing his legs and body to the max away from the deafening explosions echoing down the corridor as the other various chemicals of the alchemist lair caught alight.
Conroy ran up the stairs and sealed the maintenance door behind him. It was still night and the fresh air felt good to remove the stench of the lair. Police and fire sirens could be heard in the distance, smoke bellowing out of the door as the lair burned. Conroy slumped to the ground exhausted. Everyone would want answers from Conroy now, why he was here and what happened. No one would believe him and no doubt accuse him of sabotage and vandalism.
Maybe the alchemist was right, maybe in darkness there was hope to save him from the ensuing chaos in the morning. Conroy grinned, the darkness gave him freedom and options to escape, he could drive away now or lie his way out of this one…
Pretty good. I like parts of the conversation between the detective and the alchemist, though from the transformation onwards I thought it lacked tension.
I agree that's it enjoyable enough. I especially like the opening line when you state that the murdered judge is neither a man or a woman :)
Enoyable enough. I liked how you used the idea of the light and the dark, and the potential turning of the dec to the dark.
Enclosed is my story.
the alchemist
The suspect was wanted for numerous murders of men, women, children and even a judge. Tonight, he would arrest the perpetrator for his crimes. Tonight, the city will be safe again to venture at night and the murdered victims avenged. Detective Conroy had worked on the case for 2 years and it was drawing to an end. He could feel it, the tip off from the mystery caller seemed correct. The eerie maintenance tunnel he was jogging down felt like the secret passage into another world.
The world of the serial killer dubbed “the alchemist”.
Despite the echoing footsteps that would’ve awoken the dead or alerted a serial killer to his presence, Conroy didn’t care. If the caller was correct, there was no other way BUT the tunnel he was running down. Besides, in the unlikely event that he couldn’t get his man tonight, the lair would have contained enough evidence to guarantee the arrest and perhaps discovering the motivations behind the murders or the location of any other missing people.
Conroy saw the distant light at the end of the tunnel; he drew out his 9mm pistol and approached the entrance of the alchemist with readiness and caution for anything.
His experience in wonderland was about to begin.
Candles illuminated the octagon room revealing the dark burgundy walls decorated with stains from various chemicals and scratch marks of pentagrams and other cult symbols. Shelves of bottles, books on the occult and victims body parts, heads of victims he recognised from DNA testing on dismembered parts and family photos adorned each wall.
It almost felt reminiscent to the case with the Goth serial killer and his bondage dungeon, which ended with the Goth killer dying from an (predictable) allergic reaction to bullets. The detective wanted this suspect alive this time and he was to do all he could to take the wanted man back for further questioning for his murders.
The slim, middle-aged detective spotted the alchemist, dressed in monk’s robes, hunched backed in a chair and reading some ancient book. Damn ugly, no doubt very old or very scary. Perhaps even deaf to have not noticed the loud stampede of footsteps down the corridor.
“Police raise your hands up!” Conroy shouted he pointed the handgun at the old man. Shooting him in the back seemed very tempting.
“So… you have arrived. I assume the phone call I made was sufficient in getting you here, yes?” The alchemist replied in a calm tone.
“Sweet jesus…” Conroy couldn’t believe it. The alchemist had been lead here like a mouse lured in by the aroma of stinking cheese. “Why, how do you know me?” quizzed the detective.
“It matters not, my son, how I know you, why I asked you here was to convert you…” replied the hunched stranger. His gaze still upon the book.
The proverbial mousetrap had no doubt been sprung. If conroy was to survive, he needed to be in control. “PUT YOUR HANDS UP TO WHERE I CAN SEE THEM!”
The alchemist continued to speak. “Tell me, mr conroy, are you another follower of light or are you someone else? Are you in the shadows or better yet, a follower of the dark?”
“Shut the hell up! I tracked you this far alchemist, I care not what you’re raving about nor do I care whether my alignment in life is in the light or dark! All I care is doing what is right and let good prevail! “
The hunched back man turned and leaned forward revealing for the first time his leather face “Ah, you’ve finally answered my question. You’re a believer of the light.” The alchemist sniggered with delight and disgust.
“Foolish mortal, you’ve chosen to believe in the light without even a second thought of contemplating how darkness can benefit you…nor, how the light can betray and eventually destroy the most devoted of its followers.”
The detective grew impatient, the old hunchback was making no sense and in conroy’s eyes clearly delusional. “Quit your babbling and put your hands UP!” The alchemist ignored the detective’s demands.
“The light is evil, its heat burns flesh and fields of man and bringing merely hell on earth, it eliminates freedom and illuminates mans convictions and eternal domination. We become the prisoners of light. The freedom to rest, the freedom to pleasure, the freedom to hide from ones…inner fears, Gone. The darkness is quite opposite, the darkness gives freedom to all, it’s provides the means to give man his greatest desires and needs without guilt. The need to sleep, the need for pleasure, the need for…rebirth.”
“Rebirth?”
“Oh yes, think about it, we give birth and die in darkness, darkness is very much apart of us….from start to end, watching us even to the time when we are snatched away from the forces that serve the light “ The man chuckled, Conroy began to feel nervous.
“Put it this way, take this curious customer.” The old man turned around and retrieved a pickling jar from the shelf above the table. The detective stared on in disbelief. He didn’t recognise the face from the list of murdered people photos, inside was another victims head. Pickled and preserved for the alchemist’s amusement for decades to come.
“Johnny needed to repay his “loan shark” the “substantial” loan that he used to purchase gifts for his numerous mistresses that he frequently visits at night. To satisfy his inner dark pleasure you see. He can’t get the funds from being in the light, working daytime hours for money, no, he turns to the darkness, decides to enter a loving family home, murder a single mother and her 2 daughters aged 4 and 10. He saves himself for a new chance at life and sends 3 of the lights followers to their reward… so he said. Isn’t the darkness wonderful?
“You’re sick. The darkness also hides the evil of man and monster alike. I’m glad that you killed that man and saved the government paperwork for a once in a life time chance on the electric chair…”
“it’s a matter of how man and monster decide to interact. It’s up to man whether they prefer to hide or embrace the darkness… now, won’t you reconsider your… alignment?”
“Go to hell. I’ve had enough of your babbling and your half arsed attempt to persuade me. Raise your-“
“How disappointing that you still remain loyal to the light and disappoint the darkness…” The alchemist interrupted “let me show you personally what the darkness offers…” the gentle smile on the persons face was now gone. Instead the hunchback began to mutate, tearing the fabric of the monk robes, gaining mass, black fleshy muscle and…horns. He was some sort of daemon of another world. The detective started to feel foolish, his bold move of arresting the “serial killer” single handily without radioing for back up, now potentially meant his name being added to the long list of dead. The demon hissed and snarled.
“I WILL SAVE YOUR SOUL FROM THE LIGHT EVEN IF IT MEANS TAKING YOUR LIFE! I WILL RIP IT FROM YOUR CORRUPTED BODY!!!”
The beast lunged forward claws drawn and attempted to swipe at the scared detective. Conroy dived out of the way and backed off to gain some distance from the monster, He fired several shots from his 9mm in quick succession, bullets sinking into the monsters flesh with little apparent effect.
The monster turned, lunging forward to swipe at the fleeing Conroy again. Sensing the danger he turned and side stepped making the creature smash into a stack of shelves breaking the contents of the jars onto the demon itself.
Time seemed to slow down around Conroy; his concentration was on the beast and thinking up a plan to survive. He knew he couldn’t outrun the beast down the 100 metres or so of corridor nor would guns hurt it. Thinking was cut short when the beast finally succeeded in grabbing conroy and raised him to the monsters eye level. The noxious stench of the beast now highly intense, the beast began to taunt the detective.
“WHEN I DISMEMBER YOU I WILL HAVE YOUR CARCASS IN MY JARS AS MY TROPHY OF MY CONVERSIONS!!!”
Conroy was hurled to the other side of the room, crashing into shelves of books. An almost electrical pain surged down his back as he picked himself up. Panic began to set in as he cowered into a corner of the room, Death looming ever closer. A very large jar of acid and lantern oil caught conroys eye, perhaps salvation from this nightmare. With renewed vigour and desperation, Conroy threw both of the liquids at the beast, catching it by surprise and blinding it as the acid and oil reacted. Conroy ran for the exit, the head start would help him escape. The monster now blinded, began to swipe wildly, the detective fired at the beast again hoping to distract it away from the exit.
The creature burst into flames as the searing lead unexpectedly reacted with the oil, the beast began to move erratically catching practically everything alight as it stumbled around the room. Conroy began to flee, leaving the beast to burn. An almost ironic gift from the light he so hated.
He began to sprinted down the tunnel, pushing his legs and body to the max away from the deafening explosions echoing down the corridor as the other various chemicals of the alchemist lair caught alight.
Conroy ran up the stairs and sealed the maintenance door behind him. It was still night and the fresh air felt good to remove the stench of the lair. Police and fire sirens could be heard in the distance, smoke bellowing out of the door as the lair burned. Conroy slumped to the ground exhausted. Everyone would want answers from Conroy now, why he was here and what happened. No one would believe him and no doubt accuse him of sabotage and vandalism.
Maybe the alchemist was right, maybe in darkness there was hope to save him from the ensuing chaos in the morning. Conroy grinned, the darkness gave him freedom and options to escape, he could drive away now or lie his way out of this one…
the alchemist
The suspect was wanted for numerous murders of men, women, children and even a judge. Tonight, he would arrest the perpetrator for his crimes. Tonight, the city will be safe again to venture at night and the murdered victims avenged. Detective Conroy had worked on the case for 2 years and it was drawing to an end. He could feel it, the tip off from the mystery caller seemed correct. The eerie maintenance tunnel he was jogging down felt like the secret passage into another world.
The world of the serial killer dubbed “the alchemist”.
Despite the echoing footsteps that would’ve awoken the dead or alerted a serial killer to his presence, Conroy didn’t care. If the caller was correct, there was no other way BUT the tunnel he was running down. Besides, in the unlikely event that he couldn’t get his man tonight, the lair would have contained enough evidence to guarantee the arrest and perhaps discovering the motivations behind the murders or the location of any other missing people.
Conroy saw the distant light at the end of the tunnel; he drew out his 9mm pistol and approached the entrance of the alchemist with readiness and caution for anything.
His experience in wonderland was about to begin.
Candles illuminated the octagon room revealing the dark burgundy walls decorated with stains from various chemicals and scratch marks of pentagrams and other cult symbols. Shelves of bottles, books on the occult and victims body parts, heads of victims he recognised from DNA testing on dismembered parts and family photos adorned each wall.
It almost felt reminiscent to the case with the Goth serial killer and his bondage dungeon, which ended with the Goth killer dying from an (predictable) allergic reaction to bullets. The detective wanted this suspect alive this time and he was to do all he could to take the wanted man back for further questioning for his murders.
The slim, middle-aged detective spotted the alchemist, dressed in monk’s robes, hunched backed in a chair and reading some ancient book. Damn ugly, no doubt very old or very scary. Perhaps even deaf to have not noticed the loud stampede of footsteps down the corridor.
“Police raise your hands up!” Conroy shouted he pointed the handgun at the old man. Shooting him in the back seemed very tempting.
“So… you have arrived. I assume the phone call I made was sufficient in getting you here, yes?” The alchemist replied in a calm tone.
“Sweet jesus…” Conroy couldn’t believe it. The alchemist had been lead here like a mouse lured in by the aroma of stinking cheese. “Why, how do you know me?” quizzed the detective.
“It matters not, my son, how I know you, why I asked you here was to convert you…” replied the hunched stranger. His gaze still upon the book.
The proverbial mousetrap had no doubt been sprung. If conroy was to survive, he needed to be in control. “PUT YOUR HANDS UP TO WHERE I CAN SEE THEM!”
The alchemist continued to speak. “Tell me, mr conroy, are you another follower of light or are you someone else? Are you in the shadows or better yet, a follower of the dark?”
“Shut the hell up! I tracked you this far alchemist, I care not what you’re raving about nor do I care whether my alignment in life is in the light or dark! All I care is doing what is right and let good prevail! “
The hunched back man turned and leaned forward revealing for the first time his leather face “Ah, you’ve finally answered my question. You’re a believer of the light.” The alchemist sniggered with delight and disgust.
“Foolish mortal, you’ve chosen to believe in the light without even a second thought of contemplating how darkness can benefit you…nor, how the light can betray and eventually destroy the most devoted of its followers.”
The detective grew impatient, the old hunchback was making no sense and in conroy’s eyes clearly delusional. “Quit your babbling and put your hands UP!” The alchemist ignored the detective’s demands.
“The light is evil, its heat burns flesh and fields of man and bringing merely hell on earth, it eliminates freedom and illuminates mans convictions and eternal domination. We become the prisoners of light. The freedom to rest, the freedom to pleasure, the freedom to hide from ones…inner fears, Gone. The darkness is quite opposite, the darkness gives freedom to all, it’s provides the means to give man his greatest desires and needs without guilt. The need to sleep, the need for pleasure, the need for…rebirth.”
“Rebirth?”
“Oh yes, think about it, we give birth and die in darkness, darkness is very much apart of us….from start to end, watching us even to the time when we are snatched away from the forces that serve the light “ The man chuckled, Conroy began to feel nervous.
“Put it this way, take this curious customer.” The old man turned around and retrieved a pickling jar from the shelf above the table. The detective stared on in disbelief. He didn’t recognise the face from the list of murdered people photos, inside was another victims head. Pickled and preserved for the alchemist’s amusement for decades to come.
“Johnny needed to repay his “loan shark” the “substantial” loan that he used to purchase gifts for his numerous mistresses that he frequently visits at night. To satisfy his inner dark pleasure you see. He can’t get the funds from being in the light, working daytime hours for money, no, he turns to the darkness, decides to enter a loving family home, murder a single mother and her 2 daughters aged 4 and 10. He saves himself for a new chance at life and sends 3 of the lights followers to their reward… so he said. Isn’t the darkness wonderful?
“You’re sick. The darkness also hides the evil of man and monster alike. I’m glad that you killed that man and saved the government paperwork for a once in a life time chance on the electric chair…”
“it’s a matter of how man and monster decide to interact. It’s up to man whether they prefer to hide or embrace the darkness… now, won’t you reconsider your… alignment?”
“Go to hell. I’ve had enough of your babbling and your half arsed attempt to persuade me. Raise your-“
“How disappointing that you still remain loyal to the light and disappoint the darkness…” The alchemist interrupted “let me show you personally what the darkness offers…” the gentle smile on the persons face was now gone. Instead the hunchback began to mutate, tearing the fabric of the monk robes, gaining mass, black fleshy muscle and…horns. He was some sort of daemon of another world. The detective started to feel foolish, his bold move of arresting the “serial killer” single handily without radioing for back up, now potentially meant his name being added to the long list of dead. The demon hissed and snarled.
“I WILL SAVE YOUR SOUL FROM THE LIGHT EVEN IF IT MEANS TAKING YOUR LIFE! I WILL RIP IT FROM YOUR CORRUPTED BODY!!!”
The beast lunged forward claws drawn and attempted to swipe at the scared detective. Conroy dived out of the way and backed off to gain some distance from the monster, He fired several shots from his 9mm in quick succession, bullets sinking into the monsters flesh with little apparent effect.
The monster turned, lunging forward to swipe at the fleeing Conroy again. Sensing the danger he turned and side stepped making the creature smash into a stack of shelves breaking the contents of the jars onto the demon itself.
Time seemed to slow down around Conroy; his concentration was on the beast and thinking up a plan to survive. He knew he couldn’t outrun the beast down the 100 metres or so of corridor nor would guns hurt it. Thinking was cut short when the beast finally succeeded in grabbing conroy and raised him to the monsters eye level. The noxious stench of the beast now highly intense, the beast began to taunt the detective.
“WHEN I DISMEMBER YOU I WILL HAVE YOUR CARCASS IN MY JARS AS MY TROPHY OF MY CONVERSIONS!!!”
Conroy was hurled to the other side of the room, crashing into shelves of books. An almost electrical pain surged down his back as he picked himself up. Panic began to set in as he cowered into a corner of the room, Death looming ever closer. A very large jar of acid and lantern oil caught conroys eye, perhaps salvation from this nightmare. With renewed vigour and desperation, Conroy threw both of the liquids at the beast, catching it by surprise and blinding it as the acid and oil reacted. Conroy ran for the exit, the head start would help him escape. The monster now blinded, began to swipe wildly, the detective fired at the beast again hoping to distract it away from the exit.
The creature burst into flames as the searing lead unexpectedly reacted with the oil, the beast began to move erratically catching practically everything alight as it stumbled around the room. Conroy began to flee, leaving the beast to burn. An almost ironic gift from the light he so hated.
He began to sprinted down the tunnel, pushing his legs and body to the max away from the deafening explosions echoing down the corridor as the other various chemicals of the alchemist lair caught alight.
Conroy ran up the stairs and sealed the maintenance door behind him. It was still night and the fresh air felt good to remove the stench of the lair. Police and fire sirens could be heard in the distance, smoke bellowing out of the door as the lair burned. Conroy slumped to the ground exhausted. Everyone would want answers from Conroy now, why he was here and what happened. No one would believe him and no doubt accuse him of sabotage and vandalism.
Maybe the alchemist was right, maybe in darkness there was hope to save him from the ensuing chaos in the morning. Conroy grinned, the darkness gave him freedom and options to escape, he could drive away now or lie his way out of this one…