He had finally caught her. Months of investigating and gathering information showed enough evidence to conivct her of the murder, no murders, she had orchestrated. She had been the puppet meister the entire time, and he had never seen a woman so heartless and cruel as her.
She had almost gotten away, almost.
He was just about to confront, and arrest her; lock her away to rot in jail. He marched up the steps of her grand manor, his knuckles hovering over the door. A whoosh of air and a thud of something large hitting the earth sounded behind him. He turned around slowly and what he saw made his gray eyes widen in horror.
There on the ground lay the bloody and twisted body of Lady Scarlet, the woman of his investigation. Her limbs were twisted, jutting out at angles not possible on the scale of human motion. Her neck was twisted at an unnatural angle and her evergreen eyes stared lifelessly at the overcast sky above.
His body froze, his lungs froze mid-breath. He could only stare at the bleeding corpse a few feet away, a scarlet pool slowly spreading over the dusty ground. It wasn't until several moments later when a shrill and terrified scream pierced the air that he was able to free himself from the shock.
His lungs wheezed as new air circulated into them. He clutched the cloth over his rapid beating heart, as if he could calm it. His eyes darted around the empty courtyard trying to locate the source of the scream. To his confusion he saw nothing.
The door beside him burst open and several servants of Lady Scarlet ran out of the house. The maids screamed at the sight of their mistress and the butlers had to pull them back inside. Horror was clear in all their eyes. How had this happened? They all wondered. Their mistress was fine until a few moments ago. She had glance out the window then ran and hurled herself off the balcony of her sleeping chambers.
A low rumble of thunder sounded in the distance just before the rain started to pour down. The detective, Mr. Hanzel couldn't speak, only watch as the rain washed the corpse's blood into the soil.
The funeral was two days after the tragic suicide. Mr. Hanzel attended, dressed in his best black slacks and suit. It was raining that day too and it fit the somber air. Dozens of nobles attended, all cluttered together under black parasols. They all left after the the oak casket was lowered into the ground, but Mr. Hanzel stayed. He was to shaken to leave quite yet. How had he allowed his to happen? He clenched his fists, no it wasn't his fault. Lady Scarlet didn't want to be caught so she chose death over jail.
Hours had passed before he knew it and the sky was darkening as the sun began to set. A full-bodied shiver ran through him, finally snapping him out of his circulatory thoughts. He sneezed and realized he was soaked to the bone. He was freezing, his fingers turning shades of blue and purple.
He turned and took a step towards the cemetery exit. A low whisper then brushed past his neck, making the hairs stand on end. He snapped his head back around and stumbled back. A pale, whispy Lady Scarlet floated up from the earth. Dark blood stains were heavily visible compared to her white complexion. He took several more shaky steps back and the spirit turned it's gaze to him.
It floated above the ground in an almost stupor. It's eyes unfocused and gray. Another step back and a twig snapped beneath his feet. The spirits head snapped up and it's eyes flared a bloody red. It's face contorted as it's mouth opened impossibly wide and her fingers became claws. It lunged at Mr. Hanzel and he fell to his back side, arms raised to protect himself.
Just before the spirit reached him a blinding flash of light appeared above his head and a blinding white spirit lunged at Lady Scarlets spirit. Mr. Hanzel squinted through the light and a astonished gasp sounded from his cold lips. The other spirit bore a striking resemblance to Duchess William, Lady Scarlets older sister whom she had murdered.
Duchess William had a heavenly glow surrounded her body draped in a white billowing dress, if he had to guess she was a angel.
The two spirits shrieked and growled as they fought each other. They shot all sround though the air, leaving light and dark trails in their wake. Mr. Hanzel's eyes couldn't follow the battle until they soared high above him. With one final cry they both plummeted toward Lady Scarlet's fresh grave. They plunged into the earth as if it was liquid. An unnatural and unsettling silence settled over the cemetery.
The fright and shock from encountering spirits of another realm caused Mr. Hanzel consciousness to fade. His body slumped to the ground, where it stayed until the morrow when a young mother found him and he was rushed to the hospital.
He feared no one would believe his story so he told no soul, and took it to his grave.
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