Chapter 1

It was a cold, clear night. The moon hung high in the sky, casting long shadows and drawing stark silhouettes of the blocky industrial buildings. Indeed, it was a fine night for exploring the murky depths of abandoned complexes.

Mika Aranuki skirted along the side of the building, her breath bated and muscles taught. She felt alive, dodging security cameras and criminals alike. The chilly air felt crisp against her skin and she was aware of every movement, every sound, in the deep, dark night.

Tonight, her target was a shutdown chemical plant. From previous scouting trips, she knew that there was a hole in the wall that would serve as an entrance on the north corner of the building, obscured by debris. Nimble and silent, she wove between the wreckage and toward the entrance. There, she paused, her gloved hand resting on the smooth brick wall. All was still, so she felt confident enough to continue on and squeeze through the misshapen hole.

Inside was not a treasure or anything particularly extravagant. But that was no surprise. She strode past the heaps of garbage and odd clusters of broken machinery. She was not here for the contents of the building.

At this point, the moonlight was insufficient to guide the way, so she took a flashlight out with a small sigh. Immediately after she turned it on, there was a flutter of noise: the scurrying of rats and flapping of the wings of startled pigeons. Then, thankfully, blissful silence once more.

With the lights on, the place was no better. Mika could make out all the strange stains and pools of questionable origin. Still, she pushed on, heading deeper into the building. She was looking for the central staircase so she had no choice but to head in further. She wandered from one room to another, not observing much of a change in cleanliness. Then, she spotted something strange. The tiniest sliver of light was coming from further down one of the hallways. She stopped and turned off her flashlight, at a crossroads.

She felt the light pulling her like a magnet, despite the possible danger that lay ahead. Part of her was more reluctant, preferring instead to stay on task. She teetered from foot to foot and took a deep breath when her curiosity won out. Her heart was beating faster, the adrenaline like a fire through her veins. Slowly, she meandered down the hall, finally stopping in front of the door. All she could tell was that this was another large production type room. The lights did not flicker, and she could not hear any sounds coming from inside. She stared at the door knob, weighing her options. There was a chance she was about to walk into a drug lab, as had happened to her once before. It was not an experience she wanted to repeat. She narrowed her eyes and wrung out her hands, frustrated at her own dangerous curious impulses.

With the skill of a practiced trespasser, she silently opened the door. First with one eye, then with both, she peeked inside. A faint, yellowish glow was emanating from deeper in, and she could not see the light source. Cautiously, she opened the door further, holding it firmly lest it make any noise. After some hesitation, she stepped inside, leaving the door open behind her. This room was different from the others, cleaner. A strange smell wafted through the air, like that of melted metal. Perhaps someone was going through the leftover chemicals.

The faint light was coming from behind a large, grey screen that looked like it had been set up recently from the lack of stains and dust on it. All around the screen, there was no garbage, and there were no stains on the floor. Now she thought that a vagrant was responsible. She had seen many self-built homeless abodes before, some of them very elaborate and well put together. Still, she had come this far, and she was determined to see this through. She tiptoed closer to the screen, prepared to flee at any moment.

As she looked behind the screen, the felt the blood freeze in her veins. Her eyes rapidly scanned the space in front of her as she struggled to comprehend what she was seeing. A sick, cold, sinking feeling ran down her spine, and she could feel her stomach in her abdomen. Still, she was frozen in place. The thing she was staring at left her transfixed.

On a large metal table, there lay a man. At least, she thought it was a man. His limbs were severed and gruesomely connected again with scraps of mental. His mouth was agape, and silver slits were in place of his eyes. His body was twisted and mangled, the reattached limbs jutting out at awkward angles.

A violent shudder shook her, and her hands reached up to cover her mouth. She had walked in on a murder scene. A sudden through startled her – what if the murderer was still in the building?

Quickly, she turned and marched toward the door. After a brief glance around, she bolted back the way she came. The fear clouded her mind, and she could barely see where she was going. At a split in the hallway, she stopped abruptly, having trouble recalling where she came from.

The tiniest sound of a shoe treading on the dusty ground snapped her out of her mind. Again, she found herself paralyzed with fear. Someone was close by.

As a reflex, she put her hands up, as if to surrender. Her fingers shook and she could barely stand still. Before she realized it, she said, "I know you're there."

Her voice was shaky and she cursed internally. Countless phrases, or pleas for mercy, echoed in her mind, but she decided to try something different.

"I'm sorry I interrupted your work."

Greeted by silence, she continued, "I don't want to interfere. You probably have some plan of presenting your work and I don't want to get in the way of that."

Then, she added, "I will tell no one. If the police find out I've been trespassing again, they'll put me in jail for sure this time."

She stopped, tense and anxious. It was dark and silent, but she was not comforted by it now. The feeling of fear was indescribable, like death had a grip on her very soul. The faint footsteps came closer, one at a time. Mika did not move, not wanting to be perceived as a threat. Or rather, she couldn't move. When the footsteps were right behind her, she started to shake, her hands still raised.

The seconds ticked by, yet no angry hands grabbed her. She could feel him so close that she imagined if she leaned back just a touch, she would feel him. She felt like an insect, standing helplessly under a foot that was about to come down. For a moment, she swore she heard him lean in and take a deep breath.

Confused, she stuttered, "I am going to walk away now. If you want, we can forget this ever happened. You will never see me again."

Her body screamed at her to run, but she took one step at a time, down the hallway. No footsteps followed, but she was slow and careful each step of the way. By the time she made it to the exit, she felt she had aged a year. Her clothes were drenched in sweat, and her legs were shaking. Her mind was numb and she was not sure how she made it home that night. When she got through the door of her house, she broke down, on her knees in the foyer. That was the night she met the Chesapeake Ripper.

End chapter 1.

Short chapter to start with! I started writing this fanfic quite a while ago, and have slowly been chipping away at it in my spare time. Let me know what you think!