Investigative group number 66: Name: Purple Diamonds
Case file: 3 Name: Malin Emrys-Alden Classification: Vampire Gorgon Age: Unknown Gender: Demigirl Sexuality: Gynosexual Pronouns: They/She Notes: Malin was found by Kiandra Alden (Purple Diamonds case file 2) in an abandoned mansion, while investigating reports of a murderous forest druid. Kiandra succeeded in disposing of the druid, and brought Malin back to the Purple Diamonds residence. After Aelfrun Emrys (Purple Diamonds case file 1) saw Malin, they instantly decided that Malin would join the team. Malin is rarely seen at crime scenes, instead preferring to work at keeping the team up to date with information. Do not raise your voice at Malin, and keep sudden movements to a minimum. The squad is incredibly overprotective of her.
The following report documents Kiandra’s finding of Malin. In typical inconvenient Diamonds style, it’s written as if it is a story (Please, get me a new job. Reading these reports gives me a headache - X):
The building was collapsing around them as they made their way through the foyer. They needed to find somewhere to hide.The game had been suggested by the trail guide when they had stumbled upon the derelict mansion an hour ago. The idea was simple. The group was split into two smaller ones, one to hide, and the other to hunt. It had all gone well for the first half an hour, before the hiders had found their way into a locked room.
Now the hunters were being hunted, and the mansion was the hunting ground.
“How did this happen again?” the guide asked the lone member of the hiding team that had found their way back to the others.
“I’m not sure.” they replied, their hands still trembling slightly. We were trying to find a place to hide, when we came across a locked door.” the human looked up at him nervously, as, being a forest druid, he towered above the person. “The guys thought it was a good idea to go in…”
The game had been going on for twenty minutes now, and they had been evicted from four different hiding spots by close calls with the hunters. Now, they were wandering blindly through the mansion, hoping to find a new place to stay.
“Hey! Look what I found!” A voice called from the front of the train of people. It came from one of the guys, who had established themselves as the leaders. No one had complained. Much.
They all crowded around the locked door and started debating whether to force it open or not. Eventually, they decided it was worth the effort. The hunters would be more likely to disregard a rotting, previously locked door than they were a large space under a staircase, for example.
The first thing they noticed after breaking in the door was the smell. The pungent smell of decay overwhelmed their senses, making their eyes water and temporarily blinding the group. They all recoiled slightly, as if on instinct.
The second thing they noticed was the dark red stains on the floor, walls and ceilings. Some of them were just shapeless blobs, but there were at least a few well defined handprints scattered throughout the room.
The third thing they noticed was the repetitive dripping of a red liquid falling through an hourglass, slowly collecting at the top before falling into the collecting pool at the bottom.
The fourth thing they noticed was the skeletal figure knelt behind the hourglass, their head angled towards the floor, submissive and still.
Unnervingly still.
There was no rise or fall of their shoulders, no indication that they were even breathing. The tattered grey rags that covered their body didn’t move, even when the wind blew through the squares in the wall, where glass window panes used to rest. Their pale pink hair hung limp, falling over their shoulders and down their back onto the floor. Their eyes were shadowed by their fringe, which was long enough to cover all of their face but their mouth. It was as if they were frozen in time.
“We shouldn’t be here.” one of the hikers whispered, a grizzled werewolf who had reluctantly agreed to join in the game. “We need to leave. Now.” The group turned hurriedly to leave.
The dripping stopped. The hourglass had run through its supply of blood, and now rested, as still as the figure behind it. As the group hastily closed the door behind them, the figure uncurled from the floor and sprang into the back of the nearest hiker, a human who had tripped earlier, and was now limping. Long, thin fangs shot out of the creature’s gums and embedded into the human’s neck. A low hiss escaped its throat, travelled through the corridor, and embedded itself into the ears of the now terrified hikers. The creature looked up, its eyes hidden beneath its fringe. It smiled.
The werewolf yelled for everyone to run, and they obeyed. They ran helter skelter through the halls, tripping over one another in their desperation to get away. One of them turned back to check on the creature’s location, and caught a glimpse of its eyes. Their muscles relaxed and they fell to the floor, completely paralysed. This only caused the other to run faster.
The creature followed.
One by one, the hiders fell to the creature’s attacks. Whether it be by fangs or paralysis, all of the hikers who came out into the woods for a nice walk died in fear and pain. One of the hiders managed to find the hunting group, and quickly recounted what had happened; before the creature was upon the hunters, tearing into them as it did the hiders. The creature created enough chaos that the remaining hider was able to slip away, turning the corner, crashing into the trail guide, who grabbed their hand and dragged them away.
“Let’s go.” he growled.
“And that’s how we ended up here.” The human finished, looking up at the forest druid guide again.
“Yes… It is, isn’t it…” the druid looked over his shoulder quickly, before turning his attention back to his companion. “We should find a way out, before the-” The creature appeared behind the druid, teeth bared. The human recoiled. “Behind you…” they managed to spit out as a warning. The druid sighed.
“Leech.” he said shortly, his voice full of barely concealed irritation. The creature flinched, and shrunk back, their fangs retreating back into their gums. They settled into a kneel, their head back in the position the first group found them, eyes trained at the ground.
“Wh-what is happening?” the hiker asked, backing into a corner. The druid smiled, turning around and walking over to the creature, or Leech, and placing a hand firmly on their head. They flinched again, and then again when the hand tightened in their hair.
“It’s well behaved, isn’t it?” The druid’s hand tugged roughly at Leech’s hair again. The hiker stood there in silence, before their eyes cleared of any fear.
“You fucking disgust me.” they moved away from the wall they were standing against.
“What did you say?” the druid hissed out from between clenched teeth.
“You heard me.” The hiker dropped their bag onto the floor behind them, and they started walking towards the druid.
“Who are you to threaten me?” the druid exclaimed.
The hiker smirked. “Kiandra Alden, Investigative group number 66: Purple Diamonds. You are under arrest for the murder of 19 people and the suspected murder of 60 others. Come peacefully, or I will have to take action against you.” The druid backed up quickly, his hand leaving Leech's hair. They didn’t move. “Come on now, why are you running?” Kiandra’s face seemed to melt away, to reveal the grey pallor, and featureless face of a faceshifter. They sprung forward, over Leech, and tackled the druid to the ground. A knife shot out from within their clothes, and straight into the druid’s throat. They worked the knife in, until he was pinned to the floor by his neck.
“Goodbye.” they purred, pulling the knife out and letting him bleed out onto the floor.
They switched their blade out for a smaller one, and made quick work of removing the druid’s face.
For safekeeping.
Kiandra stood back up and straightened their clothes before wandering back over to Leech, who still hadn’t moved. As the shapeshifter got closer, their crouched form started to tremble. “He’s dead now, bairn.” Kiandra crooned, lowering themselves so they were level with Leech’s face. “It’s okay.”
That seemed to wake something in Leech, as they scrambled away from Kiandra until their back hit the stairs, where they curled up, hiding their face. Kiandra didn’t move to follow them.
“I’m not going to hurt you, I just want to take you somewhere safe.” Kiandra made their voice carry across the room to the scared paranatural. “I know a place where you won’t be hurt, or forced to hurt anyone else.” There was a slight movement as Leech peeked out from behind their hands. “Do you want to come with me? ” Kiandra held out their hand patiently. Leech hesitated, before nodding. “You’ll have to come over here.”
Kiandra waited for another thirty minutes, before Leech seemed to work up the confidence to make their way over and grab their hand. Kiandra smiled softly, “Let’s go then.” They pushed a button on their phone, and a purple glow surrounded them. “This might feel a bit weird.” Kiandra warned, before they were completely enveloped by the magic.
END OF REPORT
Leech looked around nervously as the magic dissipated around them. Kiandra had brought them to a new place. The room was large and well furnished, with sofas piled with cushions, and a large table, overflowing with papers, in the middle. A large fire crackled in the hearth, an occasional shower of purple sparks shooting up the chimney. It looked like a nice place for people to spend time in. Leech shrunk back on herself, moving into a corner, to avoid the punishment that would happen if she even pretended to be a person. That meant no sitting on the sofas, and no being near the fire, otherwise they were pretending to be something they’re not. Kiandra had let go of her hand, and walked over to the sofa, where they were now sitting. Leech didn’t move any more, waiting for their new owner to tell them what to do.
“Aelfrun!” Kiandra called, their face slowly morphing into a new form. “Come out here! I have someone to show you!”
It took Leech a moment to realise that Kiandra was talking about them.
The sound of footsteps making their way down the stairs drew Leech’s attention. As soon as the boots of the person hit the carpet, Leech’s eyes shot down and focused on her hands.
“Did you complete the job, my Anam Cara?” The new person asked Kiandra.
“Yeah. Throat slit, face taken, all of that good stuff.” Kiandra responded. “Couldn’t stop the others from dying though.” Her voice darkened, anger seeping through. Leech flinched. ‘That was you, you killed those people, you’re going to get punished for that.’ Leech squeezed her eyes shut underneath her fringe. ‘You deserve to be punished.’ Leech whimpered despite themselves.
“So who’s this?” The new person’s voice broke through the barrier of thoughts. Leech opened her eyes. The boots were in front of them now.
“Oh, that’s ‘Leech’, apparently. That fucking druid was using them to murder people.”
“Of their free will?”
“Look at them El, what the fuck do you think?” Kiandra’s voice rose slightly, and Leech flinched involuntarily.
“Fucking chill, just checking.” The rustling of clothes as Aelfrun knelt down in front of Leech drew their attention.
“Hey.” Aelfrun said, their voice softening. “Your name’s Leech, right?”
Leech nodded, hesitantly.
“Well that won’t do. We’ll find you a new name. I’m Aelfrun.” They held out their hand, and gently picked up Leech’s “I can tell you’re hurt, let me help you.” Leech forced themselves not to tremble as purple sparks started to leap up their arm. As they travelled over her body, the aches and sharp pains from her bruises and cuts started to disappear. “I’m afraid I can’t fix the malnourishment with magic, but I can numb the pain slightly.” Aelfrun’s voice was kind, filled with sympathy. Leech was tired, and they currently didn’t care if the sympathy was fake, if they were going to be hurt tomorrow, or anything like that. She just wanted the affection being shown to her not to go away.
“All done.” Aelfrun removed their hand from Leech’s and started to pull away. Leech, tired and desperate for affection, chased after it. Aelfrun’s head tilted, and Leech was gently pulled onto the sofa. Aelfrun put their arm around Leech, and as Leech slipped into unconsciousness, they heard Aelfrun murmur:
“We’ll get you some new clothes, and a new name, tomorrow.”
Comments (0)
See all