Mask Of The Horned King - Chapter I
#1 of Mask Of The Horned King
The first story I upload here in SF, but certainly not the first I've ever written!
It's a short introductory chapter to my noir/horror novella, Mask Of The Horned King. I'm busy writing other stuff right now, but when I'm done with everything else I'll surely keep this tale of terror going!
All comments and faves are apprecciated!
Zillion McClenahan Shard was a private eye with no hopes of attaining a better life, a better job, a better payment or heck, even a client or two. Even though he lived on the filthiest, most downtrodden neighborhood in town, the few cases he ever solved were related to everyday stuff like murders and muggings. However, the investigation he was paid to deal with in that fateful day proved to be a little more interesting than most.
Subject matter: Louis Reinhardt. Age: 19. Species: Fox. Zillion knew him, if only for the dozens of times he broke through his office's door when looking for the local library. The vulpine was an avid reader, and this was apparent by the heavy, bloodstained tote bag that laid next to his beheaded corpse. The big bridge downtown was an incredibly busy place at dark Saturday nights like that one, but nobody - not even the cops - cared for Reinhardt's dead body except for Zillion and a grey-furred, black-masked raccoon, who was analyzing the deceased canine as thoroughly as the skunk detective, if not even more so.
Zillion was weirded out by this, since he was the one paid to deal with the case. Inquiring the raccoon, the skunk discovered that Rocky, as he preferred to be called, was a close friend of Louis and, coincidentally, a private eye, but his emotionless mannerisms showed no sign of affection towards the fox.
In the end, though, the two investigators struck a deal, with each one taking away a half of Reinhardt's inventory for further studying - Zillion grabbed a few thick books and a museum pamphlet while Rocky left with the rest of his dead friend's Bible-like volumes and the bag that held everything together without showing the slightest sign of disgust towards the massive pool of blood it rested on.
Creeped out by the icy raccoon and tired as all hell, Zillion sloppily left his collected evidence at his office's desk and rushed to bed without even thinking about a change of clothes.
"Eh, I've got yet another boring case on my hands", he thought as he laid on his bed. "I'm gonna solve it in a day or two, report back to the guy who hired me and get my fifty bucks, as usual. I just have to worry about that raccoon... Actually, I've never thought I'd have competition, heh. Anyway, I'd better sleep, because tomorrow will be yet another boring day of work..."