text: The rookie gathered his gear as Bert told him “time to go to work son.” It was early morning, around 0600 hours, sun wasn’t coming up for another hour or so. Bert fired up the crown vic and the Rookie jumped in the passenger seat. Still fixing up his gun belt. It was the dead of winter. Feet of snow and blistering cold. The Rookie had no idea what was going on. He had no idea the next few hours would change his damn life forever. Bert usually rode shotgun, ever since the Rookie could be trusted to drive. He fumbled around for the lights and sirens. “What’s going on?” The Rookie asked. “Sarg said he needs us on the highway by the old mill.” Natural fear crept in and the Rookie swallowed it down. It was foggy and the drive seemed to take forever. No one was on the road that early, especially with the recent snowfall. The Rookie looked out the window at the snow covered pine trees passing. He loved this time of year. “Looks like the Sarg’s rig up there” The Rookie jumped out of the passenger seat and approached the police truck. The driver’s side door was open and the red and blues were flashing. Bert called it in. The Rookie had a real bad feeling as he peered into the pickup. Sarg wasn’t there. The Rookie motioned to Bert, he had to see the confused look on his face. The Rookie followed the tracks in the snow. Into the thick fog. He wasn’t sure just how far he had gone. The fog was so disorienting. He heard Bert try to reach Sarg on the radio. “Dispatch, what was sam 5-9 responding to out here?” “Anonymous caller stated they saw a female walking on the roadway, requested a welfare check.” The Rookie overheard the traffic as he followed the footprints in the snow. His eyes doubled open as he saw a second smaller pair of footprints appear next to Sarg’s. “Robert 2-5, I got another set of tracks up here!” The Rookie keyed in. No response. He knew his handheld radio wouldn’t reach dispatch; but why wasn’t Bert answering. The Rookie heard static and could make out a familiar ten code: “Rob -5 10-9 son I can’t copy yourr.. Rad... tr... ic.” “I’m gonna turn back” The Rookie thought out loud. He shuffled around in the deep snow and started heading back towards the way he came. Something in his gut told him to turn around NOW. He caught a glimpse of a figured dressed in white. The Rookie drew his 9mm service pistol. “Sarg?” his voice cracked. A faint whisper echoed all around him. Throughout the tall pine trees. Someone else was here and it sure as hell wasn’t moving around like a normal human being. The Rookie took a sharp deep breath feeling the cold chill in his lungs. He pulled his beanie down. Loosened and then tightened the grip on his pistol. He began following the two sets of footprints further into the foggy abyss. It wasn’t many yards further when he saw what looked like a scuffle in the snow. He could tell where a large male, Sarg, had fallen down. He could see blood drops and lung tissue sprayed across the white snow. The Rookie stood there for a minute trying to muster up some courage. Sarg’s footprints didn’t go any further. The smaller set of footprints continued into the darkness, and they were dragging something heavy. MOVE! The Rookie began running back towards the vehicles and where he figured Bert had to be. It wasn’t a dozen steps he took before something knocked him down. He began clawing at the snow in front of him trying to crawl away. He felt the skin just below his knees peel away. Claws puncturing his calf muscles and pulling him the opposite way he so desperately wanted to go. He felt a separate set of claws, had to be feet, push on to his torn calf muscles. He could feel the weight of something heavy. The weight held him in place. The Rookie turned his head to see what was on top of him holding him down. It was like a little girl but with sharp razor like teeth. Black hair and black eyes. It’s arms were skinny and long. At the end of the arms were long fingers with bloody claws. The damned thing just sat there crouched down staring at him. It cocked it’s head sideways shifting it’s jaw open and from side to side. The Rookie lifted his trembling hand and pointed his weapon at it. It lowered its head and giggled. Kind of like a girl, but it had a deep devilish voice. With both hands it started tearing into The Rookie’s gut. The Rookie lowered his hand.. And squeezed the trigger.