The sun was setting. The day was nearly over. The cigar between my fingers was slowly beginning to die out. I really needed a new job. The days were going by pretty slowly around here. Everything that happens in this stupid town is plain and simple. Blatant robbery. Obvious drug trafficking. The occasional fight in the alley. Every case would be said and done by the time I drove out to the scene; seems no one in this goddamn place knew how to cover their tracks. I was starting to lose what little money I could scrounge. Being a private investigator was a job most people wouldn't take. I thought I was something special. Boy was I wrong. Or so I thought.
As I snuffed out my cigar, finishing my slice of blueberry pie, and then he walked in. I hadn't seen him before. He looked strange. Wearing all black, like a suit completely covering every bit of skin he had, save his eyes and the top half of face. He was wearing a pilgrim hat as well. He had barged in hastily, but his expression didn't seem to change. As far as I could tell I was just staring into the cold dead eyes of a ghost. Wasn't long before he spoke up from underneath the mask.
"Came to talk to you. Guy at the front desk said you could help me out."
I sat up in my chair. "I'll see what I can do." Maybe this guy was my ticket. I wasn't sure what a shady brute like him would need help for, but there was no way in hell I was letting that opportunity slip away.
"I got an infestation problem."
This intrigued me. What could he be talking about? "I think you'd better go down the road to Pest Control. I don't handle rats." He gave me a squint, and put his large hand on my desk. "These rats aren't what you'd expect. They stick around the sewers and come around the apartment complex at midnight. They make so much goddamn noise I can barely sleep. If you don't take care of 'em, I will."
This was my chance. My time to shine. I looked into the man's cold eyes. Felt like he was staring right into my very being. I kept my cool. "Give me a time and location and I'll see what I can do." He handed me a crumpled piece of paper and turned around, heading out. As he left, all he said was; "Tell me when the job is done. And by the way, the name's Norman."
As the door shut, I took a quick look back at the paper he sent me, and I felt my spine tingle. I got up from my desk, leaving the paper by the ashtray, ran to the door and opened it, calling to ask him to wait; but he was gone. Like he disappeared. Moment he walked through the door. Was he really a ghost? Maybe. I was just hoping I wouldn't be one by the time I got done with this case.
I took a final look out the window. The sun gave it's final encore across the sky as it finally set into the west, painting the town, and my room, with it's orange and red glare.

After a quick drink and another look over the paper, I decided it was time to head out. It was about midnight by now. I threw on my belt and coat, and readied my magnum in the holster. Adjusting my hat before I started off down the streets. I was tired; but I kept my eyes well open. These streets weren't anything to be reckoned with. As I continued down the street, I kept my hand ready. And then I saw them; the "rats".
They were all dressed strangely; I had never seen anything like it before. All in dark black robes, or armor, and bearing large brute force weapons. I stopped dead in my tracks and kept my hand right on my gun. I kept it loaded at all times. I watched as they all climbed out of the sewers. And headed towards the alleyway adjacent from the opening. They looked to be an army. After they had all hurried into the alley, I decided it was time to make my move. None of them had seemed to notice me yet. Maybe they were in too big of a rush.
I quickly found the nearest crosswalk, and got to the other side of the street, quietly peaking around the corner, just ever so slightly. I saw torches; they were using torches to light up the area around them. The majority of them were all crowded around the wall, where one used some form of brush to paint a dark red eye; it almost perfectly resembled blood. Then, they started putting up strange busts, on either side of the eye. It was almost like they had been doing this all of their lives. They all moved routinely, and even started speaking in unison, in some kind of language I'd never heard before. It sounded dark, and when they spoke, every word in their twisted language gave off large hints of spite.
Just when I thought it was over, they all set up a large long table among the alley, and started decking it with food, quickly and brash, and even started fighting over it. Then they drew blades. And started swinging at each other. Some were laughing, some were screaming. It was chaos. I turned away from the corner, and put my back to the wall. How was I going to take care of this?
There was nothing I could do about this. Not alone. Even with my magnum, I'd stand no chance against these barbarians. It was time for me to head out. And fast.
I ran across the crosswalk again, starting to book it down the street, when all of a sudden, a flaming arrow flew just in front of my face, knocking into the wall across from me. I was lucky. And I wasn't going to risk odds like these. I put my hands in the air, stood still.
They were staring at me. And my eyes raced around, studying their faces. Then, suddenly, I heard some footsteps behind me, and before I knew it, I was out cold.

When I woke up, I was in some kind of Church. It didn't take me long to recognize it. It was an abandoned church; on the outskirts of town. I sat up, looking around, and I quickly realized my nightmare wasn't over. There had to be hundreds of them now. All of them were staying in this church. There were skulls. There was blood, and rotting bodies laying around in certain places. If hell had a smell; this place came close. There were organs playing. It sounded sinister, though. Not like a usual church organ. This really wasn't a church service at all anyways; just a hideout. It wasn't long before I was noticed.
Some people with black robes fully covering them, and strange pointed hats made their way towards me. I was in a mess. After all of this was over, I'd better get a damn raise. And a good one too.
One of them finally spoke. Quietly.
"Please remain quiet during the performance. Would you like something to drink?"
I blinked a few times. Seems they were having some sort of strange ceremony. I wasn't sure how to react.
"Yeah, a drink would be nice."
They didn't say anything and didn't show their face either, but both of them turned around and headed out to some doors. I had been placed in a hospital bed. My coat was still on. Hat was missing, but it wasn't all that important. Surprisingly; I still had my revolver as well. And in my coat pocket, my radio as well. I still had contact; I could call for help. I just had to find a way to hide it. And so I did. What better a place than a bathroom? I quietly got up from the chair, seeing as the two cloaked figures hadn't come back. And quickly made my way around. I was just making my way out of this strange room, and when I turned the corner, I found the source of the music.
Down below I could see them. Standing around playing music and they had what appeared to be some kind of huge brute singing. In that same dark language, as well. I looked over to the other side, and went over through the other doors to another hallway, all dark and dusty. It must not have been very long that I had been here, not any more than an hour or two. It was storming outside.
I head into the bathroom, and took out the radio, immediately notifying the responders in the office what was going on. They said they would be sending a team of agents to come to my location, and told me to sit tight.
Everything was set. Now all that was left was to find anything that might be of help to the office in figuring out what this place was. Then I thought; it's a church, and there's always a special room, depending on what kind of a church, usually a place for baptism. And sure enough; there was one. There were also doors around the back. I had to move fast; the agents never take too long to bust in.
I quickly headed down the hallway, turning by the window, and down the stairs, into the lobby, where I then quietly made my way through to the back, around, and continued onwards until I found myself to the corridor leading to the specific area that would lead me where I could grab some information. I ran through the doors, and there was all I needed.
A large black book, some scattered papers, and on a pedestal within the middle of the room, a shining golden skull.
I grabbed everything I could, and heard some people coming down the hall behind me. It came to my attention that maybe sprinting through the place may not have been the best idea. There were only 2 ways to go. A door that would lead me right in front of all of the people in that cathedral, or a door that would lead me to a painful death.
There was no time to think. I quickly made my choice and silently hoped it was almost time. I ran through the door, and found myself on a top balcony, right over the stage, where I was quickly met with eyes, and soon after, the loud noise of broken glass. The room turned to chaos, and the agents broke through the large church windows, shooting downwards at the strange cultists.
And then I turned around.
There was Norman, and another large figure standing next to him, both wielding large axes. One of them, in fact, with someone's head on the end. Norman didn't take any time, and swung at me with the axe. I quickly dropped the skull, drawing my pistol and shooting at him, when I tripped, and suddenly, I was falling off the balcony, backwards. I quickly turned my head to the glass, and the last thing I heard was the loud crack of thunder, the organ player's final chord as they collapsed onto the organ, and with my eyes, a large missile, heading right into the church. Before I blacked out, I heard a final scream; it was an agent from a helicopter currently just outside the church window. They were screaming my name.
"MAVERIK!!!"