How I Became a Shadow Stalker

Mrs. Jacobson you probably have a lot of questions right now, such as who am I, what is that dead thing at your feet, and why there is a woman with an axe standing in front of you. Don’t worry. I understand and your questions are perfectly normal considering the situation.
I also wouldn’t advise calling the cops. I assure you that I mean no harm. And you can probably guess by the speed in which I took out that creature this isn’t my first time fighting them. You think I would be afraid of a couple of cops with pistols?
You don’t need to know my name. It isn’t important. What I will tell you is that I am a Shadow Stalker. And what, pray tell, is a Shadow Stalker you might ask? We’re not really an organization. We are more like a loose network of individuals with one thing in common. Once upon a time we were ordinary people. We had jobs, families, friends, hopes, and dreams. But those dreams were taken from us.
Three years ago I was no different than you. I was married to a man named Robert and had a one year old son. We were your average suburban family. My husband and I worked our day jobs and did our best to raise our child. Things changed when I found out that Robert had cheated on me. Why didn’t I just leave him then and there? To be fair to Robert our marriage wasn’t going too well at that time. My pregnancy wasn’t an easy one and I was struggling with a particularly bad case of postpartum depression.
When I found out he slept with a co-worker I was furious. I stormed out of the house and threatened to come back with divorce papers. I left him there sobbing and apologetic while our son cried. The next few hours were a blur. I know he had tried calling me several times. If I had known what would happen later that evening I would have acted differently.
I remember going to our favorite park by the lake. There was a tree there, a weeping willow. Erosion had worn away part of the shoreline and left a large root visible. It was the perfect height and thickness for a bench. When we were younger Robert and I would sit there and talk for what felt like hours. It was at that spot he proposed to me. It was also the spot where I told him I was pregnant. I sat there wondering where I went wrong and what could have brought my closest friend to sleep with another woman.
But I asked myself if divorce was really the best option. He had helped me beat a drug addiction early in our relationship, and he was a good father to our son. I decided he deserved a second chance.
It was after 9 pm when I got home. I knew right away something was wrong. The door on the side of the garage was open. We never used that door. I probably should have called the police, and to this day I don’t know why I didn’t. I cautiously moved into the garage. His car was still there and nothing looked out of place. But when I entered the house my mind went wild. The place was a mess and I saw what looked like a bloodstain on the kitchen floor. I frantically called for my husband. No reply. I ran to our son’s room. He was missing and there were signs of a struggle.
I nearly jumped and hit the ceiling as the text message indicator on my phone went off. I wildly reached into my purse and dug out my phone, nearly dropping it in the process. It was a text from Robert with only two words: Parker’s Quarry. This was an abandoned quarry on the edge of town that was converted to a park after operations closed down. I got into my car and drove as fast as fast as I could. Those twenty minutes felt like an eternity as my heart beat in my chest and my thoughts raced.
When I finally arrived I could see there was a van parked near the rim of the quarry. I could see light flickering from within, like that of a campfire. I parked some distance away, not wanting to draw any attention to myself. The park wouldn’t be closing for another thirty minutes, so the sight of a couple of cars would not draw much suspicion should the police happen to pass by. I moved closer and peered through the bushes and into the pit below. I could not believe what I saw!
It was my son and husband-bound and gagged inside a circle of occult symbols painted on the ground. My poor son squirmed and I could hear his muffled cries through the gag. My husband was motionless, dried blood caked on his forehead. Four robed figures stood around them chanting and holding daggers. I knew there was no time to call the police. I ran back to my car and searched for anything that could be used as a weapon. Fortunately, there was an axe in the trunk leftover from out last camping trip.
Why yes, it is the same axe I am holding now, thanks for asking.
I took up my weapon and sprinted back to the quarry. As I ran down the path I screamed in horror. The four robed figures completed their chant and plunged their daggers into my family. It was too late to rescue them. My only option was to avenge their deaths. The four turned their attention towards me. One of them laughed as the light from the fire grew dimer. Rising from the flames was a…thing. It was a seven foot tall humanoid with horns on its head. It set upon me, moving far faster than I thought possible. The creature punched me in the stomach then sent me flying through the air with a backhand strike.
I lay there struggling to catch my breath, certain I would join my husband and son soon. I weakly looked up. The four robbed figures were nowhere to be seen. Instead I and saw two people, a man and a woman, charge down the same path I had taken. Both looked to be about my age. The man held a spear while the woman wielded a sword. They charged the creature, skillfully parrying the monstrosity’s blows with their weapons while counterattacking when an opening presented itself.
Once I recovered I picked up my axe and charged forth. The creature had its back to me so I came at it with a downward strike, allowing the full weight of the axe head to bury itself in its back with a sickening thud. I could hear the cracking of bones while the creature roared in pain. The woman with the sword used it as an opportunity to sever one of the creature’s arms. The man thrust forth with his spear, burying it deep in the thing’s chest. It fell to one knee, allowing the woman to sever the beast’s head.
Without hesitation the man looked at me and asked if I was hurt. I replied I was probably bruised but would be ok. The woman told me there was no time to explain and we needed to get out of there now.
“But my family,” I replied.
The man firmly told me there was nothing we could do for them, and unless I wanted to explain things to the authorities it would be best to leave.
I knew they were right. I still wasn’t sure to make of the situation at hand. They told me to go home, call the police, and explain that I came home to find my husband and son missing. I explained to the man and woman that my husband and I had a fight, which was why I wasn’t at the house. The man replied that was perfect, gave me a phone number, and asked me to call him when I was ready to learn more.
“But what about the creature,” I asked.
The woman replied that would not be an issue. Having no other choice I began the drive home. The twenty minute drive to the park felt like it took forever. The drive home felt like it took longer. All I could do was think of what I was going to tell the police.
I can’t tell you how painful the rest of the night was. All I could think about were the corpses of my husband and son rotting in a quarry until the coroner showed up. I got home and called the police, explaining that I had a fight with my husband, left to cool down, then came home to find the house had been broken into. I also explained the text my husband had sent. It wasn’t much of a stretch really. Fortunately, they police didn’t check the trunk of my car so I didn’t have to explain the black blood covering the axe.
Later that night I went to the morgue to identify the bodies of my family. My husband still had his phone on him, so the detective figured out that the people who kidnapped him didn’t notice it so he sent the text when he realized where they were going. The police never mentioned the creature.
The following month things had settled down. I took some time off from work for funeral arrangements and endured several more police interviews. After some questioning the police ruled me out as a suspect. The woman my husband cheated with testified to the police that she did in fact sleep with Robert though she wasn’t aware of what happened that fateful night. The case was ruled a ritual murder. They never caught the suspects.
I couldn’t stand the fact that my family’s killers were still out there. How many other families would fall victim to those madmen? The cultists would probably guess that I was the one who attacked them and would come by seeking retribution. I got a concealed carry license, installed a home security system, and picked up the best handgun I could afford. I’m more suspicious now, and am always looking over my shoulder for people following too closely.
But what tormented me the most was that no one else knew the truth-except for the man with the spear and the woman with sword. I had only one option. I called them and met at the same park where we fought that horrible creature. They explained that each of them went through a similar experience. The man lost his fiancé to a cult and the woman’s girlfriend was killed by a demonic creature. Soon after their traumatic event each encountered a Shadow Stalker.
What is a Shadow Stalker you ask? We are people who have had encounters with the supernatural, and it did not end well for us. So we picked the only logical option-to destroy these beasts and those who work with them. Do I honestly want to prevent people like you from meeting the same fate that met my beloved husband and son? Yes. But for each creature I kill and each cultist I murder I feel like I am one step closer to avenging their deaths.
Why am I telling you this? Because you deserve to know. Also, you probably will not remember this. You see, in the near future you will be visited by a top secret government organization. They go by the name Omega 9. They will ask you some questions then erase your memory. Ever wonder why the police never mentioned the creature to me? Or why you never heard any credible news source report that a man and a child were found murdered in a quarry next to the headless corpse of a demon? Omega 9 is why. They hide evidence and manipulate the media so people don’t learn the truth. Is that for the best? Maybe. But for now I bid you good night Mrs. Jacobson, and may you rest well knowing that people like me are seeking out these creatures to destroy them.
*
Detective Summerfield reporting. I have completed my interview with Mrs. Jacobson. She is not quite sure what to make of what happened tonight. She did not recognize the woman with the axe. I compared the police sketch to our database and she does not match any known suspects for any ongoing investigations. I do not believe she is hostile but would like to find her for questioning. The coroner’s office has the body of the creature in the morgue and will conduct an autopsy in a few days. This thing is certainly is not human. I will update the case file once I have more information. Detective Summerfield, out.
*
Samuel Cartwright, Information Control specialist, Region C12, reporting. Cleanup procedures for case Gamma 732 Epsilon are complete. Mrs. Jacobson, Detective Summerfield, and several responding officers and morticians have been subject to memory modification procedure Morpheus 17. Information has been fed to the media reporting that the incident was a simple home invasion.
Subject of interest, a.k.a. the woman with the axe, is still at large as are the woman with the sword and the man with the spear. We have detained three of the four cultists participating in the Gamma 732 Epsilon incident for questioning. The fourth cultist was killed while resisting arrest. Field Agent Blackstar and Field Agent Shadow have reported an increase of similar cult activity in the area. I hereby request Omega 9 increase resources to Region C12. Samuel Cartwright, out.
Category:Crime
Category:Demon/Devil