Hobo Heart Rewrite

## Hobo Heart Rewrite by Doros70

(Hobo Heart was created by Chris Oz Fulton)

"What do we got this time?" Detective McMahon asked as he and his partner stepped closer to the CSI officer, giving him an unsurprised look.

They were in the backyard of a suburban home in the town of Burleson. Aside from the two knocked-over lawn chairs, the only thing that took up the majority of the space was a gruesome crime scene.

The officer shook his head and turned to the middle-aged man and his partner while looking at his notepad.

"Another two. Same M.O. as before. The female had her chest ripped open, heart removed, and the decomposed heart from the previous victim is present at the scene. The male is just... ripped to shreds."

Jason Rodriguez, Detective McMahon's partner, looked over his shoulder and winced at the sight of the dry, withered, and rotten heart lying next to the female victim. To avoid throwing up, Jason quickly turned away from the disgusting organ.

"Have you identified the victims?" Jason asked.

"Yeah. The girl is Britany Walton, aged 26. The man is Jim Thompson, also aged 26. The two were engaged, and it appears that they were stargazing moments before their deaths. It seems that someone decided to join in in their own way."

"How many does this make?" the detective inquired.

"With those poor lovebirds here? Hmm... Eight. This is the fourth crime scene with this kind of brutality."

"Eight people killed in less than a month?" Jason asked in a slightly surprised tone. "Now we can't rule out the possibility that these killings are done by multiple persons."

"There've been worse, boy," the detective said. "Now let's begin our work."

With that said, detective McMahon and Jason searched the backyard for clues. After a short while, McMahon found something strange next to a bush. The detective carefully picked it up to examine it, and his eyes widened in awe. It was the largest feather he'd ever seen. It was raven black and a bit heavier.

"Rodriguez! Come here!"

Jason immediately stopped what he was doing and walked up to his partner. When he saw the feather, he was also surprised.

"It appears that the only suspect is the largest crow in the world," Jason said jokingly, to which McMahon gave an unamused look.

"You're not wrong and you're not right, Rodriguez," McMahon said as his eyes turned once again to the feather. "This feather is at the very least 25 inches long. No crow or raven has feathers that big, or any flying bird for that matter. And it appears that it's not inorganic either, but I doubt that a real rare bird is responsible for those deaths. I'll take it to the lab for studies. For now, we'll have to look for more clues."

The minutes passed, and the two detectives didn't find any other factors that weren't present in the previous crime scenes. No fingerprints, no fallen hair, no footprints, no skin cells, nothing. McMahon got tired and stepped into the front lawn for a smoke. Before he knew it, he found himself staring into nothing and deep in thought.

His pondering was interrupted when Jason walked up to him.

"McMahon? Is something wrong?"

The detective quickly turned his head to his partner for a moment before turning back to his cigarette.

"Nothing, I was just... thinking about some stuff."

"What kind of stuff?"

"The personal kind. It has nothing to do with the case."

"Oh. That's... new." Jason looked at the detective with a slightly nervous look. "It's fine if you don't wanna talk about it."

McMahon finished his cigarette and made a comforting gesture towards Jason with his hands.

"It's fine... I've actually been wanting to talk about this to someone, and... you're the closest thing to a friend that I have. Promise you won't judge me?"

"Have I ever?"

"Alright... I never told you this, but my life at home isn't exactly... nice. I have a family, but all I do when I get home is eat dinner, take a shower and go to bed; that's it. This job takes up so much of my time that I don't get to see my son. He practically had to raise himself for most of his life... I didn't get to learn anything about his interests, what kind of hobbies he has, what kind of relationships he's developed... I didn't even show up to his graduation ceremony. For almost a decade, I couldn't spend time with him. My life has no room for anything wholesome anymore, I suppose."

"Well... why not take some time off and spend time with him?" Jason suggested with a nervous smile.

"I wish it was that easy," McMahon responded. "These goddamn cases require my constant attention and people demand results. I can't afford to let the culprit on the loose for much longer. But I feel like I'm not a part of my son's life, and it's eating me on the inside. When we last spoke to each other, he made it clear that he despised me. After all, I've broken a lot of promises, and I wasn't there for him when he needed me. He has every right to be angry with me."

McMahon's gaze fell to the ground with an expression of guilt and regret. Jason never would've thought in a million years that he would see his partner so... vulnerable. McMahon rarely told anything about himself, and for that to change all of a sudden seemed out of character for him. Regardless, Jason's nervous smile faltered and he couldn't help but give the detective a sympathetic look.

"That's rough, old man," Jason said as he put his hand on the man's shoulder. "Listen, I know how you feel. I used to have the same kind of relationship with my dad. We were both having a rough time and I used to be angry with him all the time, but I still cared. Things worked out between us in the end. Plus, if you say that you haven't talked to your son in a long time, his anger should be gone by now. I'm sure your son loves you too, deep down."

McMahon turned his head to Jason. He wanted to respond in agreement but hesitated.

"I hate to admit, but... I'm scared."

"Scared of what?"

"That he won't talk to me. He said that he doesn't want to see me again. What if he's serious?"

"I said the same thing to my dad, but I didn't mean it. I'm certain that your son didn't mean what he said either. If me and my old man could reconcile, then I'm sure you can do the same with your boy. I believe you can do it."

The detective's gaze fell to the ground, contemplating once again. He began to think that Jason was right and that he should definitely try. He decided that when he was done with the case, he'd take some time off. Maybe quit entirely. Either way, he knew that sooner or later, he would have to talk to his son once again. This gave the detective a sense of confidence he hadn't felt in ages. His eyes looked up to his partner once again and gave him a thin smile.

"I'm sure you're right. Thanks, Jason."

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Near the woods, on an old country road on the outskirts of town, a car pulled to a stop about 20 yards off the road. A young couple was seeking seclusion from any prying eyes. The whole town was under curfew since the murders, but the two were lucky enough to get out there without being seen. The view of the forest and the night sky was incredibly beautiful, and the two thought it would be the perfect place for their date.

The young woman in the passenger seat looked exactly like the other girls in her college: Long blonde hair, blue eyes, fair skin, and a ton of makeup on her face. She had a constant smirk on her face and seemed rather excited for the date to truly begin.

"Oh, Tommy... This place is perfect!" the girl said as she looked out the windows.

"Yeah, Vanessa. I guess it is," Tommy said, not looking at his girlfriend. He didn't seem full of himself or proud of finding a nice place, in fact, he wasn't even smiling.

Vanessa then looked at Tommy, her smirk never leaving her face.

"So... how do you wanna spend the date? Stargazing? Listening to the radio? Or perhaps..."

Vanessa almost bit her lip and was about to unbutton her shirt, but she stopped herself once she saw Tommy's face. He still wasn't looking at her, and he seemed... worried.

"Is something bothering you, Tommy?" Vanessa asked. She was also worried, since she'd never seen Tommy so withdrawn.

"N-no," Tommy replied after a short pause, seemingly unsure of his answer.

"Babe, don't lie to me. I can tell something isn't right. Can you tell me what it is?"

Tommy took a deep breath and let out a sigh.

"Geez... I didn't want to be a turn-off or make you think less of me, but I can't help but think about something."

"What are you thinking about?"

"I'm thinking about someone close to me, and what they think of me now. A long time ago, I was... angry, aggressive...and a huge asshole to that person. I suppose my reason for that was petty as hell. I said some things I wish I hadn't said, and it's finally taking its toll on me."

Vanessa looked away from Tommy for a moment. She almost regretted that she was about to push the date too far when he was going through a rough time. Still, while she was his girlfriend, she did try to ease the situation.

"I'm sorry to hear that. I'm not really good at giving advice, but what I can tell you is that you can't keep thinking about it forever."

"What do you want me to do then?" Tommy asked.

"I think you should ask that person to forgive you."

"Are you kidding me? You don't even know what I did to them! I wouldn't forgive anyone if they did what I did. If they're anything like me, there's no way things could go back to how they were."

Vanessa breathed through her nose momentarily and glanced in another direction for a moment. She looked back at Tommy with a more serious look.

"Tommy. Baby. You are a good and smart guy. No one is anything like you. Not even whoever you keep mentioning. If you were close to them once, perhaps you two can make up. If you're not sure if they'll forgive you, you'll never know if you don't try. You always have a choice."

Tommy looked away for a moment, considering his options. His girlfriend's words made him feel a type of confidence that he hadn't felt in a long time. He finally felt like he had a choice. This moment finally gave him a chance to make things right. If only...

"Thank you, Vanny. I'm lucky to have a supporting girlfriend like you-"

Suddenly, and without warning, the two heard a loud crash and the car shook for a second, as if something slammed down on the top.

"What in the..." Tommy said quietly, fear being very noticeable in his voice. He looked out the windows but saw nothing. Thinking that an animal somehow got on the roof of the car, Tommy slowly made his way outside to get a better look. Once he was out of the car, he noticed that the wind blew unusually hard. He checked the roof of the car but noticed that nothing was there.

Anxious and confused, Tommy got inside the car as fast as he could while Vanessa gave him a look of concern. Before either of them could say a word, another sound appeared. It sounded like a faint thud, as if someone was walking on the roof. Vanessa's look of concern suddenly turned into that of sheer and utter fear.

"Babe... we should get out of here," Vanessa suggested quietly. Tommy quickly nodded and got ready to start the car.

Then suddenly, a figure landed on the hood of the car, causing the two to recoil. Not even a second later, an ice-cold hand burst through the windshield and grabbed Tommy by the collar. The figure proceeded to forcefully pull him out and throw his body at the base of a nearby tree.

His back only managed to register only a second of the excruciating pain before going completely numb. Tommy was still alive, but completely paralyzed.

As Tommy tried to catch his breath, his ears were filled with Vanessa's screams of terror. He looked up and watched how the figure reached into the car and dragged the girl out effortlessly. The intruder looked at Tommy, making his face very visible.

Even in his disorientated state, Tommy could tell that whoever attacked him was not human. That thing was tall, lanky, and had short, unkempt gray hair. It was shirtless and only wore a pair of torn brown trousers and shoes. Its eyes were bright blue, and they were staring right into Tommy's soul. Its skin was dark gray, but its body had white paint resembling bones, a ribcage, and a skull, forming a skeleton. Tommy wasn't sure why, but he could tell that the 'paint' on the figure was a part of its skin. The most noticeable feature was a pair of large, raven black wings protruding from its back, making Tommy feel like a small and easily overwhelmed prey. The figure looked somewhat sick and almost emaciated but was clearly strong enough to hold Vanessa in the air without effort.

The girl struggled to free herself, she even tried to punch the attacker in the forearm, but it didn't flinch. It continued to stare at Tommy without a hint of emotion.

"Tommy!! Tommy, HELP ME!" she screamed.

The creature raised its hand for a moment and used its sharp nails to form a circle in its upper abdomen. Slowly and methodically, it pulled a piece of its own flesh, filling the air with disgusting sounds of dripping blood and flesh being rustled around. In a few seconds, the open wound revealed something incredibly strange: a beating heart. The sound of the beats filled the air, barely muffling Vanessa's screams of fear.

The creature reached into the wound and winced a bit as it pulled out the heart. The withered heart pulsated for a few seconds in the creature's hand before it stopped moving altogether. The creature tossed the heart near Tommy's face. Tommy looked at the heart and noticed that it was black, withered, old and sick. The sight and horrible stench almost made him vomit.

Tommy looked back up at the creature and did the last thing he wanted it to do. It grinned at him and raised its hand before his attention turned to the girl. With a swift motion, the monster plunged its hand into Vanessa's chest, turning her screams into loud gasps and weak groans.

Tommy wanted to cry and scream at the creature to stop, but all he could do was shed one tear. The tear rolled down his cheek as he watched the monster twisting its forearm into Vanessa's chest. Finally, the creature's arm stopped moving for a second and then pulled out its prize: Vanessa's still-beating heart.

Once it was done, the creature released Vanessa and left her to die on the hood of the car. The creature placed her heart inside its self-inflicted wound. It took the severed piece of flesh, placed it in the hole, and waited. In a few seconds, the hole was covered and the missing tissue reformed in a matter of seconds, leaving a large scar in the shape of a circle.

Tommy lay silent in horror as he watched the grotesque task being executed with patience and precision. He looked at the creature's face and noticed something different about it. It was slightly younger and healthier than it looked moments ago. It took a deep breath and exhaled as if it was done with a very difficult task. A second later, it looked back at Tommy and its smile grew wider. It walked over and crouched near Tommy's head. Tommy could see the horrific details of the thing's body. The black skin, the white skull and bones, and fresh healed tissue holding its wound together.

The creature looked down at Tommy and tilted its head inquisitively as it reached out its hand and wiped away Tommy's tear. The figure then grabbed Tommy by the jacket and pulled him off the ground. It flew over to the hood of the car and continued to hold him high in the air, forcing Tommy to look at the sky and the upper parts of the trees.

The two stood there in silence until Tommy saw something that made his stomach drop. A winged figure approached and landed on a tree branch. It looked exactly like the attacker, but its posture, face and hair looked different. Then another one appeared. Then another and another. At least a dozen of those creatures appeared, staring at Tommy with looks of hunger and bloodlust. Some looked sick and frail, others looked healthy and strong.

The monster that held the boy shouted something in a strange language that Tommy didn't understand, and the other creatures cheered loudly. As the monsters roared, the creature that killed Vanessa looked at Tommy in the eyes and spoke.

"I said... whoever kills you first can have your heart."

The creature's smile grew wider as it gently placed Tommy's body on the ground. It slowly backed away and sat on the roof.

"Don't be nervous. The fun is just starting."

A few seconds later, the sounds of tearing flesh and breaking bones filled the air. In his last few moments, Tommy tried to scream, but nothing came out. After a long and excruciatingly painful moment, everything went quiet.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

The bodies of Tommy and Vanessa were discovered twelve hours later by a cyclist and immediately called the police. McMahon and Jason showed up soon. Strangely, McMahon acted differently the entire time. He did not say a single word while investigating the scene. As the examination continued, Jesse began to feel anxious and asked the old detective if he was feeling alright. McMahon did not answer, and he made no sound the entire time.

The investigation of the scene ended like the previous ones, with seemingly nothing out of the ordinary. Before the detectives parted ways, Jason asked McMahon one more time what was wrong. The detective looked over his shoulder but made no eye contact with his partner. He quietly said,

"You've done nothing wrong, Jason. I did... I'll see you at the department."

A few hours later, the day ended as usual, and McMahon went back home, late as always. It was a small, gloomy old house in an isolated part of Burleson that showed signs of neglect.

The old man walked inside, turned on the light, and placed his jacket carelessly on the wall rack. It didn't take long for it to fall, but McMahon made no effort to put it back.

He made some soup, walked into the family room, and sat in a chair near the window, looking out to the sky hopelessly.

After a few moments, he reached over the shelf and took an old photo that had been covered with dust. He barely recognized himself there. He was much younger back then and much, much happier. He was not alone in that photo. He held a younger boy in his arms. He could remember that silly t-shirt, the adorable smile that revealed his missing tooth, and the robot action figure in his hand.

It was the last photo with the two looking happy. McMahon gently wiped the dust off the boy's face.

"You grew up so much, Tommy...and I missed it. It's a shame you won't grow old anymore."

He put his face into his hands, and rubbed the space between his eyes, thinking of all the things he and Tommy did in past, and the many, many other things his son would never be able to do now that his life was lost.

His thoughts were interrupted by the loud yet muffled sound of flapping outside the house. His tired eyes looked over the window and his heart sank when he saw a large, black feather falling by slowly.