Chasing Darkness

Prologue

Mountain of papers were making her desk looks like a wide trash can. But the woman behind the desk couldn't care less. She's currently busy reading a file in a folder, while sipping coffee and making herself comfortable in her office chair.

There's no need to rush everything. She needs to read this file thoroughly before deciding on it. Or else it will be another waste of time.

"Nathalie?" Her friend called, now standing in front of her. "Aren't you going home yet? It's already nine thirty."

"You can go first, Jen. I still have plenty of things to do." She said. "I'll stay for another hour."

"Ok, if you say so. Then be careful on your way home. There has been a report that some pervert is running loose near this area."

"You're also a woman, that applies to you too." She flipped another paper and read its contents. "A haunting, I see."

"So, you're still accepting cases related to paranormal huh? I thought you already stopped a long time ago?"

She nodded. This case came at the right time. She needed money and the client is willing to pay double just to banish the ghost that's haunting her house. Not bad and the request seems so legit and really need of attention.

Nathalie's head shot up and she noticed how empty their office has become. Seem like she's the only one left. She decided to gather all the papers on her desk and started tidying her cubicle. After that, she prepared to leave.

Working in an advertisement company is no joke. It will suck your brain and body energy dry until you become a living zombie struggling to survive. She sighed as she pressed the G button on the elevator. She has many things think of and living is just one of them. There's still her family and the growing competition inside their company. If she let her guard down, all of her hard work will crumble right under her feet.

Living is indeed hard.

It's already late and she needs to be home before midnight strikes. She didn't know why but she didn't like the atmosphere of the dark when the clock strikes twelve. It frightens her. That's why she decided to take a shortcut in a nearby alley so she can get to the station in five minutes.

The young woman noticed how dark the alley was and if not for the moonlight and a single street light it will be hard to see anything. She sighed again.

'Wrong move' Nathalie thought.

This alley is spooky enough to give her goose bumps. It felt like she will run into a ghost any second and she don't want that. The moon was eerily big and the sound of water drops is loud in that silent place. A loud shriek of a cat that suddenly jumped right in front startled her.

"That surprise me!" She was about to continue walking when cold hands suddenly gripped both of her arms and kick her right leg. She fell on the cold cemented floor, her side throbbed in pain.

Terror enveloped Nathalie's body, disabling her to move every limb. Her heart hammering in her chest like it was about to jump out. She never felt this scared before.

Is it the perverted man? Hold-upper? A killer?

The person behind her moved swiftly and in a second she felt that her control is starting to lose. Her body is giving in that later on she found herself completely paralyze.

And then ... all fell in darkness.