A shiny sky.
A beautiful home.
A name plate on the door: Bunny Grafton.
In the kitchen, a middle-aged lady wearing a blue sundress was drinking wine.
Today was her daughter Amy’s birthday.
The party was over.
Now she was relaxing.
The house was finally quiet.
She closed her eyes and let the wine warm her throat.
From behind, a man came and wrapped his arms around her.
Her husband.
A soft smile touched her face.
She turned around.
“I am so tired,” Bunny said.
His hand hovered near her wrist.
Gentle.
Tired but happy.
“So what do you want to do?” his wife asked.
A soft and aggressive smile on her face.
Her eyes sparkled with mischief.
“Maybe a lot of sex,” Bunny said.
He kissed her.
Deep.
Slow.
The kind of kiss that promised a long night.
— Upstairs in Amy’s room, she was changing clothes.
The party dress lay crumpled on the bed.
The room smelled of cake and candles.
A sound came from the roof.
Wood cracking.
Sharp.
Sudden.
“These rats,” Amy muttered.
She didn’t look up.
She was used to the sounds of an old house.
She walked to the mirror and sat down.
Brushed her hair.
Hummed a song from the party.
Suddenly, from the roof, a Karbu dropped down and landed on her bed.
The bed frame shattered.
Wood splinters flew across the room.
Amy’s eyes went wide in the mirror.
Her mouth opened.
No scream came.
Just frozen terror.
The Karbu moved toward her.
Slow.
Certain.
Amy stood up on shaking legs.
Her body knew to run but her feet wouldn’t listen.
The Karbu closed its jaws around her head.
Amy’s body kept standing for a second.
Just a second.Blood shot from her neck like a fountain.
Hot.
Red.
Pumping into the air.
Her body crumpled to the floor.
The Karbu stood there.
Blood dripping from its mouth.
Its black eyes stared at nothing.
— Her parents rushed in.
Still breathless from their kiss.
Still holding each other’s hands.
They saw their daughter on the ground.
No head.
A pool of blood spreading across the wooden floor.
They saw the Karbu.Standing near her daughter’s body an open mouth with sharp teeth blood drop from its teeth deathly stare.
Bunny’s wife screamed.
A raw, tearing sound that filled the house and spilled into the night.
It was the scream of a mother whose world had just ended.
The Karbu turned.
It moved fast.
Two strikes.
Two bodies.
Their heads were gone before their bodies hit the floor.
Their hands were still reaching for each other.
— The Karbu climbed out through the broken roof.
It stood on top of the house, silhouetted against the dark sky.
Across Monovi, the lights flickered and died.
One by one.
Street by street.
The moon slid behind a cloud.
Monovi sank into complete darkness.
The Karbu jumped and ran into the night.
Silent now.
Hunting.
— Blinc’s House.
Morning.
6:30.
Annie was making coffee.
Steam rose from the cup.
She was thinking something.
Her mind was restless.
Something felt wrong, but she couldn’t name it.
“We have to go,” William said from behind.
His voice was flat.
Tired.
Annie nodded.
She didn’t turn around.
“Where did you go last night?
Almost three o’clock?” Annie asked.
Her voice carried an edge.
Suspicion wrapped in concern.
“I was coming from Amy’s birthday party,” William said.
“Oh.
She sent me an invitation too.
But I didn’t go.
I have to apologize to her.” Annie’s voice softened.
Guilt.
She should have gone.
“Yes.
Lara was also there.
But it’s strange that the girl went at three o’clock to buy a bra,” William said.
A dry laugh.
A phone rang.
The sound cut through the quiet morning.
William picked up.
“I am from Monovi police.
Am I talking to William Watson?” The voice was crisp.
Official.
“Yes.” “Is Lara Davis and Inose Akiyama there?” “Yes.
They are here.” “Three of you have to come to the police station urgently.” “What—what happened?” The line went dead.
Dial tone.
William stared at the phone.
His hand tightened around it.
“What happened?” Annie asked.
Her voice was sharp now.
Worried.
“They… they called Lara, Inose, and me to the police station,” William said.
His eyes darted around the room.
Searching for an answer that wasn’t there.
Lost.
He gave a small, empty shrug.
The gesture of someone who had stopped trying to understand.
— Walking toward the car.
The morning air was cold.
Bitter.
“What the hell is happening?
Why did they call us?” Lara asked.
Her voice was frustrated.
Afraid beneath the anger.
William didn’t answer.
He just kept walking.
Lara, Inose, and William went to the police station.
Charlie, Cult, Lomro, Annie, Blinc, and Zander were going to the Miller house.
They sat in Charlie’s car.
The engine hummed.
No one spoke.
Blinc saw Lomro’s shoulder.
The skin was dark purple and blue.
Swollen.
“Hey!
Stop for a second.
Lomro, get out,” Blinc said.
He was already opening his door.
“What happened?” Lomro asked, stepping out.
Confused.
“Hey, William!
Take Lomro with you and drop him at the hospital!” Blinc shouted across the driveway.
His voice was urgent.
Commanding.
“Look at your shoulder.
It’s totally blue.
Go to the hospital.
Take tablets,” Blinc said.
Softer now.
Worried.
“I am all right,” Lomro said.
Stubborn.
Proud.
“Just go.” Blinc’s voice left no room for argument.
Lomro reached into his pocket.
He pulled out the C.D.
“Take it with you,” Lomro said.
He pressed it into Blinc’s hand.
“Motherfucker,” Blinc said.
But there was no anger in it.
Just exhaustion.
Blinc sat back in the car.
“Let’s go.” — Bunny’s House.
Officer Tom.
Morning.
7 O’Clock.
Tom stood in the bedroom.
The air was thick with the smell of blood.
He had seen dead bodies before.
He had never seen anything like this.
“Who saw them first?” Tom asked.
His voice was steady.
Professional.
But his jaw was tight.
“The servant, sir.
She said when she came home at six o’clock, blood was coming down from upstairs.
When she went up, she saw Bunny and his wife’s bodies without heads outside the room.
She instantly called police,” Carla said.
She was reading from her notes.
Her voice was calm, but her hands were shaking.
“Did you check the roof?” Tom asked.
“Yes, sir.” Carla pulled a photograph from an envelope.
Her fingers trembled.
“Here it is, sir.
There are foot marks.
Created by blood.
Not human.” “Sir.” Another officer appeared at the door.
His face was pale.
“There are three more complaints.
Same thing.
Same footprints.” Tom took the photograph.
He stared at it.
The footprints were long.
Thin.
Wrong.
“What the hell is this thing?” he said.
He wasn’t asking anyone.