The Monster Returns: The Monster, #2

By Ricky Hood

Two years after the events of The Monster Inside, our protagonist is once again up against a faceless, merciless killer intent on leaving her and everyone around her dead. It is up to her and a new group of friends to fight for their lives and learn the shocking identity and motives of this new menace. Featuring characters old and new, it is a wild ride from start to finish.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ricky Hood
• Release date: Jan 17, 2021
• ISBN: 9781393842187

Book preview

THE MONSTER RETURNS

By Ricky Hood

Table of Contents

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

EPILOGUE

Copyright © 2019 Ricky Hood

All rights reserved

ISBN-13

CHAPTER ONE

Kayla Carson didn’t think she would ever sleep a full night again after what she went through two years prior, but she also never imagined the nightmares would become real again so quickly. Her heart nearly thudded to a complete stop when she saw the news break on her television in the dorm room that she shared with Lacie Bradley for the last two semesters of her college life. The image of Dennis Nash wrapped in orange from head-to-toe did little to assuage the fear that welled up inside of her. More than seeing him, it was the caption that really stole what remained of her breath directly from her lungs. As she read it and then did so again, she could not fathom that the words were real.

As the reality started to hit her, she cried. They were going to let that monster out because he was big, important, and most of all, wealthy. It did not matter that he had slaughtered a dozen people and they had all the evidence they would ever need to send him to death row. Because he was who he was, he had spent less than a full day in jail once being captured after having fled for two years from the authorities somehow. Lacie sat perplexed beside her best friend, unsure whether she needed silence, a hug, or loneliness. She chose carefully and pulled Kayla into her chest and rested her head on her breast, the tears falling from her eyes soaking the silk blouse she had chosen with care to wear that day.

Without as much as a word, Lacie stroked Kayla’s hair and watched the news, still curious about what had her roommate and best friend so upset. People got released from jail all the time even when they did awful things. She knew she would have to ask before she could get any answers, but she was positive now was not the time for that. After a few minutes, she laid Kayla down on the arm of the uncomfortable sofa with a pillow under her head and went to her desk to study for her chemistry exam. If only her parents and grandfather had told her just how much work it was going to take to become a doctor, she would have chosen something else, like perhaps a gym teacher or janitor.

As she studied on the other side of the room, Kayla had fallen asleep, but the reprieve didn’t last long. Soon after she dozed off, her cell phone rang on the coffee table in front of the sofa and Kayla bolted upright and grabbed onto it like it had the solution to her current emotional state.

Hello, said Kayla sullenly. There was no sign of giving a crap about what the person on the other line might think about such a greeting, and she didn’t plan on giving whoever it was anything else.

Hey, sweetie, said a kind voice that Lacie could hear plainly since the phone had been put on speakerphone, likely accidentally.

Oh, hi, dad. I was just napping. Sorry. Long day.

Sweetheart, did you see the news? They are letting that son of a bitch out of jail. Your mother and I are taking precautions here, but I want you to stay safe out there.

I saw it too, dad. I am not happy. Not even a full day in jail. Someone needs to find out how it happened and send him right back before someone else gets hurt or killed.

Lacie listened more than she intended to, but the conversation was getting intriguing in the worst kind of way. She heard words like murder, death, slaughter, and massacre and was no longer sure who she was roommates with. She knew the context was from a victim perspective but it still set her on edge hearing such words come out of the mouth of the person she slept a few feet from nearly every single night.

Okay, dad. Thanks for calling. I will do everything I can to stay safe here. I’ll see you and mom in a few months. Probably around New Year’s Day. I am gonna spend Christmas here with some friends.

After a few more pleasantries and goodbyes, the phones were hung up on both ends. Kayla was not sitting up and alert. The news was still on and talking about Mr. Nash, but she seemed to care a lot less now. Her demeanor was no longer that of someone angry he had gone free, but rather that of someone terrified of who it was that had gone free.

Sorry, L. I didn’t mean for that interrupt your studying.

Lacie turned slowly in her computer chair, like a villain in a cheesy spy movie. She had a look of disgust on her face, though as a result of what she had heard or what she had been studying remained a mystery to Kayla.

It’s fine. What isn’t fine is all that shit you and your dad just talked about. Her accent started to break through and she sounded like that stereotypical old black woman in a southern church. You said some pretty scary shit, girl.

Oh, I’m sorry. I don’t talk about it much...with anyone.

Um, you mean at all, and with your roommate and best friend for the last year.

Yeah, that too. Kayla cracked a weird looking smile. It’s just not easy to talk about. Since you heard so much, if you wanna hear the rest of the story, then I will tell you.

Girl, come on, Lacie said playfully. You know you can’t just toss some shit like that around and then keep the story to your damn self.

Good point, said Kayla. Well, basically I am the sole survivor of a massacre in my hometown, she began. She then proceeded to tell Lacie the entire story, from start to finish as she held her breath waiting for the next detail. When it was over, Lacie’s dark skin had paled enough to notice. Her long black hair was wet from sweat. Tears had formed in her eyes, and she hadn’t known a single person from the story other than Kayla.

Holy shit, K. All that happened to you? Like, personally? No bullshit?

No bullshit, said Kayla matter-of-factly. The man they just let go was the one who killed all of my friends and several people in town and from other towns. Basically, he is a mass murderer free to kill again if he pleases.

Damn. So, how do you know you’re safe here? Your dad seems pretty concerned about you. I mean, they were attacked too, so how are they sure he won’t come after them again?

I mean, I am sure they are taking steps to ensure he is being watched, so I doubt he can get away to kill again, but there is no way to be sure with him. He was one of the most respected and richest people in town before he went crazy and did all that.

I ask again, how do you know you’re safe?

Well, and you cannot tell a soul this, even the friends we have in common, but I am registered here under a different name than my real name thanks to an arrangement with the school, my hometown, and law enforcement.

So, what, you like in witness protection or some shit?

I guess it is like witness protection lite."

Nice. So, if he can’t find you here by your name, what are your parents so worried about?

He was a lawyer with easy access to records. If he wanted to find me, it would not be that hard. I guess the main saving grace is that home is a long way from here, back in Montana.

Jeez, K. Is that why you chose here? asked Lacie with sincere curiosity.

One of the reasons, yes. The other was the amazing psychology program they have at this school. I want to be a forensic psychologist, and the best professor in the country works here.

Good call, then. So, what name are you registered under?

Sorry, but that is the one thing I absolutely cannot tell you. Sorry, L.

No, it’s cool. I get it. Anyway, I need to get back to that damn book or I am gonna fail that chemistry test and my dad is gonna whoop my ass from here to graduation.

Alright, I need to go for a walk anyway, so I will see you back here around six tonight. Pizza and FlixVille Friday. Don’t forget.

On it, Chica, said Lacie with a smile before turning back to her book so she could study.

+++

The office of Dr. Marsha Henshaw was small and dilapidated, but it was close to the dormitory where Kayla spent the majority of her time during the week when she was not in class. The receptionist, Myra, was a small girl who was in some of Kayla’s classes and she was not sure how she felt about unburdening herself so close to someone she interacted with in other places.

Hi, Myra. I need to see the doctor, a bit of an emergency.

Cool, I will tell her you are here and see if she has some time. She is in with someone right now.

That’s fine. Thank you. Kayla went to her favorite chair that faced the main road and the city, and grabbed a magazine from the rack randomly and started flipping through it. She had become lost in the pages of the fashion mag when Dr. Henshaw called to her from the open office door.

Kayla walked slowly to the door and shut it behind herself with just as much sensitivity. Seeing the good doctor waiting and ready to listen to her brought tears to her eyes that she struggled to fight back. She sniffled a few times before catching her bearings enough to begin speaking.

They caught the killer yesterday, she said drily.

Fantastic news, Kayla. Maybe now you won’t have the nightmares every time you close your eyes.

Wrong. They let him go today. I just saw the news. That’s actually why I’m here.

Oh, no. How on earth did that happen? I mean, from what you said they had him dead to rights.

His wealth no doubt played a part, but so did his prominence in the city, I am guessing.

Oh dear, Kayla. How is all of this making you feel?

Well, I feel awful. Like I cannot close my eyes again because if I do, that bastard is gonna come for me and finish what he started.

So, you feel afraid. That’s understandable. What other emotions are you dealing with?

Worry, for one. Last time, I was lucky to escape. I don’t think he would let me do that twice. I also worry for my parents who escaped once and my friends here. If he finds me here, then they are definitely in danger.

That is a reasonable worry to have. Do you think you have done enough to conceal yourself from the outsiders who know your real story?

I thought so, but he has such easy access to police files and records that I don’t really think I am all that safe any longer.

I see. How about people here? Do you feel like they can help you?

I don’t think so. Anyone who got in the way before met a gruesome end. I don’t see it going better this time around if he does decide to finish what he started.

Maybe you should tell your friends. Prepare them for what you think might be on the horizon.

I told my roommate today and she seemed to genuinely care. I don’t think the others will react quite the same way.

I can see that being true. Not many people have a friend who has endured the awful things you have, Kayla. Tread carefully. You don’t want to scare off those who may be your allies and defenders.

Dad called and we had a nice talk. I think he is more worried for me than he is mom and himself. Honestly, I think we each feel the same way about one another. I think they are in more danger and they think that I am.

Well, they are still local, so that would automatically suggest they are in the line of fire, so to speak. You being so far away puts you at a massive advantage, but it doesn’t, and I will not pull punches here, make you invincible.

They continued talking for well over an hour, and when the time came for Kayla to leave, she thanked the doctor and left the office hurriedly. She wanted to get some snack food before her and Lacie plopped down in front of the television for the next 24 hours unabated and watched movies. Myra said goodbye and smiled like she always did as Kayla shut the door behind her.

+++

Chief Nordic was engulfed in a sea of bodies as they swarmed the courthouse. The news spread quickly that Dennis Nash, the most wanted man in the state, and one of the most wanted in the country, was being set free after serving less than a day in jail. Given the crimes of which he was accused, it was not a shock to see people so angry. He secretly wished he could his hands on the person who had ordered the monster’s release so he wring their neck and throw them in jail together. He had lost citizens of his town and cops from another one on his watch because of that psycho, and someone felt he still deserved his freedom because he was rich and powerful.

The protests were growing in intensity by the minute and it didn’t take long before half the city had shown up to offer their support for a public lynching. Looking around, Nordic was not at all surprised to see that none of the parents of the deceased were there. They had dealt with him in a way none of the others could understand, and they would only want to be a part of things if it meant putting a bullet into his brain.

Other officers were now arriving and trying to calm down the crowds. They were having as little luck as Nordic and then a voice they all knew well stepped up to a microphone no one had seen and started to speak. Mayor Zephron Peck had a deep voice and it made people stop and listen when he used it.

Ladies and gentleman, cease and desist. I know you are angry, he said peacefully. We all are. The justice system is supposed to operate fairly and letting Mr. Nash go is a fair, if undesirable, use of that system. He was ordered to pay bail before leaving, paid it, and is now free. I assure you, there are harsh restrictions on him that ensure he will not hurt another person, but standing here fighting amongst yourselves is not going to change the ruling of the court. Take yourselves home and deal with this as families and communities. Should something happen, he will be right back here with no bail or possibility, and stand trial. Either way, he will stand trial for his crimes. Stop letting this dominate your day, or your life, and go home. Be unhappy anywhere but here. Any person still standing here in a half hour will be arrested and jailed for disturbing the peace. With those words, he left the bottom step and disappeared with his security team. As he went missing in the crowd, the doors opened, and the evil within made its presence known. Standing in black silk suit and custom shoes, Dennis Nash smiled at the crowd, cameras, and officers, as he made his way to his car and toward home.

The crowd didn’t disperse as ordered, but rather stayed to watch the man who had disrupted their lives and placed them in a state of fear and panic for two years was driven away as if he was some king or authority who not only deserved to be treated in such a manner, but who had also somehow earned it. Whoever was in that driver’s seat was just as complicit in the crimes as the killer himself as far as those who had gathered were concerned. Unless he or she drove them all off a cliff and killed the lot of them, no one in the city of Rockford would be satisfied with how the day had turned out after the announcement of his release.

As the car wend its way out of the parking lot and into the main road, it hit all of the spectators at once: the man who had done the unthinkable in their town was really free and his plans were as clear as mud. The only thing they could all agree on was that they were once again terrified and ready to do whatever it took to protect themselves and the ones they loved from another possible butchery at the hands of the worst monster the city had ever known.

CHAPTER TWO

The sun had set a little after five and the darkness had settled in before Kayla and Lacie sat down on the sofa to start their traditional Friday night movie marathon. The lights were off and the television was on a brightness setting that was sensible for the style of movies they would be watching: romantic comedies. The light from the screen lit up the room enough that navigating it for food and drinks was simple, but not so much as to be overpowering on the eyes.

The first movie started, one called Once Upon and the girls fell silent and watched with excitement. The reviews were good for a romantic comedy, but they would have watched it regardless. The opening scene made them laugh hysterically and then it continued for the duration. The unexpected ending where the two leads did not end up together made them both gasp. The second movie, Going Out Alone started immediately after the credits of the first, and by then they had eaten all of the pizza and some of the snacks. There were several drinks left (Coke, Pepsi, tea, water, milk). They didn’t like to drink alcohol on these nights just in case they ended up wasting their whole Saturday and maybe Sunday with a hangover when they would need to use the time for studying.

Lacie fell asleep briefly during the third movie, and Kayla did so during the fourth. They were only about a quarter of the way through their Friday routine and both were already feeling burned out from the tough week at school, and Kayla’s was compounded by the horrible day she had. When the fifth movie was about halfway over, Lacie’s phone rang and she picked it up anxiously. No one ever called her, so it was more than a little surprising.

You’ve got L. It was her standard greeting for phone calls, and most people hated it and thought it a bit childish. As those who knew her well enough knew, she didn’t care what other people thought about anything that she did.

Lacie? Lacie Bradshaw? asked a distorted voice on the other end.

Yeah, but who the hell is this?

A friend of a friend, said the voice vaguely. I was wondering if you had heard from Kayla. I can’t seem to get a hold of her.

Well, I ain’t about to tell you where she is when I don’t even know who you are.

A friend of hers. She knows me from Rockford. We were very close a couple years back.

Yo, hold up. Talk to her. You’re creeping me out. Lacie handed the phone to Kayla who took it skeptically after hearing half of the exchange.

This is Kayla. Who am I speaking to?

It’s a friend, Kayla. I am sure you remember me. We had such a good time two winters ago. Then you just ran away and I haven’t heard from you since.

This isn’t funny, asshole. I don’t know who you are, but if you call me again, I am calling the police.

And telling them, what, bitch? You don’t know who I am, much less where I am, remember?

Fuck off, asshole. She hung up and tossed the phone on impulse. It landed at Lacie’s feet.

What the hell, girl? asked Lacie.

Someone playing a prank. I guess someone from home thought it would be funny to use Dennis’ release to play with my head.

Damn, girl. That shit is fucked up.

Yeah, anyway, let’s just keep watching the movies.

Hell, yeah. Let’s do it. But, we gotta go for another genre. Romance isn’t my thing lately and these are depressing me.

Okay, so what’s on your mind?

I’m thinking horror, girl, but up to you.

Horror sounds cool. She hit the search function on the remote and typed in ‘horror’ and then scrolled a list of movies new, old, well-known, and obscure. She settled on Bumps With a Knife and kicked herself into a reclined position and watched the nightmare unfold on-screen. She was surprised she was able to watch with such ease, but then realized fiction wasn’t the same as reality.

A few minutes into the movie, Kayla’s phone rang and showed no caller ID on the screen. She hesitated and then answered it with all of the friendliness she could muster given the circumstances. She pressed the button and then gently placed it next to her ear.

Hello, this is Kayla.

I knew you had a phone too. Why would you hang up on an old friend? If you don’t want to see me again, now would be a good time to let me know. I will be in your area soon.

This isn’t funny, screamed Kayla, startling Lacie who dropped her cookie. Stop calling me!

You’re right, a face-to-face would be much better for rekindling an old friendship gone south.

If I see you, I will kill you myself.

"You? You got lucky you escaped. It had nothing to do with you being better or more prepared than me.