User blog:Theory of everything/The Grimm Trilogy: Part Two "Grimm Present"

SOMEWHERE IN PORTLAND

2012

Inside the club, the strobe lights flickered intensely, as the techno house music blasted out of ten foot surround sound amplifiers. The elevated dance floor was so crowded with gyrating bodies, that the beautiful people could only stand perfectly still and sway with the beat. High up on a rafter over looking the dance floor, a young girl stood.

Dressed in a shaggy green mini-dress with her blonde hair cut short, her mini gossamer wings swayed in the air conditioned breeze. Those in attendance this night, were too absorbed in the club atmosphere to notice the girl until, she splattered hard upon the center of the floor.

Nick Burkhardt received the call at 9:03. He arrived at 9:08. His partner Hank Griffin and Sergeant Wu were already there.

“This one’s going to be fun!” Wu sarcastically noted, motioning over to a group of a dozen people cordoned off in a corner of the club, who were all decked out in costume.

“Who are they?!” Nick asked.

“Witnesses!” Wu replied.

“I don’t understand!” Nick said.

“Theme night at the disco!” Hank interrupted, “tonight’s gimmick to get them through the door at $25 a pop, was Fairytale Night Theatre!”

“And they’re waiting to be interrogated!” Wu laughed.

Nick noted they had one Cinderella, two Prince Charmings, two Goldilocks, and three bears, one pig, and one wolf, a Red Riding Hood, and Pinocchio.

“Wait til you see the victim!” Hank said, as he led Nick down into the dance floor, to a blanket covering a bloody body in the center of the floor. Nick peeled the blanket back to see a girl dressed like Tinker Bell!

“Her name was Stephanie Gault,” Hank said, “worked as a secretary for a real estate firm. Apparently was here for tonight’s costumed festivities!”

“With anyone?” Nick asked.

“Apparently by herself!” Wu answered, “witnesses said she was seen dancing earlier in the evening, then the next thing anyone knew, she was dead on the floor!”

“Tragic,” Nick replied, “but this sounds like an accident or a suicide, not a murder, unless someone saw her pushed. So, why are we here?”

“Look at her eyes,” Hank answered.

Nick took a pin light and flashed the light across the victim’s eyes.

One pupil was dilated the other completely glassed over.

“Strange,” Nick mumbled.

“Precisely,” Hank replied, “obviously, we’ll have to wait for the initial autopsy report but she may have took or was forced to take some type of new drug.”

Nick nodded.

“So, we’d better start asking the Fractured Fairy Tale Players over there what they know!” Hank suggested.

“We’ll each take four!” Nick said.

“Which four?!” Hank laughed.

“Hank,” Nick began, “you question Cinderella, one of the Charmings, one Goldilocks, and the Wolf. Wu, you question all three bears, and the pig. I’ll take the other Charming and Goldilocks, Red Riding Hood, and Pinocchio!”

“Why do I get all the bears?” Wu asked.

“Cause Hank and I had enough of bears for awhile!” Nick replied.

They split off to their respective characters.

Charming, Goldilocks, and Red Riding had nothing to add. None saw the victim jump until after she had hit the floor. Pinocchio, however, said something interesting.

“Yeah, dude!’ he stated, “I’d seen her around, partying pretty hardy for a fairy!” Pinocchio laughed, amused at his own joke.

“Did you observe her talking to anyone or taking anything from anyone?” Nick asked.

“No, dude” Pinocchio replied, “just partying like anyone else. But I’d say that obviously any chick that would take a flying leap has gotta be taking something! Unless!”

“Unless what?” Nick asked.

“Unless, she really was Tinker Bell and was just too drunk to fly!” Pinocchio guffawed.

“Yeah, well,” Nick continued, “maybe YOU gave her something to make her think she could fly?!”

“No, man,” Pinocchio replied, “like I said, I just saw her at a distance. Besides, you know I’m telling you the truth!”

“And how do I know that?!” Nick replied.

“Cause if I had been lying,” Pinocchio laughed, “my nose would’ve grown!!”

“Make sure you give us your phone and address,” Nick replied, rolling his eyes, “we’ll be back in contact, if we have any further questions. Here’s my card, if you remember anything else!”

Nick got up to check with Hank and Wu, to see if they were doing any better, when he was approached by a pretty girl, with long dark hair and darkly intense eyes. She wasn’t in costume.

“Detective Burkhardt?!” she asked.

“Yes?” Nick replied.

“I need to talk to you in private!” the girl urgently requested.

“Okay!” Nick answered, motioning for her to head over to a booth off to the far side of the club.

“What’s your name?” Nick asked.

“I’m Clarissa Bealey,” the girl answered, “and I have some information regarding the victim.”

“Okay, what is it?” he asked suspiciously.

“I saw the victim,” the girl stated, “buying something from someone!”

“Did you personally know the victim?” Nick inquired, “and did you know what she was buying and from whom?”

“I didn’t know her,” Clarissa answered, “but I knew what she was and she had bought some dust from a dude named Henry.”

“Dust?” Nick asked.

“It’s a new type of hallucinogenic that’s just hit the streets,” Clarissa explained.

“Hmm,’ Nick mumbled, “what does it do?”

“Gets you high, of course!” Clarissa laughed.

“High enough to jump?” Nick wondered.

“Yeah, obviously!” Clarissa answered.

“You said, you didn’t know who the victim was, but what she was,” Nick wondered, “so tell me, what was she?”

“How was she dressed?” Clarissa smiled.

“As Tinker Bell,” Nick answered.

“Precisely!” Clarissa replied.

“I don’t understand?!” Nick said.

“And you’re a Detective?” Clarissa laughed, “and what is Tinker Bell?”

Nick shrugged, “A Fairy?”

“Bingo!!” Clarissa replied, grinning.

“You’re saying Stephanie Gault was a Fairy?” Nick skeptically asked.

“I thought all Grimms knew stuff like that!” Clarissa said.

“A Grimm?” Nick cautiously asked, “what do you know about Grimms?”

“I know you’re a Grimm!” Clarissa coyly smiled.

“How do you know what I am?!” he nervously asked. Nick didn’t like the direction the conversation was beginning to turn.

“Look,” Clarissa began, “I know you’re a Grimm and I know this Stephanie, or whatever her name was, was an actual Fairy, who was buying Fairy Dust!”

“Fairy Dust! That’s the new hallucinogenic out on the street?!” Nick inquired.

“Bingo, again!” Clarissa replied.

“So Tinker Bell, uh, Stephanie, bought some of this “Fairy Dust”, got high and jumped?!” Nick asked.

“You got it, Columbo!” Clarissa replied, “but the Dust she bought was bad, diluted with Witch’s Moss, that can cause an adverse reaction!”

“What kind of adverse reaction?!” Nick wondered.

“The kind where you think you can fly!” Clarissa answered.

“But if Stephanie was a real Fairy,” Nick stated, “then couldn’t she actually fly?”

“Come on, Grimm!” Clarissa snickered, “Fairies can’t fly, that’s just an Old Wives tale!”

“And who are you, Ms. Bealy?” Nick asked, “you seem to know I’m a Grimm and the victim was a Fairy. So tell me, how do you know all of this?”

Clarissa shook here head and for a second, Nick saw her eyes bulge out into a large black mass, as her face became covered in a fine fuzz, while a tube-like tongue protruded from her mouth! Then, just as quickly, she morphed back into a beautiful girl.

“You’re a Mellifer?!” Nick shockingly asked.

“Yep!” Clarissa replied, “and I want to help you. As I’ve told you, there’s some bad Dust going around. Its been sold to other Mellifers. My own sister bought some and ended up jumping off the Portland bridge!”

“I’m sorry about your sister,” Nick replied, “but you said you knew who is selling this “Dust?”

“Yeah, dude by the name of Henry Goblet,” Clarissa answered, “he’s your typical sleaze bag, drug pushing, Hexenbeist!”

“He’s a Hexenbeist?!” Nick exclaimed.

“The worst kind!” Clarissa replied, “I can’t get to him. He knows who I am and that I know he sold some bad Dust to my sister! But if I could get to him, I’d shoot him up with Apixtoxin, myself!”

“Don’t suppose you know where I could find this Henry Goblet?” Nick asked.

“Of course,” Clarissa answered, “he lives under the bridge out by Story Park!”

“Okay, Ms. Bealy. I’ll check it out!” Nick said.

“Don’t just go and check it out,” Clarissa said, “I came to you and told you all this for a reason. You’re A Grimm. You can’t just go and arrest this Hexenbeist. You’ll have to kill him along with his Troll!”

“Troll?!” Nick said.

“Troll!” Clarissa replied, “its his “body guard! Good Luck, Detective!”

Clarissa got up to leave, but before Nick could say anything else, she buzzed off so fast, she literally disappeared.

Nick went to Hank, who was still talking to one of the Goldilocks.

“Hank, I’ve got a lead and I’ve got to check it out fast. I’ll catch you back at the station!”

Hank shrugged, “Okay, partner! You sure you don’t want me to tag along?!”

Nick nodded, “Not on this one!”

On the way over, Nick stopped off at the storage yard, where he kept his Aunt Marie’s trailer. After reading some entries from his Aunt’s journal, he went over to the storage cabinet and took out an item and placed it in his jacket pocket. Nick then headed over to Story Park.

It was a dark park. Tremendously thick oak trees permeated the grounds, like some enchanted forest.

Nick parked, then headed over to the bridge. Crickets chirped loudly. Nick wondered if the crickets were sounding an alarm.

He slowly circled the bridge to see if he could spot anyone or anything. Nothing. He then crossed the bridge to check from the other side. Still nothing. He cautiously walked down an embankment that led under the bridge. There he saw something! It stepped out from the shadows!

It looked like a toad on steroids! It quickly let out a gnarly growl that included slews of green spittle. It was, Nick guessed, the Troll!

Nick quickly pulled his gun and aimed it in the Troll’s direction.

“Portland Police!” Nick shouted, “I’m here for Henry Goblet!”

Nick didn’t know it the Troll understood, but that was all he could think of at the moment to say.

The Troll did’nt reply. Instead, it charged! Nick emptied the gun clip into its wart covered flesh!

Green fluid, as to what Nick guessed was Troll blood, flowed out its body, as it let out a painful banshee-like scream just before it fell to the ground, dead!

Suddenly, another creature emerged from under the bridge! It had leathery green skin and sprouted slightly pointed ears. Nick figured it was Henry Goblet.

“Goblet!’ he cried out, “Portland Police! Down on the ground. Keep your hands where I can see them!”

“What’s this all about?!” Henry the Hexenbeist asked.

“I’m taking you in for questioning in the deaths of two women!” Nick replied.

“Don’t know what you’re referring to, Grimm!!!” Henry answered, as he quickly charged Nick, and tossing him effortlessly up onto the bridge.

Momentarily stunned, Nick shakily stood up, just in time to see the Hexenbeist on the bridge alongside him!

“It was that Mellifer Bitch who sent you, huh?!” Henry growled.

Nick stood unsteady, “You’ve been pushing something called, Fairy Dust, haven’t you?”

“Hexenbeists gotta make a living, too!” Henry replied, “its all about supply and demand! If there’s a demand, then I supply!”

“I was told this Dust had been diluted with something called Witch’s Moss!” Nick replied.

“Witch’s Moss enhances the experience!” Henry answered, “its not my fault that certain Fairies or Mellifers can’t handle it and freak out!”

“Still, your actions resulted in the death of two creatures!” Nick replied.

Henry laughed, “Since when does a Grimm care about such creatures? I thought your job was to kill them! I’m just helping you out!”

“I’m a new kind of Grimm!” Nick replied, “a Grimm with compassion!”

“Bull!” Henry replied, as he quickly leaped upon Nick knocking his gun away.

Nick punched both his fists hard into the Hexenbeist’s face! The Hexenbeist bellowed in anger, before sending Nick into a flying tumble, landing on the soft mud banks beside the park’s river.

Henry leaped off the bridge, coming to a halt right in front of Nick, who was now wearily crawling back up on his feet. The Hexenbeist let out another deafening growl, before charging once again!

Nick quickly reached into his pocket and pulled out a Mini-scythe, he had taken from his Aunt’s cabinet. He swiftly swung the Scythe, which immediately decapitated the Hexenbeist!

Henry’s head rolled along the ground, as his body continued on into the river, where it finally collapsed and began to float downstream.

Nick took the Hexenbeist’s head and tossed it into the river. He then went to the Troll and rolled its body back under the bridge. He figured it would be best if no one ever found out what had happened here this night!

Nick knew the world wasn’t ready to learn about the creatures that walked amongst them and he wasn’t ready to announce he was something called a Grimm. At least not yet!

Next: Part Three "Grimm Future"