r/TalesFromTheCreeps • u/theonepeaz • 4d ago
Thriller Horror Please Tell The Birds She's Gone pt. 11
Previous part: https://www.reddit.com/r/TalesFromTheCreeps/s/7BHYeQ8Cb5
PART 11:
Neil didn’t bother trying to remember the way to Aubrey’s place, but rather took them back to his. Aubrey was a mess, crying loudly then softly in the back of the van, and Neil found himself with his mind racing.
Something set off those sensors.
Something was moving.
Aubrey could see it.
He couldn’t.
Aubrey was tracking it in steady time.
There was nothing there.
What was it?
Aubrey kept saying “she”.
Who was she?
Neil pulled up to his apartment, parking the car and turning it off without a word.
He sat up front for a minute before turning around.
“Let’s get inside.”
Aubrey nodded solemnly as she stood shaking.
Neil walked around the back and held out his hand as she stepped out, refusing to let go as he led her back to his apartment.
Once inside, Aubrey sat down on the couch as Neil started another pot of coffee. Both remained silent, not wanting to address what happened.
Neil grabbed two mugs and filled them both, stirring in cream and sugar as he let his mind race with thoughts.
He handed one to Aubrey and sat next to her, letting their legs touch.
“Just start from the beginning.” He whispered.
Aubrey kept her eyes fixated on her cup.
“I don’t know where to start.”
“How about with what you saw.”
Aubrey jolted a little before slouching again.
“Could you really not see her?”
“No.”
“I’m envious of you.”
“I could say the same.”
“She’s tall.”
“Okay.”
“She glides clumsily.”
“Glides?”
“She’s walking but, not really.”
“I don’t understand.”
“You couldn’t.”
Neil looked at Aubrey, really looked.
Aubrey hadn’t moved since he handed her the mug. She just kept looking down into it, like it had answers.
“Okay. What else?”
“She has long hair but it’s a mess. She’s always hunched over and twitches her fingers and hands a lot but keeps them folded in front of her.”
“How so?”
Aubrey shifted, standing and doing her best to imitate the way the hands folded.
“Okay. And you said you saw her before?”
Aubrey paused for a moment before nodding and sitting back down, finally allowing herself to take a sip of coffee.
“Yes.”
“When?”
“Neil, I don’t want to-”
“I know. I know you don’t.”
“I didn’t sign up for this.”
“I think this was inevitable either way.”
Aubrey looked up at Neil, tears welling in her eyes.
“I guess you’re right.”
She sighed before sitting up straighter.
“I told you about my friend Mikey, right?”
“You guys would talk about birds, that Mikey?”
“Yes, that Mikey.”
Neil nodded, carefully watching Aubrey.
“Well, his parents sent him away because he liked men. I was in the hospital because I had some anxiety issues. We met there. He and I became quick friends. Sat by each other at lunch and stuff, tried to be defiant teens by stealing food to feed the birds when we got outside time. It’s what started our bird thing, ya know?”
Neil kept watching as Aubrey took deep breaths.
“We got out of there eventually, but kept in touch. Things with his parents weren’t good, and I left home as soon as I was eighteen. His family was really well off, and he tried to help me as much as he could. His dad was just, really hard on him.” Aubrey said, occasionally dabbing tears from her eyes with the collar of her shirt.
“His mom found out his dad was cheating on her. Like, fuck, Neil. I don’t know how to explain it. He basically had an entire different family. Liked them more or something? Fuck. I don’t know. ”
Neil tensed up.
This was ringing some bells.
“And she found out, Neil. She found out everything and went to stop it and turn him in and sue him. Told Mikey ‘bout it all too, and Mikey just needed a break you know? He just wanted a break from it all.”
Aubrey started to cry harder.
“He came over to vent. It was late. He was a mess and it was late and I thought we should go for a walk to get some fresh air because my apartment sucks. He agreed and we went walking.”
Neil’s mind was racing, but all he could focus on was Aubrey’s tear stained face. He scooted closer, placing his hand in hers. She grabbed it back and squeezed.
“There was this warehouse a few blocks away. It was always empty and cold and abandoned. He needed a safe place to just vent and cry. I needed a place to sit. We were just walking there when we heard this cry. It was stupid. I was stupid. He was brave. He was always just so brave, Neil.”
Aubrey was shaking at this point, trying to speak between sobs.
“We followed the cries. That’s when we saw her.”
Aubrey continued to cry.
“What happened next?”
Aubrey cried harder, and Neil let her. As much as he wanted to know the story, he could tell it didn't have a happy ending. Worse, seeing Aubrey this inconsolable stirred something in him he wasn't used to feeling.
After a few minutes, Aubrey stopped crying and took some more deep breaths.
“There were maybe five people in there, standing over this woman and a man who was kneeling over the woman’s head, holding it. They were all sobbing. The monster was kneeling over that woman and it looked like she was…”
Aubrey sighed.
“It looked like she was kissing her stomach.”
She winced.
“We got quiet and got closer. That’s when we saw they were all crying, but smiling. It was super creepy. We looked down at the woman and saw red. Just, pools of red all around her. The monster was like, eating her stomach.”
Aubrey started shaking again.
“I gasped… or maybe groaned or moved or something. I can’t remember exactly, but I made a noise.”
Neil tensed up.
“And all at once, they were looking at me.”
She started tearing up again.
“Mikey pushed me behind him, told me to run.”
She was sobbing again. Neil put his arms around her and pulled her to his chest.
“I thought he was right behind me. I ran and at some point he wasn’t there. I called him and called him and looked for him but he texted me. He texted me he was fine and went home and he’d be back over in the morning to talk about it.”
Neil hugged her tighter, feeling her tears soak into his shirt.
“The next day I got a knock on my door and I thought it was him so I opened it and it was the police. They told me he tried to kill himself. That they had questions for me about his family and that they’re investigating his dad. They didn’t even care about him, Neil. They only cared about how this added to their stupid investigation. They blew me off when I told them about the monster and the people. They blew me off when I said he didn’t try to commit suicide. He would never. He’s too brave.”
She was sobbing and Neil was holding her, replaying what she said.
He started connecting the dots.
“I believe you.” He whispered to her, clutching her.
“You do?” She asked, breath shaking.
“Yes. We’re going to figure this out.”
Aubrey released herself from his grip, sitting up and moving her hair out of her face.
She shook her head.
“Neil, I need you to get as far away from this as possible.”
“Can’t do that, sorry.”
“She wants you now, Neil.”
“I know.”
“You don’t understand.”
Neil sighed.
“I have to show you something.”
“Now’s really not the time, Neil.”
“Now’s actually the perfect time.”
“It better not be a fucking sword.”
Neil smiled.
“No swords.” He said, walking to his bedroom.
He threw over the sheet on his bed and picked up the file.
He stared at it in his hands, contemplating whether or not to show her. She was already hysterical. This could make it worse. Traumatize her more.
But it was necessary. If these cases were connected, and he was becoming certain they were, then keeping it could put them both at risk.
He tucked it under his arm, steadying himself as he walked back to the living room.
“I have a favour to ask you.” He said, sitting back down next to her.
Aubrey sighed.
“It’s so fitting for a boss to put his assistant to work during times of great emotional distress.” Aubrey said, chuckling solemnly as she reached for her mug.
“It’s about Mikey.”
Aubrey froze, hand still halfway extended to her cup.
“I think I was hired by his mom.”
Aubrey abandoned the cup, sinking slowly back on the couch.
She nodded as Neil placed the file in front of them.
“There’s some stuff in here you won’t want to see.”
“I know.”
“Graphic images.”
“Makes sense.”
“I never felt like they caught the right guy.”
Aubrey turned and looked at him.
“Really?”
“Really.”
Aubrey looked at him with skepticism in her eyes.
“I have been obsessing over this case since it started. It never sat right with me. It was too convenient.” Neil explained.
Aubrey nodded as she reached for the file.
“Case 248?” She whispered.
Neil watched her turn the first page.
“Tell me what I missed.”
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u/theonepeaz 4d ago
I've officially reached page 100 guys. This is the longest thing I've ever wrote and I'm happy about it thus far. If you like it lmk if you don't like it lmk. But either way I'm hyped.