THE BOOGIE MAN

PROLOGUE

"Alexa, play 'Boogie Woogie Wu' by the Insane Clown Posse."

"Playing 'Boogie Woogie Wu' by the Insane Clown Posse," it spoke.

"The beast lives out of the raging storm...

A lean man makes his way down a quiet suburban street.

in the dead of night

A black hoodie and sweats concealed his pale skin, the moonlight reflected off the shiny object in his clutch.

The ravenous, blood-sick creature searches for it's sacrifice

Elena lip-synced to the monologue playing from the device.

Through the hideous darkness, it lurches, driven by death itself

Tylor was breathing heavily, Billy had escaped, "we're not gonna make it to her in time," he thought. Elena's voice echoed throughout the speeding vehicle once again,

Only the satisfaction of slaughter will cause it to return to

The darkness from which it came"

"You've Reached Elena Briggs, leave a message and I'll get back to you A-S-A-P. Thanks!"

Boogie woogie woogie woogie wu

Boogie woogie woogie woogie wu

Her head bopped along to the beat, rag in hand, scrubbing away at the gunk stuck to her dishes.

Boys and girls, it's nighty nighttime

Happy J the Clown has a nursery rhyme

It's about, The Boogie Woogie Man "It's about, The Boogie Woogie Man," she sang along.

Keep your light on as long as you can

Cause when it cuts off, so does your head

Boogie Woogie Woogie waits under your bed

With a shank, splah! up through the bottom

Little Jimmy Jimmy, uh, got em

It wasn't difficult to find her, being as notorious as he was, Billy had plenty of fans willing to locate any information he desired.

"It's the one and only Boogie Man

He creeps, he hides, he sneaks, he slides

If you little feetsies are hanging off the edge of the bed

You're running on stumps motherfucker!!!"

"Two minutes, two minutes," Tylor repeated the mantra mumbling. Detective Jackson sped down the highway, sirens blaring.

Well, moonlight fills the room that you sleep in

Things go bump in the night, me creeping

Ouch! Fuck! I stubbed my toe

If you'd just quit leaving your shit all over the fucking floor

Fuck it, you're dead anyway

Leaving the screen door in the back unlocked in case her son forgot his key was sweet but stupid.

And I'm gonna leave your head smack dab in the hallway

In the morning, when your daddy walks out

AAAAHHH!!! His foots in your mouth, thanks to the Boogie Man

El moved her hips side to side when the chorus started up again, humming along to the words. She shook her hands off over the yellowed sink, clicking her tongue.

Boogie woogie woogie woogie wu

Billy adjusted his grip on the handle, the word "Game" inked on his hand-stretched around as the skin moved.

(here comes the boogie man)

"The throat," he thought as he peeked around the corner into Elena's kitchen.

Boogie woogie woogie woogie wu (haha haha haha haha)

Boogie woogie woogie woogie wu (make way for the boogie man)

Boogie woogie woogie woogie wu (mom! dad! ah! no!)

Ginny switched off her lamp, freezing in place when a scream echoed from the neighbor's house.

"Does the Boogie Man really exist?"

Well, is your mother a bald-headed freak bitch? yes

You fall asleep and you wake up dead

With a broken broom sticking out your forehead

"Sir?" Ginny called out from her window to the darkly dressed individual in Elena's backyard.

I sing lullabies till you dose off

Tie you down and chew your fuckin toes off

And then spit em out back in your face

Splat! Fuck, wash your feet bitch!

It was hard to make out anything other than his dark figure due to the time of night, "Everything alright over there?" she asked, eyebrows furrowed.

"The world's famous Boogie Woogie Wu will come to you

Slumber parties, sleepovers, intimate nights

What the occasion for the midnight hour

He will gladly come and fuck that shit up"

Jackson slammed on the brakes, jumping out of the vehicle, Tylor not far behind. Hand on his gun, he ran to Elena's front door.

I don't beat women, fuck that, I'm above it (no no)

But I'll cut her fucking neck and think nothing of it

Tylor could hear music coming from the house, the sheriff knocked on the door, "Ma'am?"

No response

He saw a neighbor exit her house from the corner of his eye but focused on William when he let the door creak open. The fact it was unlocked made both of their stomachs drop.

"I bet you didn't know the Boogie Man was a clown

When Jackson entered, another officer had arrived and she pushed past Tylor. The music seemed to be coming from the kitchen, they approached the kitchen island.

But when you see the juggla, you're holding your jugular"

When Jackson peeked over the countertop, he lowered his gun and ran around, the officer and Tylor followed suit. There Elena lay, blood gushing from her neck, blood building up in her mouth, she was motionless. Her hand rested limply over her wound, chest unmoving.

With a swing, chop, stab, swing, chop

You're holding your neck together, but your nuts drop

The female officer rushed forward and checked the pulse on her wrist, a pause. Then the other wrist, another pause.

And the cops do the best they can...

Still holding her arm up by the wrist she shut her eyes, turning toward Tylor and Jackson.

they pull the axe out your face and say,

Tylor and the officer made eye contact, she shakes her head.

"Was it the boogeyman?"

CHAPTER ONE

A lone figure makes its way down the backroads and woods of a suburban area, humming a tune

The neighbor Tylor had seen previously walks up to him, Jack had asked him to wait outside until the medical examiner arrived.

"Sir, is everything alright?" Tylor didn't look at the woman for a long while.

Jackson assessed the scene, careful not to disturb any possible evidence, the female officer, Sandra Hawken, stayed on her knees next to Ele- the corpse. The backdoor could be seen from a corner in the kitchen, it was wide open. After a few moments, Sandra excused herself and exited through the front door; he let her go.

Jack exited the home about 5 minutes after Sandra had driven away, walking to Tylor and a woman he didn't recognize, "Good evening, Ma'am." She nodded in acknowledgment.

"Did you happen to see anyone leave this house recently?" He asked.

"Just her son, he went through the backyard not too long ago"

"Tylor, stay here, which way did he leave, ma'am?" She pointed behind the house into the wooded area, not far behind.

A man entered a vehicle parked on a side road, the woman in the driver's seat blew smoke out her window, before tossing a cigarette from her fingertips. The woman put the car into first gear, spinning the wheel with her palm to pull out. She drove with one hand on the wheel the other hung out the window,

"So?" She asked, impatiently, going at least 80 mph down the dirt path

"I took care of it."

CHAPTER TWO

More and more officers arrive on the scene, Tylor stays motionless in front of the neighbor.

"Sir, what's going on?" He makes eye contact with her.

Clearing his throat, Tylor replies, "That's not my place to say, miss."

Sandra approaches the pair before the neighbor can respond, "Tylor, a moment, please."

He nods, quietly, half-assed-ly apologizing to the woman he was previously conversing with. Sandra leads Tylor back to the crime scene, which is now being surrounded by that familiar yellow tape.

—

They had arrived back at the precinct hours later, taking Mrs. Ginny Hansel with them for questioning. Jackson took it upon himself to interrogate her while Tylor, Sandra, along with a few other officers watched through the one sided glass. Jack asked Ginny for a description of the man Ginny had seen in Elena's backyard:

"He was about, maybe, 6'1, 180 pounds, wearing a black hoodie and black joggers," Ginny continued, "I saw him in Elena's backyard, he sprinted away after saying he was El's son, Daniel."

"Why were you looking into Ms. Briggs's yard, Mrs. Hansel?"

"I had heard a woman scream a couple of seconds before, so I wanted to see if anyone was hurt," she replied quickly, her voice sounding pleading, almost as if she was being accused and defending herself.

There was a knock on the one-way mirror, Jackson sighed, then covered up his frustration with a tight-lipped smile. "Excuse me a moment, Ms.-Mrs. Hansel, apologizes."

Exiting the interrogation room, his smile was replaced by a scowl, "Yes, Tylor?"

"She's lying."

Jack furrowed his brows, "Why do you say that?"

"She sees a darkly dressed tall man, right after hearing a scream and she had to have been able to hear the sirens by then and she just lets the guy walk away? Bullshit."

"What was she supposed to do? Attack him? She's 5-foot-2, one-hundred pounds, and from what I can assume, she has no self-defense training," One of the other officers piped up.

"That's not what I'm saying, I'm saying; she didn't run out to the police when the supposed son ran, or as she said, sprinted away, that doesn't add up." Tylor continued, "She's an accomplice, or just plain stupid."

"You are right, it is strange, but let's not jump the gun on this." Jack said.

Sandra, who was standing next to Tylor, added her two cents: "She also looks too nice, which means she has to be a murderer."

"Accomplice." Tylor corrected

"Right now, she's a nothing," Jackson said, frustrated, "A witness, to be exact-"

"A suspect," Sandra interjected.

"Sandra-" Tylor said

"Thank you, Tylor," Jackson said.

"-she's an accomplice, not a suspect" Tylor continued.

CHAPTER THREE

The hit followed by the wet squelching noise was- therapeutic to Billy.

—

His fingertips had pruned, and his head rested against the cold edge of the bath; the water had long since turned freezing. The water had become a light pink color, Billy was disappointed; he was sure he had collected more blood on his body than that. He turned his head toward the door, the bloody handprint on the wall caught his eye, this caused a faint smile to appear on his face. The shower curtain lay in a heap on the flooring of the bathroom.

"I don't hit women, I'm above it, but I'll cut her fucking neck and think nothin' of it," He mumbled under his breath, with a smile.

He continued humming the tune of the song he had heard playing in Elena's house. He had looked up the lyrics almost immediately after killing the bitch.

A knock sounded at the door, fuck. Billy chuckled despite his worries, pushing himself up out of the tub. The knocks persisted, and he quickly threw his clothing back on. Mindful of his steps, and the possibility of wood creaking, he made his way to the back door.

Stepping through her tulips, Billy reached the fence and boosted himself over it, cursing quietly when he got a splinter from the wood. When he heard the unmistakable noise of a door being kicked down, he made a run for it.

After a few minutes of running, he made it to the vehicle in the middle of the woods, he threw the passenger door open and flung it shut behind him. The woman in the driver's seat slammed on the gas, steering onto the dirt road.

"YOU FUCKING IDIOT," She screamed, while he laughed loudly, gripping onto the door and console, pressing himself back into the seat.

"YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT I DID!" He said through his laughter.

Pulling onto the main road, she slowed down and Billy buckled his seatbelt.

She sighed, "Did you at least kill her?"

Billy cleared his throat, "Yup."

—

"Ginny Hansel is dead," Jackson said to Sandra and Tylor.

"Officer Pyrbes found her stabbed in her home an hour ago,"

He continued, "Forensics are working on swabbing the scene as we speak, but-"

"-But we already know it was Billy," Tylor interrupted

Jackson clicked his tongue and nodded, "That's what we can assume based on her relationship to Ms. Briggs and that she possibly saw his face on the night of Ms. Briggs's murder."

"Are we going to the scene?" Sandra asked.

"Obviously," Tylor said, giving Sandra a look.

"Do not be rude, Tylor," Jackson said.

—

Pulling up to the scene gave Tylor deja-vu, after all, it was the exact same street as Elena's, and he would never be able to forgive himself for letting her die.

The crime scene looked eerily similar to what Elena's did, but they all look the same, Tylor thought; yet, he still couldn't shake the guilt.

The house was surrounded by yellow tape, and press; that was one major difference between Ginny and Elena's scenes, the press had gotten here before them this time.

Jackson led them through the sea of news, and under the tape. One of the officers gave him a nod, which he returned. What Tylor assumed to be the head officer on scene (before Jackson had arrived of course), greeted them with a smile, gesturing Jack aside to give him the details. Tylor and Sandra were left to explore on their own.

Sandra wandered off to the immediate scene inside the house, Tylor considered following her but saw an older man being interviewed by an officer, off to the side; he made his way there.

"Officer-" He paused, looking to the woman's badge, "Hughes, I can take it from here, I'm with Sheriff Lowe."

"Of course, sir," She smiled, moving away and handing Tylor the pad of paper she was writing on, along with her pen. He nodded in thanks, moving to stand in front of the man.

He quickly read over her notes: the man was Hayden Hansel, Ginny's husband, forty-seven years of age. Picking up where the officer seemed to have left off, Tylor asked,

"When was the last time you had contact with Mrs. Hansel-"

The man choked up, "Please," he held a hand out to Tylor, "call her Ginny, it's- just please." Tylor nodded, repeating the question:

"When was the last time you had contact with Ginny, sir?" If anything, the name seemed to upset Hayden more.

"She called me at work during my break at- like twelve-thirty or so."

"What did the two of you talk about?"

"Dinner, I think, she told me how Daniel was holding up," Tylor waited for a pause to ask his question,

"Daniel as in Ms. Elena Briggs's son, Daniel?"

He only nodded.

CHAPTER FOUR

With two women now dead, all eyes were on the police department, they were being ripped to shreds to be exact; called incompetent, imbeciles, etc, etc. Jackson was practically pulling out his hair due to the stress and the responsibility of being the top officer on the case; Sandra and Tylor were elected his "right head men" for the case by the chief, and Jackson was not the happiest to hear that. While practically the whole force was working on the case, Jack was in charge and he was overwhelmed from the entire situation.

Tylor flipped through the paperwork Jack had given him, looking across the long table at Jackson, Tylor sighed, "You know he's gonna be after you next, right?"

Jackson didn't respond, didn't even move in a way to acknowledge he had heard Tylor.

"Jackson, you can't just pretend he's not planning your murder," Sandra said from beside Tylor.

Jackson pushed up his glasses with a finger, sighing, "That's not a priority right now."

Tylor rolled his eyes, and Sandra spoke: "Right, of course, cause you can continue helping with the investigation once your throat is fucking slit," she said sarcastically

"Sandra, the language is unnecessary," Jackson said, finally looking up from the paperwork he was rifling through.

"This investigation is the number one priority, you two." Jackson said.

"Once again-" Sandra started.

Jackson interrupted her, "Don't say it-"

"-can't investigate if you're dead." She shrugged with a smile.

Jackson only sighed

CHAPTER FIVE

Billy lounged on the couch of his accomplices' apartment, "They're onto you," she said.

He blew smoke from the cigarette out his mouth, "What d'ya mean?"

"Your victims, they know you're going after Jackson Lowe next."

"Then I'll kill Tylor Jones first, then Jackson," Billy said.

The woman sighed, "You're being reckless, all I can do is warn you about their next moves, when they show up, I'm not protecting you."

Billy hummed, flicking ash off the end of his cigarette, "You know they're gonna catch onto you soon, yeah?"

"Like I care, as long as you get rid of Jack and Tylor, I don't care what happens to me, I just want them gone."

Billy laughed, "If you keep giving me information, I'll take care of them."

"Works for me," Sandra smiled.