Inside the car was a built-in CD player and a cassette player covered in a pile of paper resting in the passenger seat. The middle console was filled with CD’s and cassettes as well as a collection of pens all in the same colour and all of the same brand, there were about sixty of them, possibly more.


    Ezekiel ran his hand along the side of the inner console, trying to find his mixtape from 1994 which he still listened to frequently; his music taste hasn’t changed much since he was eighteen, the only thing that was different is back then he was a budding young college student with hope for the future, and now he’s a middle aged man with a substance problem.


    He tapped his nails against one CD case, it was covered in sharpie and random doodles, he’d clearly drawn them when he was much younger, a few of them were scribbled out, he couldn’t remember for the life of him what they were or why he’d hid them. He gripped the case with his knuckles, dislodging it from the collection of other CD’s and removing the DVD from inside, placing it in the car’s CD player and turning his key in the vehicle''s ignition.


    The moment the car started up, a mixed playlist of folk and classic rock began just barely playing from the built-in speakers, Ezekiel wasn’t usually one to listen to loud music by choice, he’d never been a fan of loud noises.


    Ezekiel pressed his foot to the pedal, pulling out of the apartment complex’s garage; bottles rattled and crumpled paper rolled around in the back seat of the Sedan while Ezekiel sped toward the station.


    He passed several people and several homes, none of which caught Ezekiel’s eye. Why would they, they were merely civilians, it’s not like he’d never seen an average citizen before, but one, one thing, something caused him to slam on the breaks.


    Somebody in a dark navy rain poncho was carrying themselves across the road, Ezekiel would have thought the poncho was black if it weren’t for the blue tint when the sun hit it, the rest of their outfit was nearly the same, a deep black with a navy sheen; their arms didn’t dare peak from under the fabric and their legs moved on beat to the song Ezekiel had playing, they faced forward at an exact level height.


    Ezekiel felt sick, as if he’d recognised them, but before he could even manage to form a thought on the person, he heard a pile up of cars behind him all honking in unison to one another, the light had turned green, and Ezekiel was holding up at least twenty vehicles trying to get to work.


    There was no sign of the person anywhere, they hadn’t been following the sidewalk after they’d completed crossing the road, no matter how much Ezekiel looked around in search of this person they were simply gone.


    The detective shook, he was most likely just tired, he was seeing things, it wasn’t uncommon for Ezekiel to hallucinate every once in a while as he wasn’t in the best of health, but this person seemed too off putting, they made him feel disgusting and ill.


    Ezekiel pulled in infront of the police station, barely managing to park his car correctly before kicking his door open and gripping at the inside of his pockets to see if he’d had any cigarettes left; not at all to his surprise nothing was in his pockets but his keys, lighter, a note pad, and some lint.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    He ran his hand down his face with a moan of disdain just a moment previous to him reaching from the driver side door to the passenger seat, checking the glove box for any extra packs he may have placed there at an earlier date.


    “Praise the lord.” Ezekiel chuckled, lowering his head and pulling a pack of extra slim cigarettes from his glove box; he backed out of the vehicle, kicking his door closed while he lit his overpriced rolled tobacco.


    The station’s doors flew open, Ezekiel was obviously the one who’d done so; nobody at the receptionists desk looked impressed at Ezekiel’s abuse on the door hinges.


    “No wonder your kitchen door’s missin’, if that’s how you treated the damn thing.” Snickered Lucy, who was just leaving to break room and heading for her office when she’d caught Ezekiel’s dramatic entrance. “You break your arm on that one?” She smiled, making a clear crack at the detective’s poor physique and overall fragile build.


    Ezekiel tilted his head back for a moment before looking back at Lucy who’d been slowly approaching him. “Ya’ get that fish for Miriam yet?” Ezekiel retorted back, he knew Miriam had been repeatedly asking for more and more fish, even though she could just buy them herself; Miriam being a marine biologist with a $42.12 an hour salary.


    He exhaled, lowering his head to the ground for a moment before pushing past Lucy and heading to his own office. Lucy appeared more than confused by this action as she’d expected Ezekiel to try and speak to her about whatever he’d been trying to tell her in the truck last night.


    “Not gonna elaborate on what you were doing in that alley last night?” Lucy leaned in, following Ezekiel to his office, only to get entirely ignored by him, that is if you don''t count the eye roll he’d thrown in for good measure.


    “Look I did some research and it''s really not important right now.” He sped through his words, he just wanted to get back to his office and rearrange his belongings which had been so kindly removed from their places.


    The door creaked open to find a 5 ''11 blonde officer pinning blankets to the wall, Ezekiel’s carpets were back in place and there were scarves re-hung on the ceiling.


    “Arnez you cunt… what do you need…” Ezekiel sneered, he was more than pissed to see Arnez in his office again, especially since he knew the only reason he was doing anything of this sort was because he needed something.


    “Oh, Ezekiel! Good morning.” Arnez clasped his hands together with a smile, giving a delighted expression to the not so delighted Ezekiel that stood before him. His hair was surprisingly undone, something of which was uncommon for Arnez; he had two long side burns that could nearly be considered bangs, they’d usually be braided together and wrapped around the back of his head but it seems he didn’t have time to do his hair this morning.