Break Part 1

I would first like to point out that this is a darker story with graphic details. Heads up young readers! This is one of my first posts and I would like to know what you guys think!

His dreams haunted him day and night, he couldn't sleep, couldn't eat. She could see it coming, slowly lurking through the haze that had become his mind. He was being tortured, menaced by the ghosts that haunted him, the fear that he felt, and the hatred that had begun to boil over his body. His brain couldn't distinguish between reality and his nightmares. The process had begun just like she warned against.

Brutality was the only word the detective could call to mind; It was a scene unlike any other that he had been called to. He was in a small square room occupying an old apartment complex in a run-down neighborhood. Previous tenants were either vagabonds attempting to escape from the law or drug-dealers looking for their next hideout. A perfect place to go if someone wished to be uninterrupted. The coroner had previously briefed the detective as they climbed the stairs to the third floor accompanied by the officer first at the scene.

"Death took place at least two days before, initial reports point to cause of death by loss of blood due to dismemberment."

The officer first at the scene spoke up, his name tag read Jurig. "I took a call from a nearby neighbor, said there had been recent activity that had stopped a few days before in what appeared to be an abandoned building. I noticed nothing out of the ordinary until I climbed the stairs between the second and third floors. Along the rails were scratch marks that appeared to be fairly fresh. I pulled my gun and slowly approached the third floor landing. I noticed more scratch marks along the floor leading to the first room on the right approximately 10 yards down. I slowly opened the door to the stench of death and dried blood. I called for backup and an ambulance as by the books sir. As far as I'm aware, the EMT's arrived and called the coroner within minutes of glancing in the room. They booked faster than you can imagine"

"Fine job officer, did you touch anything at the crime scene?"

"Other than the doorknob, no sir, as soon as I saw blood I called for backup."

"Sounds good, your dismissed, we'll take it from here."

The room itself was a small room, at most 10 feet square. The off-white paint had begun to peel long ago and was experiencing its first new coloring in years, blood. It was splattered and skewed all over the room, pooled on the floor, and, appeared to be, traced along the ceiling. It had long clotted causing black streaks where the blood was dragged through. Along the floor, footprints were clearly visible in the blood, especially near the cranks. All that were there all seemed to be dumb-struck by the sight, some turning green in the face. The only man able to withstand the sight was the primary coroner. He had already lost his meal long before they arrived.

After a quick glance around at the faces accompanying him, the detective knew it was time to take control. "I want someone up there and get me a fingerprint ASAP. Figure out what kind of shoes this guy is wearing and for the love of God, get out if you can't be in here longer than 30 seconds."

Glancing around the room took sheer will to not lose a previous meal. Along each corner of the wall was a simple crank device with chains. At the end of the chains was an iron shackle. And at the end of the shackle was either a foot or hand.

The detectives on scene had gotten over their previous nausea and had become to pick apart what had occured earlier.

"This is Anna Stockward, 20 years old, been missing for 4 days. Approximately 5'6", 120 lbs, blond hair. Finger and dental records confirm identity." The man speaking was the newest kid among the forensics team. His voice shook and you could see the tears in his eyes as he imagined the pain and suffering she had gone through.

"Ok gentleman, here's what happened. Woman is kidnapped and brought to this building. From the looks of things, this was done by a single man, evidently strong as an ox and probably crazy as one to boot. The ankles and wrists were tightly shackled to each crank, then pulled taut. The blood splatterings along the floor seem to indicate that first the arms, then the legs were pulled. Every rotation bit more and more into the flesh until it couldn't handle the stress anymore."

"Excuse me sir, but how can one man with a simple crank literally pull apart a person," this man was an older officer, street smart beyond his years and sharp as can be.

"Look at the floor. The only set of anything is a single pair of footprints..."