The Innkeeper

"I was hired for a special case," said the morose man, the tip of his index finger tracing the rim of his glass. Surrounding him, the usually noisy bar was completely silent as the guests listened to his story with keen interest.

"The fact that I was hired spoke enough of the seriousness of the case to begin with. After all, the best of the best used to come to me to ask for internships. There was no detective better than me, because I was beyond what could be measured. With a 100% case resolution rate, my prices were sky high. The fact that they were willing to pay my dues spoke enough of their desperation."

The man, sporting a thin mustache above his lip, and wearing a brown-colored trench coat, looked down as he shook his head and sighed. His hat sat lonely atop the wooden bar, looking beaten and worn.

"How was I supposed to know that this case would be different?"

The man, who was completely human and in no way anything related to a crustacean, came from a planet called Terra, the geography and history of which were remarkably similar to Earth without any correlation at all. If one distinct difference had to be identified, it was that Terra suffered from a lot more paranormal activity than earth.

"The year was 1966, the place was Chicago, the time was the dead of night and the place was the victim's apartment building, up on the 4th floor of a government housing building. I was alone, for I couldn't have others with me while I investigated, slowing me down. The apartment was a mess. All the furniture was broken, everything was on the floor, the brand new television set was turned on, though one of its legs was broken so it was slumping low. The endless noise of static from the television filled the room, drowning out all other sound. I walked in the stillness of the room, unafraid of the dark, as I reviewed all the evidence.

"I had never seen anything like it. The murder weapon... the murder weapon could not be what the evidence suggested. It was impossible. Most others agreed that the victim had died from the fall, as the broken wall would suggest he had been flung from there while he was still alive. But no, I could tell he was dead long before his body hit the ground.

"Troubled, I continued my search. Canada, Mexico, Brazil, England, China, Japan, I traveled the world hunting down all the victims this serial killer had left behind. But the more I searched, the more troubled I became. It just did not make sense."

At this point the man sighed, and gulped down his drink. His eyes looked out into the distance, as if he could view the memory like a film on a television screen.

"Then one night I found myself in India. There were rumors of the death of a prince, and the signs left behind by the murderer were all too familiar. Well, he wasn't really a prince, but his family lived in a castle, so he may as well have been. My car had broken down, so I was forced to walk the road. I would have reached my destination by morning had I continued, but destiny had other plans.

"In the hot, humid night a strange buzzing sound reached me. I paid it no mind, there were enough flies around me to account for the buzzing. Only, the sound slowly started to grow louder. Still, I was lost in my own thoughts, unaware of the impending danger. It was only when I felt the vibrations in the road beneath my feet that I awoke from my thoughts, but by then, it was too late. I could hear the sounds of the revving engine behind me. The flashing headlights illuminated the road, but all I could see was my life flashing before my eyes. I knew what had happened. The serial killer had come after me. The dreaded mass murderer, known only by his alias, Truck-kun, had finally decided I was too close!

"I turned around to get a good look, but all I saw were two flashing yellow headlights. A truck horn straight from hell sounded out in the night right before Truck-kun smashed into me! But luck was in my corner that night. The horn startled me enough that I fell backwards, and coincidentally, fell through the golden doors of the Midnight Inn. I was saved a hair's breadth, and now I had seen the murderer with my own eyes. It would not escape me in the future. Or at least, that's what I thought."

Silence once again filled the room as everyone listened with bated breaths. This was the key part.

"It was only when I arrived at the Inn, and gained access to the heavenly Henali portal did I realize how wrong I was. Truck-kun was not a mass murderer choosing its victims across the globe. No, instead, the signs of its influence spanned the realm! Galaxies far and wide, planets remote and hidden, none of it mattered. When Truck-kun found a victim it wanted to claim, none could escape it. So far, I am the only one who has looked into the gleaming lights of death and survived. I-"

The man's speech was cut short by the sound of screaming. Someone was yelling something at the top of their lungs, and coming closer! The next moment, the doors burst open and yet another guest of the Inn bent over, panting as hard as possible.

"There's been another murder," he managed to say between long bated breaths. "This time... this time the victim was a Nascent cultivator."

The room full of teenagers and young adults, all fans of comics and novels with unlucky lives, all suddenly had goosebumps. They all fit the pattern for Truck-kuns victims perfectly. They had gathered at the Midnight Inn to discuss ways to elude this monster that exclusively hunted weebs, anime enthusiasts and fantasy fans. But it did not seem like there was a solution. The dreaded Truck-kun could not be stopped!