I

It's a cold night in Central Park but that doesn't seem to phase the joggers that frequent the dimly lit path. A pair of icy eyes watches the group of joggers as they move down the road. One woman straggles behind; "Go ahead, i'll catch up." The eyes center on the womans belt pack. Suddenly, a shadow darts out from the brush and snatches the womans bag. As the man runs through the trees he's quickly detained by a clammy hammer to his skull. An enormous being stands over the quivering mass that used to be a man. The creature's face is a mess of scars and stiches. His body begins to glow with a green inner-light as it reduces to a puddle of primordial ooze. What once was a 7'2 abomination is now being absorbed into the earth. The entire bloody scene is being watched by a third party. Demonic laughter fills the underground pathways of the dark root-filled labyrinth as the image fades in the steaming couldron. The creature enters the chamber and kneels before the thrown. "I have done well, yes?" "I sent you there to watch the girl not to take the life a meaningless mortal." the words drifting from the shadowy thrown. "I am sorry, my lord. I couldn't help myself. It has been two centuries since my last journey to the outerworld. It will not happen again." "Yes, I know. And to make sure that it doesn't you will be stripped of all power and be sent as a simple mortal." "But sir, please" A face comes from the shadows. An enormous skull with eyes of fire leers at the demon. "You are not in the position to argue." A stream of fire shoots from it's mouth. When the smoke clears the abomination is now a six foot mortal. His eyes and hair brown with considerable muscle. "Thank you, sir. I will not dissapoint you again." "I should hope not. Now return to the outerworld and continue with your original duties." "Yes, sir."

II

Birds begin their calls as sunlight pierces through the trees of the trail once more. Officer Moore starts his morning rounds at the park not unlike any other morning..........or is it? "Jesus Christ! What in the hell happened to this guy!?" He turns to vomit in the hedges. He had stumbled upon last nights remains. The carcas was decapitated. Pieces of grey matter were splattered about the path. "This is officer Moore. I need homocide down here at the park right away. Copy?'" "Gotcha Bill. What's goin on down there?", the staticy voice of the dispatch replies. "Some sick bastard.................ohh God, just get them down here." as he returns to the hedges. "We found this pink belt-pack. I'm guessing it wasn't his. We have to send it back to the lab to find out what's inside, we have to play this one right. This guys not getting away on bad evidence." The ambulance and coroner's car drive off and officer Moore is left alone. "This shit just keeps getting wierder and wierder." Two hours later, in the crime lab. "Sir, we found a wallet with the owners name and address, but that's not all. Take a look at this." He hands the sargeant a crystal mounted in a small silver wand. "It appears to be a couple of centuries old. It resembles the artifacts on display in the Museum of Ancient History. I think this could posibly be the missing piece they've been looking for the past fifty years." "What would a woman be doing with this?" He rolls the strange object in the palm of his hand. "I have no idea. I'll have to bring it by the museum to confirm, but I'm pretty sure that's where it belongs." "Could I have the address of the woman?" "Sure, here you go." "Thanks."