Chapter 5:
Grabbing the mop leaning against the kitchen counter, Fallon begins to clean up the pool of bleach, removing every last trace of evidence from Oaklyn's death.
She's gone.
We have to move on.
She enters her bathroom.
She turns on the tap.
Using soap, she washes the blood stain of her best friend clean from her hands, scrubbing hard between every finger, every gap.
She hums Oaklyn's favourite song, as she begins to cut her fingernails, one by one, throwing each individual nail in the fire, before entering her bath.
It's done.
She switches on the television, her eyes automatically glued to the screen, although her mind is elsewhere.
On Oaklyn.
She remembers her voice.
Her streaks of blonde hair.
Her high pitched laugh.
She sighs, knowing these memories will haunt her forever.
Although, she did what she had to do.
It's not her fault Oaklyn had to die.
And it's certainly not her fault that she was the one to do it.
•
At night, Fallon can't sleep.
Memories.
They swarm in her mind.
They won't go away.
Gripping her mind.
They won't let go. . . .
She's having a lucid dream.
She's running through the woods.
She isn't alone.
She's chasing someone.
The path at her feet instantly starts to fade as they lead her further and further into the darkness. Her feet struggle to follow the narrow strip of naked earth among the giant roots of the trees.
The silver rays of the moon penetrate the dense sky above.
Fallon fights hard to keep her eye on the prize, as she stalks the dark shadow of a woman pacing ahead.
She continues to run, her sense of smell sensitized, as the loan in the earth and the decomposing trees made the atmosphere close and thick.
Her heart aches in agony from running, her breath weakening as she paces up the nearest hill.
"Please, please don't hurt me!" The woman cries, streaks of water flowing from her eyes, her brown hair getting caught in the intensity of the wind, as it blows from side to side.
It's just her and Fallon now.
At the top of the hill.
Fallon retrieves the knife hidden in her back pocket. "I don't want to hurt you, honestly"
She begins to make her way towards the woman, taking small steps, absorbing the moment. Absorbing her power. The thrill.
The woman screeches in fear, slowly stepping back, remaining a certain distance away from Fallon. "Look, I don't even know you. What do you want from me?" Her voice quivers in pain.
"I'm sorry for whatever you think I've done. But, honestly, I think you've got the wrong person!"
She struggles to breathe, grasping her own throat in fear.
It feels as though someone is choking her.
Fallon chuckles, shaking her head, slightly amused. "Stop lying. You know exactly who I am"
"You don't have to apologise. I'm not mad" She smirks, smoothing her knife with her fingertips as she speaks. "Do you think my knife is sharp enough? Here, have a feel!"
She holds the knife towards the woman, who gasps in shock. "Come on, touch it!"
The woman's heart is racing.
Slowly, she begins to take two cautious steps towards Fallon, her body trembling with fear.
"Give me your hand!"
Suddenly, the purity in Fallon's voice turns to wrath, as she grips the woman's wrists, and pulls her closely towards her.
The woman squeals in pain, as Fallon steadily begins to use the knife to slice her fingers off, one by one, her thick blood dripping onto the mucky ground below. Fallon catches a drop.
"Here, have a taste" Grinning, she watches as the woman licks her own blood off Fallon's finger, her body shaking with agonizing pain.
"That's a good girl. Want some more?"
The woman shakes her head, adrenaline flowing over her veins like a carp through the river.
She's unable to move a single muscle, not even to scream. She's frozen in pain.
"I said, do you want some more, or not?" Fallon's face drops, her eyes suddenly glowing with immense rage.
"Yes"
"Yes, what?"
"Yes, I would like some more"
"Good. Here" She shoves her knife in the woman's hand. "Stab yourself"
The woman gulps, staring at Fallon in shock.
"Come on, do it. Or I'll kill you myself"
Thump.
The woman's body falls to the ground.
She's dead.
•
The following day.
9:38am.
Fallon is taking a stroll around her local park.
She suddenly stops.
Her eyes wander about, taking pleasure in watching the people around her.
All kinds of people.
Tall. Short. Black. White. Mixed-raced.
Men. Woman. Teenagers. Children.
Holding up her camera that's hung comfortably around her neck, she uses it to capture the distinctive image of a child, tears streaming down their face, as their mother harshly grips their arm, pulling them away from the nearest ice cream truck.
A picture tells a thousand words.
A picture can portray the lifestyle of people.
A picture can display the emotions of one self; it can highlight the thoughts of one another.
It can change your life.
Or destroy it.
Smiling to herself, Fallon takes one last picture of a nearby swan, before slipping her camera back into her bag, and walking away from the scene.
YOU ARE READING
The Darkness Within
Mystery / ThrillerIt's late. Very late. Sweat oozes from her skin as she strolls through the dark alleyway. She's weird. Unusual. Traumatised by her husband's death, she struggles to ignore his continuous hammering memories that float through her mind. His smile...
