Chapter 11:
The 18th of October 2020.
It's early the following morning.
7.00am.
Fallon's awake.
I'm back in my apartment, she notices.
It's cold.
She's cold.
She stands up from her bed.
She wasn't even sleeping under the covers.
Confusion.
Her palms feel rough, muddy.
There's traces of grass stuck underneath her nails. She picks them out.
Her legs ache, as if she's been walking for days.
She feels a sharp pain in her left elbow.
Rolling up the sleeves of her jacket, she reveals smudges of blood along her arm.
Her brain hurts.
She's tired.
The phone gripped in her hand suddenly begins to ring.
She jumps, slightly startled.
She picks up the call instantly.
She wants answers.
She needs answers.
It's Divine.
"Babes, are you all sobered up now?"
Her voice sounds fresh, cheerful as always.
"What's going on? I'm so confused - Divine am I going crazy? What's happening to me-
"Babe, take a moment to breathe, and I'll explain what's going on"
She drops the phone on her single bed and takes a deep breath.
In and out.
In and out.
In and out.
Her brain feels like it's melting.
"Are you ready to listen now?"
"Tell me what happened"
Her mind is gripped by fears of the unknown.
Perhaps she hasn't had enough sleep.
"We went to the bar last night. Me, you and April - still with me?" Divine mocks.
Fallon rolls her eyes. "Yes, I remember. I remember everything, everything up until you left me - or I left you. I can't remember. My mind gets a little confused around that part. It's like a blur. A gap in my knowledge. It makes me feel sick" She clutches her stomach, gagging slightly.
"You convinced us you were sober, although it was clear that you weren't" Divine chuckles.
"Wait, I don't understand. You were way more hammered than me, I remember. Yes - you couldn't even walk straight"
"That was April, Fallon" Divine laughs.
Fallon squeezes her brain, trying to recall information that her body no longer carries.
She sighs. "Continue"
"You didn't want to enter the taxi - it's like you were afraid, or something. Don't blame you, that man was so creepy" Divine's voice wears off.
Bad Memories.
They're returning.
Fallon shakes her head, hoping to replace them with the good.
"You agreed to walk home, so we let you go and we drove off. The taxi man dropped April home, and I was next. I told him I'd walk the remaining journey, because I knew I had to check on you. Without anyone telling me, I already knew where you'd be" Divine speaks out, her voice soft.
"Where was I?" Fallon's eyes glow with anticipation.
She needs to know.
She needs to understand.
"Do you not remember? You were at Damari's grave. You wouldn't leave. It's like - your soul was attached. You were so broken. I'd never seen anything like it"
Suddenly, Fallon falls silent.
"Fallon, are you okay?"
No answer.
"So, I took you home". Divine continues. "You were in tears, you wouldn't stop crying. You kept on trying to speak to him. To speak to the dead. At your apartment, I placed you on your bed, and you were asleep in seconds"
"I can't believe this" Fallon shakes her head. "I'm so sorry I put you through all that. I'm so stupid"
"Don't feel sorry about it. You were intoxicated. You had no idea what you were doing. Don't get upset over what happened. Listen babes - we'll speak later, okay?"
Fallon nods. "Thank you for everything"
Beep.
Divine cuts the phone.
•
Fallon grabs her laptop.
Fearful. Confused.
That's how she feels.
Using Google, she begins to type.
Her hands are shaking. She's scared.
'Recent deaths' she searches.
Many tabs flash on the screens of recent car crashes, plane crashes, murders etc.
But only one death catches her eyes.
The death of the young woman, 30, brown hair, dark eyes.
Date of death: 17.10.20
Time of death: 4.08am.
Yesterday.
Died through the stabbing of a pocket knife.
Pocket knife.
Almost immediately, Fallon stands up.
Rummaging through her kitchen drawers, she begins to throw her cutlery all over the floor.
Forks. Spoons. Butter knives.
"Fuck!" She screams.
Her pocket knife is missing.
The blood in her veins immediately began to freeze.
Unable to recall what happened that night - what she may or may not have done, Fallon gets dressed.
She sits down, her body shaking immensely.
She continues to research, her heart suddenly coming to a halt when she finally lands on the name of the victim.
Katherine.
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...
