Belle Croix: Tales From The Uprising

Chapter 3 (Simone)

I want to take a shower. I want to understand what the fuck just happened. I want to... I don't even know. Every time I close my eyes, I see those mangled bodies. I killed them. With all the child disappearances, people go missing all the time. I doubt anyone will even look into the killings. But I still don't even know what happened.

high-pitched whine

"GAH! WHAT IS THAT FUCKING NOISE?!" It keeps happening, and I can't make it stop! "AAAHHH! STOP, PLEASE! I can't take it anymore! Why?!"

Fifi bursts in with Baba.

"Sim, are you okay?! What happened?"

"My head... there's a high-pitched noise... like a flash bang just went off. I can't think. Did I really kill those men?"

I start hyperventilating. Baba rushes to my side and starts rubbing my temples, trying to calm me down. For fuck's sake. What the hell is going on? This has to be a dream. I'm not a killer. I can't even fight. I carry a knife in case I have to scare somebody off, but I never thought I'd use it, especially so... viciously.

"Baba... did you... did you see me do it?"

"Chère... I seen ya snatchin' dat blade outta da fourth boy's neck and throw it at da fifth boy like some kinda 'sassin. Dem otha boys already on da flo'. Couldn't believe mah eyes."

Fuck. There's no question. This is real. That shit happened. But how? Why?

Phone chime sounds

Unknown number... at 3 a.m.? Bill collectors don't call this late... or early. And after that whole thing... maybe it's the island peacemakers trying to find me. I don't know, but I don't feel safe answering.

Phone chime sounds again

"Hey, Fi... can you answer this for me? I don't know who it is..."

Fi grabs the phone and does her best Olde English accent. "Ello m'lord. Oouuuu might be doilin' me telly at this 'our?"

A deep, scratchy voice responds, "...you're not her... "

Click

"AAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

That fucking noise again.

"You don't hear the noise? Are you guys serious?"

"Chère, I promise. Ain't no noises. Maybe you take some head pills an' sleep it off nie. You listen. Get some rest. Don't even worry 'bout dem boys. Lil punks anyways. Whatchu done to 'em? Dey deserved it."

"I got it from here, François. I'll give her the good stuff, put her to sleep. I gotta finish studying anyway. Maybe a good night's rest will make something shake, a memory... something. Maybe she can at least slow her heart rate for a few hours. Call me when you get home, please."

"Ah ite nie. Ya take care uh her."

"Okay, Simi... I know this was traumatic as hell. I know nothing makes sense right now... I also know that two of these pills and a shower could put a silverback in a coma for 5 hours."

Oh thank god. She's right. A shower. And then some sleep. These clothes are trash now. Ugh. Gross. *gulp* I'll figure this out in the morning.

"Thanks, girl. Love you. Night. You finished studying yet?"

"Nah, babes. But once I pass this test, I'm taking a month off as a treat. Maybe we can use some of that time to figure this blackout thing out, huh?"

"Yes. That sounds perfect," I say as I collapse into my bed.

The rain hasn't let up. It's that constant, relentless downpour that feels like it's been going on for weeks. The streets of Port de Labeau are slick and shiny, the dim streetlights reflecting off puddles and creating a mosaic of light and dark. This town, this godforsaken town, is all I've ever known. The cracked sidewalks, the smell of saltwater and fish, the rundown buildings with peeling paint and faded signs. It's a place where dreams come to die.

Walking home through these streets always felt like a gamble. The crime rate is high, but the poverty rate is higher, and every corner hides a potential threat; every shadow is a reminder of the Marassa, the local group of voodoo practitioners known for their mischief and dark magic. But tonight, tonight was different. Tonight, I became something I never thought I could be.

I hear Fifi in the kitchen, boiling water for tea. She's always been the strong one, the one who held it together while I fell apart. We met in foster care, two lost souls who found a semblance of family in each other. She's the reason I survived those years, the reason I didn't give up. Now, I need her more than ever.

My thoughts keep circling back to the attack. The alley, the group of men, their hands grabbing me. I remember the smell of alcohol on their breath, the sneers on their faces. I remember pulling out my knife, but after that, everything is a blur. How did I manage to kill them all? I've never been in a real fight in my life. The blade was supposed to be a deterrent, not a weapon.

"Sim, I made you some tea," Fifi says, entering my room with a steaming mug. "It'll help you relax."

"Thanks, Fi," I say, taking the mug with shaking hands. The warmth is comforting, but it doesn't stop the tremors. "I just... I don't understand what happened."

"Maybe it's better not to understand right now," she says gently. "Maybe you just need to rest and let your mind process it."

I nod, taking a sip of the tea. It's sweet, with a hint of chamomile. It does help, a little. But the high-pitched noise still lingers, a reminder that something is very, very wrong.

"Do you think... do you think I'm a monster?" I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.

Fifi looks at me with those piercing eyes, eyes that have seen too much but still manage to hold kindness. "No, Simi. You're not a monster. You did what you had to do to survive. They were going to hurt you."

"But... how did I do it? How did I kill them all?"

"I don't know," she admits. "But we'll figure it out. Together."

Together. That's all I need to hear. I finish my tea and lay down, letting the exhaustion take over. The pills are doing their job, pulling me into a deep, dreamless sleep. Tomorrow, I'll try to piece together the fragments of my memory. Tomorrow, I'll face whatever comes next. But for now, all I can do is sleep.