Double Vision

5

005. bella .

feb. 7, 2024.

9:24 p.m.

"You don't," I smirked against the microphone. "But actions speak louder than words. You'll see my influence soon enough."

I hung up, immediately throwing myself back in my chair, sending it rolling across the room and hitting my bed. "That was so fucking badass!!"

I want a new tongue ring. Silver balls are basic. 

Oh, wow, I'm 23 and pretending to be a highschooler. That's kinda creepy now that I think about it.

I pulled at one of my curls, watching it go from just below my jaw to my shoulder. Damn, my hairs long. Actually, not really, unless I straighten it. I hate having long hair.

I bit my cheek, putting my headphones on. I didn't exactly tell Vira I was going to get involved with the police, she might kill me.

I'm bored. 

Why am I not in college? I want to go to parties and shit. Actually, I can do that without being in college. But the college part is probably more fun.

Ugh.

I rolled my chair across the room, grabbing my guitar and strumming it before scrunching my face. Why the hell did it get out of tune so fucking fast?

I think Vira's out getting groceries right now. I offered to do it, but she's been a lot more outgoing lately. When she starts dating someone I might die a bit. 

I unlocked my phone, opening Soundcorset so I could tune my guitar. 

I kinda wanna go for a walk. Damn it, why can I not keep myself focused on one thing?!

I sat my guitar down, putting my hands in the pockets of my sweatpants as I eyed my room for my jacket. It's somewhere. 

Not on my bed, possibly under it, not on the floor, uhhh.. yeah, probably under the bed.

I dropped to the floor, staring under my bed as I tried to get my eyes to adjust to the dark. Yup, there it is. 

I grabbed my jacket, slipping it on and zipping it halfway before walking out.

The cool breeze hit me as I stepped outside, instantly regretting not zipping my jacket all the way. I pulled it up to cover my neck, contemplating whether I should have grabbed a scarf too. Winter nights could be unforgiving, but I liked the cold air against my face. It makes me feel like I'm getting stabbed by a bunch of tiny needles, but in a good way.

The neighborhood was quiet, the streetlights casting long shadows on the pavement. I shoved my hands into my pockets, feeling the familiar chill of the night air seeping through the fabric. The sound of my sneakers hitting the pavement echoed in the empty streets.

I walked aimlessly, letting my thoughts drift. The earlier conversation with the police force played in my mind. What kind of influence did I plan to wield? I'm trying to help, duh, but I needed to be careful not to get too caught up in it. Vira would probably try to get involved too if she knew the extent of my involvement.

I turned a corner, heading towards the park nearby. Leaning against a tree, I looked up at the sky. Stars are really pretty. But they explode after a while. Humans aren't really like that, we aren't very nice to look at. But—

A bloodcurdling scream echoed throughout the streets.

I felt my blood run cold. What the fuck, what the fuck, what the fuck.

No. Don't panic. You are a detective, you should be figuring out what this is. No, because what if I'm in a horror movie and the people watching are yelling at me for going into the direction of a scream?!

You're not in a fucking movie, Bella!!

But seriously, that scream... I couldn't just ignore it. I took a deep breath, trying to gather my thoughts. Okay, focus. Assess the situation, be cautious.

I cautiously made my way in the direction the scream had come from. Every step felt heavier than the last. My heart was pounding in my chest, echoing in my ears as I moved closer to where the sound had originated.

As I turned the corner, my eyes scanned the area. 

Wow, I'm basically walking into my death. This is the most horror movie thing ever. I'm gonna walk down this alley, there's gonna be someone there holding a knife, and that'll be the end for me.

Fuck, I'm going in anyway.

The alley was dimly lit, with the flickering light of a distant streetlamp casting eerie shadows on the walls. What the hell is this, huh?! 

I hesitated for a moment, questioning my decision to continue down this path. I should not be doing this.

As I walked deeper into the alley, the air became thicker with tension. My senses were on high alert, every little sound magnified in the silence that followed the scream. I tightened the grip on the strap of my jacket, trying to steady my nerves.

I stopped dead in my tracks. You've gotta be fucking kidding me. A bucket in the middle of a fucking alleyway. That's stupid. 

I stepped forward, leaning over slightly to see what was in the bucket, and—

Holy shit.

Holy fucking shit.

I think I'm gonna throw up. 

I don't think I'm gonna be able to forget that.

I looked forward again, hoping desperately it was just my nerves playing tricks on me, but much to my dismay, they were not.

Staring straight back up at me was a bloody fucking decapitated head.

This doesn't even make any fucking sense.

I actually think I'm going to throw up.

I took a few steps back, pulling out my phone and quickly dialing 911.

My hands shook as I held the phone to my ear, waiting for the operator to pick up. The gravity of the situation hit me like a ton of bricks, and my mind raced with a million thoughts.

"911, what's your emergency?" a calm voice on the other end of the line finally responded.

"I just found a decapitated head in a bucket," my voice wavered, trying desperately to not sound like I was about to shit my pants.

There was a brief pause, and then the operator spoke again, "Stay calm. Can you confirm your location? We're dispatching officers to your area."

I quickly relayed my location, the urgency in my voice growing. My mind tried to process the gruesome image I had just witnessed, but it felt like a nightmare, something out of a horror movie.

"Help is on the way. Stay where you are," the operator instructed.

I ended the call and took a few steps back, trying to distance myself from the grisly scene. The shock began to wear off, replaced by a sense of unease and dread. I needed to get out of that alley.

As I retraced my steps, my mind raced with questions. Who could have done such a thing? Was this connected to my recent involvement with the police? Was it a message for me?

Reaching the entrance of the alley, I spotted the flashing lights of police cars approaching. I waved them down, my hands still shaking. The officers quickly took control of the situation, ushering me away from the crime scene.

One of the officers approached me, a stern expression on his face. "Did you see anything else? Anyone around here?"

I shook my head, my words catching in my throat. "No, just... the head. It was just there."

The man nodded, exchanging a glance with his colleagues. "We'll handle it from here. You did the right thing by calling it in."

As the investigators took over, I found myself stepping back into the cold night air. The reality of the situation sank in, and a shiver ran down my spine.

What the fuck am I getting myself into?