What Happened After Sundown

IV

'Why am I running?' Elizabeth continued to run, under the influence of some unknown presence. Stumbling on rocks and getting scratched from branches, trees and sticks, she couldn't stop. Her body stung, mindlessly running into darkness is horrible. The eerie feeling that someone is watching her, followed her, it was extremely uncomfortable.

She was far from the cabin by now. Slowly loosing stamina, she stopped and collapsed to her knees, panting heavily as she leaned on a tree trunk. Once she'd caught her breath, she steadily stood up and looked around. She could hardly see anything, only darkness and the looming shadows of trees and other things in nature. Gulping, she put her hand behind her neck and ran her fingers through her hair, getting leaves and twigs out of it.

"What the hell did I do..." she whispered to herself, that's when she gasped and looked at her watch. 12:45 a.m. "I've been running for 45 minutes!?" She said a bit loudly, regretting it after when she heard a stick crack from somewhere in front of her. Her breath hitched, as the crackling of leaves and grass where heard, getting closer. A bright light turned on, pointing straight at Elizabeth. She shielded her eyes with her arms, then shakily moved her arms away.

"E-Elizabeth Lucia?" The redhead said, just above a whisper. She was wearing an officers uniform, a clipboard hugged to her chest and a flashlight in the other. "H-how do you-" Elizabeth started, but her eyes trailed to the gigantic shadowed figure behind her. It was of a giant weeping willow tree, Elizabeth knew immediately that is wasn't just some tree.

Elizabeth stumbled back, stepping on the roots of the tree behind her and sliding down against it. Her eyes wide with terror. The officer had a look of pity, she didn't know what to do at the moment. Elizabeth ignored the officer and instantly brought her hand up to her mouth, her palm filled with saliva as she was trying her best not to vomit. The spit seeped between her fingers and dripped down her chin, the female officer suddenly ran towards Elizabeth and crouched down beside her, moving the teens hands away from her mouth and holding them in hers, the fact they were covered in Elizabeth's saliva didn't seem to bother her.

"Elizabeth, please calm down!" She said worriedly, as Elizabeth just stares at her with her whole mouth and chin soaked. Elizabeth caught a glimpse of the tree again, her eyes widened, she turned away and leaned over. She did the one thing she was trying so hard not to do, throw up. The officer took a handkerchief from her pocket, and wiped Elizabeth's mouth lightly after she turned back around. "I'm Michelle Gorge, the only current officer working on the Iris Lucia case" she said, showing the bluenette her ID. "I know who you are because you're the sister of Iris, correct?" Elizabeth nodded slowly, her lips slightly parted for her to breath.

"So, Elizabeth, why are you out here so late at night?" Michelle asked, as she lightly rubbed circles on Elizabeth's back to comfort her. The latter hesitated before speaking "W-well, I was staying in my friends cabin for the weekend...and, for some reason I ran all the way here. I don't know why, I couldn't stop myself" she decided not to mention the alcohol, since she is talking to a police officer. "Okay...where's this cabin? There are no cabins in this part of the woods" Michelle looked slightly worried as she fidgeted with her pen in her left hand. "I've been running for 45 minutes straight, the cabin is near 24th street" The younger answered, steadying her voice.

"45 minutes? How-"
"Don't ask me..." Elizabeth replied somewhat coldly. Michelle's expression changed to something more stern than worry or pity. "If you don't stop with the attitude it'll make this hard for us both. Now, you where with your friends, meaning right now they are still at this cabin?" Elizabeth hesitated before nodding in correction "unless they came looking for me, which I doubt they would do immediately, they'd probably wait a bit for me to return" Michelle also nodded thoughtfully, taking in the information she'd acquired in the last 10 minutes. "Okay, then we should-" they heard leaves rustling from behind Elizabeth. The latter felt the presence again, the same one from earlier, the one that appeared as soon as it struck midnight, the one that caused her to run into the woods in the same direction as the old willow tree.