CHAPTER FOUR - Dead blonde

     I've been here before. This dark, empty and plain room, i know it. I just don't remember when or how to get out. I just kept walking through the same root over and over again. No exit no entrance.

I fell down on my knees, out of options on what i should do.

"No one is coming to save you "a familiar voice came from behind me. I immediately fidgeted, shock evident on my face.

Looking around i couldn't see anyone .

"where are you! "i yelled "why are you always in my head! Who are you! "

Still nothing.

"please help me out! "I'm almost on the brink of tears.

Still nothing.

     From a far distance i could see a little reflection of light, so i followed it. Counting my steps in caution, i kept walking until the light was close enough to an increased size. The closer i got, i came to realize it wasn't anything small and it wasn't a reflection of light either.

     Instead what i could see was like a gleam of burning fire...or better still, remainder it from a melted metal, only it wasn't coming from said object but something else entirely. Something that had my eyes widen in disbelief. It was something that had me believe in dreaming. or at least i prayed i was.  

I could see someone, a woman... no a, body... 

There was blood all over her and her stomach was...oh my God!

    The in front of her, some kind of creature. The same creature that i had seen in Faye's fairy tale book, the dark creature with bone wings and large claws. I could feel my skin burning, my insides heating up but strangely my body enjoyed the heat.

   I'd gotten a new sense of caution around myself, feeling oddly frightened and yet bold enough to keep moving closer. The sounds of crunching and chewing was clearer now the closer I got. But then it stopped.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              I could see the woman's face now she was blonde and pale and covered in blood.

I pulled my hand over my mouth feeling a huge wave of nausea. My legs were shaking but instead of being scared and running off -not that i know where i could run to- ,i kept on going closer. Taking little steps until it turned around causing me to stop at my tracks.

My eyes widen in disbelief. I never thought i would actually be saying this but Faye's theory about this creature might be right and i felt bad for assuming it was just the make belief of a troubled mind. But now looking at it, the memory hit me like a hurricane. It was the same creature i had seen the day i blacked out.

That same black skin, heavy clawed fingers, evident blood red eyes and the scar. That scar!

"remember now? "

I woke up panting like a hunter begin chased by a wild cat. My chest hurt, and i feel like I'm burning inside. I always feel like I'm burning inside.

I pulled my hand up my chest to support my breathing only to feel something warm and moist on my skin. My hands are damp and when i look at them i can't help the sound of terror that escaped my lips.

No!no!no!no!no!

Not again! This can't be happening!

I felt hot tears prickle down my face.

My hands are covered in blood. So are my legs and i have nothing on me. Oh my God! I started panicking. I'm completely naked and in...god i don't know where i am!

I tried to stand but my feet were failing on me. I was shaking terribly forcing my body to push forward until i was standing properly .

I looked around me trying to take a hold of my surroundings. I was no longer in the comfort of my bedroom, I wasn't even in my house any longer.

It was empty and silent. At a corner i could see a huge tank and feel the cold breeze hit my skin it made me flinch and i hated cold, not to mention I'm naked and i don't know how. Or why. Worse I'm covered in blood, but i don't have any cuts or bruises plus i just realized I'm standing at the edge of a roof top twelve feet above ground level.

This can't be good! How the hell did i get here!

As a kid i have always been afraid of heights, but now standing here my only fear is how i got up here, why I'm completely naked and have blood all over me.

I can't shake the feeling of the possibility that i might have...might have...might have killed...killed someone.

I search myself again for scars or any thing that gives my bloodiness away, but...nothing.

And my struggle is answered by the evidence lying right in front of me.

Now I'm actually trowing up. All over the concrete floor.

That woman!

My chest is beating heavily, its hard to breathe, i feel like its going to explode.

That is the woman from my dream. The dead blonde lying pale with her stomach turn open and almost dried blood spread all over the ground.

I internally broke down trying to hold back tears but not the pile of vomit that split over the hard floor for the second time. I have to get out of here, and now. Struggling to move around in the hopes of finding something i could wear. I fond my clothes scattered at the side of the woman's dead body.

I quickly picked them up and noticed they were ripped apart.

I usually don't wear much to sleep, mostly just a short shorts and one of Damon's big shirts that i always steal from him. But since i got back from the hospital, I've been having this strange need to keep myself hot at all times. Even in the hot summer like it is i still pull up a certain amount of clothes on.

That's why I wore a thick sweat pants and one of Damien's famous belieber sweat shirt that were now ripped apart on my hands. I knew i didn't have much time left till the building starts to flood and someone finds me here and that would be terrible.

So i didn't think too much on how my clothes got ripped apart and just put them on any way it would fit. Silently thanking God that it wasn't completely ripped in pieces and at least covered my lady parts, I rushed out through a steal door slowly making my way down.

I know this place, in a town as small as Randall there is no way you would not know the only mall, especially one that has literally everything. I've been here a million times since i was a kid so i know pretty much every door and passage way in this place, except the roof top of course.

It was still very early in the morning and the clouds were still dark so I'm hoping that workers haven't started coming in yet so i can make a smooth escape.

But nothing is ever that smooth. Even if i managed to get pass this place with not a single person on security duty, they would definitely have security cameras all over the place, and there goes my luck!

Cracking up my brain and thinking of what to do before i run out of time. I pulled my hair up and rapping the dark locks up into a disoriented bun using my own hair to tie the rest since i have no form of hair band or pin.

I quickly ran back outside the roof top and bent down to pull off the woman's hoodie off her body.

Ignoring the hard smell of blood and smoke on it.

"I'm so sorry, please forgive me. I have no other choice!" i mumbled and put it on, pulling the hood over my head and made a run for it. 

************

My heart was beating rapidly in my chest and I'm leaning unto a shelf to keep my balance. I'd never ran that fast in my entire life and it weakened me. It's not everyday day you dress shady- and by shady i mean being half naked with an over sized hoodie you stole from a dead body- and have blood all over you while sneaking out of an almost empty mall at four in the morning.

That's right, i said almost!

Turns out the place wasn't so empty after all. They were at least two guards on duty. I mean in a town like this, you'll think they'll leave all the security to technology. But i guess not. So yeah--

I almost got caught- twice. I'm just really happy that the round African American man with a pot as a stomach was too busy staring at half naked posts of hot blonde models on his computer to pay attention to a small figure in bloody clothes and a hoodie that covers every view to give as her face, walking right past him in a closed mall very early in the morning.

Yeah no big deal!

And how do i know the round dude was staring at half naked hot models? Well...it's a quick guess. I think the way he kept rolling his mouth in a stretched "oo" shape, and his eyes kept shining wide unblinkingly made it pretty obvious. That, or he was watching porn. I think even a toddler would guess that right.

I still hadn't gotten out. After catching my breath and gaining balance i went through the entrance only to find them very locked.

Of course it's locked. What was i thinking- that I'll just find my way to the exit and it would be hanging right open waiting for me to make my grand exit!

I mentally face palm myself.

Except I'm a staff here, i don't think i can get myself a pass code to the steel glass door.

Honestly i don't know if it's steel, but i know this isn't just the type of glass you see in those movies, where the protagonist busts the rims open with just a hard push of his shoulders or elbows and makes a cliche escape. So i didn't let my mind wonder too far in any weird possibilities that may land me in trouble. Or worse... Jail. After all, i just ran my ass away from a crime scene.

Feeling hopeless. I push myself unto the ground, careful not to stain the place with blood and looking around to make sure there are no visible camera's here.

I let out a shuddering breath as i take the time to drink in my situation.

How the hell did i get myself here?

This is so confusing. I've never been a sleep walker and definitely don't black out the next morning. Not even when I've had too much to drink.

That woman, the creature, and the two dead women with missing gentiles have a connection. And that connection somehow leads to me.

I'm not sure how, or why, but i always seem to be waking up in the middle of it all every time. It's the third time now and I'm starting to feel really...

I don't even have a word for how i feel.

My thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of heavy footsteps.

Picking myself up i quickly crawl my way behind the counter, making sure to keep my head down until I'm sure no one is pacing around the area any more. Then i find my way to the second floor. Head down hoodie up.

I know this is the clothing section . So i hurriedly find myself a nice fresh hoodie and jeans. Why didn't i think of this before?

If the cops haven't gotten here yet, that means they are not aware of the dead body lying at the roof of this building. I hate how it sounds, but it's a good thing for me still.

Finding my way into the washroom. I can't help but think about the dead woman. She didn't deserve to die. I'm sure she had a family and people that loved her. And now she has carried all that love with her decaying body.

I tried to wash off the tears along with the innocent blood off me on the small tap and change into the fresh clothes unsure of what to do with the old ones.

I know that if i leave them here, they would probably run some tests over them and figure out it belongs to me and i would become a prime suspect in multiple murder investigations. So i pull them together and find my self a disposal bag, push it in an fall to the ground waiting till the Place officially opens and has people running around the halls so i can get the hell out of here.

I need to call someone. I thought about it before but i don't think sleep walking Dianna has a habit of taking her cell phone with her.

I'm very aware that the creature from my dream matched the memory of the research Faye had shown me. The thought had me shook, I didn't want to believe it then, I still don't want to believe it now.

I'm not entirely sure but i know that whatever this is, it's not just my brain playing games on me but something very real and scary is going on with me and i need to figure out what it is.

Making a mental note to talk to Faye the moment i get out of here today, my eyes finally give up on me as they flutter shut. 

*****

Keeping my head down, i walked out of the mall as normally as i could, with a small shopping bag on my arm stuffed with my blood stained clothes. People had started swarming in not long after and were all to busy to pay attention to me.

Not until i was far away from the building did i allow myself to stop and breathe properly.

Next i knew there were blazing of police sirens and two vehicles drive right past me and i already know where they are going, but i didn't dare looking back until i got to my house and went in through the back door.

The house was empty when i got home. Mom most be at work, she's always busy these days and i think it has something to do with my accident. She's been working her ass off to make up for the money she spent on my hospital charges.

A part of me is actually happy she isn't here though. I'll have sometime to pull myself together without going through any series of interrogations.

Getting to my room i quickly took off the clothes, jumping in the shower to relieve this stench off my body making sure to keep the water a little hotter than normal and changing into something of my own .

I checked my phone and saw i had nine missed calls, six from mom and three from Damon, and one from Faye. Plus a couple of texts too, two from Damien and three from mum.

Dian where are you? -mum

Dianna pick up your phone! -mum

Is something wrong sweetie?? I'm going crazy here! -mum

Typical mum she's always getting worried about nothing. she's been trying her best to make sure i'm okay since the incident, so i'm pretty sure she's been seriously worried about where i'd been all night. I opened Damien's texts and was about to cuss myself for forgetting.

Hey -Damon

You still up for today right? -Damon.

Well shit!

I was supposed to go out with Damien today, just the two of us and i completely forgot.

I immediately called my mom to let her know I'm alright before she can let her imagination travel to all manner of chaotic scenarios.

"Dian!"was the first thing she said the moment she picked up "oh, thank God! Where have you been? And why haven't you been answering my calls? I thought something terrible happened to you. You can't do that Dian, if you are not going to tell me where you are going then at least let me know when you are out, when you are coming back or not and... "

"mum, mum slow down. "i encourage. She has a habit of taking to fast when her nerves are kicking. I could hear her talking slow breaths from the other end of the line.

"I'm sorry i didn't call or answer your calls, i left my phone at home "

"where were you? "

Umm...

"Faye's, i spent the night at Faye's " i hate lying to her, or anyone in general but that seems like all I've been doing lately. It's not like i have a choice.

"i called and she said you weren't with her " i heard the shuffling from the other line stop like her full attention was on me now. "now why would she lie? " i can't tell if she was being suspicious or annoyed.

Umm...well...

"hey mum can we talk later, something important came up I've got to go, love you! "

"wait! What-"

I killed the line before she could say anything else.

I know, that was lame and terrible of me but i ran out of lies and as you can tell, I've never been a good liar.

I quickly drop Damien a text asking for a rain check and I'll see him later.

I know for sure that he wouldn't be seeing the text for a while cause he'll probably be in class by now so i don't wait for a response.

As much as i am dying to see she him, i can't, not right now. It almost feels like we aren't a we anymore and i know it's only been three days plus today making it the fourth, but we barely talk, he's always busy with school and I'm having my own confusing problems and it hurts but i kind of knew things wouldn't start off the way we left it from the start .

Right now i have serious things to worry about. So after i left Faye a text to meet me when she's free. I picked up the shopping bag i stole from the mall and went straight to do the one thing I've been meaning to do.

Even though I'm not still sure what this is, i know that, Right now, i need to get rid of the evidence.