Ba-bump. Ba-bump. Ba-bump.
Her glare was cold; icy blue eyes staring directly at Elias. The sight of the black metal weapon in her hand sent a surge of adrenaline through his veins.
Ba-bump. Ba-bump. Ba-bump.
She didn't move. No one moved, and as much as his body urged him to, Elias couldn't either. Everyone stared--only stared. No one knew what came next. The atmosphere was chilling; a moment of pure silence between them. There was only the faint howling of wind and the heavy beat against the inside of Eli's chest, through his jacket, resonating in his head.
Ba-bump. Ba-bump. Ba-bump.
"I'd die to know what you all are thinking right now." It was like her voice pressed play, forcing everyone to continue forward into their uncertain fate. "That look, God that look. I've seen those faces before, and as priceless as they are, I really didn't want to do this again."
"Do what?" Porter asked. "What are you talking about--"
Everyone tensed up as she suddenly raised the gun; it's barrel pointed directly at Elias. Her blue eyes glanced at everyone, amused.
"Harley. What are you doing?" Eli stepped back slightly, carefully watching her.
"Don't look so surprised. Work with me guys. You know it would make sense to take out the strongest first. Then, Cush. Then, Porter, and of course I'll save you for last Beverly--for old time sakes. Don't worry. It's loaded this time. This'll be quick. Don't run, and don't move--"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Harley, there's no need for that." Porter stuttered, watching her with widened eyes.
"Shut up!" She screamed, and everyone winced as her grip on the gun tightened. "Don't play dumb."
"Maybe we should just talk about this." Beverly spoke cautiously, trying to conceal the shakiness in her voice. "Whatever the problem is. We'll listen. Right guys?"
"Don't do that." Harley glared at her. "Don't talk to me like I'm crazy."
Her cold blue eyes roamed the room, her brows slowly furrowing at everyone's deep stillness. "Don't tell me..." She laughed slightly. "You still don't get it...?" She asked, suddenly interested. "All of you...still don't see?"
Elias was unsettled as the tiny breathy chuckle through her nose slowly manifested into an unnerving bout of hysterical laughs. There was something about them that felt so crooked as they dwindled into their last sinister cackles. There was something about them that made Eli's heart sink within his chest--that made him realize.
She covered her mouth from her last squeaks, taking in a deep breath; her eyes watching Elias almost playfully. "Wow, you really are dumb aren't you? Here I thought you had it all figured out. You only scratched the surface."
"It was you...?" Cush's low voice entered the room. Everyone turned to him as his dark eyes narrowed. "You did this...?" His pale finger pointed to the large stains along the floor as his eyes swelled with anger at the sight of her. "You did this to them!?"
Elias quickly held him back with all he had as he forcefully trudged forward, his fists bawling as he screamed, "You did this to Al!?"
"Bingo." A sly smile appeared on her face. "At least someone got it. God, you know, I always liked you Cush. Even when we were younger--even though you never liked me back. You were always different." She nodded in approval furrowing her brows slightly. "Isn't it funny? You didn't even remember me at first." She tilted her head. "I bet you'll never forget me now huh?"
Elias almost couldn't hold back Cush's second wave of strength.
"Oh my. Where have I seen this before...?" Harley gave a slight grin. "As adorable as it is, you can let him go Elias. Trust me. I don't need your protection."
"I'm not protecting you." Elias spat, watching as her grin faded. Bringing his attention back to the pale boy, who's face was appearing more red with rage by the second, Elias called, "Cush."
"Whatever. He can die first. It really doesn't matter to me." She rose the gun; it's sights landing on them.
"Cush." Elias grunted, struggling to hold him. Staring into his vexed black eyes, Elias tried to make him get some self control, but they never left Harley, helplessly swelling with tears.
"Leave it to Elias to be the hero except for when there's actually one needed. Here I was, crushing on you. You're just as annoying as Rocco." She rolled her eyes.
"Don't you dare talk about him." Porter gritted his teeth, making Harley scoff.
"Or what? You going to try and run at me like he did? You see how that worked out for him. Hey! Don't blame me! Blame Elias for making the poor kid think he actually had balls." She brought her attention back to the two boys. "Where were you that night anyway Elias?" Harley asked, making his hazel eyes fall to the ground; the paralyzing feeling of guilt creeping in. "I mean seriously you made it that much easier. Left it to the little guy to do on his own. I mean he wasn't even a challenge--"
"You shut your fucking mouth!" Cush hollered; his rage causing Harley to pause for a moment.
"I didn't want things to turn out this way. You have to believe me, Cush. I'm sorry for what I did to him. I am. You have to believe me. I don't want you to be mad. You just have to understand." Harley quirked her lips. "I feel sorry for you, and you Elias. I mean I could've sworn he screamed out for you that night. He was so scared." She shook her head. "You should have seen him. All bloody, in pain, and crying. Poor guy passed out from the pain before it was even finished. Luckily, I brought a gun this time. For you guys. Shouldn't be as messy. I like you guys. I really do. I just wish you weren't digging around so much. We had a good thing going. Consider it a favor that I make your deaths quick. An early Christmas present."
Eli's teeth gritted together as he fought to push back his emotions, though the outline of tears along his eyes were overpowering. The image of Sunshine, described as that, Elias couldn't...
"You know what they say..." She continued. "Curiosity killed the cat."
"Harley what the hell is wrong with you!?" Beverly screamed. "What are you doing!?"
"The questions--of course. Always with the same questions." Her smile faded as she looked over at Beverly. "What are you doing? Who are you? Where am I? Can I go home?" She looked up at the ceiling with a satisfied huff. "But then there's always my favorite one. Why?"
Her blue eyes finally left the ceiling, returning to the others. "Ask me."
The command died out into the room as it fell silent.
"You all want to know so bad." She continued. "Go on, anyone. Ask me."
No one said a word, making the smug expression on Harley's face leave suddenly.
"Ask me!"
Her piercing scream caused Elias to shut his eyes tightly before slowly opening them again. She was highly unstable. The way her smiles turned to sudden frowns--how her unsettling playfulness turned to hostility. Elias began to truly question her sanity; his heart getting wearier by the minute. Returning his gaze back to her, he asked through gritted teeth, "Why?"
"Simple." An empty smile plastered itself onto her face again. "I'm the forgotten one." Her eyes glanced at everyone around the room before she let out a breath. "I knew you wouldn't understand. None of you. You're all too privileged and spoiled. Rotten. You're all going to die here. Within a few minutes at most. In a quick, yet unpleasant way, might I add. But even with that in mind, still consider yourselves the lucky ones." Her voice returned low. "You will have lived a life, though not as long as you would've liked, without having to know the feeling."
She laughed slightly.
"You see, you put yourselves on this pedestal--all high and mighty, looking down on people like me. You think you're better, but you don't know." She shook her head. "You don't have to know how it feels...to be loved. To have everything you've ever wanted--ever needed. To wake up with the best two people in the world and then have to go to sleep without them. No. No, you don't know." Elias could see her struggle to swallow as she bawled her empty fist.
"You don't know how it feels..." Her eyes appeared vacant as she spoke more dull with each word. "To have the same family, who once fought over you, now passing you off as if you were a disease--a burden. To finally be put in the system to waste away. To be beaten...molested--for years."
Her blue eyes, now watery and filling with anguish, looked up to Elias. "Talk about trauma...hm?"
The disharmonic blink sent a fleeting tear down her face.
"But you know what's even more traumatic?" She twisted the gun, bringing it closer to herself, toying with it. "To come back to a place. A place you called home--the place you dreamed of returning to all your life. Where people respected you. Loved you. Knew you." Her brows furrowed. "Only to see...you were forgotten. The same people who once shook hands with my father looked at me like garbage. The same people who came to our family led events, never once offered the idea of a conversation. Nothing but glares of judgment...and words full of hate." She grumbled. "No one knew who I was. You don't know how it feels to be in my shoes. To have to do what I do."
She sniffed, lifting her head. "Yes. The school required me to have counseling. The same dedicated hours each week with Mr. Hudson. I complied, for the time being. I had planned to kill myself one of those days anyway, but he wasn't too bad to talk to I guess. But God, was he a coward. There is nothing I hate more in this world than a coward."
She shook her head with a scoff.
"Driven by his mother's death, but hindered by his own beloved brother. Obsessed with making one proud, but refusing to harm the only one in his way. A split man, hemophobic with cold feet--complicated for no reason. As twisted as he is, he wasn't built for this life. That idiot panicked as soon as I told him Bausy was still alive. Blabbering and crying on television. My first mistake." She sighed, shaking her head. "Well, I suppose that was why he was so fond of me. You know you develop a superpower when you deal with bullshit all your life. Somehow you can look just as normal as everyone else. Even with the rage and depression inside you. I was a five star level headed actress, and judging by all your faces, I say I deserve an award. What do you all think?"
She giggled at their silence. "I don't hesitate like him. Not even with my first. Now, she was different. S-She wasn't intentional. I didn't mean..." Her brows furrowed, her voice returning slightly flustered. "She shouldn't have been there. I mean, she knew what she was doing. She just kept smiling. Taunting me. She asked for it!" Her teeth gritted together. "It was their fault. Her family--some crummy couple, moved into my old house only a year before I had returned. She received all the attention I had once. Practically walked in my shoes. Probably slept in my old room. Living my life, without a care in the world." Her eyes stared aimlessly as she said her next words; her voice sounding oddly detached. "She didn't even think twice when I asked her to follow me. Just told her I wanted to show her something. Brought her away, not too far, but just far enough. That's when I did it."
"The little girl..." Elias didn't know he had spoke aloud; his eyes watching her horrified at the unfazed nature she confessed with.
"I didn't plan to--didn't want to. It just...happened. It didn't feel like...me. It didn't feel like me when I was leading her out. I would have never killed and eight year old...she just--she just made it so easy you know? It didn't take her that long to stop breathing." She blinked a couple times. "I thought we were alone but...Charles had followed us. He saw us leave the area, got curious. Thought I was showing signs of improvement and making a new friend. I remember the way he looked at her laying there...the way he looked at me. I could tell he was terrified, but he just...walked away."
"I was terrified of myself. I hated what I'd done. I really did." She placed her hand over her chest, her eyes looking sincerely into Eli's. "I was going to end my life after that. I swear it. I was finally going to do it. But you have to understand...it blew up. Eight year old girl dragged off and murdered. It was on the news--in the papers. Everyone, everywhere, was hearing about it. About what I had done. Me. Harley Whitfield. They didn't know but I did." She began to laugh. "And I loved every second of it. I was on everyone's mind."
Her giggles echoed against the walls.
"It had to be done. She was a catalyst--no no! A sacrifice! Yes! For me to come back. You have to understand."
"You're sick." Cush fumed.
"I was, but I'm healed now. Honest. I found a way to fix it. I knew right then what I had to do." She smiled.
"Kill people?" Porter grimaced. "You killed Madison. Brutalized her. You sat here all those nights--looked Rocco in his eyes everytime he broke down. You watched him grieve this whole year! Then you killed him!?"
"I didn't want to have to do that." She said. "As annoying as he was, I didn't want to, and to me, Madison was just one of many. I mean you have to understand, that could have been anyone. She was next and I needed an outlet."
"All those women." Beverly covered her mouth. "Those innocent women."
"I don't like what I have to do." Harley shook her head. "I guess...I guess I just need it."
"Bullshit." Porter snapped.
"Look, I didn't pick them alright? I won't lie and say I've done everything on my own. Charles was the brain behind it all. He had this entire plan to sabotage his brother, and what do people despise more than serial killers? Not much, I'll tell you. Women were the easiest to grab, easiest to overpower. He had a list, a plan, a goal. He was just lacking the balls." She tilted her head. "I was the piece he needed."
She shrugged. "His first idea was to blackmail me, but he soon realized I didn't need any of that. Just one condition. I'd get the title...all the credit. He provided the victims. I did my part, even though he may not have always liked how I did it. He got over it. Didn't take long to get into the swing of things, and soon everyone was calling me La Mort Noire. Has a nice ring to it don't you think?"
"You're crazy." Beverly stared.
"No, love. Quite sane actually." Harley harshly replied. "No one in this damn town will forget my name ever again. It had to be done. Just like this."
She held up the weapon; it's aim directly on Elias.
"For what it's worth, I liked working with you." She said. "You made everything much more interesting for me. I wish it could've lasted longer. Sadly, I don't have a choice."
Everyone's breath hitched as they could see her finger squeeze.
"You have a choice." Elias said suddenly; everyone's eyes snapping to him. "Everyone has a choice Harley. You just keep choosing wrong."
"The hell are you talking about. You don't understand--"
"No, I do." He interrupted. "More than you know. You had a good thing here. You said it yourself. You had a bestfriend. You didn't have to kill for it."
"Nice try. I only befriended her because she was the sheriff's daughter. Had to kill to get here." She gave a smug grin.
"Killing gave you the ability to speak...? To say hello and start a conversation?"
Her grin faded. "Shut up Elias."
"You didn't have to kill to start a friendship. Bausy loved you. You didn't have to kill for that and you know it. The truth is you had a choice--always had a choice. Even now." He continued.
"You don't know what you're talking about."
"What would your parents think?"
Her eyes settled with sudden rage.
"Leave them out of this. They have nothing to do with any of this."
"They'd be so disappointed to see the path their daughter chose."
"I didn't have a choice." She gritted her teeth. "Stop saying that! If I did, don't you think I would've lived differently!? I played the hand I was delt you idiot!"
"No. That's it. You're just a coward." Elias said, and everyone's eyes grew wide at his statement as Harley's narrowed.
"What did you just say?"
"You're a coward Harley."
She scoffed. "Look at me. What do I have to be afraid of?"
"Rejection." Elias replied and the smugness disappeared from her face at an alarming speed.
"Don't you psychoanalyze me." She gritted.
"You're afraid to be left alone." He continued.
"Shut up Elias."
"Just a little girl afraid of the dark."
"I said shut the hell up!" She shrieked.
Boom!
It was loud. The sound was paralyzing; quick--powerful. A bright light. No one had expected it. It was as if life had paused for only a moment. Everyone's eyes darted to the same place with the uniform gasp. That's when the chill began to settle in. Elias suddenly felt cold. The steady beat within him began to dwindle and grow softer by the second. His chest began to relax as he let out a deep sigh. He had never felt so relieved.
The light had entered in an instant as the door burst open. The freezing winds felt so allaying as the air filled the room like a ravening wolf, wrapping itself around every warm body. There, standing in the door way, was a man dressed in an FBI jacket.
"Drop your weapon!" The man yelled; his gun trained on Harley. As the other men came running in after him, getting a position around her, Harley's eyes never left Elias. "Drop your weapon now!" He screamed again, yet Harley's stance never wavered.
Staring deeply into Eli's eyes, Harley let a smile gradually form on her face.
"The only reason you're not dead yet..." She began. "Is because I know they'll kill me if I pull this trigger. I can't possibly reap the benefits of being La Mort Noire if I'm dead, now can I? It doesn't matter. I've already won."
She dropped the gun, raising her hands in the air. Just as the heavy clack of metal could be heard hitting the floor, Elias let out another immense breath of relief.
It was about time they showed up.
Watching as they quickly detained her, Elias couldn't help but feel slightly alarmed by the death stare she'd been giving him. It was as if her eyes had been locked, not tearing away from him even as they removed her from the shop. Once she had been secured, the rest of the men began to lead Beverly and Porter out next. Once the two had gone, in stepped a familiar face Elias had been delighted to see.
Sheriff Decan.
"You did it!" He walked over, and before Elias could say a word, he was pulled into a tight hug. "You did it son! You did so well!"
Stepping away, he quickly fixed himself before apologizing.
"I'm sorry I couldn't have made it sooner, but you held your own didn't you." The sheriff then turned to look through the door. "I can hardly believe it. She spent almost everyday over at my house. I love that kid." He
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