I Had Too Much To Dream (Last Night)
"That's 2 to 2" Valeria says as the soda can clutters to the ground. "i think"
Both her and Isaac are in the middle of a very heated game of who can knock down the most cans from a certain distance by throwing rocks at them. If they miss, they have to take a swig from the bottle Valeria snuck out of her dad's liquor cabinet, with the main objective being more about getting drunk rather than their actual aim. They're on their third round now. Maybe fourth. Valeria lost count.
They have 1 can left perched up on top of one of the older gravestones that is so far back in the cemetery that they're practically standing at the mouth of the forest. Their aim has only gotten worse since they started playing, having worked up a bit of a buzz, if the blush across Isaacs face is anything to go by.
Valeria grins over at him, wind pushing loose curls onto her face. Isaac takes a deep breath, stretches his arm back, and throws. Valeria's eyes follow the small rock as it flies over the can and into the tree behind it. Begrudgingly, Isaac takes a sip from the clear glass bottle, his face scrunching up in disgust as the liquid touches his tongue.
"This is disgusting" He rasps.
"I know" Valeria says, taking the bottle from him and screwing the lid back on. "you said that the first 10 times"
Isaac pouts, just barely, using all his concentration to sit on the ground. Valeria places the bottle next to him as he leans back on the giant headstone behind him, craning his neck up to look at the sky. "Why is the moon so bright?"
"Dunno"
"It's so round"
"Because it's almost a full moon" Valeria tells him from where she's trying to find a decent sized rock to throw. She picks one up, but it crumbles in her fingers. Sighing, she rubs her eyes with the back of her hand. She's definitely buzzed enough to not be able to search for rocks, let alone throw them. "Let's leave it at a tie. I don't think i can throw anymore"
"Yeah me either."
They sit in silence, letting the cold air hit their warm faces, and listening to the sounds of nature around them. Crickets, owls, even the occasional car in the distance. They seem to lull Isaac, because when Valeria looks over at him, his eyes are closed. He looks relaxed and calm, and she's happy to see her best friend be something other than a shy, nervous mess.
It's the only reason they ditched the dance to hang out, just the two of them. Dances always have a way of making Isaac feel claustrophobic, whether it's the crowded dance floor, the crowded bathrooms, the heavy atmosphere once everyone has gotten their hands on the punch that almost always gets spiked. It isn't his scene at all. It definitely isn't Valeria's scene either, so instead of her being holed up in her room or Isaac spending the night alone at the cemetery, she had decided to show up during his shift with a bottle of Jose Cuervo in hand.
And, well, here they are.
Isaac stirs, eyes fluttering open and landing on Valeria. "I can't feel my legs"
Laughing, she walks over to him and offers him her hand. "you need to walk it off. c'mon" reluctantly he takes it, standing up to his full height. He's easily a head taller than Valeria so she has to turn her head up to look at him. His light brown curls are a lot messier than usual, most likely due to the fact that he keeps running his fingers through them.
"When did you get so small?" he asks, confused, like this is news to him. It's kind of endearing.
"Around 7th grade." she tells him, "Remember? I called you Groot up until last year?"
"Oh, yeah"
She laughs, shaking her head, watching as Isaac walks behind the gravestone they put their soda cans on, picking up the ones on the ground and placing them back on top. He says something, but Valeria doesn't hear him.
"Ow" she breathes out. A sharp pain shoots up the left side of her stomach, spreading so fast she feels like the wind is being knocked out of her. She can hear Isaac's voice from where he's standing, but it sounds so far away.
Her right hand is shaking when she presses it to where the pain is only growing worse, turning into more of a stinging sensation, as if her skin is being torn apart. Valeria feels panic settle inside her gut the second she pulls her hand back and sees blood.
"Wh–" she huffs, falling to her knees and using her bloodied hand to keep from falling over.
Isaac drops down beside her, blue eyes searching for the source of pain. They pass over the very evident stain of blood that only seems to grow as the seconds tick by. "What's wrong?"
i'm bleeding she wants to say.
"i don't know" she manages to say through gritted teeth. There are more things she wants to say, like it hurts so much. or i can't breathe. but the words die in her throat. Isaacs worried face comes in and out of focus as she blinks away tears and the black dots dancing in her field of vision.
The last thing she sees before blacking out completely, is the moon shining bright over her head.
When Valeria comes to, the lights above her head are too bright, too aggressive. Groaning, she uses her left hand to shield her eyes, blinking way too many times to regain focus. She squints over at the woman in blue scrubs.
"Hi, Valeria. I'm nurse Mccall" She says with a kind smile. "How are you feeling?"
"Horrible" she replies, sitting up slowly and groaning at the throbbing pain in her head.
"Expect that to be twice as bad in the morning" Valeria's eyes widen in panic. "Don't worry. i wont tell your father."
Valera sighs in relief, "thank you-"
"But. I did let him know you were brought in." She says, not giving Valeria enough time to say anything. "you're fine to go home tonight. Just make sure to drink a lot of liquids, like water, gatorade."
She nods, even though she wants to ask a million questions. She decides on asking about Isaac.
"He's just outside. I can let him in once i'm done taking the iv out" Nurse Mccall tells her.
Less than a minute later, Isaac walks into the room looking nervous and still very disheveled. Valeria doesn't waste time trying to figure out what happened at the cemetery.
"What the hell happened to me?" It isn't a demand, she says it as softly as she can, because she's genuinely curious, and confused.
Isaac chews on his lip, a look of contemplation on his face, like he's choosing his words carefully. "You passed out."
That much she remembers, but it's what happened before that has her rattled. Or what maybe happened. "That's it?"
A pause.
"No," He says, "You- before you passed out-"
He doesn't know what to say, still obviously in shock, and drunk. The last thing Valeria wants is for her best friend to dive head first into a panic attack, especially tonight. Unless it's already too late for that
"It's okay," She tells him, making sure to look him in the eyes. "Let's get going before my dad shows up or something"
She lifts her jacket to check for any signs that she didn't just imagine the whole thing, that maybe it was the alcohol. Nothing. It's as if she can still feel the echo of pain, though, hitting her in shallow waves every few seconds. Isaac is looking at her, concern heavy in his features.
"You sure, V? You looked like you had been stabbed or something. I- I didn't say anything to the nurse because she'd just write it off as us being drunk, but... Val, you scared me."
"i'm fine" She reassures him, swinging her legs off the hospital bed, swaying a bit once her feet touch the ground. Isaac helps her steady herself. "It was the alcohol. I might've just had too much"
Isaac is quiet for a moment, and Valeria doesn't have to look at him to know he's still chewing on his lip. It's a nervous habit of his that has left his mouth bleeding and swollen on more than one occasion. So to calm his nerves and prevent that from happening tonight when they're supposed to be having fun -It's all out the window now, but it doesn't hurt to try- she decides to distract him. And that's the thing about their friendship, when one is panicking, it's up to the other to balance it out and calm them. Almost like the relationship between the cheetahs in zoos with dogs as companions, their purpose being to help keep the cheetahs calm, due to them being prone to anxiety. Sometimes Isaac is the cheetah, other times it's Valeria, And occasionally they're both. It's a nice balance, and they rely on it often. Valeria wouldn't know what she'd do without Isaac there by her side.
"You know, your fascination with the moon earlier was kind of suspicious, Groot."
He stops biting his lip only to look up at Valeria with confused, but curious eyes. "did you just call me Groot?"
She ignores him. "Only 3 kinds of people like the moon that much; witches, lesbians, and werewolves." she says, counting them off with her fingers.
"what about astronomers?" He asks, and there's a small smile on his face. It isn't much, but Valeria will take whatever she can get.
"I'm talking supernaturally"
"Lesbians are supernatural?"
"I mean..." She examines her hands, touches her face, and shrugs. "probably"
Isaac shakes his head, suppressing laughter. He looks much more at ease now that Valeria is joking and poking fun at him.
"Anyway" Valeria continues. "which category do you fall under?"
Before he can answer, there's commotion going on outside. Nurses are yelling, along with hectic radio chatter, which can only mean there are deputies around too. Valeria exchanges a glance with Isaac, both peaking their heads out the door at the same time to see what's happening. The nurses are scrambling around like ants, a few deputies are standing outside the elevator, like they're waiting for someone. Valeria watches the numbers above the elevator light up, eventually stopping on number 4. When the doors open and the nurses and doctor rush out, Valeria feels her stomach drop at the sight of the person being hauled past them.
It's Lydia Martin, still wearing her dress from the dance, but covered in dirt, and more noticeably; blood. The view has Valeria reaching for her side, right where she had seen the exact same kind of wound on herself less than an hour ago. Her eyes don't leave Lydia, not until a deputy uniform blocks her view, and she's met by her fathers stern gaze.
"Hi, dad. Funny running into you here." she tries, and fails, to sound casual.
"The nurse told me you fainted-"
"I'm fine. It was just dehydration." She shrugs it off, not really wanting to talk about it. Her dad accepts the answer, nodding, obviously tired and stressed. If what's been happening around town recently is anything to go by, and with Lydia a couple feet away in the E.R., she fully understands.
"I need the both of you to get home. It's not safe" He says after a moment.
"What happened to her?" Isaac asks from behind Valeria.
"Animal attack" He answers, like he's not sure that's exactly what it is, but not knowing what else to call it. "Now both of you. Home. Now.'
Isaac follows behind Valeria, who's still rubbing at the side of her stomach absentmindedly. They make their way through the many nurses and deputies toward the elevator. Jackson Whittemore, all around asshole, pushes past them, asking anyone where he can find Lydia Martin. Valeria watches as Sheriff Stilinski grabs him by his dress shirt and pulls him aside to talk.
The doors close before she can find out what they say.
When Monday finally rolls around, the hallways are buzzing with gossip. The names Lydia Martin and Kate Argent being recurring topics between conversations. By the time Valeria makes it to her locker, she's pieced together most of the story about Kate Argent. Hale family, murder, more death. She writes it all down on a blue sticky note and places it inside her notebook for her to look at when she gets home.
There is no sign of Lydia, Allison Argent, or even Isaac all day, which makes school go by rather slowly. So when the final bell rings, she bee-lines to her car and drives straight home. She's greeted by her dog, Hendrix, a 7 year old retired police dog with a hip injury. It's been 2 years since he was hit by a stray bullet while on the force, but it's still hard for him to jump up when he sees Valeria. Instead, he wags his tail excitedly, going around in circles until she crouches down to his level, hugging him as he licks at her cheek.
"Hey, bud. Ready for your walk?" She asks, laughing when he breaks away from her to start barking at his leash hanging off the coat rack near the closet. "Alright, let's just go conspire for a bit before we go"
Hendrix follows behind Valeria to her room, sitting patiently in front of the conspiracy wall. It takes up almost half her wall, lined with newspapers, different colored sticky notes, pictures, strings, all dating back as far as the day of the infamous Hale Fire. It's what initially prompted her interest in mysteries and conspiracy theories, and it has only grown broader over the years, especially with living in a town like Beacon Hills where questionable occurrences are a regular. Specifically in the last few months, when the discovery of a dead body in the woods sparked a trail of 'wild animal' attacks across town.
Valeria takes her notebook out of her backpack, pulling out the blue sticky note from earlier and pinning it right next to an old newspaper clipping of the Hale fire. The who has finally been answered, but the why is still up in the air. People don't just murder an entire family in one go just for a laugh. The only thing that makes sense is Kate killing off anyone involved, probably fearing that she'd be caught or that one of them would throw her under the bus. Otherwise, Valeria is stuck, staring intensely at her board as if something on there could give her an answer. It all frustrates her to no end, there has to be something she's missing.
Hendrix whimpers from beside her, pulling her out of her thoughts. Right. She scratches behind his ear. "Sorry, bud. C'mon."
They end up taking a detour to the cemetery.
When Isaac doesn't show up to school, Valeria makes it a habit to show up during his shift to give him some company. They never talk about why he doesn't show up, Isaac avoids the topic altogether, but Valeria doesn't have to guess too much anyway, with Isaac's immune system being so weak.
Isaac is throwing out dead flowers when Hendrix spots him and starts wagging his tail happily, practically dragging Valeria toward him. He turns at the sound of leaves crunching under their weight, smiling down at Hendrix and not meeting Valeria's eyes. She tilts her head to the side to try and get him to catch her eye, instead she sees the extremely noticeable dark circles under his eyes. She doesn't comment, instead smiles as Hendrix licks Isaacs face.
"You'd think he didn't just see you yesterday"
Isaac laughs softly, but doesn't say anything.
"Did you hear about Kate Argent?" She asks, Isaac's eyes finally land on her, so she continues. "She's the one that murdered the Hale family"
Isaac stands up, leaving Hendrix looking up at him. "The funeral is supposed to be in a few days.. You think it's going to be a disaster?"
"For Allison's sake, i hope not. She seems nice" Isaac nods in agreement.
"Your mystery board is complete now, though, right? So that's good" Isaac offers when Valeria doesn't speak for a few minutes.
"I've got 4 out of 5, so…not yet"
"What's left?"
"Why." she answers. "Why did she do it?"
"Do psychopaths really need a reason?"
"Not really, but... i don't know." She sighs, "It just doesn't make any sense"
"Well, the police figured it out so maybe try to relax?" he smiles for reassurance. "Also, you might wanna take Hendrix out back before he shits on Miss Junes grave again."
When Valeria looks down at Hendrix, he's looking up at her wagging his tail, whining when their eyes meet. She must've been too distracted with her own thoughts to realize he's in need of a bathroom break. Scratching behind his ear, she leads him away toward the woods, leaving Isaac to finish doing what he had been doing before they interrupted him. Hendrix walks further into the trees while Valeria waits closer to the cemetery, hands stuffed in her pockets so she doesn't lose a finger due to how cold it is. She can see Hendrix sniffing around a few feet away, looking for a good spot to do his business. Her eyes snap away when he finally finds it, turning her body in the opposite direction.
That's when she sees a man walking away from her, seeming to appear out of nowhere. Hendrix doesn't notice the man, but Valeria can see him clear as day making his way deeper into the forest. His hair is matted, and his clothes look worn and torn, which can only mean he is a homeless man. But the homeless never make it a habit to live in the woods, in fear of being attacked by a mountain lion in their sleep. So, it's odd.
She waits a few moments for Hendrix to be finished, calling him to her so they can figure out where the man is headed or if he needs help.
"Hendrix, do you see him?" It's weird. Usually, Hendrix barks or growls at the sight of a stranger, but now? It's as if they're on any regular walk.
The man is gone almost as fast as when he appeared. Valeria is sure she didn't lose sight of him at any point, but she keeps walking toward where she last saw him anyway. What she finds sends her to the ground. The man is dangling off a tree by a rope tied around his wrists with half his body missing. What has her startled more than the actual half body itself, is the fact that it doesn't look real. Not in the oh this is a prop kind of way, but in the is that a ghost way. It looks like smoke, as if it could disappear if you put your hand through it. It's unsettling.
Valeria scrambles back, startling Hendrix who still doesn't see this, and scraping the palms of her hands on broken branches and rocks as she rushes to get back on her feet. She's out of breath by the time she's out of the forest, even though she hadn't ventured far in the first place. Isaac notices how in a rush she is, eyebrows furrowing when she doesn't seem to have any intention of stopping to continue talking.
"I gotta go" She says tightly, and leaves with Hendrix in tow.
The Smoke Man, as Valeria calls him, plagues her dreams for the next few days. Sometimes he has a full body, other times he's screaming for help, but they always end with Valeria waking up in a cold sweat.
Tonight is no different.
The dream starts the same, Valeria is walking through the woods at night, the sound of the man begging for mercy coming from all around her. When she finally finds him, he's lifeless and quiet. The sight never fails to make her feel sick. She never gets closer to him, though, fear paralyzing and keeping her a good few feet away. Tonight, though, she manages to force herself to get closer, figuring interaction could help stop these nightmares.
The smoke is moving, she notices once it's only at arms reach, and the man looks washed out. Like a ghost. There isn't any blood or the bottom half of the body, just a dangling top half. Valeria reaches for him, to test the theory of whether or not her hand can go through him. As soon as her skin makes contact, her mind flashes with images. Of the man being tied up and pulled up on the tree, of a bald old man raising a sword and swinging it across his abdomen. The worst part by far is the fact that she can feel his pain, as if she was the one that had been slaughtered.
Valeria sits up on her bed, drenched in sweat, arms wrapped around her stomach so tight she can barely breathe. It takes a moment for her to realize it was just a dream, that what she saw was not real, that the smoke man probably wasn't either. Groaning, she runs her hands down her face, noticing Hendrix watching from the foot of her bed. He whines when she slips out of bed and walks out of the room, she can hear the jingle of his dog tag as he follows her out. What she needs to do is drink some water and clear her head, maybe then she'd be able to sleep through the night.
The kitchen is empty, so she doesn't bother turning the lights on, knowing well enough where everything is even in the dark. She grabs a cup from the cabinet and puts it under the water dispenser on the fridge. Her eyes drag over to the clock on the stove, 8:24pm is displayed in bold green. It's early. No one is home yet, probably stuck working late again, no wonder she fell asleep so early on a friday night. Usually when her aunt, uncle, and father are home, the house is not quiet enough for her to be able to rest.
When the water in the cup is full enough, she puts it to her lips, but stops when the smell reaches her nose. It's disgusting. She opens the fridge door to give her some light, nearly vomiting at the sight of the liquid in her cup. It's black and smells like ash. Valeria mumbles something along the lines of "gross", as she goes to dump the water in the sink. Before she can get there, her ears begin to ring, stopping her in her tracks. It's so high pitched and loud she can feel her skull rattling. The glass of water slips from her grasp, crashing on the ground, as she covers her ears to block the noise. She crumbles to the ground, taking a few things from the counter with her.
It's gone in a flash, leaving Valeria confused, and sobbing, wondering if she's somehow still stuck in her dream.
There's shattered glass at her feet, along with clear water and not the black liquid she had seen before. She wipes at her nose after feeling something warm over her lip. Blood.
"What the hell is happening to me?"