"It's time to prove to your friends that you're worth a damn. Sometimes that means dying. Sometimes that means killing a whole lot of people."
Sin City written by Frank Miller
HER BURNING HEART
The Story of Lilia Derevko by JetNoir
Note: Again, extra-special thanks to Penelope S Cartwright, for her detailed information about the American School system, which is completely different to our system over here. The night here (in '92) is almost certainly inaccurate for the night before Graduation Day…so please accept as dramatic license! The chronology is a tad dodgy, as I'm slipping between the novels and film's chronology as well, so I hope you can forgive me! Apologies again to anyone who eats at K.F.C. I can't enter one of their restaurants without laughing now…as I've probably said in Lessons! Contains some scenes of a violent nature.
CHAPTER SIX – The New World and Harpy's Soul
23rd July 1992
Washington, D.C.
"Ya know Lilly, I hate to do this, on this night of all nights but well…" Tommy Bloom was a rich kid, totally spoiled, and totally an idiot. Lilia didn't know what she had ever seen in him, and she bitterly regretted ever going out with him. She knew what he wanted, and had refused to give it to him. At first he thought she was playing hard to get, but then Mr Bloom realised that Lilia Derevko was impossible to get. At least in the way, Tommy Bloom wanted her.
"What Thomas?" sighed Lilia, "and don't call me Lilly. You know how I hate this American corruption of my Russian name. And it's not the American part…it's the corruption. You know why I won't sleep with you."
"Yeah," said Tommy, "and I could have any girl in the school that I wanted…and yet I chose the stuck up Russian. I don't want to see you anymore Lilly, but…ya know, if you want to go at it right now! Well, I could be persuaded to reconsider!"
Lilia almost choked with indignation. He thought he was God's gift to women? What about if by a terrible accident…say, he was about to rape her…and perhaps she lashed out in self-defence…and accidentally-on-purpose castrated him?
Lilia smiled inwardly, her hand slowly slipping into her right pocket, fingering the harpy she had brought.
She wondered if Tommy would scream?
6th January 1986
"Good morning," said Winona Davis, coming into Lilia's bedroom, knocking softly.
It has been three months since Lilia had first arrived in America. She had arrived too late to start the new academic year, but her Aunt had arranged for her to begin the new term after Christmas. It wasn't a perfect situation, but Lilia had been sent the half-years work to familiarise herself with, and managed to complete easily in a fortnight.
Winona was unsurprisingly impressed.
The rest of the time Lilia had spent reading. Winona was worried her niece was becoming introverted, but Lilia was simply bored. Not because the work had been easy, it hadn't been, but because she had found it easy. So she read, and Winona left her mostly alone.
Today was Lilia's first day at school, and as Winona sat on the edge of the bed, Lilia said irritated:
"I can get up myself, given a little privacy," she snapped.
"You couldn't sleep again?" Winona said softly.
"What do you think?" said Lilia, "The world is slipping into shades of grey, my eyes are so heavy, I can barely keep them open, and my mouth feels so dry, like my lips and eyeballs. I hate this! I just can't do this!"
"But?"
"School?" cried Lilia, "Of course I can do school! I'm talking about everything else! Everything is just so…boring. This is nigh on impossible."
"Maybe there's something we can do about it? I could speak to a doctor?"
"Anything," said Lilia, "I'm quite happy for anything, to try anything."
"I'll get on it today," said Winona, "and now, I'll leave you be. I'll start your breakfast."
"Thankyou."
--
Despite her exhaustion, Lilia's day passed quickly enough, and when leaving the Elementary School, she knew she would return easily enough. It wasn't much of a challenge, but it was something to do.
When Lilia was away, Winona wrote to an old friend.
Dear Dr Lecter,
I apologise for the seeming triviality of this letter, but I am in need of your help. I know I told you about Lilia's Insomnia in my past letter, and I was wondering if you could tell me if there was something I could do to help her.
She is exhausted, and I am terrified that she may break at any moment. I plead for your help.
Winona Davis.
1975
Office of Dr Hannibal Lecter; BaltimoreWinona Derevko (she had yet to meet Mr Davis) had escaped the Iron Curtain, and suffering from depression, and anxiety had been referred to Dr Hannibal Lecter.
Now under normal circumstances, this would be extremely dangerous for Miss W. Derevko, but Dr Lecter took a sort of shine to her. Admittedly, sometimes that could be equally dangerous depending what kind of 'shine' it was. Fortunately for Miss W. Derevko, it was not a spasm of violence, rather a curiosity.
"Let me be honest," said Dr Lecter, slowly, savouring the words like fine caviar, "I find garden-variety manic-depressives, and sufferers of anxiety boring. Luckily for you, Miss Derevko, I do not find you to be garden-variety. Now…don't get me wrong! I know manic-depressives and sufferers of anxiety to be among those who need help…but I find it tedious to treat. Perhaps a failure of mine. Perhaps it is not. But you I can help Miss Derevko, or at least I believe I can. You are an interesting person…and for you I am going to do my best."
6th January 1986 continued
Washington, D.C.
"How was it?" Winona asked as she walked home with Lilia, her arm intertwined with Lilia's, "How was your day?"
"Neither good nor bad," Lilia said, and her Aunt smiled realising how fluently she was speaking in English considering she had been in the country for only three months now. Lilia had read many novels and non-fiction in English in Russia, which she found not a good as her native language, but almost as good.
"I hoped you would enjoy it," Winona said, "for it's elementary my dear Lilia, that Elementary School might be good."
Lilia smiled: "You know Conan-Doyle never wrote that!"
"Oh, I know, my little Sherlock…and is there anything I can do?"
"I miss my mother," said Lilia sadly.
"I miss Anna too," said Winona, "but don't worry. You will hear from her soon."
28th March 1988
But Winona was wrong, and it was not for another two years until a letter arrived:
My darling Lilia,
Please do not be hurt, or upset, but it is only now that I dare risk sending you a letter without it being intercepted by the State.
I have received and kept all your letters. They have brought me hope and joy, when I thought all was lost. I am thrilled with how your education is coming along, and I know that Winona is taking good care of you.
I will write again soon, I promise, and I would love to see you sometime.
All my love.
Mum.
the remains of 1988
Apart from Anna's letter, very little happened in 1998, except for Winona finding an excellent cure for Insomnia, so in sense it was the calm before the storm. Lilia left Elementary and joined a small Private High School. It was only a few blocks away from Winona's house, and Lilia found herself quickly excelling.
Surprise, surprise.
12th February 1989
Biology.
A biology project to prove something.
Something?
Proving what exactly?
Lilia smiled. A pig was shockingly similar to the anatomy of a human. Similar organs, in similar respective places.
What if she were to kill that something, and write as a pig? From a passive voice. It wasn't as if she were to kill anyone.
Or at least that's what the teacher would (obviously) think.
"Aunt Winona!" she called up the stairs of the townhouse, "I'm just going for a walk!"
"Okay!" Winona called back, "It's six now, so make sure to be back in an hour!"
In ten minutes, Lilia was far away from the house, her harpy concealed. It's wickedly sharp, curved; blade would have glistened in the moonlight, so at least it couldn't alarm anyone.
Her target was in front of her, a homeless man, lurking in the alley. He stank, and was obviously in need of a good meal. The man snarled at her slightly, which Lilia found bizarre. She slid beside him, out of sight from the street, and thrust the harpy into the man's side.
Dear Miss Derevko,
I am writing to you, and enclosing a gift. I am an old friend of your Aunt's but doubtless you will have heard nothing of me. That is unsurprising, though I must ask you to keep this communiqué secret.
You are special; Miss Derevko, and I know your gifts will be sought after. Therefore I enclose a blade called a 'harpy' with which to defend yourself with. Belief me, it may come in very useful.
I fervently hope that we meet sometime in the not-too-distant future. I believe that we have much to discuss.
Yours faithfully,
Matthew Reeves.
She didn't dare linger long, only stopping to cut off the little finger. Her gloves prevented fingerprints on the body, and very little DNA found it's way onto the deceased. However, Lilia had an ace up her sleeve. The weather forecast had predicted an extremely heavy rainfall.
As droplets of water and blood fell on her face, and then to the ground, she smiled to herself. This 'Matthew Reeves' had helped her significantly…but she knew that she could not kill again, not yet, never so soon. She must wait.
The finger was extremely delicious, though, and Lilia relished a new soul.
The first and only murder dubbed as 'K.F.C.' (because it's finger lickin' good!) by the D.C.P.D. was not solved until the infamous Revenant case, well over a decade later.
1990
Washington, D.C.
"Isn't it terrible Lilia," said Winona softly, "that Buffalo Bill has killed again. When are they going to catch that monster?"
"I don't know, Auntie," said Lilia, eyes glued to the newspaper. Lilia was almost obsessed with this case, her aunt deciding that this was probably due to her outrage at a murderer killing women in such a way. For once, Winona was completely wrong.
--
SO WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON WITH BUFFALO BILL?
J. Noir
Special CorrespondentIs he a MURDERER? Of course.
Is he a FREAK? Of course.
Is he DISTURBED? Who wouldn't be?
Who is he, Ladies and Germs, he's BUFFALO BILL! Yes, you guessed right, old Willy has been at it again!
Of course, as the National Tattler has previously revealed, we know that this psycho is insane…but what are the F.B.I. actually doing to CATCH him?
Or…are they in CAHOOTS with the loony?
Read on!
--
Was it any surprise that Lilia didn't?
And Lilia was reading The Washington Post, with an excerpt from The National Tattler in it, trying to find something, anything.
What scared Lilia was that she didn't know herself.
--
Later that evening Lilia looked at her aunt with mournful eyes.
"Auntie Winona?"
"Yes?" said Winona,
"This is going to sound odd to say the least…but can we go? To Ohio? To get out of the city?"
"You really hate him don't you," said Winona, "this Buffalo Bill…well, if you want. What about this weekend? After school on Friday?"
"Thankyou," smiled Lilia.
Belvedere, Ohio
They had been in Ohio for a day, Winona taking it to heart, and allowing them to stay a few days. They had separated temporarily, because Winona realised that Lilia fitted the wrong profile for the killer. From the news, he knew that Bill preferred larger girls. For what, she didn't want to know.
Lilia was just wandering, soaking up the atmosphere, when she heard someone running up behind her.
"Excuse me? Excuse me, could you stop a moment," it was a feminine voice…that sounded very similar to a West Virginian accent, but just wasn't quite. She turned, and saw a very pretty young lady, with shoulder length brown hair, and captivating eyes.
"Hello," the lady said, fumbling into her pocket, "I'm Special Agent Clarice Starling. F.B.I. Can I have a moment of your time?"
"Of course," said Lilia, entranced, "how can I help?"
"You're European?" asked Clarice, to which Lilia nodded, "Do you live around these parts?"
"No…I just came here for the day,"
"Might I ask why?"
"I don't really know why…"
"Sure," Clarice smiled, "well, I'd better go. Thankyou anyway…oh! Could you just please tell me your name?"
"Of course," said Lilia "Christine,"
"Well, thankyou Christine. Goodbye."
Lilia bid Clarice farewell, as the trainee F.B.I. agent went dashing off. It put a lot of interesting ideas in Lilia's head. What if she were to help them? What if she were to join? The danger would be great…but so would the rewards.
And even in the present day, when Lilia and Clarice were working together in the Revenant taskforce, Clarice Starling never realised she had first met the serial-murderer Revenant (K.F.C.) on her hunt for Buffalo Bill.
23rd February 1991
"So…Lilia," his words were stammering, and hesitant. He was scared stiff by her, and this made Lilia smile. Someone was scared of her, and she hadn't even threatened him!
"Lilia…would you possible be interested…in perhaps going out this weekend."
Lilia smiled slightly at Tommy Bloom, and thought, 'sure…why not?"
"Why not?" she said to Tommy, "I'd love to."
1992
"Perfect!" cried Winona, deliriously happy, and smiling all the more broadly to see Lilia smile.
The results came in this morning, for Lilia SATS test. A perfect mark of 1600. Any university would be jumping at the chance of Lilia going. Everything was going so well.
--
That lunchtime in the city centre.
Lilia sat quietly, in the bustling street, reading when a man approached.
"May I sit with you?" a man asked. He had a soft, cultured voice, which was ever so slightly raspy, as if it had only been used regularly for the first time in years. Lilia looked up and gasped, her hand darting straight to the harpy in her pocket.
His face may have changed in the last two years, but Lilia could still recognise his soul.
Sitting next to her was Dr Hannibal Lecter.
"Good. You know who I am Ms Derevko. What you do not know it that you are clutching the harpy I gave you. You also know me as Matthew Reeves…and I must be brief. Congratulations on your SATS score, I am immensely proud of you. I have been watching your progress from afar, and when you begin at University…if that is what you want to do…ring me on this number," he handed her a plain black card with a single phone number pressed in black, "and we'll talk about your future. Don't be scared…you have a long and glorious one ahead. Now I really must be going."
It was another hour before Lilia dared move, and only then she remained in a public place. What was going on? Why had Doctor Hannibal Lecter of all people approached her?
Some sponsor he would make.
She wondered what her Tommy was doing.
23rd July 1992 continued
But making him scream would not have the desired consequences. With no mercy shown, Lilia put the harpy back in her pocket. Tommy Bloom never realised how close he came to be being castrated…or worse.
"Drive me home, you egomaniac," snapped Lilia, "you owe me that!"
Note: I am painfully aware that we have never seen Mr Davies…and I wonder if there is a good reason for it. Does the Derevko curse of murder run to cousins as well? Hmm, I'm going to have to think about that! The next chapter will see Lilia in University, and preparing her work (three years in a 'professional' job), so that she can begin with the FBI. Why does she want to join the FBI? And what does Matthew / Dr Lecter want with Lilia? Please keep reading, and please review.
Disclaimer: Hannibal is copyright to Thomas Harris; and the story, plus original characters to me. This story has been written on the understanding that you may read it and print it out; but you may not pass it off as your own, hire it out, or sell it for money. You also may not put it on your own or any other web page without my express written permission. Thankyou!
JetNoir