Chapter 17- Disappearing Trees Hide Dark Truths
Behind dark roots, people hide their darkest truths, secrets and identities. Feeling the secrets crawl into their skin; is much more impactful. Alice was sitting in her kitchen, cooking dinner for Daughter, Elizabeth. She hears a strange creaking sound come from the basement. Nothing seems alarming, so she proceeds down the old creaky staircase. It's late at night, she could also hear chipping of the crickets outside. She looks around the basement to see that the window was left open. She turns to close the window, reaching on top, pulling down and locking it right before heading back to the kitchen.
Still nothing seems alarming, that's until she hears the tv blaring in the family room. She stops cutting the veggies, sets the knife next to the cutting board and disappears into the hallway. She slowly inched her feet closer and closer to the blaring tv. She heart begins to beat faster and faster as she approaches the corner. Nothings wrong besides the television was playing Scream 2 in the background. She sees the remote on the coffee table and reaches to turn it off.
As she turns around, her stomach dropped. Then she felt something cold in the room. Before she could even turn. A cold force plunged into her side. She feels herself falling forward. She fell to the ground with a thud, arms feeling like jelly and her heart pounding louder then the ringing in her ears. She hears an evil laugh. With the little strength she had left, she tries her best to crawl away as fast as she can. Before she could get enough momentum, a huge force slammed her back down. "Not so fast." A chilling metallic voice interrupted her struggle. Another searing punch to her back. She was screaming bloody murder. It was the most painful thing she ever had been through, way worse then childbirth. "That's for all you're sins." What sin? She was confused then it clicked. The Black Hood just stabbed her. She whimpers as she tries to use her arms again. But it was no use. She was going to die. She wasn't going to lie.
"What s-in?" She sputtered out as she began choking on her own blood dripping off her lips.
Another brutal moment of silence. She heard nothing it was making her lose her mind as she felt with her hands the sticky red ooze seeping out the sides of back and out of her mouth. The silence was agonizing. She rather been dead then being taunted. "A little adultery." She froze. How did the Black Hood know about her and Fp? "By the way you're shaking I can tell you're afraid." He mocked as she felt chills.
When she heard something break and the footsteps lightened. She took the opportunity to escape. With all her leftover strength she crawled all the way back into the kitchen. Her back throbbed, her knees burned from the friction, her throat burned from holding in the blood, her heart pounded and her head screamed from the blunt force. She gripped the island with her little strength, trying to pull herself upward from the floor. A low growl escaped her mouth, she gasped when she was able to manage to get herself up. She looked around the area for anything she could use to defend herself. She saw a long steak knife on the island where she left it by the cutting board. She let out a terse whimper as she extended her arm to reach for it, gripping the handle with her two hands. Then she heard a distorted voice ripple through her ears. She gripped the knife as she feels more lightheaded. "Alice come out! I know you're in here!" She heard a familiar scent in the voice.
When she laid eyes on the hooded man, she froze. How could she been so blind? Was this all her fault? He looked at her and smiled sickly as he approached her.
"H-h-al." She stammers as she backs into the edge of the sink.
"Oh honey. I was looking so forward to that delicious meal." He got closer to her as she tried to move away.
Before she knew it the knife was across her neck, leaving indentations as it glided sharply. She couldn't breathe. And then in a spilt second she was screaming and then everything turned black and she felt herself disappearing. Then she knew what happened. She was killed. The Black Hood slaughtered her. More importantly Hal Cooper was The Black Hood.
Then the door sprang open, Betty emerged looking like a ghost, pale, sweaty and petrified. Betty had rushed home after her father threatened her mother's safety. "Mom?!" She shouted as she looked all over the living room. She didn't see her. More panic was sent through her. She pulled out her phone and dialed a number she knew her mother could possible be at.
"Hello?"
"Fp, is my mother with you?" She heard a pause from the other line.
"No. Why is there something wrong?" She could hear his worry slighted.
"I don't know. She wasn't home when I came home in a rush."
"Why were you in a rush, Betty? Betty are you alright?" She slowly made her way down the hall, her heart rate began to pulse more and more as she approached the kitchen.
And then her stomach churned at the sight. All she saw was so so much blood drenching the hard wood. She slowly walked in the kitchen in dismay. When she saw the worst thing imagined in her life. Her mother lying on the hard wood, her throat slit all around, blood spewing from her neck. She fell to her knees, hands soaked in her own mother's blood. Her eyes were strained from the struggle. She could tell her mother fought a long hard fight. She buried her head into her mom's chest. "No! No!" She screamed as she bursted into tears.
"Betty?! What happened?! Please answer me! You're starting to scare me!" She heard Fp's frantic words blow into her ears as she continued to sob uncontrollably. "That's it! I'm coming over right away!" She heard the phone line go off.
She no longer cared anymore. Her father, Hal Cooper was responsible for the murder of her mother. She loved her mother more than anything in the world. And now to have that ripped from her was more painful then she ever imagined. "Mommy, please wake up!" She cried. "Tell me this is just a nightmare! I can't lose you! And I hate my father with all my heart please come back!" She screamed and screamed as she nearly punched the wall in front of her.
From the the distances she heard the door slam open, and Fp's voice just made her choke on more tears she had racing down her cheeks and into her mouth. "Betty? Where are you?" Fp yelled as he looked around the living room, heart pounding all he heard was screaming and crying.
He turned a left down the hall and into the kitchen. The amount of blood he saw made him want to throw up. He pushed himself to move further into the horror scene. He will forever regret not being there. He feels his eyes burn as he enters and opening his eyes to see the most painful, heart-wrenching sight in his life. The women he's in love with lying lifelessly on her kitchen floor with blood gushing out and covering the floor. The next thing he sees is Betty crying into her chest, shaking. He doesn't know what do. He wants to wake up from this nightmare. This shouldn't have happened. His love of his life was murdered and he knows very well who did it. The Black Hood was his very enemy. He knew it couldn't have been the Ghoulies or Penny. It had The Black Hood written over it. He shook his head and rolled his shoulders. He knew that Betty needed him. So he got down on his knees and pulls her into his arms. Betty feels arms pulling her toward them and starts to break down. She wished Juggie was there. She need him. She looks up to see Fp looking at the walls where she nearly punched after discovering her mother. She could see his eyes glossing with tears. She knew how close they were. She also knew how much he loved her mother. She could feel his pain as his arms stayed around her as she sobbed. In her trembling hands, she dialed 911 on her phone. Nothing was going to make this better and she knew it. She wanted to kill her father.
It's was the longest excruciating 30 minutes ever in her life as she watched Former Sheriff Keller enter the house. She could never call it her house anymore. It was just abandoned memory in the back of her mind. She and Fp watched as her mother was put into a black body bag, sealed up and carried away by three different men out of their sight. They saw Keller come into their view and take off his deputy hat looking empathic at them. Fp couldn't even look Keller in the eyes. He didn't blame him for Alice being murdered. He didn't blame anybody but the Black Hood and himself. Walking out of the house was supposed to bring him relief but it didn't do a thing. Other than make him want to cry. There wasn't anything to celebrate. Alice Susanna Smith was dead. Nothing was left of her. Just a body with no meaning anymore. He didn't even get to say an actual goodbye.
He wanted to drink and never stop. He could see Fred approaching him with a look of confusion and worry. Archie his best friend's son wasn't far from him. He could feel the urge to drink. "Fp what's going on? Why is the condor here?" He tried to open his mouth to answer his best friend but nothing came out. Just numb he just felt numb, paralyzed all the way down. Luckily Betty was right behind him had a little more energy then him was standing right next to him rubbing his back in circles.
She opened her mouth, her stomach bubbles up and not in the good way. Chills and shivers were sent up her spine. "Mr Andrews... my mother was murdered. And the Black Hood w-as there." She started to feel herself drowned out their words of shock and concern. All she felt she was hurt and guilty. It was her fault. If she just got home sooner? Her mother would still be alive. Then her phone rang, she instantly picked it up once she realized it was Jughead.
"Hello?" Her voice was raw from screaming and dry from crying so hard.
"Betty I was calling to say—- wait betty what's wrong? Are you okay? What's going on? Stop crying for a minute." Jughead stated in a panicked state.
"Juggie please come over. I- I need you!" She cried into the phone.
"Okay, I'll be right there." She turned toward Fp who had been staring at her.
"Betty? Keller would like to talk to you." She nodded her head and walked over to where Mr Keller was standing.
Soon Fp heard a motorcycle reviving coming from around the corner. He lifted his head and turned toward the sound. He saw his son pulling into the parking lot. Once he took off his helmet, he looked over at all the cop cars, and the coronary black van at the end of the street. He had so many questions popping into head. The first person he saw was his father, the emotionless man started crying at the sight of him. What was going on? "Dad." His Dad lifted his head and he could see tears in his eyes.
"Jug." And then his father had thrown his arms around him. "Alice was found dead." His head was sent spinning as his father buries his head into his shoulders and sobs. He was speechless. Alice was dead. That can't be. He refused to believe that.
"No, you're lying!" His father's eyes shot up and stared at him beyond disbelief. Fp shook his head as he angrily wiped his eyes.
"No Jughead. I saw it with my own eyes. And no-w she's g—one." He croaked as he couldn't stop the tears.
Betty was explaining what happened when she got home and then she saw someone that made her fall off the edge. Right in front of her. Her father was approaching her. She couldn't believe he had the nerve to show up and act like nothing happened. He killed her own mother. For what! She didn't care what it was for. She ran toward him a hard glare. "You!" She screamed as she lunged at him slapping hard across his face, hoping she caused him so pain.
Everyone was stunned at her outburst unaware her father was the murder. Fp, Jughead, Archie, Fred and Keller all thrown off. Why was she yelling like a mad women? "You killed her!" Her father just laughed.
"You're just as crazy as her huh. I didn't kill her. And if you keep insinuating that I did you will be grounded." He threatened as he grabbed her arm. She ripped her arm away from his gasp and punched him in the nose, grabbing the gun that was in her purse when she was going to meet up with him.
"No you fucking liar! You murdered her! And In fact you threatened me when you called me after you killed Dr Masters! You shot Mr Andrews, killed Miss Grundy, shot Moose, killed Midge and Mr Svenson! You're the Black Hood! And you fucking killed my mother!" She screamed as the gun shook violently in her hand.
Fp's blood was boiling as he learned Hal Cooper was the Black Hood and not only that. He was the reason his son was in danger, or that his love of his life was dead. Nothing was going to make that pain go away. He watched as Betty reaches into her pocket and reveals a gun. He sees Hal's head shake in fear. For a minute he's amused. But that slowly fades.
Tom slowly approaches Betty.
"Betty please put the gun down!" He softly advised as he grabbed Hal, putting his hands behind back and handcuffing him. He then turned to Hal. "Hal Cooper you are under arrest for the murders of Geraldine Grundy, Joseph Conway, Midge Klump and Alice Smith." He ordered as he put Hal into the back of the Squad and slamming the door shut.
A few heartbreaking days later, It was the day they got the autopsy report back from the coroner. Fp had taken Betty under his wing after her mother was murdered and her father turned out to be the Black Hood. Polly hadn't returned his voicemails. So he had to take matters into his own hands. He put himself down for foster parent. He was still extremely devastated about the loss of Alice. He loved her more than anything. It broke his heart to see Betty crying in his bedroom. He knew that nothing was going to make the pain go away.
The devastation didn't even stop there. No he had to get slapped in the face. He couldn't believe the words he heard from the coroner. "Alice Susanna Smith, 6 weeks pregnant..." He had stopped listening after he heard the word Pregnant. He felt like his heart was stomped on thousands of times. He already lost his son he didn't even know he had. Charles Smith was gone. Alice was gone too. Who was next? Jughead? Jellybean? If he lost Jughead or Jellybean he wouldn't know what to do with life. All he knew was that Alice was now their son. She was still young. She didn't even make it to her late sixties. Her funeral was tomorrow. Fp wasn't ready. He couldn't imagine his world without her. Losing her before was already hard. And now knowing she could never ever ever be in his life again was truly heartbreaking.
It was now the day they would say their final goodbyes. Fp was sitting in the front row with Betty, Jughead, Alice's Parents, Fred and Archie. He was dressed in a black suit and trying to not drink. Drinking was always his struggle but it became something he need to survive. Betty hadn't stopped crying since the day she found her mother. She missed her so much it wasn't fair.
The service was short. She didn't know if she could ever not miss her. She will always will. She started to remember her mother will never see her graduate. She will never get to have her wedding dance with her mother. She will never get to see her grandchildren be born. Betty had completely lost it when her mom
was placed down six feet into the ground. She started screaming on top of her lungs. "Mom! No please don't leave me!" She was screaming until she collapsed onto the grass.
Fp had to hold her as she kicked and screamed as her mother was lowered into the ground. Fp couldn't stop crying himself. "Mommmy!!!!!" Betty screamed as she buried her head into his chest. "Please don't leave me! I can't lose you! Please don't leave me! Mommy Betty needs her mom! This isn't fair!" She continued screaming bloody murder. All she wanted was her mother. And she knew her mother was never going back.
Fp was in room when he heard someone screaming bloody murder. He rubbed his eyes from his rude awakening. He put on his boxers and opened his door. As he came out of his room, he bumped into someone. He looked up from his feet as he rubbed his eyes again to clear his vision. Jughead was standing in front of him with the same horrified look as he had. He quickly headed into the room, where they found Betty screaming "don't leave me mommy!" They were worried as they approached her she was kicking, thrusting around violently.
"Betty?" Jughead had said lightly as he shook her arm gently trying to get her out of the nightmare she was having. He then tried gain. "Betty, It's okay. It's just me and my dad. You're safe. No ones going to hurt or leave you." He tried to coach her to leave the nightmare.
Betty slowly awoke with the help of Fp. He slowly did the only thing he could think of. He lifted her and put her on his lap like she was a baby. Her green eyes screamed save me. "Where's my mom?" Her voice broke his heart. He bit back a sigh as he heard her reference her mom. He knew that she was still her mother.
"Betty." He slowly said. "You're mom left remember. She left us behind, Betty. It's okay you're safe now." He could see tears in her eyes.
"She left me." It was more a demand then a question. "Why?" Her voice sounded weak like she was about to fall apart. Fp didn't really know the answer either.
"I don't know, Betty." He decided to change the subject as he looked at his son for support. "Betty what was your nightmare about?" Betty felt chills as she looked back down.
"It was the same as my real life besides that I wasn't able to get home before my father uh he..." she took a moment to calm down. "He killed my mom before I got there. She was slit in the throat. It was never ending. And then I called you and you came over. It felt so real." Her confession made Fp feel cold.
"Betty she's not dead I promise. It's just a bad dream." He tried to convince her. "How about we get some breakfast?" He watched as she nodded her head.
Meanwhile in Sundale, Alice had the same nightmare. It felt so real and it scared her. She had an early morning. Polly had came in her room to bring her some breakfast. She slowly sat up in the bed, lying her head on the metal headboard. As she took the tray from Polly's hands her stomach started to churn in sickness. She quickly handed it back and raced to the nearest trash can, tossing into the can. After she was done, she wiped her mouth with some Kleenex. She walked back to bed and sighed. "Pols, I'm not really feeling like eating right now." She said as she rubbed her abdomen to relieve the pain. She watched as Polly nodded her head and walked the door. Alice was left alone again. She wanted to go back home already. And then a knock caused her to growl. "Polly! I said I wasn't hungry!" She yelled as she saw the door started to open. Then she stopped yelling once she realized who was standing. Edgar was standing in the door way with grin.
"Oh really?" He said in surprise. He licked his lips as he pulled a bowl of ice cream from behind his back. "Not even ice cream?" He asked curiously with a grin. She smiled as she took the bowl into her hands and picked up the spoon.
"Thanks Edgar." She thanked as her mouth was full. "My god these stuff is so good" She indulged every bit as a small moan escaped her mouth. He smirked as he watched her devour the whole bowl in less than three minutes.
"I'm glad you like it." He looked to the clock. "It's times to go to discussion." He said as he helped her into her new clothes and discarding her others in the trash. "You won't be needing those anymore. We have a strict rule on only clothes we allow are from us." He explained as he unlocked the door. Something caught her eye. Why did they lock the doors? Something just didn't added up.
She was ordered to the garden where she had to pull weeds with her bare hands. Her hands ached from the blisters on her palms. She missed her family and the freedom. She wondered why she even agreed with this arrangement. She wanted to go back to Riverdale. She looked around to see if anybody was looking. She carefully walked to the abandoned barn where another person told her she needed to get out and gave her a phone. She was confused why they were so urgent for her getting out. But why. She dialed a number and hoped it would have a usefully person to help her. She hoped that someone would pick up. She hated it there. She wanted to go back home.
Fp was standing in the kitchen trying to boil some water for the Mac Cheese for them to eat. When he heard his phone ring. He looked down at the number and didn't recognize the number at all. He picked up his phone and clicked answer.
"Hello?" He said into the phone. When he didn't hear a response he was about to hang up when he heard whispering.
"Fp." He looked around to pour the noddles into the pot. "Fp please. I need you. I know was stupid for leaving. But it wasn't me. I need you to help me." He was stunned who was on the phone.
"Alice? Why did you call? I'm not exactly happy with you. You're daughter had a horrible nightmare about you dying that night and you wouldn't there when she woke up. She was crying, Alice. And the fact you wanted to abort. That was just cold Alice. Ice cold." He explained as he felt the rage in him release.
"Abort? What are you talking about?"
"The letter goodbye you said you wanted to abort."
"Fp, I never wrote a letter. I have no idea what your talking about." He could hear the concern and confusion in her voice.
"If you didn't write the letter? Then who did? Alice you left me! And you expect me to come get you and take you back after what you did!" He snapped as he felt his eyes water as he stirred the pot.
"I don't know, Fp. I never meant to leave. Polly came for me and told me it wasn't safe in Riverdale and she was going to help me." Fp was infuriated. How could she listen to Polly after the cult she's in.
"You let Polly take you to some cult! Alice I thought you were smarter then that?!" He snapped as he brushed a hand over his face.
"She was pretty convincing, Fp. And now some of the others are telling me I need to get out of here. I'm scared, Fp. What if—" He didn't hear anything else. He was starting to worry. What was going on?
"Alice?! Alice please answer me!" He yelled into the phone as he felt his stomach churn.
"Shhh, Fp. I got to go. All I can tell you is. That it's a town called Sundale. You need to hurry I can't stand pulling weeds." Then the phone clicked causing Fp to sigh.
Oh Alice what have you done to yourself? He thought to himself as served the Mac Cheese. Something sounded familiar about that town name. He heard Jughead ramble about that name. Was his son right? Alice was in trouble. He had to find her. He needed her safe and his child too. She didn't know about the letter. If it wasn't her. Then who was it? It wasn't making sense to him.
End of the darkness, Polly was laughing as her mother lying in bail of hay. The ice cream had something that causes people to sleep for a long time. It won't kill her. Just yet.