Elizabeth was walking down a dark street with barely any streetlights on it when she felt eyes on her. She turned around casually as if suspecting it was Hannibal or Jack or even Frederick, but all she found was an empty sidewalk and the occasional pick up of the wind through dead leaves.
She kept on walking, almost picking up her pace a little. Elizabeth felt suffocated at Hannibal's party especially when Jack had came and Frederick was avoiding her and Hannibal at all costs too. Jack took "party favors" of the food saying that they were for him, but she could see that he was lying and for all she knew, he was going to test them.
Damn Will, she thought bitterly.
So she decided to slip out of the house unnoticed and went for a long walk through the woods. The woods felt safe to her and the sounds that the animals did not bother nor frighten her like most. She felt safe with the wild. The irony of it all was not lost on her as she remembered that the woods would always be a place of darkness and fear hence every horror movie having at least one woods scene.
The dark she never feared...until she came to Baltimore.
Three serial killers wanted her dead, but now one is infatuated, another is admirable, and the other is dead by her hands. So much blood on these pale hands, she thought grimly.
Elizabeth felt that feeling again and she slowed her pace a little, looking in her peripheral vision for anything out of the ordinary when she spotted a dark figure creeping towards her on her way home.
She stopped and quickly turned around, running closer to it especially when it started to move backwards. Elizabeth felt it grab her arm roughly and twisted it behind her back constricting her from moving as pain spiked up her arm whenever she moved. She grunted in pain and froze when it leaned down from behind her and whispered into her, its voice eerie to her,
"Tyger Tyger, burning bright,
In the forests of the night;
What immortal hand or eye,
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?
In what distant deeps or skies.
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?
On what wings dare he aspire?
What the hand, dare seize the fire?
And what shoulder, & what art,
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And when thy heart began to beat,
What dread hand? & what dread feet?"
When she thought that he was done, he recited in her other ear, "
What the hammer? what the chain,
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? what dread grasp,
Dare its deadly terrors clasp!
When the stars threw down their spears
And water'd heaven with their tears:
Did he smile his work to see?
Did he who made the Lamb make thee?
Tyger Tyger burning bright,
In the forests of the night:
What immortal hand or eye,
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?"
She tried to look at whoever this man was, but he tugged on her arm causing her to squeeze her eyes in pain. He shook his head against her own and leaned his head against hers.
"Tsk, tsk. No peeking just yet," he warned. "Sweet dreams, Lamb."
He threw her to the ground and she heard his retreating footsteps fading in the darkness once more. She felt her palms hurt from the impact and stood up. She let out a shaky breath and dialed the number for a taxi which came a couple of minutes later. On her way back to the house, she decided not to tell anyone about what had just happened since she herself did not know the meaning of it. She could tell that there was a warning lying in the midst of his appearance.
Elizabeth paid the driver and walked up the steps, stopping at the top of them. She saw Alana's car still in the driveway and she went around the house where the windows faced the party. She stood on her tippy toes and saw Alana kissing Hannibal as they sat on the seat of the piano in the living room.
Elizabeth stepped back from the window and quickly went to the front of the air, her ears ringing and eyes stinging. She walked over the lawns and inside of her house. She walked to her bedroom and took out suitcases before calling a taxi. As she packed, Peanuts watched her from the bed. She packed all of her clothes and heard a honk. She put her suitcases in the trunk and the duffle bags in there too. She went back inside and felt silent tears trail down her face as she picked up Peanuts who started to lick her cheek as they walked out the door together.
Elizabeth stepped inside of the taxi and held the dog close. She saw Hannibal walk quickly out of his house towards her as she told the driver, "Wolf Trap please."
She closed her eyes and blocked him out as they drove away. "Go to The Vienna Hotel please."
It only took a half hour to arrive there and already she was tired after making a reservation at the hotel. She saw that it was only nine in the evening and usually she wouldn't mind staying up late, but since her pregnancy, she's been extremely tired and really hungry. Elizabeth stepped out of the taxi and the bellhops helped her by picking up her bags. She walked inside of the hotel, wiping her eyes furiously as she checked into the hotel.
"Okay, you are in Suite 4927. Welcome to The Vienna Hotel, Miss Magrah," the woman greeted politely with a wide smile.
"Thank you," she said, taking the room key.
She walked into the elevator, Peanuts whimpering softly and liked her cheek. She smiled down at her dog and cuddled her in her arms. When her floor came up, she went to the suite opening it as the bellhop went inside, putting her bags down and leaving her alone. The suite was very beautiful and elegant, but Elizabeth didn't really notice as she trailed into the master bedroom, sobbing quietly.
She set Peanuts down on the bed, taking off her dress and glared down at her stomach. I'm too fat and Alana is so gorgeous…and not fat.
She dug into her bag and put on her pajamas, locking the windows and front doors. Elizabeth climbed into bed, silencing her phone and the missed calls from Hannibal and Alana too. Peanuts yawned and snuggled closer into her chest as Elizabeth stroked her soft fur, both closing their eyes.
Elizabeth honestly didn't know how long she had been in bed for as crumpled up tissues were scattered around her as she lied on the bed. She heard the door unlock and a door opening, but she was too sad to actually sit up and see who it was or even be frightened of who it was.
Elizabeth watched as Will walked into the room, knitting his brows in confusions.
"There was another murder that proved my innocence," he explained, walking into the room. "I tried your home, but there was no answer and Alana had my dogs when I returned home."
"How did you find me?"
Will gave her a knowing smile. "Magrah is Graham rearranged. I heard what Hannibal did to you, Lizzie."
Elizabeth sniffled and blew her nose into a tissue. "I saw Alana kissing him through a w-window and I turned around, packed my things and left. I'm thinking about selling my house and probably moving too."
Will chuckled and sat on the bed next to her. "That's a little extreme, don't you think?"
"I don't really think so. Hannibal cheated on me and when someone cheats on me then that's it, Will. There is no second chance."
"I expected something like that and that is exactly what I told Hannibal when he came over to my house, looking for you this morning," Will explained. "He did more than just break your heart…didn't he?"
Elizabeth nodded and sobbed as she leaned into him with her head on his shoulder, "He…I-I love him so much and he kissed her! She's so s-skinny and pretty too! Here I am, all fat and disgusting with snot d-dripping from my n-nose."
Will held his sister close to him and comforted her as she cried into his shoulder.
"I'll be all alone now," she cried. "No guy wants a pregnant or single mom with a hot body!"
Will laughed. "Yes, you will. You will find someone actually worth having you."
"I hate him," she whispered. "How could he do this to me? To our child? To Peanuts?!"
Peanuts's head popped up and tilt it's head to the side. Will scratched her head and said, "So you're the scrunt who's taken up with Lizzie, huh? Did you already meet the gang?"
Will whistled and the dogs came charging into the room and onto the bed causing Elizabeth to laugh, her tears drying away. Peanuts barked as Winston came at her, licking her.
"Is it me or does Winston have some sort of crush on her," Will asked her.
She knitted her eyebrows in confusion. "Wow. I guess we'll have puppies soon…maybe."
"We need to get them fixed," Will reminded her.
"You haven't got Winston fixed yet," she chuckled.
"I've had a lot on my plate."
"I know…so how did he kill the victim?"
"Hanging from the ceiling by fish hooks," Will told her. "All over the back of his body."
Elizabeth stood up and went to her coat when she heard her phone ringing. She shoved her hands in the pockets, finding a piece of paper inside one of them. She took it out and she opened it, reading the headline of Tattle Crime, THE BAYARD BUTCHER CLAIMS ANOTHER VICTIM! ESCAPED OR A COPYCAT?
Elizabeth sighed in frustration. She knew that if they were led to believing that he escaped then that would lead to her and what she had done. She turned it over and saw angry red letters saying,
I'm still here.
Always with love,
THE BUTCHER.
She felt the world stop around her and she shook her head, thinking, No...I killed him. It's impossible. He's not alive. He's dead. I killed him...didn't I?
TBC…
THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS, FOLLOWS, FAVORITES! WOW, 1O1 FOLLOWS! AAAHHHH! You guys are the best so please don't get mad at me for what happened with Hannibal and Elizabeth so I will tell you; everything is not always as what it seems to be. Is she going mad or is The Butcher really alive? I hoped you liked this chapter.
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