Chapter 45:
And then there were 2
Vallery's and Ink's memories:
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Back in Valery's memories, Charlie, Vaggie, Carmilla and Sera watched on as Vallery was currently at the sink in her own house, washing herself and slowly getting ready for bed.
The entire action wasn't particularly special, the young woman kinda just went on, doing her thing…..
That was…..until she bend down to splash some water in her face…..but once she brought her face back up….something startled her….
Her reflection….was smiling at her…..in an unnerving way….and it looked slightly….different….
Her appearance was more gaunt….a slightly manic expression on her face….her hair was pitch black….and her eyes….were red….a deep….bloodshot red…
Vallery couldn't help but stare at her reflection with wide eyes.
Rubbing her eyes a few times, she began to wonder if maybe the exhaustion of the day was catching up to her and she simply needed a good night's rest…..
That was until it spoke….."Hello…..dear sister….."
Eyes wide, Vallery gripped both sides of the sink as she stared at the stranger in the mirror "Who…..w-who….are you….WHAT are you?"
The reflection just bend forward, putting both of its palms against the glass "I…..am a part of your subconscious….a blemish on your fragile little psyche…..you know me…..you just don't know it yet…." All the while it would just stare at her with that eerie, wide, slightly manic, toothy smile, not blinking even once….
Trying to get her panicking mind under control, Vallery began to try and reason with herself "NO, I'm just seeing things….YES, that's it, you are just a result of exhaustion induced hallucination!" as she pointed at the reflection, who just playfully rolled its eyes at the accusation.
"I'm going to close my eyes, and when I open them again, you'll be gone" Vallery smiled as she did just that…..but to her horror…when she opened her eyes again…the figure in her reflection was still there….arms crossed, smirking at her in a condescending way "Are you done, my dear sister?"
Gripping both sides of her head, Vallery had to use all her mental strength to not panic "WHO ARE YOU?!"
The figure lowered its head as it closed its eyes….and then it threw its head back, and laughed….a wicked laugh…
"You feel that tingle in the back of your spine?" as it leaned closer, whispering in an eerie way "that's me….i'm the inky blackness of one's soul" as it raised its hand in the air in a dramatic way….but then….it pondered for a moment…
"Ink…..has a nice ring to it, don't you think?" as it leaned on the sink with its elbows, leaning her head onto her hands "Call me….Ink….i guess you could say I'm your….guardian angel….."
Still in sheer disbelieve, Vallery stood there, frozen, unsure of what to do.
The entity, now known as Ink just chuckled "Just go to sleep, my dear sister, don't worry about it, your sister Ink will take care of everything…."
Still in complete shock, Vallery just slowly nodded, no longer able to make rational decisions as against all better judgment, she slowly turned around and made her way towards her bed….
It hadn't taken long before the exhaustion of the day quickly overtook Vallery as she drifted off to sleep…..but the SECOND she was out of consciousness, her body sat upright…..
"Ahh, I thought she'd NEVER go to sleep" the figure spoke as Vallery….no…..as Ink slowly got out of bed "…..time to hunt…."
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As the memory once again began to distort and reshape, Charlie, Vaggie, Carmilla and Sera took a step back in shock as the next thing they saw was the sight of a massacre….
Somewhere deep in the bayou of new-Orleans, a set of lifeless legs stuck out from under a bush as Ink, her whole front caked with blood, was in the middle of digging a deep hole, humming a cheery little tune as she dug the improvised grave….
"the train will come with shiny carts, with comfy seats and wheels of stars. So hush my little ones, have no fear. the man in the moon is the engineer….."
Once satisfied with the depth of the hole, Ink planted her shovel firmly into the ground and leaned onto it to admire her handy work for a moment "This might be my best grave I dug YET" as she once again stood up before strolling over to the corpse of her victim, rummaged around in the bush for a minute….and then, to the horror of the group of 4…..pulled out a lifeless pletely detached from the body…
"My my, mister judge, you were quite a cocky one in thinking you could keep getting away with that" she spoke in a gleeful way before grabbing the lower jaw and beginning to puppeteer it, making it "speak" as she put on a mocking impression of the dead man's voice "and I would have gotten away with it too. If it wasn't for you, Ink. Such form, my I haven't seen a execution like that in years" before Ink returned to her own voice "My thank you, judge. You flatter me"
Now highly disturbed, Charlie, Vaggie, Carmilla and Sera almost threw up when they watched Ink flip the head around, its neck stump facing upwards, before taking a big, juicy bite "ahhh…can't get it fresher then this….." before holding the head aloft in a Shakespearean kinda way.
"To be….or not to be….that is the question…" before unceremoniously tossing it over her shoulder into the grave she just dug with a cackle.
Wiping her mouth clean, she'd stroll over to the bush, hoist her arms under the armpits of the corpse as she began hoisting it towards the grave and, with a thrust, dropped it into the hole in the ground.
Wiping some grime off her hands, the stood over the grave with her hands in her sides, sighing proudly "That takes care of that" before strolling back over to her shovel as she began the long, tedious process of filling the deep hole back up, even going as far as to replanting some of the foliage to disguise the dig site.
The group watched on with wide eyed horror as Charlie mumbled "So…..while Vallery was asleep….."
Vaggie would finish the sentence "…..Ink would go out on a murder spree….and Vallery never knew a thing…."
Swallowing a lump in her throat, Sera mumbled out "How many murders has that poor girl been an unwilling, unknowing accomplice to….."
Once Ink was satisfied with her cover-up, she swung her shovel over her shoulder as she smiled that eerie, toothy grin "That should do the trick" ….but the sound of digging didn't stop….
Having her curiosity piqued, the eerie woman slowly began to follow the shovel sound, as once she reached a bush, she's move it aside with her hand as there…..there was another person….a man…easy on the eyes….of creole descent…with short brown hair….and a red vest…
Realizing he was discovered, the man froze as he rubbernecked into the direction of his audience.
Ink, seeing the sight of a murder cover up, just began to smile "My my….it's not every day one meets a kindred spirit…."
And as the man stepped into the light, Ink finished her sentence "I got to say….i had my suspicions as to WHO the smiling killer was….but I'm delighted to see my suspicions confirmed….Alastor…."
Giving her his own smile, the man spoke "My my, Vallery, I had my suspicions when I saw the dirt under your fingernails the morning after Darron Hollis's disappearance…..but I got to say, you were still the LAST suspect on my list as to who the second killer was"
But as Alastor wanted to step closer, something about this woman's posture irked him "you…you're not Vallery, aren't you…."
Chuckling to herself, Ink spoke "you could say….Vallery isn't here right now…. she's safely off to dreamland" as she extended a hand "You may not know me….but I know you…..you can call me…..Ink…."
Alastor would take the hand, bring it up to his mouth and planted a courteous kiss on the back of her palm "May I say…it is truly a pleasure to meet you….Ink…"
As Alastor did this, Ink would periodically glance over to the body "You know….it'd be a terrible waste of….good meat…but I happen to know a WONDERFUL recipe….i came up with it myself"
Hearing this, alastor's own smile widened as he swung an arm around Ink's shoulder "Ooh I think I'm going to LIKE you, Ink" to which Ink just giggled.
"I couldn't agree more….you know…Alastor…I think this might be the beginning of a wonderful friendship….."
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Ink's estate, pride ring, hell:
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Groaning, Clara would be the first one to sit up as she rubbed her head "Uhg…what happened?" before opening her eyes and looking around.
Eyes wide, Odette would be the next to speak up, having found her glasses by now "It looks like some sort of….cave system…."
As they glanced around, they saw large cave mouths and tunnels wherever they looked, most of which were covered by a sticky film of that all too familiar, tar like, black, dripping spider silk.
Some of the tunnels and holes looked like the typical burrows of a trapdoor spider while once they looked up, the ceilings and stalagmites hanging from them were COVERED with webbing….some of which having cocoon like shapes stuck to them, which would periodically wiggle around as desperate, terrified mumbling could be heard from within.
"Some type of catacomb….." Odette mumbled as Clara stuttered out in horror "this is….where Ink stores her victims….her "food"….."
As they realized they had found themselves right in the middle of the spider overlord's den, they slowly turned to look at each other with pure horror in their eyes…
"We need to get the FUCK out of here…."