>>Clio
My heart dropped to the pit of my stomach.
I immediately turned on my feet to run and she responded the same way and launched herself after me. My heart began to pound and my eyes were wide as I ran with all my might.
The only advantage I got was that I started running without a warning and I didn't look back.
OH MY GOD!!!! WHAT!?!?
That scythe! That's something she's been using to kill her victims all along! But I don't think anyone thought much of it since it's used in the garden.
The rain painted a silver sheen on the labyrinth of alleys, each puddle reflecting the muted glow of distant streetlights. The urgent patter of raindrops on cobblestones created a rhythm that underscored the urgency of my flight. In the obsidian cloak of the night, every alley became a potential refuge or a perilous dead-end.
I ran like crazy but I didn't have to look back to know I was being chased. I could hear the splashes of footsteps behind me. Heavy and determined.
Breathless, heart pounding, I navigated the twisting pathways, the chill raindrops mingling with the sweat on my skin as my heart caught speed. The city's murmur seemed distant, drowned by the symphony of my own ragged breaths and the persistent downpour.
All of the things connected. Dave and Lily didn't come to City D for the meeting that day when Lily was killed. Just like they hadn't been coming for many of the meetings before. Chris did.
I remembered the conversation Matthew had on the phone with the director of the other company.
That's right, the director from the partner company called. He said the girl who used to come previously was someone. A blonde tall woman who was using the name Lily.
Chris used the opportunity of being in City D for a meeting and killed the store worker. No one would be able to guess it was her because she officially shouldn't even be there. The meeting was scheduled for the next day on a weekend when she doesn't even need to be in an office. So no one can report anything weird about her.
My heart drummed in my ears, so loudly I could hear them in the rain.
I recently asked myself, why would Chris refuse to go out of the blue for no reason? Was she perhaps fed up after covering for them for so long?
No,
She refused to go at the last moment because she killed her daughter and had to make an alibi for herself. So she came to the gathering we had planned that Friday night.
The flickering glow of a neon sign offered a brief respite as I darted into a narrow passage, the air thick with the scent of wet asphalt.
The sound of my footsteps, muffled by the rain-soaked ground, became my only companion in this desperate ballet between survival and pursuit.
Shit! Shit! I have to get out of here! I have to get home!!!
The alley stretched ahead, an indistinct passage leading toward the safety of the house.
OH GOD!
I hope Matthew came home!! If not him, I hope Azef's home!!!
Raindrops clung to my lashes, blurring the already dim surroundings, but the persistent sound of footsteps behind me kept the adrenaline pumping in my veins.
A distant clap of thunder echoed, adding a bass note to the relentless drumming of rain. With each twist and turn, the alleys morphed into a watery maze.
The killer, a malevolent shadow at my heels, spurred me to push beyond the limits of exhaustion.
The rain-soaked alleys led me astray, and with every hurried step, the familiar landmarks became elusive ghosts. I was frantic, I needed an escape and I ran like crazy for it, thinking I was going the right way.
The labyrinth seemed to have taken on a life of its own, morphing into a disorienting puzzle. The more I ran around and looked at my surroundings, the more confused I got.
There were strange alleys around me. Roads and signs I had never seen before.
And it didn't take me long to realize what I had done.
Shit…
I took a wrong turn,
The distant sounds of the city were replaced by an eerie quiet, broken only by the rhythmic patter of raindrops on leaves. The soft glow of streetlights cast an ethereal haze, revealing a quaint neighborhood playground that stood as a surreal oasis in the urban night.
I stopped for a moment.
OH NO!
Oh shit! My mind went blank for a moment at the realization of a blunder.
Where did I take a wrong turn? Which part? How? I'm not bad with directions.
But the fact that my mind was most occupied with what was behind me must have distracted me enough to end on the wrong way.
!!!
I heard the thumping over the water and it snapped me back to reality and I started to run again.
The dampened grass crunched beneath my shoes as I cautiously entered the playground. The swings swayed in the breeze, their rhythmic creaks like ghostly whispers. The deserted slides and climbing frames stood silent, shrouded in the muted glow of the night.
A sense of dislocation settled in as I surveyed the unfamiliar surroundings.
The rain continued its relentless descent, transforming the playground into a melancholic tableau. The droplets clung to the playground equipment, turning the metal slides and monkey bars into glistening sculptures. The echoes of my footsteps felt amplified in the emptiness, punctuating the surreal stillness that enveloped this uncharted territory.
A flicker of uncertainty played at the edges of my senses as I realized the gravity of my mistake.
Where the hell am I?! Where do I go from here?!?
I knew I didn't have the luxury to stay still and think, so I had to do it on the run. I couldn't even afford to hide. I had managed to put some distance between myself and Chris but I wasted it the moment I stopped to look where I was and now she was back on my tail.
I hastened across the rain-soaked playground, the eerie silence seemed to amplify the pounding of my heart. The desolate swings swayed with an unsettling creak, their rhythmic motion an eerie accompaniment to the dull thud of my footsteps.
And then the feeling of doom that loomed over me
Closer
Closer
And Closer
A perceptible shift in the air sent a shiver down my spine as I tried to make an escape. But it was high time fatigue caught up to me and I faltered for a mere second.
A mere second was all it took for a malevolent force slammed into me from behind. The impact was brutal, and I found myself sprawled on the damp grass and my phone slipped out of my pocket and fell a little distance away from me, the scent of rain-soaked earth mingling with the acrid tang of fear.
!!!
Panic set in as I tried to scramble to my feet, but a strong grip seized me, pulling me back down. The world blurred as I fought against my assailant. Raindrops pelted my face, mirroring the chaotic storm within.
NO!
I tried to struggle free immediately but she slammed me on the ground.
"Got you," Chris's breath, ragged and heavy, whispered in my ear, "For a moment I thought you'd get away." Fear immobilized me for a moment, every ounce of strength drained by the relentless struggle, "I had no idea where you were running off to, but it seems like you didn't either." A sinister chuckle escaped her lips.
As I writhed against the vice-like grip, a muted plea for mercy caught in my throat.
I threw out my arms and my legs, punching and kicking blindly to get a kick but she grabbed and pinned every part of me on the ground.
My desperate struggles intensified, a primal instinct to break free from the vice-like hold
OH GOD!
"Let me go!" I managed to speak, "You monster!" I tried to struggle again.
I had to leave. I had to get out of here.
I can't die like all the other girls! I can't leave Mom behind!
But in the midst of my fervent attempts at escape, a sharp, searing pain radiated from my leg.
!!!!
A guttural gasp caught in my throat as the realization came—my struggles were met with cruel resistance. It took a moment for my brain to process the pain. Then tears brimmed in my eyes and I let out a loud cry
She had punctured my thigh with her weapon.
"Chris!!" Hot tears rolled down my cheeks as I begged, "Please!" The rain, indifferent to the unfolding brutality, as my cries for mercy were drowned by the relentless drumming of raindrops.
She got up but kept her eyes on me. Lightning struck once again, illuminating the whole place.
I fought through the pain, placing both my hands on my bleeding thigh, the world blurred by a cocktail of fear and agony.
But there wasn't an ounce of warmth in those desolate eyes of hers. No hesitation, no mercy, no humanity.
"Why?" Amongst all the thoughts that was the only word that escaped my mouth.
"It's unfortunate that you're going to be my last victim." She grabbed my face and looked into my eyes as she yanked me up to my feet, "I was quite fond of you." She placed the scythe next to my neck
"Why?" My body trembled. And none of the shaking was because of the cold seeping into my pains.
"You weren't on my list, but I know the police are going to show up at my door at any time. That's why Harou and Matthew showed up at my house. That detective, he's a clever one. And since Matthew's the one who put Rameen's head on my desk, he already knew who I am, so I might as get one last win."
What? What did she just say? Matthew put the head there? I didn't get time to process that info.
And she raised her weapon in the air to slice my head off.