“I don’t know...something...bad.”
“No, was just a bad dream, sugar…a nightmare. You’s awake now. Try and gets back to sleep, it’s just after eleven.”
“No, no, no, no, no, Miss Billie,” Hillary said fearfully. “Something’s wrong, something’s happening to me….”
“You wanna glass o’ water?”
“No, no water. Turn on the lights.”
Miss Billie sighed as she stepped over to the nightstand. She flicked the light switch on the table lamp. The soft yellow lighting was dim but bright enough to see the girl’s red-rimmed eyes. Had she been crying all night?
“Child!” Miss Billie exclaimed as she threw her arms around the terrified girl. “Has you been crying?”
“I don’t know,” Hillary said. “I don’t feel right.”
“I know whats-a-matta. You ain’t feelin’ good ‘cause you gots all that stuff on yo’ chest that you gots to get off. C’mon, child. If you wanna feel better, you is gonna have ta tell me them things that’s been botherin’ ya.”
Hillary nodded. Maybe that’s all it was...a guilty conscience. Perhaps Miss Billie was right. Maybe she would feel better if she finally spoke about it. Feeling anxious and nervous and lost, Hillary felt that she had little choice. She didn’t know what to do anymore. She had a strong, dreaded feeling that something horrible was about to happen.
Miss Billie sat on the bed beside Hillary.
“Go on, child, let it out,” she said softly.
“When I tell you what I’ve got to say, you’ll turn against me.”
“No, sugar, you gots my word. Miss Billie ain’t gonna judge ya or criticize ya. I wanna help ya, child. Let me help ya.”
Miss Billie took both of Hillary’s hands within her own as they faced one another. Her hands felt soft and warm. She looked squarely into Hillary’s eyes as she waited for the girl to speak. She could tell that there was a storm brewing within the girl’s brain. Whatever she had to say was extremely difficult for her.
“It was my father,” Hillary began in a quiet, waif-like voice.
Miss Billie could feel her begin to tremble as she spoke. She nodded slowly, urging her to continue.
“He...he raped me. A lot of times. It started just a few days after my thirteenth birthday.”
Hillary’s eyes grew teary as she began to re-live the horrors of those dreadful nights. Miss Billie squeezed her hands to let her know that it was okay.
“I couldn’t tell anyone. It just went on and on. When I finally did break down and confide in my mom, she didn’t believe me. She didn’t listen to me....”
Long tears slid down her face. Miss Billie’s eyes filled with tears of her own. Her heart was breaking for the poor abused girl.
“I didn’t know what to do, Miss Billie. I wanted to die. But then I heard a voice...the voice of reason. It told me how to stop the bad things from happening. I did what it said. I made everyone hear me....”
Miss Billie knew, without having to ask, what Hillary meant. She nodded sympathetically, encouraging the young girl to go on.
“I...I...”
Hillary lowered her head and began to weep. Though she had been aware of every single heinous act she had committed against the fifteen people she had tortured, killed or attempted to kill, it had never before seemed so real to her. It was as if she had been in a dormant stage, as if she had been soundly asleep. Her life had been a terrible nightmare that she expected to wake from and find her happy, carefree life waiting to be resumed. She had been living in a state of confusion and denial, unable to fully discern fact from fiction, right from wrong. She had been making decisions solely based on emotion rather than rational thought and common sense. In truth, she had been living under the surface of whatever had compromised her mind. Miss Billie had called it Satan.
Like a patient suffering from advanced Alzheimer’s disease and experiencing one of those rare, lucid moments, Hillary was just now starting to fully come to grips with all of the atrocities that she had committed. She had actually done all of those horribly disgusting things. It had actually happened. It was real. And she wasn’t going to wake up to discover otherwise.
“I don’t know how, Miss Billie, I swear, I know it was me, I remember, but I don’t...I don’t know how I did those things....”
“Let it out, child, it’s okay...just let it all out....”
“I feel—”
Hillary abruptly broke free from Miss Billie and ran to the bathroom. She threw up violently as she remembered ingesting human flesh—human flesh from her own family members. Hillary threw up until her body wracked with dry heaves. Feeling empty, weak and ashamed, she slumped down to the bathroom floor and stared catatonically at the sink across from her.
Minutes later, Miss Billie was lightly knocking at the door.
“Caleigh?” She called out. “You okay in there?”
To Hillary, her voice sounded distorted and garbled, as if she were either very far away or underwater. Hillary felt dizzy. She closed her eyes to keep the room from spinning.
“Caleigh? I’m coming in, child....”
Miss Billie opened the door and entered the bathroom. She saw the vomitus mess left in, on and around the toilet. She saw Hillary lying on the floor with her eyes closed.
“C’mon, child,” Miss Billie said, tugging at her arm. “Get up, child. C’mon now, ya can’t just lay there, ya gots to get up.”
Hillary’s eyes slowly fluttered open and she focused her vision on the woman who was calling to her.
“Mom?” She said softly.
“No, child, it’s me...Miss Billie. You sick, child?”
“Miss...Billie,” she repeated, as if trying out brand new words for the first time. “Miss Bill-eee...Miiisssss Billlllll-eeee,” she sang eerily.
“Caleigh, c’mon now, get on up,” Miss Billie shouted yanking her arm.
Hillary grimaced. “Ow,” she cried as she remained in place on the floor. Her eyelids slowly lowered as if she was going to fall asleep.
“Get up, Caleigh!” Miss Billie screamed loudly as she pulled Hillary’s arm so forcefully, that the young girl’s upper torso lifted off the floor.
Hillary’s eyes flew open instantly. They were wide and frenzied and startled Miss Billie so much that she released the girl’s arm. Hillary’s body fell back onto the floor with a soft thud.
“Oh, I’s sorry, Caleigh....” Miss Billie said, hoping she hadn’t unintentionally hurt the poor child.
“Caleigh is dead,” Hillary hissed and began to laugh as she slowly stood up.
Suddenly, Miss Billie felt afraid. Very afraid. This girl—this thing in the girl’s body—exuded sheer evil. She backed away as the girl—the thing arose from the floor. Miss Billie didn’t want to look at it, yet was drawn to its blank, diabolical eyes. The child she had known moments ago was lost somewhere within that cold inhuman glare.
The creature within Hillary stretched her mouth into a demented grin as spittle and remnants of lumpy oatmeal-looking vomit dripped from the left corner of her lips. The blood froze in her veins as Miss Billie forced her legs to listen to her screaming brain and run away from that thing. She quickly backed up out of the bathroom, still unable to peel her gaze away from the demon-infested girl coming toward her.
“The Lord is my shepherd,” she said quietly, “I shall not want....”
The demon within Hillary began to laugh. It was a deep, throaty, sinister laugh that transformed into a growl as the creature slowly advanced toward Miss Billie.
“He maketh me to lie down in green pastures...he leadeth me beside the still waters.” Miss Billie’s voice grew louder and stronger as the demon contorted its host’s face as if in pain. It stopped walking as it sneered and hissed.
“He restoreth my soul...He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake,” Miss Billie continued resolutely.
The demon hissed and growled as froth spewed from its mouth. Yet, Miss Billie remained courageous. She fixed
her eyes firmly onto its cold, dead stare and prayed loudly.
“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil...for Thou art with me.”
“Shut up!” The thing hissed angrily.
“Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me...Thou—”
The demon lunged forward to grab Miss Billie’s throat, but the old woman was able to back away from its malevolent clutch. She could smell its vile, foul breath. It hissed and pulled at the long blond strands of hair attached to its host.
Miss Billie held her gaze but kept her distance. Trembling, she continued to pray.
“Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies...Thou anointest my head with oil. My cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord—”
The demon cried out as if in agony as its body writhed in pain. It stretched out Hillary’s arms and began to slowly move toward Miss Billie.
“Leave that child!” Miss Billie screamed. “Get out o’ that child’s body. Go thee to Satan and leave this child be!”
Miss Billie grabbed Hillary’s shoulders and shook her fiercely. She was terrified but her faith sustained her. She was not afraid to die.
Hillary’s foaming mouth opened as the demon turned her head and sunk her teeth into Miss Billie’s hand.
Miss Billie screamed as Hillary’s teeth pierced her flesh. She tried to pull away, but the demon had Hillary’s jaw locked firmly onto her meaty hand.
“Get back, devil,” Miss Billie cried in pain. “Go ta hell where you belong.”
Miss Billie grew sick to her stomach as the pain intensified and she heard the bones in her hand crush and grind within the possessed girl’s mouth. She shrieked in pain and begged God for mercy while the demon within Hillary’s body grinned. Finally, just as Miss Billie was about to pass out from the pain, the demon released her. She withdrew her bloodied, mangled hand and walked backward toward the bed. Her legs were too shaky and she needed to sit and gather her senses.
“Misssss Billlll-eeeeeee,” the demon hissed tauntingly as it slowly inched Hillary’s body toward the bed.
“Oh, sweet Jesus, Lord God, please...please help this here young girl…rid her body of that spawn o’ Satan....”
“Shut up!” It screeched.
“In the name of God, release the child, leave that body and go back to hell where you belong,” she shouted.
Slowly the creature advanced while Miss Billie wrapped her mutilated hand within the flat sheet on the bed. The pain was fierce but her adrenaline level was high.
“Get out of the girl!” Miss Billie shouted as her eyes widened in fear. “Get out of that young girl!”
The demon was just a few feet away. It was as if it were purposefully walking slowly to escalate Miss Billie’s intense fright. It laughed a cruel and sickening, menacing laugh that Miss Billie felt in the pit of her stomach.
“In God’s name, leave that child alone!” Miss Billie yelled.
The creature hissed and growled at the mention of God’s name, then resumed its foreboding giggling as it trudged forward. It was at the foot of the bed, nearly at arm’s reach of Miss Billie.
“May God condemn you to hell, devil!” She screamed aloud as she turned her head and shielded her face with her uninjured hand. Her stomach clenched in anticipation of the pain.
The beast growled. It was a low guttural sound that sent chills up Miss Billie’s spine. The old woman closed her eyes and prayed that God would let it end quickly.
As the demon prepared to pounce, a noise at the door caught their attention. Someone had swiped a room key and was preparing to enter.
“Lord, Jesus, someone please help me!” Miss Billie screamed loudly.
Before the demon could rip into her throat, the door flew open.
~18~
“Wake up, Eliza,” Jake called to the woman who had heard the alarm but was too tired to get out of bed.
Jake heard her make some sort of grunting sound as he watched her turn and pull the covers over her shoulder.
“Oh no you don’t,” he said as he jumped out of bed and tugged the bedspread down to her waist.
Jake watched goose bumps form and cover the woman’s pale skin. It made him think of Patty. She was always cold, always asking him to raise the temperature on the thermostat or turn down the central air. He knew he had treated her deplorably. He knew that he wasn’t being fair to her, but at the same time, he hoped that she would be patient and understanding enough to realize that he needed some time to cope with his devastating loss.
Mostly, though, Jake wanted—no needed—space away from her because he didn’t believe their marriage would survive his transformation. She had promised him that it didn’t matter to her, but he knew that if it didn’t matter much presently, it would in time. What woman would want to be married to a man without proper functioning male genitalia?
He teetered between wanting to believe that he could keep his family and wanting to spare them—and himself—the heartache that the added stress and strain from his problem would inevitably cause. He teetered between wanting to run back home to the family he still loved and missed and removing himself from their lives for good. He teetered between wanting to have that blind faith he had never understood and wanting to wallow further into his endless despair. He teetered between wanting to live and wanting to die. In fact, the only steadily anchored, deep rooted feeling that he had left was his desire to kill Hillary Greyson. And in just a few hours, he would see to it that he satisfied that most primal longing. With or without Eliza Dunn.
“You can’t expect me to just jump out of bed,” Eliza said irritably as she grabbed the blanket and draped it over her cold body. “Why don’t you turn that air conditioner off? It’s freezing in here.”
“C’mon, Eliza, we had an agreement, we’re supposed to leave by five at the latest, remember?”
“Go turn that air off and give me just five minutes to fully wake up, Jake...please. I’ll be ready to go by five, you’ll see.”
Jake was skeptical. He thought for sure that she would give into the temptation for sleep. He considered leaving her behind if that happened, but he didn’t want to steal her car and leave her stranded.
“Five minutes,” he said, feeling greatly annoyed.
Jake shut the air conditioner off then walked to the bathroom. He lowered his pants and underwear and sat down upon the toilet, making sure to keep his eyes far away from his desecrated crotch. It still hurt to urinate but not nearly as badly as it had the first few days after he had regained his consciousness.
When Jake was done, he patted himself dry, quickly pulled up his clothes then washed his hands and face. On his way out of the bathroom, he bumped into Eliza, who was standing just outside the door. He was pleasantly surprised to see her out of bed.
“That was quick,” she said groggily. “I was just about to start banging on the door and rushing you like you rushed me.”
“Not like I was playing with myself in there,” he replied with a jocular smirk.
“See, you’re still a hundred percent man. Even without a penis it’s all you think about,” Eliza joked back.
She started to walk forward as Jake stepped aside, but she stopped and turned back to face him. She wore a serious expression as she looked at him.
“Can I see it?” She asked to his shock and dismay.
“What? Are you kidding me? Why on earth—”
She shrugged.
“I don’t know why. I’m just curious, I guess. I’m fascinated by—”
“Freaks?” He interjected.
She tilted her head and scoffed at him.
“I was going to say medical marvels.”
“A medical marvel? Is that what this is?” Jake said as he impulsively lowered his pants and underwear for her to see his disfigurement.
Jake turned his head away while she examined him as if he were some s
ort of lab specimen. Eliza was in awe at what she saw. Remnants of singed pubic hairs partially covered the deep bluish-purple bruises and thick scar tissue where his penis should be. She wasn’t sure what she had expected to see, but it wasn’t what she saw and she cursed herself for asking to see it in the first place. What was she thinking? Now she would never forget it. It’d be another grotesque image to add to the slide show of horrors that often plagued her mind.
“Oh,” she said softly. “It’s not so bad.”
Jake’s body tensed as he swiftly pulled up his clothing and walked away.
Awk-ward, Eliza thought in a singsong manner within her head. She carried her clothing into the bathroom and shut the door.
Jake was ready to go and anxiously waiting for her when she returned.
“Are you ready to go?” He asked curtly.
Eliza nodded as she began gathering her belongings. She checked her bag to make sure that her gun was still there.
“Jake, I’m sorry I—”
“Don’t mention it, Eliza...please. Let’s just get out of here.”
She nodded in understanding as she closed her overnight bag then slipped on her sneakers.
Minutes later, they were exiting the hotel. There was a chill in the air that made Eliza shudder. It felt like an ill omen and Eliza knew in her bones that the day would not end well.
Eliza searched online via her cell phone for the address to the Holiday Inn in Bethesda. She added it to the GPS and they were off. The two-hour drive to Bethesda was silent. They kept the radio off and didn’t say a single word to one another. Jake had offered to drive and Eliza was fine with that. It had given her time to rest her eyes, though she was too tense and anxious to actually doze off. She kept thinking about what might happen when they encountered Hillary. The if had become when...and she was no longer sure that was a good thing.
Jake had told her when they first started their journey that he hadn’t brought along any weapons. She wasn’t sure if she believed him. She knew he wanted the girl dead. How was he planning to kill her?
Eliza’s stomach lurched as they pulled into the quiet parking lot of the Holiday Inn. It was just 7:17 a.m.
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