Viribus

Chapter 10: He's watching

I just stare in utter disbelief. This is foul play and I know it but I can't mention it to the cops without them thinking I'm crazy.
The cop tried his best to comfort me but he had no clue that he was out of his league.  I couldn't be consoled.
"Can I go inside?"
"Normally that would be a no but since we've removed the body from the scene and investigated the surroundings thoroughly, I'll let you go in."
The house looks just like it did yesterday. The book was back on the bookcase and the area on the wall where the book had crashed into looked as if Lillie had tried to paint over it. I couldn't believe this was happening. The thing killed Lillie because she was trying to help and it knew. This is exactly what she was trying to avoid and I feel personally responsible for her death. This is a dead end road for me and maybe my destiny is that of Lillie's as well. I'll live my entire life in fear that one day it's going to finally kill me. I will always be frightened to tell anyone because they won't believe me. Dimitri and Viribus will be the only ones that can lend me any comfort.
I go over to the bookcase and look at all the novels. They all look old and some of them are moldy. There is a piece of paper I can barely see peeking out from one of the books in the middle; upon closer inspection I see that it's an envelope. I pull it out of the book and I'm immediately surprised by what I see. The envelope has my name on it. It says, "Viviana: Do not read this when alone. He's watching."
I quickly stuff the envelope in my pocket and walk towards the door and then something stops me. It physically stops me and forces my body to turn to to the back hallway. Just as if I was a puppet connected by strings, I can no longer control my movements any longer as I walk to one of the back rooms. In the middle of the room is a rocking chair with the back facing me. I don't want to go any further. Every cell in my body is telling me to turn around but something has possessed me and I continue to walk towards the chair, horrified by every step forward I take. Once I get close to the chair, I stop.
The air in the room is completely still and it causes an uneasiness within me similar to the feeling you get during the quiet before the storm.
"What is it that you want from me? Leave me alone! I've don't nothing to you. Just tell me what you want me to do and I'll do it!"
The rocking chair slowly begins to rock and the room is filled with foul odor. I am forced to walk around to the front of the chair and sitting there is the corpse of Lillie Liles. It looks like she's been dead for weeks. Her skin is pale and sloughing off in places and her eyes are sunken in her skull. Her mouth is gaped open in a frozen scream.
I want to run but I am physically forced to stay in this spot. All I can do is wonder where Dimitri is or if anyone is going to come inside and check on me. I feel like I've been here for hours. Lillie's corpse begins to speak to me but it's not her voice. It's a demonic voice, a familiar voice, the same voice from that night at Dimitri's house.
"Burn that envelope, child. Mind your business or you and all the people you love will suffer. Lillie will burn in the pits of hell for all eternity because of YOU!"
Lillie's corpse lunges forward and begins to claw at my face. Hot, black liquid pours from her gaping mouth onto my face, it burns my eyes and I swat and scream.
"I'm never going to burn that letter, I'm going to find out the truth and I'm going to tell everyone I know! You will not win!"
"Ma'am, are you okay! I heard you screaming."
The officer runs up beside me.
"Ma'am, what is going on? Who are u fighting with and what is all over your face?"
It takes me a minute to realize that the corpse is gone and I was fighting the air. I was still covered in the black goo though, which let me know this really did happen.
"You didn't see her?"
"See who? All I saw was you laying on the ground screaming and fighting the with no one."
"It was Lillie! She was in here, it was her corpse!" I start to cry.
The officer looks at me as if I'm crazy and I'm starting to regret saying anything at this point.
"Miss, that's impossible, we brought her body outside a couple of hours ago and it's sitting out front now in a body bag."
"I'm sorry...you're right, I must have just gotten overwhelmed. Lillie was a good friend of mine and this was all so sudden."
"I understand, let's get you out of here and to your dog. He's been crying since you came in here."
Viribus? Crying? He does a lot of growling and barking but I've never seen him cry before.
Once we get outside, I see exactly what the officer meant. Dimitri was standing outside with Viribus by his side and I have never heard him sound like this before. He was actually weeping.
"Viviana! What happened to you, what is this all over you? I'm so sorry, they wouldn't let me come in there after you.", Dimitri says, obviously angry at the officers standing around.
"It's too much for me to say right now, the cop already thinks I'm a nut case."
My attention quickly shifts to viribus who is obviously in emotional distress but I don't think it's because of me because I'm here now and he's still upset.
I crouch down to eye level with him.
"What is it? What's wrong Viribus? I'm here now."
He's not even looking at me but at the hearse that was holding Lillie's body.
"He's been doing that ever since we got out of the car. I thought he was upset because something was happening to you, but it seems as if  he's upset about Lillie."
I can see the actual pain in Viribus's eyes. He's hurting and I'm hurting for him.
"I guess we should just get out of here so you can get cleaned up and Viribus can calm down.", Dimitri says as we start to walk to the car.
We are stopped by the same cop that found me in the house.
"Excuse me ma'am but I don't think you're emotionally stable enough to be by yourself tonight."
Dimitri, who is obviously upset, barely let's him finish his sentence.
"What do you mean by that officer? She's not going home alone. I will be with her the whole time."
"Frankly sir, I don't really know how stable you are either, judging by the way you were acting earlier when we wouldn't let you inside the house."
I try to diffuse the situation as quickly as I can.
"Sir, I know what happened back there made it look like I wasn't doing good but I assure you that I'm fine and I can go home safely."
"I'm sorry miss, but I wouldn't feel comfortable if I didn't at-least check you in for 24 hour observation, just to be on the safe side."
"All because I told you I saw Lillie's corpse in her room? I mean, maybe I did have a moment but I'm not crazy."
"You were hallucinating and clawing at yourself and hallucinations can lead to self harm very quickly, especially in times of stress and grief. I hope you'll understand that I'm only doing this because I'm worried."
I don't argue any further with the cop, it's no use and I don't even have the energy anymore. Dimitri is heated and wants to continue to fight with the officers but I tell him it's okay. I will just stay the 24 hours.
"Viviana! You can't just let them tell you you're crazy. We know you aren't crazy, we can fight this!"
"Yeah, I know I'm not crazy but by the time we try to fight them on this and go to court and all that, I could have just stayed the 24 hours and got it over with."
"Fine, as long as you're okay with it." Dimitri says, obviously feeling defeated.
"I'll be fine."
"Viviana, we are going to take you in the back of the car to the facility."
"That's fine, officer. Dimitri, before I get in the car, take this envelope and guard it with your life. This letter that Lillie left me is the answer to everything."
I hand him the envelope and he tucks it securely in his coat pocket.
"I will. Me and Viribus will meet you up there and make sure you have the things you need to stay over night."
I give Dimitri a kiss and Viribus a head pat and I get into the back of the car.
"Officer, what facility will you be taking me to?"
"Rolling fields psychiatric center for young adults.", he says as we head down the dirt road.