Bea hadn't told anyone about what Wednesday had said, but quite frankly there was no one she could speak to about it. Xavier would take Wednesday's side, and Bea refused to talk to Enid about it for the same reasons that Wednesday. Therefore the girl had to sit it through and have a think, she contemplated the possibility of Tyler being the Hyde, while also including the vast majority of information proving him to be a normie.
The denial was beginning to set and the girl was left with a temporary calmness, a grace period so to speak of believing that Tyler was in fact not the monster.
There was only one thing left for the girl to do, and that was to check for herself, she would have to guarantee Tyler's humanity, which meant that she would have to speak with him about it of course. For now the girl was enjoying a nice long shower, she enjoyed showering at four or five, jr was a strange hour where most people preferred to do activities. This meant the restroom was relatively empty.
The girl let the water splash on her face, it brought the illusion of drowning, but without the pain of holding your breath. Bea closed her eyes and sat below the running water for a moment before finally turning it off and squeezing out her hair. The girl was betting that Wednesday was in the dorm, which was something she was hoping to avoid.
It was no use since Bea needed a fresh pair of clothes, she could handle the girls cold stare, it would only take a few minutes.
Bea returned to her dorm with her hair beginning to dry and her skin still partially wet from poorly drying off. The girl headed straight to her annexed room, not daring to check if anyone else was in the dorm. Enid was most likely with Yoko and the others, and Wednesday was probably exploring or searching for more leads. This meant that Bea had the place to herself, though she wouldn't be there long, she needed to head to Jericho before it gets too dark.
...
So Bea went on her merry way to the Weathervane, she walked this time, though it was quite dangerous since it was dusk and the last remnants of the sun were slowly fading away. The walk from Nevermore to Jericho was very familiar to Bea, she'd done it at least a dozen times or more. There was a path that led down to main street, it was a straight shot from the back exit of Nevermore.
Since it was fall, the leaves had already cluttered the path, causing Bea to crunch the very earth that she walked with every step. She found it to be deeply satisfying, if she was lucky she'd spot a deer in the woods or some sort of wildlife. The trees had also begun to change in color, some of which were already completely bare or close to it.
At last, Bea had reached the miserable little town of Jericho, she could tell from the brick buildings and wooded paneling that was visible in the far distance. The sun had already set now, and the sky was just barely beginning to darken, it wasn't night just yet.
Bea pressed onwards through the barren streets of Jericho, the Weathervane was in the heart of Jericho, just across from the white church that was in the center. Tyler had told the girl about the church, and how one time the pianist had gone into cardiac arrest during the mass, he'd mentioned that the place was cursed. Crackstone had most likely cursed the place with his eerie and unholy nature. But that is a story for another day.
The Weathervane was closed, just what Bea was hoping for, but there didn't seem to be a Tyler inside. The lights were off and the sign wasn't flickering anymore. Bea continued to peer inside of the clear glass of the restaurant, she wondered if the boy had gone home already, it didn't seem likely. The Weathervane didn't officially close until seven, and Bea knew that on Thursdays Tyler had late shifts and the job of closing the place down. So where was he?
There was the sound of a car starting up in the back lot, was it Tyler's car? Perhaps Bea could catch the victim in time. The girl rushed off to the back lot that was behind the Weathervane, she was lucky enough to spot Tyler pulling out of his parking spot. Bea flailed her arms above her head to get the boy to stop, his head lights reflected off of her outfit, grabbing his attention immediately.
Tyler braked and parked right there at the entrance to the lot. He then proceeded to get out of the vehicle and stare at the girl in confusion. He was mostly confused on why she was in front of his car, and also because he thought the school was still on lock down, he didn't want the girl to get in trouble just to see him.
"Bea? What're you doing here?" Tyler inquired, his tone was the usual sounding, nothing was out of the ordinary. There was a little bit of confusion in it, a little sarcasm, and of course that slight smirk of his and that overbearing charm.
"I came to see you." Bea said, she didn't want to spark any suspicion. Plus it wasn't a lie, she had come for the sole purpose of seeing the boy. He didn't need to know what her intentions were until they were seated and inside the Weathervane. "I guess I didn't make it in time."
"Sorry, we closed early, the manager had some sort of medical emergency or something." Tyler began, he noticed the girls frown as he said the words. "But I'll make an exception." He continued, Bea smiled and nodded she was expecting him to say something like that. Although the girl was glad to be with Tyler, she couldn't help but feel a little sad, there was something off about tonight, something in the air that was making her feel uncomfortable.
She knew what she needed to hear, and she knew that she was going to hear it. This boy was innocent, there was no doubt in her mind, she wasn't even sure why she'd come, maybe for closure? Or to prove Wednesday wrong (little does she know).
The couple headed inside of the Weathervane, the bell rang as the door swung open, there was no customers to look up at them. The lights began to flicker on and the place lit up once again. The red lighting was especially ominous tonight, transforming the place into something new. The Weathervane didn't feel like the Weathervane, it was someplace else, some other world.
"So what'd you need me for?" Tyler asked, he rested against the front counter and leaned his hands on the top of the cold surface. He felt a shiver send down his spine as his hands made contact with the cool marble top. Bea chuckled at his expression.
"There was something I needed to ask you." Bea said, she sat down at the infamous little booth where many of their previous conversations had been held, most of which ended well. Bea hoped for the same with this conversation, it would go smoothly she presumed. Though of course the voice in the back of her mind was telling her that she was horribly wrong.
"Yeah of course." Tyler said, he sat down across from Bea, that same old smile was cast on his face and for some reason Bea felt like everything would be alright. Because of that damned smile.
"It's kind of stupid actually, I still don't believe it." Bea began, she was laughing off the pain and her eyes were everywhere but looking into Tyler's. She was confusing the boy she could tell, because the smile had begun to fade and his eyebrows were raised. Bea took a deep breath and continued on with the conversation, she needed closure.
"Well Wednesday tried to say that you were the monster." Bea said, she was still kind of laughing when she said it, but once she stopped she began to notice Tyler's change in expression.
"I mean it's really dumb, I'm sorry I wasted your time." Bea continued, she was about to stand up when Tyler reached for her arm. The girl sat back down and focused her attention onto the boy.
"No no, you're not wasting my time." Tyler said, his tone was unlike anything Bea had heard before, in fact, the boy was completely unrecognizable. There was a dark shadow cast over his eyes, and he wore an expression that was utterly terrifying. "And it's not stupid." Tyler added.
"But it's not true." Bea said, there was uncertainty in her words, she was beginning to doubt herself. "I mean you're a normie."
"Tyler, it's not true, right?" The girl asked, she was hoping for a yes, something to prove Wednesday wrong.
There was a silence between the two, the tension was so thick that you could cut it with a knife. But of course someone had to break the ice, to get the ball rolling again. Bea deserved the truth, she deserved her closure.
"Oh but it is true." Tyler said. "I'm the Hyde."
Holy Shit
"You're joking." Bea muttered, there was a quiver in her voice. Her hands were concealed beneath the table, luckily it hid the girls shaking. Her stomach had jumped up into her throat, leaving her at a loss for words, and meaning that what she felt inside could only be described as pure agony.
"I'm dead serious Bea, I'm the Hyde, and I've got proof." Tyler said, he lifted up one side of his shirt to reveal scars in the exact places that Bea had scratched the monster. "You were the one who gave me these." Tyler sighed, he let go of the shirt and placed his hands on the table.
"I- I didn't mean to." Bea quivered.
"You had every intention of hurting me, but I don't blame you, I would have done the same." Tyler smirked, he stared right into the girls eyes, causing her to freeze in fear, she was scared that if she looked away then she'd die. "A big murdering monster coming right at you, of course the right option was to protect yourself."
"This isn't happening." Bea mumbled under her breath, she refused to believe this shit. The silence returned and Tyler's expression slowly corrupted into an unrecognizable being. Bea didn't know who was sitting across from her, so this was the monster. He was hiding in plain sight, who knew that homicidal maniacs looked just like everyone else.
"Can I ask you a question." Tyler asked, Bea nodded slowly, her eyes were wet and cloudy, blurring everything around her. She was in hell, she was transported in hell and was now living through it. She believed this to be a test made by the devil himself, a test that was meant to break her soul and enslave her to him. Tyler couldn't be evil and he wasn't a murdering monster. He was kind and caring and just wanted to live a normal life with no regrets. Bea didn't recognize the thing that stood in front of her. Why did he wear the face of her lover, the face of Tyler?
"What does it feel like?" Tyler asked, his eyes were widened, greatly resembling the Hyde, it was becoming more evident with every second, that this boy was the murderous monster who was wreaking havoc on both Jericho and Nevermore.
"What does what feel like." Bea stammered, she didn't break her gaze, she continued to stare into Tyler's eyes.
"To lose"
Bea stood up and began to head for the door, she'd heard enough and she wished to leave and never return. It was an abrupt end to her relationship, but quite frankly she was so in such a state of shock that she could not even comprehend what was going on. Though of course, Tyler grabbed a hold of the girls wrist, and held her in his arms. Bea wriggled her way to freedom, Tyler wouldn't force himself on her, and of course let her go.
The girl spun around the looked back at the boy, she was petrified once again and forced to look at him, and to watch his every move.
"Yknow first I would wake up naked and confused, not sure of where I was." Tyler began
"But then I began to remember, the sounds of their screams, smell of their blood.. It was a fear so primal I could taste it."
"And it was delicious."
Bea's face had gone pale as a ghosts, all she could do was stand there and watch as the boy began to slowly get closer to her. He placed his hands on her shoulders and whispered something in her ear.
"You have no idea what's coming."