Satan Reincarnate

Lie to the Liars

***

I felt sick as Tom rubbed my back, it was so obvious. How could I be so stupid? Katie wasn't in love with me, she wanted to kill me. Bill didn't feel anything for me, I was just another blowup doll with a voice box. I was so stupid letting myself melt into his arms last night, letting him think I finally felt something for him. Which- I did. Last night I felt like maybe not everything would be so horrible, and underneath the calloused exterior of being a murderer and bad man, he could maybe help me feel loved and safe. But no, I couldn't keep my legs shut. Not after him making me kill Katty, not after he kidnapped me, not after he forced himself on me the first time, not after he broke into my apartment and stalked me, threatened me with my family.. not even after I watched a tape of him end the life of one of his friends.

"Angelina.." Toms voice was soft compared to the toxicity of my thoughts, why did he tell me this?

"Hm?" I choked.

He pulled my stiff body against him as I cried, his hand slowly rubbing my shoulder up and down. It tore me apart knowing everything I did, knowing I made the mistake of keeping my legs apart for him. Letting him strip me of any humanity I had left. But Tom, something happened in the moment. I felt how I felt with Bill last night, I felt understood. Bill never comforted me, no.. But Tom did. Every time now that I think about it. Yeah Tom was no better, but he was no worse.

"It's not your fault." He whispered down to me.

I couldn't respond, it 100% was. I felt like I was slowly being consumed, I didn't know who to trust anymore. But everything Tom said made so much sense, like the missing piece of the puzzle.

"Let me show you something." He said, standing up.

I looked up to watch him as he strode over to that shelf.

"Stop." I said, my joints growing tight. "I watched it already." I whispered as I watched his hand graze the camcorder.

"Oh?" He asked. "So.. you saw Lukas. Your old apartment manager? May he also rest in peace." He muttered.

"Yeah.." I nodded. "Why?"

"It was all connected." He whispered, a smile on his face.

"Connected?" I asked, my heart speeding up.

"Forget it." He shook his head. "But remember what I said, Katie isn't your friend, Bill isn't a lover, and you're not special."

I nodded, squeezing the last tears out of my eyes. Truth was harsh, and that was the reality of it.

Ping

Tom pulled his phone from his pocket, and flipped it open.

„Ja?" He answered in German.
[Yes?]

„Du hast die Mädchen gefunden?"
[You found the girls?]

He said into the phone, looking at me. His eyes weren't warm anymore, he looked just like Bill standing there. I looked away from him, and only listened to what I could understand. Perks of growing up with an Austrian mother.

„Ich verstehe."
[I see.]

„Ihre Knöchelverhaftungen haben nicht funktioniert?" He said, growing quietly panicked.
[Their ankle arrests didn't work?]