Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“How would you describe the relationship with your parents, Vivian?”

I looked at The Psychiatrist barely preventing myself from mocking her out loud. That was such a cliché question. I thought it only happened in the movies. Apparently, I was wrong.

I didn't laugh but the scoff and the roll of my eyes was something that came out involuntarily. I didn't have to wait long for the reaction as almost instantly The Psychiatrist started scribbling something furiously in her notepad. I guess it's their job to be annoying like that.

I looked around taking advantage of her attention not being solely focused on me. The office was freakishly clean. Combined with one of those modern minimalistic designs it gave off a vibe I won't tell you anything about the owner but nothing will stop me from exposing you. Something along those lines. I scrunched my nose.

However, the white leather chair was surprisingly comfortable. I was leaning back in mine, while The Psychiatrist (occupying the identical one opposite me) was leaning forward, notepad resting neatly on her thighs.

“Vivian”, she said, looking directly at me. “The therapy won't work if you don't talk to me.”

“But you are aware the moment you claim me to be sane I'm going to be executed”, I retorted, raising my chin. “I fail to see how cooperating with you works in my favour. I'd rather be told I'm insane, don't you think? I quite like it here.”

There was a brief moment of silence. I thought she's finally got enough of me and we'll be done for today. But then again, she managed to surprise me.

“You've killed seven people”, she stated. Her bluntness made the corner of my lips twitch.

“No, I didn't”, I chuckled, shaking my head.

It was her turn to look at me with squinted eyes. Frankly, I was enjoying myself. I smiled amiably as if it was a simple friendly meeting in a coffee shop.

“Could you take my handcuffs off? They're quite chafing”, I pouted, jiggling the short chain. I could raise my hands only for an inch or so. There was a room for improvement.

Big, monochrome, barely decorated room, I thought, groaning internally.

She shook her head.

“They're staying on. Safety measures, as you've surely been instructed.”

“Yeah, yeah”, I sighed, trying to wave my hand dismissively. It looked quite clumsy. Not the effect I was hoping for. “But they make me so much less talkative”, I probed further with a smirk. The Psychiatrist raised her eyebrow.

“Ah, so we're at the bargaining stage right now?”, she mocked and I couldn't help but shot her a surprised but at the same time impressed look.

“Isn't this one of the stages of grief, doctor?”, I asked with a smile.

“But don't you regret killing all those people?”

“What people?”

“Vivian...”, she sighed with exasperation which in response made me grin.

“Thank you, Jerry~!”, I said cheerfully to the guard that escorted me to The Psychiatrist's office a week later and cuffed me to the chair. I watched him shudder as he briskly turned on his heel and left. “Hello, doctor”, I smiled at her.

This time she was sitting behind her desk.

“I've read your file the other day.”

“Haven't you done that before our first meeting?”

“I wasn't allowed the full access.”

I frowned, taken by surprise. Well, that would explain her vague questions last time and the desk separating us today.

“That was so irresponsible on their part. I mean, what if I was an insane murderer on a death row?” I said with a condescending smile, shaking my head. “Silly officers... Does that mean you've read my story?”, I asked excitedly, sitting up straight in my chair.

“Yes, I have”, she replied slowly.

“So you know everything there is to know.”

“It would seem so. But I'd much rather hear it from you.”

“Again?”, I asked, squirming in my chair. “What do you think? Was it that good?”

She frowned.

“No, I just find it hard to believe.”

“That hurt my feelings, doctor”, I said, lips forming a thin line. I would've crossed my arms if they weren't chained to the armrests. “What's the point of me re-telling the story then? There is nothing more to add. I spared no detail.” She was stern in her silence. “Fine... I'll amuse you...”, I sighed, rolling my eyes. “But only because I like you.”

She nodded in acknowledgement.

“Tell me about the lake, Vivian.”

Chapter Text

“Have you ever been to this park, Doctor?”, I decided to ask as a starter to my story.

“No, I can’t say I have”, she replied curtly. 

I tried not to show my irritation. She was an awful conversationalist. 

“It’s a must during the fall. It’s beautiful. Loads of poplars, maples, chestnut trees… Almost exclusively deciduous. In some spots it can give you a feeling of standing in the middle of a roaring fireplace which flames are as cold as winds of upcoming winter”, I said with a content smile. 

Again, she offered me no proper reaction. 

“I’ve been living in this city for a couple of years now… over 5 if I’m not mistaken… And the moment I found this park I couldn’t stay away for too long. Are you from here?”, I asked curiously.

“No, I moved here recently”, she replied and I couldn't help but smile at her cautiousness.

“So you do understand this alienating feeling of being all alone in a new place.”

She nodded, encouraging me to continue.

“I was lonely...”, I whispered, looking at my knees. “And this park... this particular spot... it was calling to me, you know?”

“Did you hear their voices?”

I laughed softly.

“No, of course not. I'm not a crazy person”, I replied, rolling my eyes. “You can't speak underwater. Besides, their vocal folds were long since gone. They communicate by touch”, I hurried with the explanation.

She nodded again, but from her facial expression I gathered she wasn't that convinced.

“You know, Doctor, we should go there some time soon... you know, before the lake freezes.”

“We'll see about that, Vivian”, The Psychiatrist said after a brief silence.

She squinted. That looks promising, I thought. She was clearly considering my proposal. It was difficult not to show my excitement. If only she looked into my eyes for long enough, she would've seen it.

“Tell me about your first encounter”, she prompted, taking notice of my silence.

“Ah, yes”, I grinned. “They were quite shy at the beginning... The first time I'd seen them I mistook them for a fish or that my eyes were playing tricks on me”, I said, tilting my head and looking up to the right.

~~

The Sumners Lake – as I later learnt – took up most of the space in the park. There was also an island in the middle of it. Given its size and abundance of rocks no bush should be able to grow there, not to mention a tree. And yet, it's been as robust as a well fertilised garden. I was enchanted, to say the least.

It was the first day of astronomical autumn when I first found My Spot. It instantly became my favourite. The bushes were shielding me from the path beyond giving me the feeling of intimacy I craved and at the same time I had a splendid view of the rest of the lake. I crouched close enough to the shore so that my shoes were touching the water. Its even surface beautifully reflected the blue sky full of fluffy white clouds.

I remember smiling and then a weirdly shaped shadow whooshed right in front of me. It couldn't have been a fish... the surface remained undisturbed. I shook my head, blaming it on the exhaustion and stress. I stood up briskly and breathed deeply, promising myself to come here more often.

~~

“That was anticlimactic”, The Psychiatrist commented.

“I don't know what you've expected, Doctor”, I said with a smile. “I told you they were shy at first.”

She waved her hand, telling me to continue, pen in her hand.

~~

Next time I visited I came prepared. Into my backpack I squeezed a picnic blanket, thermos with hot tea and some light snacks... I think they were chocolate cookies... or maybe some jammie dodgers... I'm not sure...

Why, Doctor, don't tell me it's an insignificant detail. I'm trying to set up the mood. Maybe it's important for your evaluation of me. Ah, yes, of course... I got distracted, I'm sorry. I wouldn't dare to tell you how to do your job.

Anyway, it was a chilly morning when I properly saw them. The sun was up in the sky and golden mist enveloped the island and eastern side of the lake. Settling down, I'd barely seen any people around. I welcomed that with open arms.

Loneliness is a difficult emotion to deal with, as you surely know, Doctor. Especially when the person you considered your best friend leaves without a word a couple of days later. I still don't know what I did wrong to deserve such treatment. She wouldn't tell me.

Lost in my thoughts, I stared blindly into the lake, pondering... theorising... And only after a couple of minutes I noticed that something from the bottom of the lake was staring back at me. I gasped, unable to move.

At first I had troubles discerning whether it was human or not. The eyes boring into mine were milky blue and the whites were blood red. The face was horrifyingly disfigured. It had no nose or eyelids (probably eaten by fish), something was wriggling within the jagged purple laceration on the cheek, some of the tissue was floating around in the water.

I blinked, but it was still there. Moreover, I saw it moving closer to me. It was almost by the shore, but managed to remain submerged in the water. Seems impossible, I know. However, after it flashed me a grin full of rotten teeth, it simply disappeared.

~~

I sighed loudly, leaning back in my chair. The Psychiatrist was looking at me with a mixture or disbelief and repulsion. Nothing new here.

“Excuse me”, I said as I yawned. “I would've covered my face but you know...”, I added, pulling on my handcuffs.

“That's okay”, she replied, sounding distant. “What about your friend?”

“Ah, yes, her... What was her name..?" I frowned, tapping my finger on the soft armrest. "Julie..? Jane..? No... Uhmm, maybe Jo..?”

“Joanna Paule, aged 23, long blond hair, engaged, was supposed to graduate from college next year. The body was not found, the only trace left behind her was the smudge of her blood on the stone near your spot”, The Psychiatrist reeled off coldly, almost growling.

I continued to smile gently.

“Why the hostility, Doctor. I told you I didn't kill her. I didn't even touch her.”

“Okay, have it your way”, she sighed. “What happened then?”

“Exactly what it says in the file. I met with her for a coffee and a stroll around the lake. Sometime later she tripped and quite unfortunately hit her head on a stone that split her skull open. End of her story.”

“Why didn't you call for help?”

“My phone died.”

“Quite convenient, don't you think?”

“I'd rather say sad”, I pouted.

“What did you do with the body?”

“Nothing”, I grinned mischievously.

“Right”, she rolled her eyes. “Let me rephrase... what happened with the body?”

“Ah, my new friends took care of it.”

“The police didn't find her in the lake, Vivian” The Psychiatrist had a stern look in her eyes.

“Her body was long gone when they started the search.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“They took her to their nest under the island.”

Chapter Text

November was coming to an end when a peculiar thing occurred. That day, Thursday if I were to be precise, I knew I had no session scheduled with The Psychiatrist. It was a me day, as I liked to call it. Besides, she'd already seen me on Tuesday.

That day I was woken up at 7am. My grumpiness wasn't even curbed by the fact that my favourite officer Jerry was sent to do so. He was so much fun to tease. However, I couldn't help but feel like he wasn't as fond of me as I was of him.

As per usual he left me cuffed to the chair in the doctor's office. Frankly, there was nowhere else he could've led me. The sun was only rising and the lights in the office were still on.

On a chair behind the desk I noticed a beige pea coat and a floral scarf. But no other signs of the owner. That was until I heard the rushed clatter of heels in the corridor outside the office coupled with the heavy footsteps and annoyed low voice grumbling:

“Fine, but I'm going with you.”

My tongue darted across my lips hearing the familiar voice. I scarcely had the occasion of seeing him since the moment of my arrest. Agent Harmon was a down-to-earth kinda guy who was strictly set on bestowing a justice upon me. To say my story frustrated him would be a great understatement.

I once heard him say that letting people without prior documented problems with mental health plead not guilty because of insanity or whatnot was like getting ganged upon in a back alley and giving the robber a loaded gun with a silencer.

I chuckled at the memory. Well, we're all entitled to our own opinions, but Agent Harmon certainly had a way with words.

The door swung open as I sighed and made myself more comfortable in my chair.

“Good morning, Vivian”, The Psychiatrist said, nodding at me.

“Good morning, Doctor”, I replied with a friendly smile.

The Agent was silent. I decided to ignore him. I too can play that game. I heard him scoff as he sat on a black settee. Only then I noticed a long trench coat, scarf, and a furry ball laying there.

“Vivian”, the doctor called, diverting my attention from the clothing. “Do you remember when a couple of weeks ago you said you wanted me to go to the lake with you?” I perked up at that. “We could've gone sooner but there was a lot of paperwork to be done about that”, she said and I didn't miss the annoyed look he shot at Agent Harmon. He only shrugged.

“You seem to forget, Ann, that she's here for a reason”, he scolded and I couldn't help but smile.

“I told you I didn't do anything”, I said.

“Spare me, Lambert”, he rolled his eyes.

“It's really a shame...”, I sighed. “It's beautiful there during the autumn.”

They gave me no reaction. Then Agent came over to me with a small key between his thumb and forefinger.

“You're going to wear these clothes. Don't try anything funny. I'm watching you.”

I rolled my eyes. After two soft clicks my hands were free. I rubbed my wrists dramatically and put on the prepared clothes. When I was reaching for the furry thing I was stopped.

“Not so fast”, the Agent said, dangling a pair of handcuffs in front of my face. “These will be on for the entire walk.”

I squinted at his mocking tone of voice, but being a civil person that I am, I stretched out my arms and let him cuff me. Then he took the thing, which turned out to be something akin to a handwarmer but with a velcro, which made it easier to put on.

Looking down at the soft, ashen fur, there was no telling that I was restrained underneath. It was perfectly masked.

“Now we're ready”, he said, giving an affirmative nod to the doctor, who was already wearing her set of clothes.

“So inconspicuous”, I muttered, getting out of the car.

After seeing Agent Harmon's enthusiastic grimace, I half-expected a police car with a crate separating back and front of the car. The elegant Subaru was a nice surprise.

However, his attitude didn't change at all. Throughout the entire ride he had been casting me quick, assessing glances. Who was he taking me for? An idiot? He was a driver. Why would I want to do anything to him then?

I breathed in deeply. Trees were void of any leaves except some single oaks. The winter was just around the corner and I shivered as the chilly wind hit my face. The sun had just risen, engulfing the park in a wonderful orange glow.

“Shall we?”, The Doctor asked, looking at me expectantly.

I nodded. The Agent followed us, watching my back so intensely, I felt if I turned around I might've found some daggers flying at me.

“At least pretend you're enjoying yourself, Greg”, I teased.

“Don't call me that”, he nothing but growled.

I rolled my eyes. I could see the lake from the little slope we were standing at. Instead of following the path I cut across the grass. Surprisingly, I didn't hear any complaints. That however distracted me enough, so that I stepped on a heavy branch which snapped under my weigh with a loud crunch. I shouted, loosing my balance and landing on my back.

“Ouch”, I muttered, as both of them helped me up, picking dead leaves from my trench coat.

“What was that?”, The Agent asked harshly, frowning at me.

“I tripped. People do that”, I snapped at him. “Look, I promised I won't do anything. And I intend to keep my word.”

When we finally reached my spot, I couldn't help but smile. It was as peaceful as I remembered.

“Here we are”, I said proudly to the Psychiatrist. “What do you think?”

“It's... nice...”, she replied half-heartedly.

I pouted.

“Come, I want you to meet”, I said after a brief silence.

I heard them following me as I briskly approached the lake. When the tips of my shoes touched the water, I stopped and crouched. It was a clumsy process and I looked at the Psychiatrist, encouraging her to do the same.

She did so, albeit reluctantly. Agent Harmon stayed a couple of feet behind us, watching our backs. But being more focused on mine, I was sure of that.

I stared into the waters and The Psychiatrist followed my lead. I noticed them almost instantly, floating around curiously. I was beyond happy that they decided to show up. I could feel they were intrigued, seeing another silhouette beside me. They began swarming in front of me.

I smiled fondly and nodded at them. Then I tilted my head gently towards The Doctor, masking it smoothly by turning to her.

“So, doctor?”, I asked and stood up, backing away a step. “What do you think?”

“I'll be honest with you, Vivian”, she stated, forearms propped on her knees. “I don't see anything there.”

“That's okay”, I soothed. “I told you they were shy, doctor. Try looking for a little bit longer.”

She frowned. The Agent shuffled closer. The Doctor decided to indulge me for the last time and turned her head to peer again into the water. When her expression changed to the one of incredulity, I knew she noticed them. I smirked with satisfaction.

Then my friends decided to act. Before she could scream, a slimy bluish arm shot out from the water, gripping her by the wrist and pulling into the frigid water. She thrashed violently, emerging for a moment. Yellow, broken nails scraped down her neck leaving angry stripes, while a balding head seemingly ripped from the rest of its body bit on her shoulder, drawing copious amounts of blood. A big chunk of her stomach was already missing, guts slowly floating away.

“What the fuck have you done!!”, The Agent seethed, turning me forcefully around.

“I... No-nothing... I-I swear”, I stammered, voice weak. Looking back at the lake, The Psychiatrist was nowhere to be seen. “Oh my God, somebody needs to help her!”, I whined, fidgeting in his strong grasp, head turning right and left.

I saw his jaw clench and I knew I had him. Law enforcement – trained to protect. Sometimes I wondered what they did to them to quash their self-preservation so efficiently...

I maintained my shook-up act, as I watched him loose his jacket and run into the lake. He was immersed up to the waist, when he turned to me. This time I smiled widely. His eyes grew wide and as he charged toward me, one of them tugged harshly at the hem of his white shirt.

He couldn't move an inch, no matter how much he struggled. I slipped my right hand out from the muff, free of the cuffs. Taking the fur off, I shot him a smug look as I jiggled the cuffs in the same way as he did in the office earlier that morning.

Being able to witness the horror glistening in his eyes was sweeter than any Belgian chocolate I could ever taste.

“I won't be needing those”, I said softly, dipping my hands into the water. I felt his eyes on me, the quirk of my lips growing with each minute.

Some of my friends gathered instantly next to me. Their slime made the handcuffs smoothly slide off. I caressed the scalped head which empty eye sockets seemed to watch me in disapproval.

“I know I didn't have to break my thumb. It was for the effect. I'd say it came out perfect”, I replied, shaking my head. The cold water dulled the pain, so when it begun to suck on the broken finger, its gums massaging the flesh, I just felt he pleasant tingling. “I have to go, though. I left you a present. Have fun with it”, I whispered, flashing a ferocious grin at The Agent.

The moment I straightened up, a yellowish hand with bitemarks and scratches shot out from the water, ripping the genitals from his body. His wail was short-lived because no more than a second later another body emerged from the water, towering above him. It swiftly tore at his throat with a sickening squelch. The water gained a beautiful maroon colour, its surface instantly calming after The Agent was dragged under, his body still twitching slightly.

I stretched, a yawn escaping my mouth. The park was as tranquil as ever at this time of day. I turned around, distance between me an the lake growing with every step. I smiled at the man running with his german shepherd.

It's gonna be a nice day.