Chapter Text
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Coffee does not need to be this bitter, Patty thinks. It tastes like dirt water mixed with dog poo. However, she could never be one of those people who put all those flavorings and syrups in their drinks. She’d be drinking straight sugar at seven in the morning, which she really does not need.. any time of the day, actually. She wishes there were pop-up tea shops that were as popular as all those coffee shops she passes by on her drive to work.
The sun is up before her today. Patty enjoys the warmer months. Although rain coats the sidewalks of the suburbs she calls home, some days she and her neighbors are lucky, and whatever deity cares enough to spare them from clouds parts them for the day. It’s nice. She makes herself remember this is nice.
Patty sips her coffee slowly as she drives, blinking sleepily as the red light clicks to green. It’s monotonous, and the mundane pop music playing on the radio doesn’t help the trance that suburbia has Patty’s whole town under. It’s dull, and it’s the same everyday, pretending it isn’t. Some days she’ll go out to dinner with a friend, or she’ll treat herself to a shopping trip, or her boss will drop off french toast in the break room for the morning shift employees, but every other day blurs together in the grand scheme of things.
Her car’s horn slams down, and Patty blinks awake. She shouldn’t have gone to bed so late last night. She does not want to get pulled over on her way to work, especially considering where that is.
Patty pulls into the parking lot of the gray and uninteresting building that she calls her work place. The paint is chipping off the sides of the exterior walls, and it smells of mildew, Patty assumes is due to the constant rain. It’s gross, but she doesn’t need to plug her nose as she walks inside this time. The simple things, she reminds herself.
The bells someone hung on the door jingle, and Patty sighs as she makes herself walk to her desk. When she sets her bag down on the floor, she melts into the chair waiting for her and lays her head on the desk, closing her eyes.
It’s too early to do anything productive, Patty decides. She’ll stay here and nap until the sun is all the way up in the sky, because it’s not like anyone else is all the way up either. Okay, well, maybe some of her insane coworkers-
“Dechamps.”
Patty instantly picks her head up and turns to face the source of the disgruntled and gravelly voice. The speaker stares down at her with a sort of emotion Patty can’t read very well.
“Yes?” Her voice is quieter than she meant it to be. Be sure of yourself, she reminds herself, but, god- it’s a lot easier on paper than in practice, especially in terms of interacting with her boss.
“My office.”
Patty forces her face to bear a small smile, and she offers a nod to hopefully please her boss. His expression only grows firmer as he turns his body to start walking in the direction of his office. Once he’s out of earshot, Patty allows herself to let out the breath she’d been unknowingly holding onto.
Oh dear. She’s getting fired, isn’t she?
Patty stands back up, letting the desk support her weight as she feels her knees start to buckle. She cannot get fired right now. She’s in a tiny apartment she can hardly afford on her own, and things are only getting more expensive nowadays. Her car is starting to break down, her health’s not been the greatest, and the other forces of the universe seem to be conspiring against her to make her life as sucky as possible.
Still, however, as much as she really does not want to walk to her boss’ office, her flats click against the tile floor as she makes short strides to the door that separates her from her and the impending doom that concentrates into sweat beading on the back of her neck. She raises her hand to knock on the door, but before her fist can meet the wood, she hears the words “You can come in.” echo from the inside.
Patty carefully opens the door, and her boss is sitting at his desk, writing something down on a sticky note. He gestures for Patty to sit down, and she softly shuts the door behind her, smoothing out the wrinkles that line her shirt. The other chair that rests in front of his desk is ever so slightly uncomfortable and firm. It mirrors how she feels in the current moment.
“So,” Patty chuckles anxiously. “Yew don’t suh-pose this is about my, uh, performance.. lately?” Patty fidgets with her hands as her boss continues to write on the sticky note. “I’m nawt doin dat bad, am I, Cas-”
“Captain.” He corrects. “Yew call me Captain. We ain’t on no first name bay-sis,” He scoffs.
“Sorry, cap’n.” Patty mumbles.
“Dis ain’t about yewr performance, P,” Captain grumbles as he rips off the sticky note and sticks it to his computer monitor. “Dis is for yew.”
He opens a drawer on his desk and pulls out a plain white envelope. When he places it on the table, Patty can read her full name written on the front in neat handwriting. He slides the envelope over to her, and she stares at it for a few moments before picking it up and ripping open the top of it.
Inside is a letter addressed to her. Patty briefly scans the letter’s contents before glancing back up at Captain, confusion the only emotion readable on her face. “I’m bein summoned ‘ta Milldread?”
Captain nods. “Dey want yew to work on dat case dat’s been open for a few decades,” He laughs hollowly. “Not sure why dey’re still worried about’t.”
“What case?” Patty asks, curiously.
Captain glances at her, and looks down at the letter. “I think I know da one.” He slowly stands and walks over to a file cabinet, and after pulling open one of the drawers, he browses the selection slowly before taking a file from the very back of the drawer’s contents. Blowing off dust from the inside contents, he hands Patty the file.
When Patty opens the file, she’s confused with the inside contents. She didn’t have many expectations as to what she could be investigating, but the contents of the case report divert every one of them.
[ Name: Abigail Gardner
Age: 26
Gender: F
Sex: M
Status: MISSING ]
“Huh.” Patty mumbles. “She’s purty,” She comments, glancing at the polaroid paperclipped to the case report. “Been missin’ for.. wow, 33 years to da day? Dat’s sad.”
“Dey’re try’na clear out some space so dey can move more cases over to da database,” Captain explains. “Dis is one of dem physical cases dey want solved.”
“Wait, but.. dis is for Milldread. Isn’t dat town hours away? Why’s it with us?” Patty asks, reading the case report closer.
“We gots da extra space ‘n men to do da work,” Captain quickly answers. Patty, confused, looks back up at Captain. He almost seems anxious himself. Maybe he cares a lot about finding this girl too.
“Okay..” Patty mumbles, closing the case file. “Milldread’s far from here, ain’t it? How do yew want me to get down dere every day?” She asks. She does not have the gas money to make the multiple-hour drive every single day.
“We have someone down dere who’d be willin’ to house yew.” Captain grumbles. “Vib.”
Patty’s face lights up. “Really?”
“Yeah. He’s down dere for somethin’ else and he wanted yew dere.”
Patty can’t help the grin on her face as she nods and takes the envelope and case file. She loved working with Vibiano. He’d been the one to train her when she first started her job, and she’d grown close to him over the course of the years she’d worked in her position. She hasn’t seen him in a few months, so she’s more than glad to get to stay with him while on her first solo case.
However, before Patty can get up and take the documents, Captain grabs onto her wrist. “Hey, er, P? Don’t feel like ‘ya need ‘ta do allat, ‘kay? I’m sure da family don’t care no more and just wants ‘ya ‘ta close da case.”
Patty frowns, but she still gives her boss a nod. Why would he say something like that? If a family was missing their loved one for 33 years, wouldn’t they want closure on what happened? The lack of respect he put on this woman’s name gives Patty a shiver down her spine. Surely, though, she’s just being dramatic, and it’s nothing. Surely.
Milldread is hot, Patty realizes as she drives through the town’s main road. It was a dry heat, which only made the whole ordeal worse. Luckily, Patty won’t be here for that long, hopefully a few days at most. She’d find what she needed to find to help solve this case, and she’d be back home.
She didn’t really know how to say it, but she was excited she was finally able to work on a case by herself. She’d been employed for a few years, but she’d never gotten to go out into the field on her own to solve mysteries. This was a big step up from boring logistics work she’d been stuck doing for the past few years. It was liberating, almost, being able to be on her own, and not having her boss breathing down her neck.
Patty drives further outside of the town, into residential areas that surround downtown Milldread. She glances down at the GPS in her car, that’s set to the address she was provided. She.. doesn’t know why Vibiano is even in Milldread, but she can only assume it’s his own case that he’s working on himself. Any excuse to spend time with her friend is a good excuse, she thinks.
Patty pulls into the driveway of the household. It was pretty small, and Vibiano’s car already sat in front of the house. She looks around, and notices few neighbors lining the streets. Odd. She assumed kids would be outside playing, or people would be on walks, but there were only a few people out and about. It is pretty hot out, she thinks. Maybe people are inside trying to beat the heat. Not important.
She unbuckles her seatbelt and turns her car off. As Patty gets up and out of the car, she’s hit with a wave of heat. Oh, god, she’s going to have to get used to this. The sun beats down on her as she shuts the car door to open the trunk, taking out her suitcase of clothes. She didn’t think to bring much.
Patty drags the suitcase out and sets it on the ground, feeling sweat drip down her forehead, and closes the trunk of the car. She turns to the front door, and makes her way to the porch in just a few quick steps. Knocking on the door a few times, it doesn’t take long for it to click open, and Patty can feel herself being pulled into a hug.
“Paaaattyyy!!” Vibiano exclaims, tightly wrapping his arms around her.
“Vibi!” Patty laughs, reciprocating his gesture. “How are yew?”
“Ugh, hard at werk,” He sighs dramatically. “Tryin’ to get ready for dis party.”
Patty blinks. “Wait, what?”
“Come in, come in!” Vibiano insists. “I’ll explain in da AC.”
Patty pulls her suitcase through the door and shuts it behind her. The inside of the house was cozy- illuminated by the sunlight previously giving Patty a headache. Spread on the countertop in the kitchen were various papers and documents Patty assumes are related to the case he’s here working on, but Vibiano leads her past the kitchen and into a bedroom.
Vibiano sits down on the bed and pats the spot next to him. Patty goes to sit down next to him on the bed, and gets a chance to look around at the room. It was small, yes, but the photos on the walls were filled with beautiful paintings of, presumably, the fauna Milldread harbored. Patty knows why Vibiano took her here.
“So.. I figured yew’d want dis room,” Vibiano says softly as Patty looks around.
“I wonder why,” Patty rolls her eyes, laughing. “I love it.”
“Well, ya bettah!” Vibiano huffs. “Dere ain’t no way I’m changin’ rooms again.”
Patty laughs again. “I should get da rest of my stuff out of da car,” She figures.
“Okay, well, wait a second, miss!” Vibiano asks. “I told yew about dis party I’m goin tew, roight?”
Patty shakes her head. “Yew mentioned it a couple moments ago,” She remembers.
“Yah. It’s dis bonfire some of da Milldreadians host every year, and apparently dere’s some cute fellas who show up sometimes! Yew wanna come with?” Vibiano nudges Patty’s arm softly. “Maybe yew’ll meet someone..”
“Oh, I dunno..” Patty mumbles. “I dunno if anyone here’s.. Well..”
“I’m sure dere are some girls who swing yer way, Patty.” Vibiano rolls his eyes.
“Well, I guess, but I’m nawt really lookin’ for a relationship, Vib.” Patty sighs. “I got otha things tew worry about. Like- like- like why I’m even here! I got my first case!”
“It took yew dis long? Sheesh, I didn’t think the bawsses hated you dis much,” Vibiano grimaces. “But yew don’t gotta worry about it every night you’re here, Patty. I don’t, and I’m doin’ jus fine.”
Patty rolls her eyes. “Okay, well, even if I wanted tew go, I don’t got anythin’ to wear.”
“It’s nawt a red carpet.” Vibiano reminds her. “Jus wear somethin fun! I moight have some stuff yew can borrow.”
Patty thinks about it. She.. knows she should seriously be focusing her energy on working at her case, but.. just one night spent on herself can’t be that bad, right?
Patty hopes she dressed right for the bonfire, because she can’t tell if she’s too casual, or too formal. She looks to her right, and she sees Vibiano in a short dress that Patty wonders where he even got in a place like Milldread. However, she looks to her right, and someone looks as if they just came from working the ground, as every Milldreadian seems to at least have some experience with.
Patty thinks about her own outfit. It’s not too plain, and the flower embroidery that decorated the ends of her pants legs felt fitting to wear to an event like this. Her hair tied back with a ribbon Vibiano lent her, she fidgets with her hands, waiting for something, anything to happen.
She feels Vibiano wrap an arm around hers, and all of a sudden, she’s being led towards people she doesn’t know. This is happening now? Okay, okay, Patty, you can handle this.
“Dis is who I mentioned!” Vibiano laughs softly. “Patty, dese are some friends of mine who live here.”
Patty waves awkwardly towards the two figures standing in front of her. “Hello.”
“I tried ‘ta convince Saul to be here,” One of them pouts. “But he said he was busy. ‘Doin what? It’za weekend, for god’s sake!”
“Goody, you do know ith a thaturday, right?” The other figure asks. “Church ith tomorrow.”
“Oh, yeah, I guess.” The other replies.
“Dis is Goody, and dis is Bayker. Met ‘em a few months ago. Yew’ve gawt to try some of Bayker’s pastries. Hey, we should go tomorrow!” Vibiano suggests.
“Maybe,” Patty nods, trying to be polite. “Hello! It’s nice to meet yew both. I’m Patty.”
“Nice to meet ya, Patty!” Goody offers her a hand, and when Patty takes it, her firm grip leads the two into a handshake.
“So, er..” Patty mumbles. “Dis seems like a weird place for a bonfire. Right by da woods?”
“All the tall grath,” Bayker pipes in. “Don’t want to thart a big fire,”
“Oh. Figures.” Patty mumbles. “But, still, da woods seem like a weird place.”
“What, are ‘ya scared of The Lady?” Goody teases. Patty, however, does not get the joke. The Lady?? Huh??
“Who?” Patty asks cautiously.
“Oh, have ‘ya not heard about her?” Goody asks. “Man, she’s, like- everyone knows who she is!”
“Da girl’s been in Milldread for a few hours,” Vibiano reminds her. “She ain’t gonna know every little bit of da gossip here.”
“Everyone’s at least heard of her, ‘naw?” Goody looks around and back at Patty, who continues to wear the same confused expression. “Oh, what? Here, lemme tell ‘ya about ‘er. It started, like, a few decades ago. People kept sayin’ there was somethin’ in those woods. Somethin’ that ain’t ‘posed to be there. Apparently, everyone had ‘tha same story. Somethin’ in them woods would take ‘em and try to drink their blood. Sometimes people’ll swear they can see ‘er lurkin’ at the ends of ‘tha forests, ‘n all that jazz. It’s real creepy, if ‘ya ask me. They all call ‘er The Lady of The Leaves, cause she’s ‘posed to be made of ‘em and stuff, not like any real animal that exists.” Goody explains.
“Huh.” Patty says. “Interesting.”
“The ithn’t real, Goody.” Bayker sighs. “Ith’s juth an old wiveth tale, tho kidth don’t go running around in the wooth at night.”
“Whatever.” Goody sticks her tongue out at them. “She’s real in my heart.” Goody dramatically puts her hand to her heart.
“It’s a silly thing.” Vibiano rolls his eyes, and glances back at Patty. “Yew don’t gotta care about it.”
“I think it’s kewl,” Patty smiles. “It’s like.. uh.. it’s like Bigfoot!”
“Suit yewrself,” Vibiano shrugs. “Come on. Let’s go get somethin’ to drink.”
Patty swallows anxiously. She didn’t expect herself to be drinking tonight.. she does need to drive home.. but just one drink can’t hurt, right?
The moonlight forces itself through the gaps in the trees, illuminating the woods in a mythical and almost hauntingly beautiful glow. A gentle breeze rustles the leaves on the trees, a music uncapturable to any kind of typical instrument. The forest is alive tonight, yet activity is slim. The creatures that make up its population head to bed, and its nocturnal dwellers lay patient in the dark the forest provides.
Patty finds herself blinking awake, unsure of where she is. She… she was at the bonfire, wasn’t she? Why is she in the woods..?
All of a sudden, she feels her head begin to pound. Oh.. she remembers, at least.. she thinks. One drink turned into two, turned into three, and all of a sudden.. she’s..
She doesn’t remember much of what happened after that, but she’s wishing whatever’s happening now is something that’ll be forgotten once her hangover wears off. She needs to get out of here.
As Patty tries to stand, she feels the blood rush away from her head, and instantly feels herself get dizzy. Lowering herself back into the seated position she woke up in, she realizes.. she passed out lying against a tree? That.. doesn’t seem right.
There’s a half-empty water bottle sitting neatly next to her on her right, cradled by the weeds that pillow the bottle and its contents. Patty’s phone sits next to it, as if the two lay waiting for Patty when she’d eventually awaken.
Someone put those there. There’s no way Patty could have had her phone sitting that neatly next to a water bottle. But the most important question going through Patty’s mind is, simply, who?
Patty grabs her phone, and groans audibly when she realizes it’s dead. Perfect. She has no way to know what time it is, where exactly she is.. And has no way to call for help.
Okay, Patty, guess you’re on your own. Have fun trying to navigate the woods.. In the middle of the night.. All by yourself.. You can do this! You’ve done.. Harder stuff before..
Patty can’t shake an odd feeling off of her. Something she doesn’t know how to explain. Something that’s crawling under her, and waiting to be released. The feeling blankets her in a soft, yet noticeable emotion Patty can’t find the words to in her dizzy and confused state.
She turns her head back to where it was before, and leans her head against the tree she’s lying against, sighing softly. She’ll figure this out.
When Patty lifts her head again, though, she sees something in between two trees that’s unmistakably there, and not a figment of her imagination.
Two hollowed eyes stare back at her.
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