An old lady

"And one thing, you are going to die soon, don't drink too much." Arina was smiling at me.

"How dare you, Arina?" Her words made me mad. How dared she say that to me? Hearing me, she couldn't help but laugh. Then she ignored me and walked out of the room. I put the glass on the table angrily and followed her path. I came to the backyard of the house while following her, but Arina wasn't there. I saw her here just a moment ago. How could she disappear so quickly?

I knew she had a problem, and I needed to talk to Max about it. Before leaving, I noticed an old woman in the distance. She was digging in the ground. I couldn't see her face because her back was towards me, her clothes were dirty, and her hair was unkempt. Seeing her there, I felt a strange unease inside. I couldn't stop myself from approaching her.

I came near and called out, "What are you doing?"

She didn't say anything but kept digging.

"Will you stop or want me to call someone?" I threatened.

She stopped digging abruptly. When she turned to face me, my heart nearly stopped. Her eyes were hollow, her face gaunt and weathered, yet there was something eerily familiar about her. I was muzzled with shock, unable to speak.

I saw her face was covered in blood, her eyeballs completely white. I covered my mouth with my hands and cried out in that position. But what was happening to me? I—I couldn't talk. It seemed as though someone had grabbed my throat. I stared at the old woman in horror. She came toward me, laughing. I narrowed my eyes, but I couldn't run or walk.

Suddenly, I heard a hoarse voice, "Avil."

I tried to say something, but I could only groan in pain. It felt as if someone was ripping my throat apart.

"It's hurting, right? I know it hurts," the old woman spoke. Her words pierced my ears like knives. I didn't want to listen to her. I put my hands over my ears.

"Ahhhhh... Stop it," I cried out in pain, my body trembling uncontrollably.

"Oh, finally you speak, but I don't think you can talk anymore," the old woman said, touching my neck. Her hand was cold like a dead body. I shivered at her touch, seeing my death in her eyes. My eyes widened in fear.

I stuttered, "Wh-Who are you?"

She smiled, revealing a mouth full of rotting teeth.

"You see, Avil, you never stood a chance against me."

The old lady grinned and replied, "I thought you would recognize me. But it's okay, let me fulfill your wish." As soon as she finished speaking, she returned to her original form. My body went rigid when I saw her true identity. My suspicion was right—she was a devil. Blood gushed from my mouth before I could say anything.

"Ar-" I tried to scream, but the pain was too intense. I bent down and pressed my lower abdomen, feeling as if someone was stabbing me constantly. I was trembling on the ground in pain and fear, unable to comprehend what was happening to me.

The devil laughed, a cruel, heartless sound that echoed around me.

Back to the present,

Avil was in my arms. I was in shock. I heard whispers around me, people murmuring that it was a very ominous sign, something demonic. Some of them said, "Did you notice her face? It was terrified." I looked down at the floor; the blood had turned black. Was her death really unusual?

"Zoe, get up. Let me handle this," Max said, trying to pull me away. My dress was drenched in her blood, and her terrified face was imprinted in my mind.

"I called the police. We have to send her body for examination. I don't think this is a normal death," Max continued. I nodded, agreeing with him. Avil had been perfectly healthy when she arrived, but within a short time, she was dead. Had anyone fed her anything?

Suddenly, Arina held my hand. "Babe, let's go upstairs. Max will handle everything."

"Arina, I-" I started to say, but she stopped me.

"It's okay, Zoe. You don't have to say anything. It's not your fault," Arina said softly, guiding me away from the scene. I followed her upstairs, my mind still reeling from what had just happened.

Once we were in the bedroom, Arina closed the door and sat me down on the bed. She wiped my face gently, her touch soothing. "You need to rest, Zoe. This has been a terrible shock."

I stared at her, trying to make sense of everything. "Arina, what if... what if someone did this to her? What if it wasn't an accident?"

Arina's expression remained calm, but there was a flicker of something in her eyes—was it fear, or something else? "Don't jump to conclusions, Zoe. Let's wait for the police to investigate."

She was right. Panicking wouldn't help. I needed to stay calm and let the authorities do their job. I leaned back against the pillows, exhaustion washing over me. Arina continued to stroke my hair, humming softly.

Downstairs, Max was dealing with the chaos. The guests were in shock, whispering among themselves. The police arrived shortly after, taking statements and examining the scene. Avil's body was taken away, and I could hear the murmurs of concern and fear growing among the guests.

Max came upstairs to check on me after a while. "The police are handling everything. They'll let us know what they find."

"Thank you, Max," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

"Get some rest, Zoe. We'll get to the bottom of this," he assured me, giving Arina a nod before leaving the room.

As I lay there, Arina by my side, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong. Avil's death was no accident, and I needed to find out what really happened.