Warning!

 

The following chapter contain gore, horror and violence, implied rape, profanity and everything you would not want to experience.

Proceed with caution.

 

Chapter 0078

Really?

Tempest was seriously having a South Park Tom Cruise moment. Whereas in the episode everyone was urging a straight man to literally get out of the closet, Tempest was shoved in the closet and told to stay there.

The little girl wanted to get out of the closet but she didn’t dare considering the noises anyone watching porn would know what it represents and since she wasn’t into voyeurism nor live porn, Tempest stayed put.

Aware of Tempest’s current predicament, Ventus put a soundproof barrier to block the noise coming from outside.

“Thank you, Ventus. I was getting tired of the fake moans and whimpers. Anyone with half a mind would know she’s faking it.”

Are you alright?

“I’m fine. I can’t wait for the day to be over. I got chased by bandits, got whacked by wood planks, cut open a woman alive, got thrown into an oven, got locked in a cold basement and now I got shoved into the closet...” Tempest froze as she reviewed the day she had after she accepted the disciple token of the Brilliant Yin Sect.

Wood planks = wood beams.

Cesarion = Vivisection.

Oven.

Cold basement = walk-in freezer.

Closet.

Aria Se Jivock and karma.

A rage Tempest buried deep in her heart welled up inside of her and before she knew it she tried to break open the door but was repelled by the wind barrier erect by Ventus.

“Let me out! I want to go out!” Tempest screamed as she rammed her little body against the wind barrier over and over again. The barrier did not budge. Regardless of the strength of the barrier, Tempest continued to use her shoulders as a battering ram.

Bang.

Bang.

Bang.

She can feel her shoulders get dislocated from the impact. She didn’t care. She wanted to get outside and stop today’s events from transpiring. When she exhausted all of her energy futility ramming the door, she rested her battered body against the door and clawed on it with her tiny hands. Even as her hands bled, Tempest continued her useless effort. Even when her fingernails were torn from the bed, she continued to try and claw a hole into the door.

You are not strong enough to go out right now!

“I don’t care. I can’t hide here as they suffer again and again. I won’t!” Tempest railed against her spirits.

This is their fate and the karma you must bear.

“Fuck fate and karma can kiss its ass! I will not watch them suffer the same fate they had on Earth. I won’t be able to live with myself Ventus.” Tempest sobbed her heart out.

More than ever did she want to change the events of that night.

She once believed if she ever had a chance to change the event that night, to do it all over again, she wouldn’t change a single event because she wanted them to sacrifice themselves for nothing. She’s a great liar. She even lied to herself and made herself believe it.

The past was truly a bitch she wished she could torture over and over again.

Despite her supernatural powers giving her an edge where technology reign, she clung to the modern day ideology of sanity and rejected the power offered her. Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely. The phrase she read in a book she’d long forgotten resonance in her heart. She’d been careful to control herself. She held back her impulse, reign in her emotions and tried to act like a normal child only to suffer at the hands of those bastards. Towards the end, all of the self-restraint leads to her trek through the storm.

Unbidden, the memories of the night she’d long suppressed flitted through her mind.

It started with Kaia bursting into her room as Athena prepared for the jailbreak they all agreed upon.

“We have to move. They are going after Olivia today!”

“That can’t be, right? I double check and triple check. They are going to deliver Olivia in four days!” Athena was sure of her sources. The spirits want her out of this place as much as she does.

“The recipient has complications. They need the organs now!” Kaia grabbed the edge of Athena’s sleeve, urging her to hurry up.

Athena grabbed the stolen keys before making a beeline for Olivia’s room.

The hospital was unusually silent that night as the duo made their way to the special ward where Olivia was roomed. The loud bang of a door slammed shut from another hall should have alerted the girls to the eerie atmosphere but they were too focused on their objective to notice.

Athena remembered how fast her heartbeat in her chest, how each breath burned her lungs as she cursed her short stubbies legs, urging herself to go faster and faster.

They burst into Olivia’s room with all the finesse of a SWAT team going barging into a meth lab, all gun-ho and blazing with glory.

They were on a sacred mission to save their sister of the heart.

Sadly, they weren’t Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible, doing death defying stunts to put the bad guys in jail in the end.

They ran through three corridors and burst into Olivia’s rooms only to see the scene of their failure.

It was the scene of a horror movie come to life.

Blood splatter the walls like someone took a gallon of paint and emptied the contents in a state of rage.

Athena knew it wasn’t paint. It was real blood. The pungent coppery scent lingered in the air, clung to the walls and blasted the girls with a dose of unalterable reality.

“Olivia!” Athena tried to scream out her rage, her hopelessness, her grief but Kaia choked back her cries with her hand.

The girls fell to the floor in their grief and fear as they witness the proof of humanity's greatest cruelty.

They restrained Olivia to the bed in a spread-eagle position with each limb tied to a corner. The bed was moved to the center of the room to make room for all the butchers to quickly work on her.

Olivia wasn’t a pushover, easily bullied by everyone around her. She was a tigress, ready to fight, claw, bite or kill her way through her obstacles.

There were telltales signs she did just that - blood under her nails, the restraint cutting into her delicate skin as she tried to fight against her torturers and a fierce glare as she viciously proclaims her revenge even though her eyes were ripped out of its sockets and thrown to the ground like trash on the floor.

It might have been easier if her attackers used tranquilizers to sedate Olivia but they knew they couldn’t. Olivia is highly resistant to drugs. Most drugs do nothing to her while the drugs that can sedate her are either highly toxic or cause her to go into seizures, none of which were desirable outcomes.

They had to physically restrain her.

There were handprints on her arms and legs, telltales signs of the brute strength used to pin her to the bed. Regardless of how much they held her down, she still fought against them. When physical restraints could not hold Olivia down, they use a much more brutal yet effective method, breaking her arms and legs.

Multiple comminuted fractures to her lower extremities can be seen. Instead of an even layer of skin covering muscles, tendons, and ligaments connected to an intact skeletal structure, there were unusual swelling followed by either protrusion or pits signaling the bone breakage. And of course, no one can miss the compound fracture on her left tibia.

Her upper body fair a bit better. Olivia’s right arms were bent at an odd angle, far enough for an inexperienced observer to know they were dislocated but no other signs of an assault. Her left arms were already restrained with ropes, yet they felt the need to further restrict her movement by pinning her arm to the bed with a knife.

Once they got her down, then their inhumane cruelty began.

They cut her open. They cut her open like she was a dead cadaver.

A large, deep, Y-shaped incision was made from shoulder to shoulder, curving around the bottom of the breast to meet at the breast bone then extending down to the pubic bone.

In a regular autopsy, the mortician pell back the skin, muscle and soft tissue using a scalpel then pull the chest flap over the face, exposing the ribcage and neck muscles. Two cuts are made on each side of the ribcage, and then the ribcage is pulled from the skeleton after dissecting the tissue behind it with a scalpel.

Those butchers never gave her the dignity of a human being. Once they cut into her, they forcefully pulled back her skin and stuffed the flap into her mouth and taped it with duct tape.

Every time she tried to hurl curse at those bastards butcher, she’d bite into her skin, causing her unimaginable pain yet there were signs she bears the pain to hurl muffled curses at the monster clad in human skins.

They wanted to cause her as much pain as they could without damaging the goods.

The right side of Olivia’s rib cage was broken by a blunt force. The bones on the right side were sharp and jagged. Bone splinters can be seen on the right lungs. Every time Olivia breath, the pain from the splinters puncturing her lungs will cause unbearable pain, as if she was drowning from the inside out.

The fracture was probably caused by the metal mallet thrown carelessly to the corner of the room while the left side was carefully cut with a scalpel. Each rib on the left side were smooth and precise. They took extra care to prevent the possibility of bone splinters puncturing the heart or lungs.

The duo can easily tell why those mother fucking asshole bastards did what they did. There was nothing in the area where the heart was supposed to be.

Those greedy bastards whose soul should be thrown to the depths of hell literally stole Olivia’s heart and they left enough shreds of evidence for two girls to mourns their once vibrant sister.

Kaia was stronger than Athena, both physically and mentally.

She had to be to live the life she lived.

She shoved her hand over Athena’s mouth to silence her and pulled her away from the horror scene.

“We have to find the others and get out of here. If they are leaving Olivia’s body out in the open like that it means they are going to get rid of the evidence and all possible witnesses. Haven’t you notice how quiet it is? They must have something to the other patients, maybe sedate them then blow up this place. We got to leave before it happens! We can’t let Olivia die in vain.”

With a few lingering sobs, Athena picked herself up off the floor. She took a hard look at Olivia then ran out to find her other sisters.

Kaia is right. She can’t let Olivia die in vain. When she gets out of here, those bastards will pay.

Until then, Athena had to focus on the living. Olivia would want all of her sisters to live. Athena had to find Susanna, Willow, and Sophia.

It wasn’t until Athena and Kaia made their way towards their sister’s room that she realized how right Kaia is.

Hospitals, especially psychiatric hospitals, are never truly silent. There is always a nurse going around checking on the sleeping patients or sitting on the nurse's station doing paperwork. The patients aren’t quiet either. In normal hospitals, there are the wanders who have insomnia and can’t sleep so they walk about the hospital. For a psychiatric hospital, the crazies are always screaming or yelling or just plaining talking to people who aren’t there.

Fear gripped Athena as she failed to find her sisters in their room. She began to imagine the horrible things Olivia went through and superimposed them on her sister. Her heart rate increase while her eyes blurred as the room spun around her.

The gruesome death of one sister was freshly imprinted in her mind. Athena didn’t want to lose her other sisters to the same horrible fate.

“What about the special ward?” Kaia asked Athena, trying to get her to focus on the here and now.

Athena grasped the hoped offered with shaky hands. “Yeah, you’re right. We checked everywhere except for the special ward.”

“How can we get in? That place is locked down like Fort Knox.” The frustration and urgency were evident in Kaia’s voice.

“The janitor’s closet. They have every key in the facility because some low paid schmuck had to do the dirty jobs the high and mighty doctors aren’t willing to do. I saw one of the janitors opening the doors to the special ward once, so if there is a key to the special ward, it has to be in the janitor’s closet.”

With dawning hope, the girls rushed towards the janitor’s closet on the first floor. They quit trying to be stealthy as they realized no one was coming after them.

All the important people or those in the know already left the facility, leaving a skeleton crew and thugs to clean up the scene of the crime.

Kaia was the first to reach the janitor's closet with Athena a scant second behind her.

Kaia should have known better. She should have known better. All of her life, luck has never been on her side. From scumbag parents, scumbag siblings, scumbag classmates, scumbag teachers to scumbag social workers, not once has fate been kind to her. It was considered lucky if the only thing that happened to her that day was a pinecone falling of its branches and hitting her on top of her head. Bird poop was easier to handle than the pine cone but she got sick from the bacteria transmitted by the bird poop to consider it harmless.

When she was forcibly admitted to the hospital, she was surprised to make friends with five great girls. They gave her hope in a world where everyone and everything pushed her down.

She should have known it wasn’t going to last.

When Kaia opened the door, she knew she shouldn’t have.

Schroeder's cat. If they never open the box they won’t know if the cat is alive or dead. At least there is hope in the unknown.

Kaia opened the box and now she wanted to close it yet Athena was right behind her, heading right into another nightmare.

“Sophia!”

At first, Athena held onto hope that Sophia was still alive.

“I suffer from catatonia.” the mature black hair black-eyed girl had once explained her conditions to the others. Athena didn’t know what it was so she used the computer to look up the information.

“Catatonia is an abnormal neuropsychiatric condition that affects both behavior and motor function and results in unresponsiveness in someone who otherwise appears to be awake. For the purpose of diagnosis, there are three types of catatonia, including catatonia associated with another mental disorder, catatonia disorder due to another medical condition, and unspecified catatonia. Although often associated with schizophrenia and other affective disorders, catatonia may be a result of, or due to, any number of psychotic disorders, mood disorders or general medical conditions. Catatonia is sometimes referred to as a catatonic syndrome because there is not just one identifying sign or symptom associated with this condition or symptoms that appear separately from one another, but rather a collection of several symptoms that appear together at the same time. These specific signs and symptoms do not vary, regardless of the nature of the condition.”

There was more information on the website Athena forgot the address of, but she understood the gist of it.

Athena had always thought it was strange. She rarely if ever see Sophia in her catatonic state. After a few pokes and a few gentle slaps of the face, Sophia would come too and give Athena her best apathetic glare but did nothing to reprimand Athena.

“Sophia, come back to reality. We have to leave this place.” Athena grabbed the young woman by the shoulders and shook her like a ragged doll all the while begging Sophia to snap out of it.

An unnatural coldness seeping through Athena’s fingers into her blood, freezing her in place.

Sophia’s temperature ran towards the chillier side due to her lack of movement. She’d once liken her disease to an absolute zero state, the colder she becomes, the slower things move.

Olivia had always argued with her point of view. Humans need movement, be it breathing or blood pumping through the body via the circulatory system. The metabolic process of the human body can only slow down to a point. Any more and they might as well be dead.

Sophia always refutes Olivia with the fact that her body isn’t dead but the physiological process slows down to the point where it seems like she is dead but she isn’t.

Athena had always worried about Sophia when she goes on her mental journey through the void. She was afraid one day Sophia would close her eyes and never wake up again. Time and time again, she’d sneak into Sophia’s bed, hugging the colder than normal body. She wanted to use her warmth as a beacon to bring Sophia back to her or so she tried to justify cooling herself by using Sophia because the hospital was cheap and didn’t like to have the AC running.

Through all the late night snuggling, Athena became sensitive to Sophia’s body temperature.

The icy cold aura pervading her body isn’t the usual cool body temperature of Sophia.

“Sophia, come back to me. Please. I need you too much. Please come back to me.” Athena begged as tears fell onto the corpse stiff from the onset of rigor mortis.

Athena bawl her heart out because she knew Sophia was dead. She had been dead for a while. Conscious of their need for some semblance of silence, Athena muffled her cried on Sophia’s less than ample bosom, like a child seeking comfort from her mother.

Athena wanted to tell herself the bitterness she tasted was her tears. She was very good at lying to herself.

Sophia was on the floor in the janitor’s closet because of her sickness.

The ripped clothes were because she hadn’t been taking care of herself.

The blood between her legs was due to menstruation.

The white stuff on her clothes were her tears mixed with her snot that she rubbed onto Sophia’s clothes when she was crying.

Before the truth can rise to her consciousness, Kaia grabbed pulled her away from Sophia’s body.

“We have to go. We have to get out of here.” Kaia said urgently.

Athena knew Kaia felt the same pain as she did, perhaps more so than Athena because her life is filled with misfortune that she cherish any bonds she formed. She just knew how to hide the pain better than Athena.

Athena knew after everything is over, Kaia would lock herself in a room and give herself time to cry, but before that she’d make sure her remaining sisters got out of here. She’d rather cry for two dead sisters than five dead sisters. And when she’s done, she’d gather her living sisters and cry again, this time in the comfort of their embrace.

They’d vent their anger.

They’d come up with the most gruesome method to torture their sister’s killer.

They’d do to those bastards what they did to them a thousand times more.

But first, they have to get out of here alive before they can grieve.

“Sophia and Olivia are dead, and you’re telling to just leave them here. I can’t. I won’t.” Athena grabbed onto Sophia’s cold corpse tighter. Even though she knew Sophia was dead, she wanted to hang onto the bit of warmth they shared.

Slap!

“Snap out of it. I want to save them as much as you do. But they are already dead. We can’t do anything for the dead. What we can do is escape with the living. Have you forgotten about Willow and Susanna? They might be alive right now and they need our help!” Kaia wanted to stay strong but once the dam breaks it breaks. She fell to the floor and embraced both Athena and Sophia, sobbing. “I love them as much as you do, even more so than you because I had it worse than you. You don’t know how much you guys mean to me. You gave me warmth and love during one of the bleakest times of my life. I know I’m clingy. I know I’m needy. I know I act like those gofer hanging around the cool crowd because I want to fit in. I know. But I need something to hold onto. I need something to validate my existence. I need someone to see me and you guys are it. Don’t say that I don’t feel any pain. It hurts me too, but I’m selfish. I have to put away the feelings and save those who I can save. Right now, I can’t save them, so I have to save you, Willow and Susanna. So please, please, let go of Sophia and get out of here. You guys have to get out of here alive.”

Boom.

Boom.

Boom.

The sound of explosion reverberates through the entire hospital like a 7.0 earthquake, shaking the walls and collapsing the beams.

Elementary school kids were taught to get under the desk if there is an earthquake. If there isn’t a desk or table, then get under the doorway.

Kaia rushed to the doorway with Athena in tow and stayed there until the shaking stops.

Kaia was never lucky in life. She is the personification of Murphy’s law: If it can get worse, it will get worse.

This time was no different.

The protocol Kaia followed was for earthquakes, not explosion. Also, it is not good to stay under a doorway unless you know it is a load-bearing wall, otherwise the flimsy material would do more harm than good.

Once the shaking stopped, the girls tried to dash for the exit. They both knew those bastards are going to get rid of the evidence and the best way to destroy any pieces of evidence is to burn everything down.

In their mad scramble to run, Kaia tripped over her own shoelaces, hitting her head against the doorknob and pushing Athena down with her.

Before they can orient themselves, the flimsy beam made out of cheap material fell on them.

“Kaia!”

“Slide out from under me and get fuck out of here Athena.”

In Athena’s panic, she didn’t notice the despair in Kaia’s voice. It was only after she slides out from under Kaia did she realize why Kaia told her to get out instead of saying they were going to get out of here together.

The beam broke in half and fell onto Kaia in a way where the splintered portion pierced Kaia’s back.

“No, no, no, no Kaia, not you too! Don’t leave me.” Athena grabbed Kaia’s arm and tried to drag her away there.

“Don’t bother about me and get out of here before the firefighter comes. The beam pierces my spine. I can’t feel my legs right now. I’d just drag you down if we were to run away together and even if I could get out of here, I won’t be able to walk again. Life is hard enough for me. I can’t live my life as a cripple.”

“Don’t say that. Medical technology -”

“Bullshit.” Kaia cut in. “We both know when the shit was going down, I wasn’t going to make it out of here. Athena gets out of here. Find Willow and Susanna and rush far far away from here. Forget about revenge or anything stupid like that. Live. Live the life we always dreamed about but never could have. Live my dreams, Athena.”

The pound of footsteps as the sleeping patient woke up jarred Athena. She looked up to see a panic mob rushing towards the exit. Like a bison stampede, they bulldozed their way through, unconcerned of the two helpless girls in their path.

Athena tried to protect Kaia, but Kaia pushed her away. Before she could get back to her sister the mob came and carried her away.

Kaia was lying there with a smile on her face as she watches Athena get further and further away from danger, away from her. She ignored the pain as panicking humans trampled over her body, ignore the pain when one of those feet pushed the beam deeper into her body, ignored the flames licking up her flesh as it burned away the existences known as Kaia.

The only thing in her eyes, in her soul, was the image of Athena, getting away from here safe and sound. She held on until Athena cleared the doorway, then she closed her eyes.

“Listen silly twat,” Kaia had once told Athena, “If I were to die, cause ya know, the chance of that happening within the year is almost 100%, I want ‘SHE LIVED’ written on my tombstone in all caps!”

She lived.

She lived in the hearts of her loved ones.

All she asked for is for them to remember her once in a while. It was the proof of existence she needed.

Once Athena got out the door she yelled, “Kaia Rosie Dortham, you live in me!”

Athena ran.

She didn’t pay attention to where she was or where she was going. All she did was run until she stumbled over the roots of a giant tree did she realize the hospital they were in was not the hospital her mother sent her to.

Her mother dropped her off in the psychiatric ward of an overrun hospital right in the heart of urban America.

There should be any towering trees or large dark forest stretching as far as the eye can see.

Athena was in a new location she was hardly equipped to handle after several traumatic experiences. She couldn’t handle it anymore. She couldn’t.

The little girl crawled under a moss covered roots of a big tree, pulled herself into a fetal position and willed herself into numbness.

The voices tried to pull Athena out of self imposed mental exile but Athena resisted their efforts. It was too much for her to bear. She wanted to die, to forget, to numb the pain. It was too much. Too much.

Athena didn’t know how others can handle the pain. She did what she did best to cope. She blocked everything from her mind.

“Here is our arsonist, Willow Smithe.”

Athena, who was numb by the series of event perked up when the voices mentioned one of sisters name.

Willow.

Willow caused the explosion?

Athena thought back to her drug addicted sister and the liter she always carried around for her little relaxant.

Athena had a definite view of drugs, especially ones that can affect the mind. She already had mental problems. She didn’t want to add any more problems to the long list of issues she had to deal with.

Alcohol was the biggest no-no in her mind. Because of the easy access and the high acceptance of the substance, the stupidity caused by alcohol ranks the highest in Athena’s mind. Cocaine, LSD, meth and all the other drugs are very dangerous, no doubt about it, except they are illegal and people can’t get with recreational use.

Willow and her little joint cause friction among the sisters but they got over it or ignore it as best as they can.

Willow may be a druggie, according to Athena, but she was no arsonist.

Athena believes with all her heart, Willow was framed.

The voices finally got a reaction from Athena. The continued to convey the conversation to her.

“What the fuck is going on Riley?”

“Nothing. Just closing the damn case. I found our arsonist. Found one of the bodies in the oven with a liter. She must have caused the fire.”

“Bullshit! Anyone found at the source of the explosion would have most identifiable features destroyed. The labs can’t process DNA records or search for dental records that fast. The techs aren’t even done taking all the pieces of evidence. How the hell can you identified a charred body within four hours, Riley?”

“There was some paperwork left in one of the file cabinets.”

“You mean files found in the file cabinets that were burned to a crisp? Those files?”

“What the fuck is your problem Scardi? You’ve been up in my case ever since we’ve been here.”

“I’ve been in the precinct for five years Riley. I know you’re a fucking lazy ass who doesn’t do squat unless someone puts a gun to your head. All of a sudden you solve the case when the forensic techs aren’t even done with the crime scene. Bullshit.”

Yes, yes. Athena agreed with Scardi’s assessment wholeheartedly. The government is known for their overworked and underpaid employees. Getting things done promptly is impossible for them. They’d need at least a day or two just to take investigate the crime scene, much less run DNA test or reconstruct burnt files.

“What is there to solve? Nothing but a bunch of homeless squatters living in a condemned building. You know the light their fires to keep warm and it gets out of control. Add in a known arsonist and what do you expect.”

“A goddamn condemn building has electricity? Fuck that. A girl died of hypothermia in the freezer. Hypothermia asshole. If there is no electricity how is the freezer working? How is oven working?”

If Athena was in on the conversation, then she’d asked they got the files on Willow in the first place. Ya know, the leftover files that were in the cabinets the fire destroyed.

This policeman, Riley is going to get a visit from her The Ring style. By their conversation, she knew he was in on the take. He might not know what is going on but he’s covering up for the perpetrator.

She won’t rest easy until those bastards suffer the same pain she experienced today.

“Susanna Deterrie has a history of schizophrenia!”

“Another name you got from the burned file from a condemned building filled with homeless squatters? Did you find the name of the two men who were died at the blast site along with your supposed arsonist? Have you investigate why there are two men near two mentally compromise girls?”

Susanna? It was Susanna who froze to death in the freezer? There were two guys in the kitchen with them?

Athena thought about the information she received and figured out how the explosion started.

Susanna didn’t have schizophrenia. Athena knows crazy and Susanna was definitely not crazy. She had a personality type, the legendary tsundere, or as Athena called it, the iceberg softie.

Susanna’s expression didn’t change. She always had a cold blank stare that gave everyone the shivers when they stare at her for too long. It doesn’t mean she’s emotionless. She just can’t express her emotions really well.

There are all different types of people. There are different types of perverts.

The two who were found in the kitchen with Willow and Susanna were probably Brand and John. Those two bastards always stared at Susanna when she walked by.

At first, Athena thought they were watching Susanna for any sudden moves since she heard Susanna was rumored to tend towards violence. Then she notices those stares carried a more lustful undertone, like a cat cornering the mouse after an invigorating chase. The sisters always made sure Susanna was never alone for long.

Since Willow got along better with Susanna, she was the one always looking out for her. The sisters were close to each other, but Susanna and Willow were the closest to each other.

Those perverts might have gotten wind of what’s going to happen to all the patients, no prisoners, so they decided to try and have a little fun with Susanna.

Willow must have gotten worried about Susanna so she came looking for her. Somehow, Susanna ends up being locked in the refrigerator as they tried to deal with Willow. The ‘leaky gas pipe’ the assholes were going to set off to destroy the evidences got started by Willow’s liter and created the explosion Athena heard.

Willow and the rapist were killed in the blast and Susanna froze to death in the refrigerator.

“Susanna, I failed you.” Athena cried in her heart. The temperature of most walk-in freezers are -10° F. At this temperature hypothermia takes about 10 minutes to set in, longer since it is a freezer and not in the middle of the Arctic Ocean with chilly winds sapping the heat from the body.

Athena estimated she had about 30 minutes to save Susanna. If only she knew! If only she knew! Then she’d have at least one of her sisters with her instead of being the sole survivor.

Survivors guilt flooded Athena’s heart. She was weak. She was stupid. They knew something was wrong with the hospitals but they ignored all the signs. Granted, the signs came from a supernatural source and they were crazy but Athena could have paid attention. The voices never lied to her before.

She just wanted to be with them a little longer. If they left the hospital, then they’d have to split up and the makeshift family she had would shatter as it has never been.

So she clung to her sisters and ignored the signs.

Stupid.

Stupid.

Stupid.

“What is going on here officers?”

Eric.

It was Eric’s voice.

Kind gentle Eric.

He’d tell them about patients in the building. He’d make them do a proper investigate and find the real perpetrators.

Her sisters will get their justice!

“Are you Eric Arganule, the owner of the building?”

“Yes, officer.”

“Do you know what is going on here?”

“No officer. The building was condemned two months ago and was scheduled to be torn down next month.”

“There has been an explosion in the building. Could you tell me how that could have happened?”

“I see. We’ve been having a lot homeless squatter living there. I didn’t have the heart to kick them out in the middle of winter. I left the electricity and gas on so they’d have a bit of warmth. I didn’t realize they’d be so careless to mess around.”

Liar!

It was a hospital ward!

There were a lot of patients there.

We were there!

Why?

Why are you lying, Eric?

Tell them the truth!

“I’m sorry girls, but I needed her heart.”

I trusted you. I trusted you and you were lying to me the whole time!

You bastard.

Bastard.

Betrayer.

Betrayer must die!