Vengeful One - The Evil Within chapter 3
Michelle was still being held by the ghostly giant when she reclaimed her senses. She was sitting on a lumpy mattress, much like the one in her old cell. The sound of a soft, melancholic tune could be heard in the distance... Now that the light was gone, she could finally see where she was. Rows upon rows of handmade masks decorated the walls of this room with a writing desk directly in front of her. To her left was a single toilet and a sink but that was not what held her attention.
The man that still had her wrapped in his arms sat next to her. He slowly released his grip, pulling his hands back to hold her shoulders and tilted his head in confusion. He reached out to touch her mask but Michelle pulled away on reflex. He gripped her shoulders but didn't apply enough pressure to make it hurt. He let her go then touched his mask. Michelle mimicked his action and touched her own mask.
'They're the same' she thought to herself.
The man leaned back suddenly. He looked around then cocked his head as if he was straining to hear something. A deep male voice echoed in Michelle's mind.
'Who said that?'
Michelle quickly jumped to her feet. It was her turn to look around with the ghost watching her every move. She hadn't noticed it before but a headache had developed in her temples... and progressively got worse.
'Wait.. did. Did you hear me?'
Michelle looked straight at the ghost now standing with her. She couldn't shake the overwhelming familiarity and sense of security she felt with this man. She also knew that his voice was being spoken directly into her head. Not out loud. She nod once. There was only one explanation. She called out to him... it has to be him...
'Michael... is that you?'
The man stiffened then quickly grabbed her shoulders.
'Michelle?'
Michelle rush hugged him, squeezing him as tightly as she could. He was ghostly but he was solid and right now she just wanted to somehow be permanently fused to his chest. He gripped her just as tightly around her back... so much so that he almost crushed her to death. She reluctantly pulled out of the deadly embrace and bounced up and down.
'Mikey! Oh my God you got big!... Ow!'
'Shelly? What is it? What's wrong!?'
Michelle had gripped her head as the pain progressed into a migraine. It felt like her head was about to explode. A wave of exhaustion ripped through her, making her drop to her knees. Michel moved to catch her but his hands passed through her. He shimmered and disappeared. Just like that... the pain was gone.
'... Mikey?...'
There was no response. Slowly, Michelle rose to her feet. She searched her cell but saw no traces of her brother. She felt so empty without him. Suddenly a shimmer of blue light formed on the writing desk. It materialised into a piece of paper folded in half. It had a drawing of a smiling clown. She carefully picked up the supernatural gift and opened it.
Michelle.
I don't know if you'll get this... but I woke up on the floor with one hell of a headache. Dr. Loomis said I just collapsed and was catatonic or something, like in a coma with my eyes open. What the hell is going on?
Michelle quickly grabbed a piece of paper from under the writing desk and wrote her response.
Michael.
I don't know! I don't know how any of this works. I wish I did. My headache lifted as soon as you left. Are you ok? I can only guess that I'm back in STEM. It's some kind of mind experiment. That's all I know.
She folded the letter in half and quickly drew the face of a sad mime... so that he'd know it was definitely from her. It was their thing. Like the performing arts masks. She placed her letter on the desk and chanted over and over again.
'Please get to Michael. Please get to Michael. Please get to Michael. Please get to Michael.'
"Are we awake?"
Michelle was startled out of her silent chant by the monotone voice coming from the barred window of her cell door. She looked back down to her desk to see the letter was gone. Confused she looked back to the source of the voice as the lock for the door was disengaged. The heavy door creaked open to reveal a nurse dressed in the usual white dress and a deep red cardigan.
"This way please."
The nurse turned and walked away, leaving the door open for Michelle to follow. This was very strange. There were no orderlies to strap her in restraints or escort her outside. She hesitated before standing and leaving her cell. To her left was the end of the cell block. There was an antique mirror sitting above a dresser of sorts. No noise came from the other cells so she guessed no one else was here. Michelle turned right and exited the cell block.
The music was coming from an old school record player. Michelle had no idea what it was called. The nurse had already positioned herself behind the nurses station. She watched Michelle patiently as she surveyed the room. Now that they were in better lighting, Michelle could see that this was nurse Tatiana.
"Please sign in."
Tatiana motioned towards the patient sign in form in front of her with a pen close by. This made Michelle tilt her head to the side in confusion. This was highly irregular. Only patients who were here voluntarily would sign themselves in. Michelle is NOT here by choice. Sensing her hesitation, Tatiana spoke again.
"It's important to preserve your memories."
'Memories? I really am back in STEM... wait... if my memories are preserved here... I will be leaving a part of myself behind... NO I will not contribute to this place!'
Michelle's once calm deep blue eyes shifted into enraged black ones. She grabbed the pen positioned next to the sign in sheet and stabbed it into the desk... right where Tatiana's hand had been resting. Lucky for her, she moved it a second ago. The nurse didn't even bat an eyelash.
"There is no need to be violent Miss Myers."
Michelle was about to slam Tatiana's head into that pen when the sound of breaking glass caught her attention. She looked down the cell block and spotted a source of light that wasn't there before. Forgetting what she and Michael did to the curious cat, Michelle left to investigate the new light. It was coming from the antique mirror she spotted earlier. An endless stream of cockroach crawled along the walls as she walked past them, paying them no mind whatsoever.
She reached out and gently touched the glowing crack in the mirror. It broke on impact. A large piece of glass fall out of the frame, almost blinding Michelle with it's intensity. She felt her mind becoming hazy like it does when she's been medicated. She felt a sense of weightlessness as the light completely engulfed her. Suddenly, gravity felt like working again and she hit the ground hard, landing on her stomach.
Michelle looked around as she blinked away the blind stops burned into her retina. She was in a different room. It was old, run down, filled with broken furniture, covered in dust and cobwebs. A broken mirror hung crookedly on the wall in front of her. The entire interior of this room was made out of wood. Even the door behind her, which had a bloodied symbol of Beacon Mental Hospital painted onto the surface.
'Where the hell am I now?'