Holy shit, it's been ages since I last updated! Well, all I can say is sorry about the really long wait. It's just, my life has changed , for the better, since then. I didn't abandon the story nor do I plan to. Hopefully, the next update won't be too long.
To everyone who has reviewed this fan fiction so far: thank you so much, whether you wrote praises or criticism.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Aftermath
After having recovered from the initial shock of seeing all this pandemonium, the numerous police officers got to work. The six Maya had chosen to watch over the patients went on to round them all up. Some were easier to convince to return to the recreation room for the time being, others not so much. But as soon as they heard what the police officers' intentions were, they were willing to be more cooperative. The other officers had little to no trouble to find the nightshift employees – their only concern were now those who were currently not present. Fortunately, Maya was able to wipe up the list of current employees and was now skimming through it with a colleague to find out who they still had to apprehend. Meanwhile, Gerret and a couple of more officers ran up to the topmost floor and in the direction of Doctor Marcel's office. Each of them stopped dead in their tracks when they found a man with his face hidden by a paper bag over his head tied up by pink thread. They all stared at each other, unsure what to do. One eventually decided to help him up and to bring him to a police car. The others silently watched him escorting the strange, tied up man away. As soon as they were gone, the remaining officers collectively shrugged and Gerret turned around to the door leading to Doctor Marcel's office, kicking it in.
"Did you have to do that? Couldn't you just have opened it like any other person would?", one colleague asked conversationally.
"I felt like it, Olivia", Gerret replied as though kicking doors in was the most ordinary thing in the world. To say he was still a little bitter about being tied up to a wall would be an understatement. For years, he had been waiting to get his revenge. Just one step through the door and he found... not a single soul. The office was devoid of any human life, much to Gerret's astonishment. He stared around the room, his colleagues behind him and watching over his shoulder.
"Maybe he's somewhere else?", Olivia suggested.
"I guess you're right", Gerret sighed. The pale man left the room and closed the door in his disappointment while everyone else headed off towards the metal door they had previously ignored. He was unsure whether or not the door was unlocked, all he knew was he had to try. So, the young policeman tried and succeeded in opening the door. He was about to enter the cell behind the metal door if he had not immediately spotted the most curious sight he had ever seen. Tied up to the padded wall were Doctor Marcel, Anes and Hulgor, the same way Gerret himself was tied up all those years ago, the only difference being that the three seem to be waking up. Gerret blinked a few times before he bend over laughing. Some colleagues behind him chuckled at the sight while others just looked uncomfortable. Doctor Marcel, having noticed the policemen and women, glared at them all. A vein popped on his forehead as he yelled:
"Stop laughing and get us down here, you incompetent imbeciles!"
Gerret wiped a tear from his eye, chuckled a couple of more times and became serious again. He took out his police badge and showed it to Doctor Marcel, Anes and Hulgor, saying in a firm voice:
"You are all under arrest for kidnapping, deprivation of liberty and a whole lot of other inhuman actions towards your patients!"
This caused the color to drain from the three tied up men's faces. Gerret's colleagues went on to untie them only to handcuff them as soon as they were free. Two carried Doctor Marcel over to his wheelchair before bringing them outside to the cars. The doctor struggled and yelled how they could not do this to him. Those policemen and women left behind began collecting the darts as evidence.
Edna felt the warm rays of the sun on her face. She had turned around some time while asleep for she did not feel Alan at her front but behind her, his chest pressed against her back and his arms around her middle. She turned back on her other side and buried her face in the crook of his neck. It was only then when she realized there were voices above her and Alan. Edna snapped her eyes open and saw Bianca and Tina, who was holding her phone over the two in bed, watching them.
"What the hell are you two doing?", Edna snapped while keeping her voice down as to not to wake Alan.
"Sorry, but you two look so cute together we just couldn't resist", Bianca smiled apologetically. Edna's eyes traveled from her half-Italian friend over to Tina and then to her phone.
"Wait a minute, don't tell me you took pictures of us!", Edna exclaimed.
"Alright, then we won't say it", Tina shrugged while pocketing her phone.
"I'm kind of regretting giving it to you or taking it with me when I could have filled my inventory with other stuff", the young girl commented.
"Don't worry, I won't show them to anyone unless you want them to see them and I certainly won't post them on any social network sites", Tina assured her. "And Amy had bought rolls and croissants for us all for breakfast. So, if you're hungry..."
"And she says that this policeman who helped you out called. He wants to come over to see you, your boyfriend and Ben and Lilli later", Bianca informed her. Edna acknowledged the words with an okay and the other two left. Annoyed by her friends' antics, she stretched her upper body and she happened to look at the other bed – it was empty. A second later, she felt a pair of arms circling around her middle and then Alan's head resting on her shoulder.
"Morning", he greeted her, somewhat sleepily.
"Morning", Edna repeated, gently bumping her temple against his. "Slept well?"
"Yes, I did. You too?", Alan responded. She caressed his cheek with the back of her hand and nodded wordlessly in reply.
"There's something we need to discuss", she then said, now looking serious.
"And what would that be?", he asked, also looking serious. His penetrating gaze made Edna a little nervous so that she could not bring herself to say what she wanted, needed to ask at first. She took a deep breath and asked in a rush:
"What's our relationship?"
When he did not reply, she added, much calmer:
"I mean, are we together now or should we pretend we never confessed to each other last night?"
Alan gazed intently into her eyes as though he was trying to x-ray her.
"Well, what do you want?", he inquired. He looked and sounded serious; there was none of the gentleness he displayed a minute ago. Edna stared open-mouthed at him, at a loss of what she wanted to say. It was only when Alan added an impatient "well" did she remember he was waiting for an answer.
"I... I... would... ac-actually like it", she stammered nervously. She took one deep inhale and exhale and elaborated: "To be honest, I've been wanting to be your girlfriend since I realized I feel more than friendship towards you."
Alan stroked her hair, tugging a strand behind her ear.
"Then I suggest we can officially say we're together", he declared, smiling at Edna who returned it.
Shortly after their talk, the new couple had gotten dressed and gone downstairs for breakfast. Gerret, who looked like he had not slept at all judging from the bags under his eyes, arrived about ten minutes after they had started eating and he accepted Amy's offer of coffee and breakfast. They ate in silence; Edna wondered what Gerret wanted. Was he here to tell them he had been unable to apprehend Doctor Marcel? Maybe she should not be so hasty and make assumptions, she would know soon enough.
Once the three were fed and watered, they did not lean back but looked at each other with a serious expression on their faces.
"What do you want to talk about with us?", Edna asked. She noticed Alan glancing more attentively at Gerret. The ashen-faced man cleared his throat and spoke calmly:
"I need your and your friends' testimonies about everything regarding last night. I reckon this was just the tip of the iceberg."
"Why didn't you call and ask us to come to the station?", questioned Edna, furrowing her eyebrows.
"We put Doctor Marcel in custody there and, frankly, he's been getting on my nerves all night long", Gerret explained, massaging his temples. "He just won't shut up about how he will be out of there soon. Also, I don't want to risk him overhearing anything we're talking about. I mean, I was lucky enough to convince him to rid the victims he hypnotized from their hypnosis. Wasn't easy, though."
"How did you manage that?", Edna asked astonished.
"I told him he'd be let out of jail sooner", Gerret replied. He leaned forward, dropped his voice in a whisper as though Doctor Marcel was listening nearby and added: "I lied about that."
Edna smiled benignly while Gerret returned to his former position.
"Of course, this means he –", he nodded in the Key Master's direction, "– would need to see him again, so he can be freed from his hypnosis."
Edna looked at Alan who did not seem neither too happy nor too angry to have to see the man who had ruined his and many other people's lives again. In fact, he seemed passive about this.
"I know it's not easy after everything that has happened", Gerret said sympathetically. "But at least you won't be under hypnosis anymore."
Alan glanced at Edna, who took his hand to give it a reassuring squeeze.
"He's right, and it would be better if you weren't hypnotized anymore", she said. He remained silent, his eyes averted with a faraway look. Edna was not sure whether or not she should say something. She was not even sure if that all made sense. Could a person completely snap out of their hypnosis or were they actually under its influence until they were freed? Perhaps it depended on what the hypnotizer intended to do with his victim. Doctor Marcel made her forget her past again and again but she was always to remember little by little. Although she was not sure if she had been really hypnotized. Also, Doctor Marcel once mentioned Harvey was the anchor to her past, so maybe it got something to do with that.
"Perhaps it would be better if I see Doctor Marcel again if that means I would be free from the hypnosis", Alan broke the silence at last. The two pairs of eyes were directed at him, waiting for him to continue. "Who knows how many of my crimes were done just because someone nearby said the wrong word..."
Neither Edna nor Gerret said anything. She actually wondered whether the murders she knew he had committed could be contributed to his being hypnotized. Gerret, meanwhile, looked as though he had no idea what to say about this subject. He took the folders from his case, which leaned against his chair, and cleared his throat:
"We searched Doctor Marcel's house and asylum and, well, we found out some disturbing things."
He opened a folder and wordlessly pushed it across the table towards Edna and Alan. The two huddled together over it. She only skimmed through it but it was enough to disturb her too; the first page was about Doctor Marcel's first attempt to rewrite her personality, which included her being shocked by so many volts that she was near death. Indeed, as she flipped through the pages, electroshock cropped up quite often – aside from hypnosis and memory erasing. There were also mentions of her being punished for trying to escape; if she thought about it, she was sometimes covered in bruises – were those the result of these punishments? Aside from the things concerning her, the things Doctor Marcel – particularly what he confessed last night – were also mentioned. Gerret had slid over a second file in the meantime, which they went over, too. This one was about the Key Master and his crimes. What shocked Edna and Alan most about this file was the amount of times Doctor Marcel managed to force him to murder other patients. Alan turned away from the file and refused to look anyone, even Edna, in the eyes. She closed the folders and slid both back across the table to Gerret.
"Not pretty, is it?", he commented. "And that was only a part of what we found. Doctor Marcel had countless files about you, Edna, and the evolution of his correction of character method as well as the erasure of childhood in his home."
"Was this perhaps why I couldn't find anything about myself when I used the computer in the asylum?"
"Probably. But the files about you", Gerret was now addressing Alan, "were also well-hidden despite them being stored on the asylum computer."
For a moment, Edna pondered whether she ever wanted to know the full extent of how far Doctor Marcel would go or had gone before she decided she had a pretty good idea of it. Tina appeared in the kitchen, took a seat and Gerret filled her in with what they were talking about.
"What I don't understand", the chubby blond started in a low voice after Gerret had told her everything, "is why he –", she nodded at Alan, "– was suddenly not under Doctor Marcel's control anymore after Edna confessed her feelings for him."
The only one who had not been present at this memorable moment gawked at Edna and Alan; Tina simply smirked and winked at the purple haired woman. Edna blushed and nervously tugged a strand of hair behind her ear. Fortunately, Amy came to her rescue by also appearing, causing Tina to pose her a question:
"Amy, d'you know why the hypnosis stopped working?"
"Well...", she started, taken by surprise at being asked so unexpectedly. "Hypnosis is not something I like to use, so it's not really my field of expertise, but I know you can switch off hypnosis by using a word – a codeword, if you will. Although I don't know if it's switched off permanently or if the hypnosis is switched on again if you use the word again. But if a certain word Edna used at that moment really is the codeword as I think it is, then it would seem the hypnosis is switched off. Only time will tell whether it's permanently or temporarily..."
"So, you reckon an L-word with four letters was the codeword, huh?", Tina inquired to which Amy nodded and shrugged at the same time. "Are ya shittin' my leg?"
She said the last part so loudly that some those around her gave a start. Still, Edna wondered why they avoided saying the word 'love'. It was kind of awkward how Amy and Tina tried not using the word. But if she thought about it, they had a point. What if the word 'love' was only the codeword for switching Alan's hypnosis on and off? Neither of them knew, so they tried to avoid a disaster.
"Calm down, if I hadn't said anything who knows if we might still be here", Edna remarked, rolling her eyes. "Besides, you wanted me to tell him of my feelings."
"True", Tina shrugged. Her eyes traveled to Alan, who still avoided looking anyone in their ocular organs. "But it seems he's not exactly happy at the moment. Hey", she was now talking to Alan, "what's the matter?"
However, he said nothing, which worried Edna. Ever since she and him had looked at the files he had been so awfully quiet. Just what disturbed him so greatly that he refused to look at anyone?
"Alan?", Edna said tentatively, putting her hand on his shoulder. However, his reaction was not at all how she expected it to be; he sprang up and rushed out of the kitchen. Edna stared perplexed after him and then at her companions, at a loss for words. Without thinking, she jumped up too and followed her new boyfriend.
Everyone else at their table gaped after him, hardly comprehending what just happened the last minute. Tina was even about to follow them but Amy stopped her by taking a hold of her arm and saying:
"Don't! Give them some time."
"Alright...", Tina nodded, easing back to her chair, her eyes never leaving the door through which Alan and Edna disappeared. It was only when Gerret cleared his throat did she draw her eyes away from the door.
"If you don't mind, I would like to go on. I showed them the reason why I wanted to talk to the two already, so their presence isn't necessarily required anymore. Anyway, I had a couple of colleagues – a lot, actually – from the next town over when we searched the asylum and, well, we have every guard in custody", Gerret explained, setting his eyes on Amy. "And that's where you come in. Some of the guards are willing to give testimonies against Doctor Marcel. Now then, I would like to know if you and your boyfriend would be willing to do the same, Amy."
"I can ask him but I think he agrees. Anything for Doctor Marcel to gets what he deserves", she replied.
"Very well. I'm going to drive over to the next town in two hours to hear out the other guards. You and Ben can come along and give your testimony there", Gerret suggested, to which Amy agreed.
Alan meandered through the streets of the village he spent a considerable number of years of his life in, albeit most of them inside a mental institution. He was already disturbed when he was told how Doctor Marcel hypnotized him to kill other patients but seeing it actually written on paper was what made it sink in. However, what made him feel even worse were the murders he committed outside the asylum, like the reverend or several people after he fled this village. There was no way he could use hypnosis as an excuse, no matter what anyone said. Before he murdered the gang that killed his old girlfriend and family he had never displayed any signs of wanting to do anyone in. It was only after the incident and getting into the asylum. Still, what if he had a relapse? What if next time he could not control himself his victim was Edna or one of her friends? He could never forgive himself if killed any of them. There was once a time he would have hardly cared but since he and Edna got closer, he could not stand the thought of upsetting her. To think that he once saw this girl as a pawn to escape his prison disguised as padded room... He did not even know when he developed feelings for her, only that he realized one day he had those.
"Alan! Wait for me!", he heard Edna call a few meters behind him. He had half the mind to just keep walking and ignore her calls but he decided to let her catch up instead.
"What's the matter? Why did you run off?", Edna asked once she was level with him. Alan hesitated but then he proceeded to tell her what had been occupying his mind since they had skimmed through the files Gerret had shown them. They were near her old house when he finished relating this all to her. She did not look at him but at the blue cloudless sky without saying a single word. Alan wished at the moment he was able to read minds.
"I think I understand now but", at last Edna looked at him, "what makes you think you're gonna snap and kill a random person? I mean, sure, it happened before but who says you're gonna do it again, hm?
Alan stared speechlessly at her, not believing what he just heard. It sounded all so naïve and yet, he thought she had a point. Was there really a reason his fears would come true?
"Perhaps we should make a list of the murders you committed as well as the times they happened. Who knows, we might find a pattern", Edna suggested. Alan could hardly imagine it would accomplish anything but nevertheless agreed on this. They hurried the rest of the way to her old home, where they sat on the ground in the backyard. He still had some sheets of papers from the asylum with him, so one was used to write down his victims – at least those he could remember – and the respective time frame. After ten minutes, he was done counting the names down and he and Edna looked over the list. There was one thing they noticed at once: most murders happened not long after Doctor Marcel had him hypnotized, up to approximately three months. Afterwards, there were hardly any murders and if there were, they were far between with the most recent being the one with Helmut Diener, which the police had not solved yet.
"Hm, looking at the list, I reckon the hypnosis you've been under has something to do with those killings...", Edna muttered. "I mean, Doctor Marcel stated he put you under hypnosis whenever he wanted you to kill a patient. What if he never lifted it and it wore off over time? Can hypnosis even wear off over time?"
"If it's really the case, then it must take a long time to wear off considering I even committed murders a few months after our escape", Alan remarked. He still thought this did not help but he had never realized how close several murders were to each other and how far between others were. Perhaps he could after all blame the hypnosis he was unknowingly under for some of these but not the one he committed a few weeks ago that led to Edna being mad at him as well as the first murder he ever committed. He was quick to point this out to her and she, in response, scanned the list once more.
"You got a point there... But I still believe we can blame the hypnosis... That word has cropped up quite a lot, hasn't it?"
Alan was amazed how determined she was to believe the murders were not his fault. It was hard to believe that the same person once mistrusted him and believed he was a killer. He really hoped the feelings she had for him did not blind her. The last thing he wanted was for her was that her current and future judgments about him would be clouded.
"I really don't know what to think about your optimism", Alan admitted. Edna shrugged and smiled sheepishly.
"We could consult Amy", she suggested.
"If she can help us, I don't see why not", Alan replied.
Miranya was exhausted. She spent all night long communicating with the deceased and actually dozed off at the crack of dawn when she said good bye to the final ghost. She had woken up only a minute ago and all she wanted was to go home and sleep for a week or two. But how would her home look like now? Miranya was a single woman who lived alone in a little house. Unless somebody had taken care of it over the last few years, she should consider sleeping out in the open before doing some big humongous cleaning. Still, she was fortunate that she had a home to go back to and Miranya walked down the road she had not frequented for so long. The thought of returning to her sanctuary, her humble abode, was nice, terrific even. She had thought more often than not that she would be stuck in Doctor Marcel's mental institution for the rest of her life. Miranya knew she had to get her life back together but she was confident she would manage.
At last the Medium reached her home – a lonely little house at the edge of the village. On the outside it looked just like it did when she left it to go to the graveyard years ago. However, it was the inside she was worried about. But she would only know how bad her home needed to be cleaned if she were to enter it. Taking one deep breath, she entered her house after taking the spare key she hid under a flower pot.
There were two things Miranya immediately noticed upon entering her house – a thick layer of dust and an uncountable number of cobwebs everywhere she turned her eyes to. Seeing her once cozy home like this made her wish she had someone to take care of it. Perhaps they would even have reported her as missing when she disappeared one night. But then again, what if her colleagues from her old job already did this? She did not know; she had been so disconnected from everything for so long.
"No time like the present to start living again", Miranya mumbled and left her home, intending to search for Amy's house and ask for assistance in cleaning her house… and to ask if she could sleep at her place.
Edna and Alan returned to Amy and Ben's house, where Amy, Tina and Lilli were waiting for them. They all looked serious and both Edna and Alan got a foreboding feeling when the therapist approached them.
"We need to talk", she stated seriously. Without further ado she led the two the living room with Tina and Lilli in tow. Edna pondered what this was all about as they followed her and she noticed there was no trace of Anika, Gregor, Sebastian and Bianca.
"Where's your sister and the others?", she asked.
"Home", Amy replied and indicated at the couch when they arrived in the living room. "Sit down."
Edna and Alan did as they were told and her eyes fell on the folders lying innocently on the coffee table. Those were the same ones the young couple had skimmed through earlier. Suddenly, she knew what was going on. Amy stood with her arms crossed in front of them, flanked by Tina and Lilli. Edna felt as though she and Alan were being interrogated.
"I went over your files; I haven't read everything but enough to know what's going on", Amy stated. She turned to Alan: "You're the man known as 'The Key Master', aren't you?"
He looked at Edna and she knew he was silently asking her whether or not he should confirm. She took his hand in hers and gave it a little squeeze. This seemed to be enough of a reassurance for him.
"Yes, I am", he confirmed. Edna saw Amy and Tina exchanging glances; they were probably surprised that he admitted it so willingly and readily. However, they soon regained their composure and the therapist continued speaking, though tentatively as if she was afraid of saying something wrong:
"Anyway, I would like you to have a therapy session... if you don't mind, that is."
"If you think you can figure my character out, sure", Alan shrugged. He did not give the impression as though he had much fate in her but Edna was still glad he was willing to let her try.
"Actually, we wanted to ask you if you could hold a therapy session for him", Edna chimed in. "We more or less discussed the murders he committed and I had him write down the names of his victims, if he happened to know the names. Uh, here."
Edna produced the folded up piece of paper from her pocket and handed it over to Amy. She skimmed through the names while Tina stepped forward.
"There's also something else...", she began, looking uncomfortable. Edna and Alan looked apprehensively at her but she did not go on.
"And are you going to tell us what else there is or do we have to find out if we can read minds to find out what you're talking about?", the purple haired woman inquired, somewhat sarcastically.
"Well, while we were skimming through the files, we learned that he –", she nodded at Alan, "– committed murder while not being under the influence of hypnosis. I'm talking, of course, about the murder that led him to becoming a patient in the asylum. Now, we don't know whether or not he had done more people in while not being hypnotized but still...", she trailed off, glancing uncertainly at Amy.
"We thought it would be better if he would flee abroad to avoid ending up in prison", she finished for Tina, looking up from the list she was reading. Edna recalled how her boyfriend had mentioned more than once that he would probably do what Amy just suggested, which was also one reason she was so reluctant to reveal her feelings for him. She did not want him to end up behind bars or, worse, being executed like Mattis but the thought of being separated from him because he was in a different country did not have its merits either.
"I had the same thought", Alan admitted. "If you have a suggestion, I'd be glad to hear it."
"Well, not exactly", replied Amy, smiling sheepishly. Edna raised an eyebrow, not sure what she should think about the fact that Amy had no suggestion at all.
"But we think it would be advisable to flee to a country he can speak the language of", Tina chimed in.
"Of course, we need a lot of preparations but I think we can manage it. You and Edna wouldn't be able to communicate with each other at first, unless we get you a laptop now, but I'm sure you'll be able to video chat in a few months when you can afford one", Amy said when Tina raised her hand. Everyone looked at her and waited for her to speak:
"I could be wrong but I think my uncle has a laptop he doesn't need. Not the best but it would do – you could surely video chat."
"Well, then this little issue's solved. But, before we further discuss this, I would like to hold the therapy session with Alan first, okay?"
Amy looked expectedly at Tina but also at Lilli and Edna, all of who began to leave the room. Amy eyed Alan questioningly as the three females were leaving:
"Unless you want them to be here?"
"I... I think I would prefer if we could keep this private", the green-skinned man replied. His eyes fell on Edna, who looked back at him and gave him a tiny smile.
"Okay...", Amy nodded and addressed Edna, Tina and Lilli: "Well, you heard him. I have to ask you to leave, after all."
"Hey, no sweat", Tina spoke for them all. "Alan's your patient now and we can't force you to let us hear about his troubles. It's his decision if he wants to let us know."
She pretended to tip a nonexistent hat and left the room, followed by Edna and Lilli, who both waved good bye. The three girls moved away from the living room door and towards the kitchen.
"You know, no matter the result of the therapy session, I still think it would be better if he starts a new life abroad", Tina remarked. "Of course with you joining him next year after your graduation, Edna."
"Guess you're right... But when do you suppose he should flee?", Edna questioned, wary of what her friend might give as an answer.
"As soon as possible but I think you two will still have a few days with each other", Tina replied, a knowing smirk playing across her face. Edna nodded but did not say anything. At least she did get some time to spend with her boyfriend but the knowledge he would be gone dampened it somewhat.
"Hey, don't be sad. You can join him wherever he goes after you finished your education", Tina went soothingly on as though she knew what Edna was thinking. "It'll be less than a year but if you two are serious about your relationship, you can do it. Also, there are still some school breaks in-between and you can use those to visit him."
Once again, Edna nodded; she did not know what to say to this. Tina and Lilli exchanged worried glances.
"How about you get Harvey and we all go out and find termites? We could teach them some tricks, like acrobatics?", the youngest of them proposed. This lifted Edna's mood.
"Yeah, we could start a termite circus!", she exclaimed enthusiastically. "I go get Harv!"
Without further ado, she ran upstairs and to the guest bedroom.
"About time! I was starting to think you would leave me here to rot!", the blue lagomorph exclaimed the moment his owner stepped into the room. Edna gave him a significant look.
"We were only gone to talk with Gerret and then we had a conversation with Amy and Tina", she told her rabbit, raising her eyebrow.
"We as in the royal we? Or as in you and the Key Master?", Harvey questioned. Then, without waiting for an answer, he went on: "Whatever, let's ditch skinny Hulk and go home!"
"No!", Edna replied, a little more forcefully than she intended. "We're not leaving, not until Tina and Alan say so. We came here to rescue Tina and I'm not going to leave my boyfriend behind."
"What do you see in this guy anyway? He's a mad murderer!", Harvey argued.
"Not necessarily. The murders he committed were perhaps not his fault", Edna retorted. "He was probably under hypnosis when he committed them. You heard what Doctor Marcel said last night."
"Yeah sure but can you be sure he would not have done them if he had not been in trance?", Harvey questioned.
"I think he would have only done them in if they had given him a valid reason but if there was none, then I would suspect he would have only hurt them", the former patient of an asylum replied, knowing full well she would have said something different a few months ago.
"Have you ever realized that you're blinded by your feelings for him?", the blue rabbit asked coolly. Edna did not reply but glared at Harvey. Just because she had developed feelings for a man, did it not mean she lost the ability to use her mind. Why could he not understand this? Why could Harvey not see that there are things that changed over time? His short time as hypnosis doll for Doctor Marcel and the years of separation from her should be enough of an evidence. But still, there was one thing that would never change...
"Harv, just because I started a relationship with Alan now doesn't it mean I'm gonna forget you", she said calmly. "You will always be a part of my life, no matter what."
"Really? Will we always be a team? Will it always be Edna and Harvey?"
"Of course there will be. You're my oldest and best friend. Nothing can separate us forever."
Her words seemed to have soothed her blue friend for he smiled cheerfully. Edna took it as a sign to sit next to him and take him into her arms. She began stroking the top of his head, which made him sigh contently.
"Just so you know, he's currently in a therapy session with Amy. Maybe it will provide some answers", Edna remarked. Harvey gave no response. "By the way, what were you and my mother talking about while you two were all alone? Back there, in the limbo?"
"Oh, we were talking about the adventure you and me had when we broke out of the asylum and how much you have grown over the years", Harvey replied. "Vivian's really happy you managed to find a way out of your predicament; she hated seeing you imprisoned."
A smile spread across Edna's face upon hearing this. She had had a feeling that her mother felt like this about all that but actually hearing confirmation made this all better.
"Oh yes, we – that is Tina, Lilli and me – are going to look for termites and train them for the circus."
This resulted in Harvey staring at her with big bright eyes. He resembled a child who was about to meet Santa.
"Really? Oh, I wanna come along!", Harvey exclaimed joyously. Edna smiled benignly and stood up with him in her arms. She returned to Tina and Lilli and they left the house.
Back in the living room, Alan had described to Amy the murders he committed in his life. She did not interrupt him once but made notes, occasionally nodding. He fell into silence when he finished speaking. Amy, meanwhile, did not say a single word but instead skimmed through her notes.
"Hm, this is quite complicated. I'm not even sure if I understand this at all", she finally spoke up.
"If it's any comfort for you, no psychiatrist or psychologist ever figured my psyche out", Alan commented. Amy narrowed her eyes.
"Now you're telling me! And what makes you think I can?", she asked irritably.
"You were the one who offered to have this therapy session", Alan pointed out.
"Touché", the therapist grunted before her eyes widened. "Wait a minute! You still wanted a session even I hadn't suggested it!"
"That was Edna's idea."
"Ugh fine. Whatever. I will just try my best!", Amy exclaimed rolling her eyes. She inhaled and exhaled a few times to calm her nerves and then went on in a much quieter voice:
"Well, most murders you committed were in the asylum under hypnosis, so I'm not even sure if those can be blamed on you. However, the murders following the breakout are more interesting cases. We don't know whether or not Doctor Marcel lifted the hypnosis after you committed the murders he wanted you to commit. Assuming he didn't, then I would say the murders following your breakout can't be blamed on you. But the question is... when can they?"
Amy stared with unfocused eyes on her notes. A deep crease appeared between her eyebrows. Alan let her be for a few minutes before he cleared his throat. Amy jumped as though she had forgotten he was there.
"And what if I wasn't under the influence of hypnosis?"
"Well, um... uh... I think you shouldn't let the police know about the murders you committed then... But...", Amy trailed off, her eyes once again on her notes. She sighed. "I have a theory..."
Alan surveyed her expectantly wondering what it was. Amy, however, looked nervous and unsure.
"Now then... you committed your first murder because those who were really important to you were murdered, right?", without waiting for an answer, she went on: "My theory is that the trauma of seeing you dead family and girlfriend caused something in your brain to snap. You developed something like a split personality disorders – maybe you always had it and it only started to show after this incident – but, unlike how it normally should be with split personality, you are for the most part aware of what your other self is up to. For all we know, Doctor Marcel was aware of it too; perhaps he even diagnosed it, and used his hypnosis to call forth your second personality, the murderous you."
"So you assume that's the reason I committed all these murders was because of a trauma induced split personality disorder?", Alan questioned incredulously.
"Pretty much, although I think your second personality doesn't reveal itself that often when you're not in trance. My theory is that it only reveals itself either when you're in danger or people you deeply care about. I mean, you murdered that guy whose corpse was found a few weeks ago because he planned to make Edna his newest slut and you killed the gang because they killed your family and girlfriend, though I have no comment on what you did with the body parts... But anyway, as for those between the breakout and your reunion with Edna, I reckon those happened because you were afraid you would be back in the asylum if you let them live after they've seen you. That's also why you became more careful, you didn't want to murder any more people if you could help it."
Amy stopped talking and massaged her temples. Then she leaned back and stared up at the ceiling.
"I've a feeling I missed some things in university..."
Edna and Harvey's search for termites ended in a failure. No matter where they looked, they did not find any of these little animals but only ants and ladybugs, none of which were exactly appealing for a circus. Both the young woman and her rabbit sat on a garden chair, the latter on her lap, with Tina sitting next to them and reading a comic. Lilli, who had also been looking for termites, came up to them.
"Did you find any?", Edna asked while patting the empty chair next to her invitingly. Her young friend shook her head and took a seat next to her.
"Oh well, guess we have to scratch that idea for now. But tell me, how have you been doing since we last saw each other? Gerret told me that a married couple adopted you. How's your new family?", Edna questioned with a smile.
"They're really nice, they treat me like I'm really their child", Lilli replied happily. Both girls went on to tell each other about their respective lives since the memorable day when Lilli had entered the asylum for the first time in her life. Edna was glad to hear her friend had a family – new parents – who cared about Lilli. She, in turn, was at first confused as to why Edna had attended a school class where everyone was several years younger than her until she explained the reason behind it. While they talked, they reminisced about their time in the convent school and they agreed to stay in contact after they parted ways once more. It was then when the door opened and Alan and Amy came into the backyard. They headed straight towards the three females, all of who had their ocular organs on them.
"How did the therapy session go?", Tina asked while closing the comic book.
"It had to be the most confusing and puzzling session I ever had! If you don't mind, I would prefer not talking about it", Amy replied, sitting down on an unoccupied chair. "Just... just speak with him about this, okay? I really need a break after this."
She rested her head on the table and closed her eyes. It seemed as though she was napping. Edna stared at her before she moved her head so that her eyes fell on Alan. He gave her a significant look and she knew she ought to give him some time to stomach the result of the therapy session. She could always talk to him about it later. Tina had left the table and wandered around the property. No one said anything, perhaps none knew what to say. It was only when Edna's phone began to ring when they all reacted, in this case by jumping. She removed herself from the small group and answered her phone:
"Hello? Bianca?"
"Hey, Edna. Just wanted to know how you're doing", she heard her half-Italian friend on the other end of the line. "And we wanted to know whether you'll be back today or tomorrow."
"Well, we're doing fine. Don't know when we'll be back, though."
"Hm, okay. Oh, and I just met Gabrielle. She told me that she, Heike and Daniel are all invited to give testimony about the incident in the park again today. She assumes you're invited as well."
"Guess we'll find that letter when we're back", Edna calmly replied.
"Yeah, guess so."
Edna looked at the watch. It was around midday. If they were to go home now, they would be back in time for lunch. But they could also stay here longer.
"Well, I'll contact you when we get back. See you."
"Yeah, bye."
Edna hung up and returned to Amy, Alan and Lilli.
"Gabrielle, Heike and Daniel are supposed to give testimonies about the incident at the park", she told them without preamble. The therapist stared at her as though she had only just noticed her.
"Uh... what?", she questioned and thus, Edna went on to quickly tell to her what Bianca relayed to her.
In the evening, Edna, Alan and Tina were driven home by Amy. Ben had gone to work to make it seem as though he did not know anything about what had happened the previous night. Miranya had arrived shortly after Edna told them about Gabrielle, Heike and Daniel having to give their testimonies to the police. The Medium had asked them if they could help her clean up her house which they did until it was time for Edna, Alan and Tina to get home. By that time, they had managed to clean up a considerable amount so that it was livable again for Miranya.
They said good bye to her and Lilli, who had come along because she would have been all alone at Amy's house, in front of the apartment complex Tina and Edna lived in. With one final wave from the little girl with pigtails, she and Amy departed while the other three went up to the apartment – Tina stopped at the mailboxes and got her and Edna's mail.
"Ah, home sweet home!", Tina exclaimed the moment she stepped into the living room, spreading her arms out. Edna also felt good being back here; in a place she would not see the asylum in the distance. Tina placed the mail on the dining table and Edna took one that was addressed to her. Indeed, it was from the police and, as Gabrielle had predicted, she had an appointment in two days.
"When did you have to be at the police station, Princess?", Alan inquired.
"The day after tomorrow", the young purple haired woman replied after placing the letter back on the table.
"Well, enough time for you to get ready and think of what you're gonna say. Best is to stick to the truth", Tina said as she disappeared into her room. Edna agreed and, without further ado, let herself fall onto the couch with a big heavy sigh. She was glad cleaning time was over. She really hated cleaning, even if she knew and accepted that it was necessary from time to time. Edna noticed Alan appearing beside her, so she sat up for him to sit down next to her. Alan also took a seat on the couch and reached for the remote, looking at Edna questioningly. She nodded and he turned the television on, skimming through the channels. In the end, he stopped at some quiz show. There was a question about the favorite fruit of the Minions from Despicable Me.
"Banana!", Tina exclaimed in answer of the question behind the two, making them jump. Both Edna and Alan whirled around and glared at Tina, who grinned apologetically.
"How about pizza for dinner?", she suggested. Edna and Alan were both for it and so, Tina ordered a big pizza for the three of them. Afterwards, she joined them watching the quiz show and after this was over and their pizza arrived, they spent the rest of the evening watching movies until they dozed off.
Morning came. Edna did not remember when she dozed off, but she was sure it was after the 'Biggus Dickus' scene in The Life of Brian since she could vaguely recall how she remembered her confusion about the part as a child. Now as an adult, she understood the joke and laughed merrily.
Tina was nowhere to be seen, having been gone since before Edna had woken up. It was just her and Alan, eating their breakfast in silence. After all that had happened in the last two days, it felt kind of weird to sitting there in her chair. Especially since he, the Key Master, sat next to her – the man whose identity she had kept secret from her friends. But she was also aware this would not always be like this. He was going to leave the country and she knew she was going to follow him a year later, when she finished her school education at last.
"Do you have any plans for today, princess?", he asked her, breaking the silence.
"No, not really", Edna replied, shaking her head. Behind her, she heard a door opening and closing. "Maybe a walk through town?"
"The fair's still there for a few days", Tina said, appearing behind them with a small shopping bag in her hand. Edna looked questioningly at it. "Oh, I needed new shampoo and toothpaste", Tina answered the unspoken question.
"Well, the fair doesn't sound that bad", Alan commented. "I wouldn't mind going there."
"Last time doesn't seem to be enough for you", Edna commented, stirring her coffee.
"Hm… nope", Alan responded smirking before taking a sip from his coffee.
"Well, then it's settled?", Tina asked chuckling at the two. "To the funfair?"
"To the funfair", Edna and Alan said simultaneously, much to Tina's amusement – judging from her grin.
