Part Five

Sora, in turn, struggled against the bonds that he was trapped in, trying to break free. "ERGH! RRRGGH!"

When the old gurney finally stopped, Sora was lifted off and unceremoniously thrown into what seemed to be a padded room, the door slamming shut behind him. Though hands and legs still bound, he could finally move his arms which were now sore from his constant thrashing. Wincing he reached up to pull the gag from his mouth. He groaned in pain as he tried to close his mouth, the muscles in his jaw seeming to have locked in place.

After managing to undo his binds, he soon looked up to see another person in the padded room, their back facing toward him.

"Hello?"

The figure turned, revealing a young girl. Her long hair was tangled and knotted and hung heavy with filth. She gazed at him with sunken eyes as she seemed to be nothing but skin and bones.

Sora became ashen as his heart began to pound wildly in his chest.

"What's the matter?" said the apparition. "Can't stomach what they've done to me?"

Her words quivered, but not with anger as one would expect. Her voice was quiet, like that of dried leaves, filled with sadness, fear, and pain of what she had been put through much of her life.

Sora stared. "Are you...Subject X?" He quietly inquired. "I'm here because of your...well, your book of scary stories." He told her quietly.

The girl scowled at the use of that name.

"That seems to be all I am to everyone, isn't it? Just a Subject that would be used then thrown away."

The skeletal girl moved in a series of jerks, as if she couldn't make her limbs obey her anymore. The tenor of her voice changed.

"But I learned to take the things they feared the most and use it to show what it was like when they stole my freedom for their selfish gain.."

Sora blinked a bit. "...what's your REAL name?" He wanted to know, speaking quietly.

The girl remained silent for a moment before she spoke once again.

"It.. I-it's Sarah.."

Sora, in turn, held out a hand. "That's a nice name. My name's Sora." He said warmly.

She regarded him a bit suspiciously but as she reached out, it was easy to see her hands were very skeletal and seemed to be only skin stretched over bone. As her hand made contact, it seemed to phase through as if she were only a projection of light.

"Ohhh..." Sora looked sadly down at it. "...you must be a ghost." He remarked. "I thought maybe my friends and I ended up in your time period or something...then maybe we could have busted you out of the asylum!"

"The things you've seen are the same things that I and others have been put through.. Yet.. The outside had always seemed to turn a blind eye.. No one knew of the horrors that went on inside here."

"I'm really sorry for what you've been through." Sora said gently. "But your Scary Stories have hurt my friends. You have to fix this, Sarah. PLEASE." He asked of her.

"I regret to say, once it has started, I am unable to stop it.. The only way for it to truly end is if a new keeper is chosen.. And only the blood of the keeper can change the book's outcome."

Sora looked surprised. Then he sighed. "So...how would...say...I become the new keeper?" He inquired.

"You must write within the book using your own lifeblood which will bind you to the book.. If only they had listened to what I had been wanting them to know.. I was not insane.. I was not a monster.."

Sora nodded. "Okay." He said. "You've got your copy of the book?" He asked of her. "I'll begin writing in it, then."

"You already own the very book I have created."

"Yeah...but I don't have it..." Sora sighed, holding his hands up. "I think that jerk doctor took it away from us...do you know where his office is?" He asked her.

She was silent as she reached out and amazingly, removed the still mostly tattered book from Sora's jacket pocket.

"It has not been taken.."

Sora was surprised. "Oh wow, he DIDN'T take it..." He opened up the book. "...so I need to sign my name in blood? Well..." He bit into his finger, drawing some blood. "Here goes..."

As his bleeding finger made contact with the paper within the old book, there was a sudden burning sensation which seemed to expand outward into his hand. He however ignored it as he soon began to write a new chapter in the book.

Sora cringed as he kept writing. He had to undo all of the terrible damage that had been done...REGARDLESS of the cost to himself. He had his friends to think of!

With the words written with his blood, Sora told of the horrible events that had taken place and the mistreatments many of the subject within the asylum had gone through. He mentioned many of the treatments and wrong doings at the hands of Dr. George Mason and the life Sarah also known as Subject X had been put through. As he finished writing, there was a soft sound from his right. It was Sarah dressed in white and it was then Sora could see she had been around the same age as him and his friends. Sarah was crying openly as she read his kind words and the truth he had written in blood.

She moved toward him and took his hand, surprisingly being able to hold it properly in hers.

"Thank you.."

There was a suddenly bright flash of light which filled the room with a blinding white glow. Shortly after it appeared, the light was gone.

Everything had once again transformed back into what it had been moments before they had entered the building. Dust covered the floors, the walls were peeling, and the lights above no longer buzzed with electricity.

Sora glanced around to find himself alone in the padded room, which was now falling to pieces from the lack of care. Sora jolted back in realization before he quickly stood from the floor. Turning on his heels, he sprinted out of the room and hurried up the dark and winding staircase, making his way up to the main floor where his friends were undoubtedly waiting for him.

Author's Note: I am extremely sorry for taking such a long time with this chapter.. I have been extremely busy with work.. I am also sorry if this is a bit rushed.. I will try to get more up soon..