An ear-splitting shriek swiped through the air like a blade. Alicia's hands were firmly placed over her ears as she screamed, squeezing tighter and tighter on her skull. Her greasy tresses were a tangled rat's nest atop of her head. Blood, a dark and sickening red, drizzled from her nose and onto her lips. If she noticed, she made no effort to wipe it away. The wrinkled hospital gown suggested that she was a patient but the carnage splattered across it suggested otherwise. A wild look filled her beady brown eyes; no traces of the old, chaste Alicia left.
Immediately, doctors that were scattered across the Psychiatric Ward gathered in the visiting room. They pulled and tugged her arms down and a nurse swiftly wiped across her nose, leaving a red streak on her pale skin. It used to be tan but that faded when she was sent to this place. Dragging her through the halls and back to her chamber; Alicia's dry, rugged feet kicked in attempt to rebel against their efforts. But alas, they overtook her and clumsily tossed her into her room, sure to lock the door behind them.
She recovered from crashing to the ground and stood, banging on the door with all the energy she had. "Help me! They're everywhere! Don't leave me alone with them!" she cried. No one listened. The shadows sneered and laughed at her, pointing their daunting little fingers. She spun around-back against the door-and slid to the ground, hugging her bony legs and rocking herself gently. "Hush little baby, don't say a word" she hummed in a faraway and frail voice. "Mamma's gonna buy you a mocking bird."
And if that mockingbird don't sing,
Mamma's gonna buy you a diamond ring.
Before she knew it, she drifted to sleep.
...
She felt warmth. A pleasant warmth. A warmth that she hadn't felt since she came to that wretched place. Her eyes snapped open to see blank faces staring back at her. Actual blank faces, like Slender Man.
"Memento Mori" they hissed through their nonexistent mouths. Her eyes widened in fear. they're back, she concluded uneasily. "Memento Mori"
She closed her eyes once more and mumbled "I don't see you, I don't see you, I don't see you!"
"Memento Mori" they droned again, louder this time and inching closer to her.
"Go away!" she commanded, as if that would faze them. She knew it wouldn't. Suddenly, she heard the door fly open and the buzz of the faceless people instantly dissipating into the air. She sunk back into her bed, calmer now. Her eyelids peeled open to find a nurse with towels in her hand and a fresh robe for Alicia.
"Ms. Rivera," the nurse snobbishly pursed her lips, analyzing the Latina's cold body. "How exactly did you get all this blood onto your cleanest gown?"
Alicia looked down sheepishly and sat up on the edge of her bed, wagging her feet gently. "There was blood in my underwear."
The nurse simply rolled her eyes. "Ms. Rivera, we've been over this. If you need a pad or a tampon, just let one of the nurses or doctors know. Now change into-"
"Wait!" she yelled, stopping her legs from moving anymore and stomping them to the concrete. She darkened her voice. "I didn't tell you the whole story."
"Okay." the nurse tapped her foot impatiently. "Go on."
Alicia smiled, glad that the nurse would take the time to listen to her tale of tragic proportions. "Well I woke up, and the blood was not only in my underwear, but smeared on my dress too." the nurse muttered 'obviously' but Alicia paid no attention. "And there were hand prints. On the bed, on the walls, on the furniture. But My hands were clean, see?" she lifts up her bare palms and while they had dirt and pricks, there was no blood to be found. "So someone was in here. And if someone, dare I say-"
"Ms. Rivera. There are no hand prints on the walls," her nurse quickly dismissed the thought. "Now, you have to change into a new gown and get some rest."
Her eyes widened in horror at the thought of going back to sleep...alone. "Actually," she perked up. "Do you think I could go to the visiting room? Or the studio? My phase is over now."
The nurse sighed reluctantly and nodded, tossing the robes in her direction and waiting for her to change.
"Massie!" Kristen tugged at her blonde hair. "What are we going to do?!"
"What if someone finds out?!" Dylan looked around.
"What about Leesh?!" Claire pouted.
"How will we survive?!"
"I'm scared!"
"Stop!" Massie slammed her fist down on the table. "You guys need to c-h-i-l-l. No one will find out. Kris, I'm sure what ever you saw was just paranoia."
Kristen slouched back and frowned. They were all sitting in Massie's kitchen, discussing what had happened. But this wasn't the kitchen inside her house. No, it was the private, secluded one in the guest house. She moved into it right when she turned fifteen a few months before. Kristen was wearing a hot pink Juicy Couture jacket, dark-wash straight-leg Sevens, and black Bailey Button Uggs. Her long golden locks were straightened and pulled up into a pony-tail, her long bangs hanging out on the right side. Massie had a similar outfit, except her jacket was a light purple and her hair was curled but put up in a congruent fashion. Dylan wore a flattering navy blouse from Ralph Lauren but was otherwise the same from the bottom down. Claire had on a sundress with turquoise and white flowers all over, strappy sandals and a straw fedora, all from Marc Jacobs. Dylan had crimped red hair and Claire's platinum blonde hair was frizzy and tangled-the only one in the room who seemingly hasn't groomed well.
"Well," Kristen groaned. "That might be true but Mass, I think it's time to come forward with what happened."
Biting her lip, Massie shook her head. "No. It's not time yet."
"But Mass-" Claire began.
"I said no." She glared at Claire. Spinning on her heel, Massie traveled down the icy hallways and over to the front door. "But we can visit an old friend."
The other girls grinned, practically bouncing on the balls of their feet in excitement. The buzz of adrenaline coursing through their veins was loud enough to hear.
"Memento Mori?" Massie glanced to Alicia quizzically. They were in the visiting room, discussing what had happened earlier that day. The walls, musty and unforgiving, glared at them. Massie appeared relaxed in the navy armchair but in reality, she was teeming with nerves. Stains that covered the fabric exterior of the chair were touching her and she didn't like it one bit. Her comfort deteriorating with her self confidence, she asked "What does that mean?"
Alicia shook her head, staring at the ground intently. "I don't know," she mumbled.
The smartest of the group, Kristen, held up three fingers. "It's Latin. It means 'remember that you must die'." she was smiling slightly, proud of herself for remembering. The death glare she got from the other girls, besides Alicia, smacked it off her face though. "Or, they were saying 'skull' as a reminder of death or mortality." she laughed nervously. "Same diff."
"Wow, great help Kris. That makes her feel better, I'm sure." Dylan rolled her green eyes.
"I can't help it!" she protested, heads turning to see why she was so loud. Kristen lowered her voice "I'm a natural-born scholar. And besides! Ghosts do not exist. Alicia must have just been seeing things."
Claire leaned over to Kristen and whispered in her ear "She's in a mental hospital for Christ's sake! Of course she was just seeing things! But we have to act like we support her, no matter how crazy she is!"
"Ugh, fine" Kristen groaned. She wasn't much of a liar and didn't do it often.
"Well in Alicia's defense," Massie added, not wanting to leave her friend vulnerable. "You saw something too. Maybe you're just as nuts as she is."
Her cheeks took on a dark crimson in embarrassment. Massie grinned in satisfaction and stood. "Sorry, Leesh, but we have to go. Stay strong, and remember: they can't touch you."
Alicia seemed to take this to heart and nodded vigorously. Her nurse escorted the four girls out and left her to freely venture to the dance room.
Her fingers roamed the door, gingerly turning the knob so it would creak open. Slowly, carefully, she entered. Alicia felt the light pounding down on her pale skin, a feeling she hasn't had in a while. Mirrors lined the walls, reflecting every inch of the room. In here, she felt secure. Nothing could sneak up on her, scare her. Quietly, she closed the door and stepped to the center of the space.
Her reflection danced off the walls, although she was simply walking. Not doing anything quite extraordinary. She crouched to the ground, hugging her legs and tucking her head between her knees. Rocking herself gently, she tried to let go of the madness. Let go of the all the crazy piling up inside of her. She didn't notice the faceless beings that were conjured up behind her until a single pebble dropped to the ground from one's nonexistent hand, echoing in the silent room. Her head snapped upward, discovering dozens of shadows floating around the room.
"NO!" she wailed, sliding backwards on the floors until her back slammed against the mirror wall. They flooded her vision, hushing her with the ever monotone phrase "Memento Mori. Memento Mori."
Faster, they repetitiously recited the phrase. Her hands were over her ears again and she began to scream. None sooner, the door was hurled open by a doctor and the shadows vaporized into thin air.
The drive home was long and bitterly silent. They zoomed down an empty street, every light a vacant green but yet they still took their time getting back. Before parking, Massie broke the frigid grasp guilt had on them. "Ladies, you never told a soul what happened, right?"
Dylan gulped noticeably, her Adam's apple sliding up and down, but nodded quickly. The other girls had no trouble agreeing. Even Claire in the driver's seat, who was the only sixteen year old in the room, muttered a consolidating "Yes, of course."
"Good. We wouldn't want our little secret getting out." She wore a tight, sinister smile as she glanced over to Dylan; knowing well that the red-head was lying.
"Which one?" Kristen inquired with a chuckle. It wasn't a very humorous chuckle.
"You know, the one about the murder. Remember, Dyl?"
She gulped once more, refusing to answer the question. Claire answered for her. "Of course she does- we all do."
"Now, how about we stop by the station and borrow some gas?" Dylan said after a long time. Mischievous smiles grew on everybody's faces.
"Definitely!" they all agreed simultaneously. Maroon 5 poured into the car from the radio, which Massie just turned on.
I make them good-girls go bad~
How appropriate, she noted, satisfied.
Haiii! This chapter wasn't as good as the last one...oh well.
Responses- because I'm too lazy to PM people:
hawtjuicyaddict- I'm glad it does! trust me, I don't plan on making it very scary! lol
keep calm and sparkle- yupp:) thank you x10! And I guess you got your answer on what Alicia's doing right above! Gee, it seems like you're the only one to notice she wasn't included..Congrats!
splendeur- omg, thanks! it means a lot because your stories are so awesome!
heart dreamsareinfinity- your welcome:) and thanks!
BoyCrazy1025- wow that's a lot of love! Thank you thank you thank you:))
Glittering Moonlight- hehe, thanks:)
fi13ns- GOOD! lol I'm just kidding I'm just kidding, or am I? mwahahahah and lol, hur ya go. Tell Lexi I said hi! bahaha
starzzthatfly- thank you! and sure, I'll keep writing! loll
rush of the past- asdfghjkl thank you! props accepted;)
Kellie Parker- thanks! I hope you still love it after this horrible chapter..haha
kyramiddleton- yeshhhh haha
underxthexsea- wow, I've never appreciated having my work called creepy so much:) (after all, that was the idea of the story-to creep people out!) and thank you! I hope I didn't ruin anything with this chapter... I just wanted to show the other side to them here I guess
FanFicFanticGurl- thank you so much:)
daring dreams- trust me, it won't!
Well, I think that's all of em! Thank you for all the reviews- 14 for one chapter?! that's insanity and I'm lovin you guys for it:)
I promise I'll update again soon!
xoxo,
as always,
natalie