Hello once again! Sorry for the late-ish update: today's been the only day I've had for a while to sit and finish typing this all up! I suppose that's price I pay for writing each chapter by hand before I start typing...
Anyways, I'd like to thank everyone who's reviewed so far, and if you haven't done so yet, that's okay! After this chapter, you'll definitely want to review! :D Thanks also to everyone who's faved, shared, and followed this story! You guys are the best!
Now, I'll cut straight to the point and say that I won't have an A/N at the bottom of this chapter. Why? You'll see. iI'll warn you though, if you're squeamish about gore...skip the end. I don't want you guys fainting on me or anything!
Anyways, please enjoy!
*Nintendo owns everything!*
Chapter Four: Fortunes and Findings
It took a while for David to finally fumble out a reply to this crazed statement. "You can't be serious. What kind of madhouse lets the patients run themselves?"
Gann chuckled darkly as he pushed each chipped and faded checker into place on the checkerboard. "This is no ordinary madhouse, I'm afraid. Plus, you're wrong."
"About what?"
"Main is in charge, even though his employees don't care about us. He keeps us together and drugs us so that we can't think straight and can't act as we would in a normal state. That's why some choose not to take their medicine: they are rebelling over the blanket of lies Main has thrown over all of us here."
"Blanket of lies? What lies?"
Sam opened her mouth to reply, but Gann shushed her and shook his head. "We can't tell you that...here the only secrets that can be kept safe are the ones that are never shared." Pointing at a small box overhead on the ceiling (which David realized was some sort of security camera), the giant man continued, "Main keeps us all on a very short leash. Just look around you- fear is everywhere in this place. Your only goal is to decide which fear you want to buy into: the fear of madness, or the fear of lies?"
"He's right, Steve," Sam said as she examined her nail with a dour expression. "You've gotta decide which side you're on."
Strong words for a person said to be insane, David thought to himself, before quietly asking "Why should I listen to you? How do I know you're not the ones lying to me?"
A Cheshire cat grin blossomed over Sam's face at these words. "Do you think we are?"
"Hey!"
Dr. Soloro's staccato exclamation startled David, but Gann and Sam's reaction took his shock to the next level: they both seemed to fold inward onto themselves and go limp. Both pairs of eyes seemed to glaze over, as if something had been disconnected from within their tangled, turbulent minds. It was a startling change from the snarky, fiery individuals the reporter had spoken to mere seconds before, and David couldn't help but feel a sense of impressment at their display. Had he not known better, he would have mistaken both patients to be completely drugged. Before he could react further though, Isaac Soloro was upon him like a sudden violent storm.
"What exactly do you think you're doing?" The question burst from the doctor's lips like a cannonball, as David stared at the flaming anger in the man's eyes. From the way Soloro looked rapidly back and forth between the two patients, David came to the conclusion that the doctor was angrier at the fact that he had potentially witnessed the patients talking to David, rather than David talking to them.
Gann slowly lifted his rolling eyes to stare pitifully at the doctor, and then pushed the closest checker to a new square with shaking hands. "Game," he said in a slow, tired voice, "I want to play the game."
"I'll play." Sam leaned forward slowly and moved a checker with a slurred laugh.
Isaac stared at the patients with a look of suspicion, then ran a hand through his hair and laughed. "Look at them. Dull as a bag of rocks, and they have no idea of what they did before today. I honestly don't know why you'd want to write about them."
"I thought you said they were dangerous."
"They are, but not in this state." Isaac curled his lip in disgust as he jerked a thumb at one of the patients: a short man with a brown mustache who sat next to a petite blonde woman. "See that guy? That's Mario Mario. A few years ago one of the other patients here- a gang leader named Bowser- snapped and abducted his girlfriend, Peach Toadstool. Needless to say, Mario didn't handle it so well and decided to get Peach back. He and his younger brother Luigi went on a killing spree and took out nearly all of Bowser's gang before the police were able to catch them. Of course, the girlfriend went insane from whatever the heck Bowser did to her, so she shot and killed his son BJ and escaped. Police were able to catch her, even though she tried to hit them with a frying pan, and apprehended Bowser after learning of her ordeal. Now we've got all four here, in the same room...and they have absolutely no idea thanks to the drugs."
"That's..."
"Crazy?" Smiling wolfishly, Isaac replied, "There are worse stories to be told. This is where you come when you've done something that renders you inhuman, something that snaps the mind and shatters the soul. Everyone here- murderers, rapists, pedophiles, pyromaniacs- they've let their humanity slip away in order to put on a darker coat of thinking. While they might be drugged, you've probably seen how easily those drugs can be...misplaced." Here, shot a quick look at Sam to see if she reacted, but when she didn't he continued on. "Those who still hold a semblance of sanity in our heads should keep a watchful eye and a cautious step. Keep that in mind, Mr. Kojima, when you feel like acting friendly towards our patients." At these final words, he turned around and walked off with his doctor's cloak flapping behind him, as if taunting David with a sly, snarky wave.
Words could not describe how badly David wanted to punch Dr. Soloro in the face. He was surprised no one had already done so- with that smug man being the caretaker and head doctor of the asylum, one would think he would have had his nose broken by someone fed up at some point with his attitude. Even if he wished to inflict bodily harm upon the doctor, David still had to behave respectfully during the time he was here, even if it meant having to ignore every snarky remark thrown his way. Yet...he really wanted to at least put the doctor into his place, perhaps knock his over inflated ego down a few pegs.
Since it seemed as though Gann and Sam were keeping up their appearance of drug-addled inmates (that, or they were engaged in one interesting game of checkers), David decided to move from his spot on the couch and see if he could find something else that was interesting to write about. As he unfurled himself from the couch, however, his pencil spilled from his lap and rolled across the floor with a clunk, finally coming to rest a couple of yards away at the foot of a folding table. Cursing in annoyance of his clumsiness, David walked over to retrieve it, but saw that someone already sitting at the table- a young woman with long, chocolate-colored hair braided in an intricate design down her back- had already picked it up and was holding it out for him as he approached.
"Thanks," he grumbled as he took it from her pale white hands.
The woman stared up at him with eyes the color of an afternoon sky, and then murmured in a rich voice, "It's talked to you."
"Excuse me?"
"The Raven- it contacted you."
A cold feeling washed over David, which must have been evident to the woman as she smiled. "So I was right," she murmured to herself as he shakily fumbled himself into the folding chair across from her, "it's decided to let you in."
"First of all, what the heck is that even supposed to mean? Secondly...how do you know-?"
"About the Raven?" Smiling shyly, the woman toyed with a loose piece of hair and answered "The Raven talks to everyone here, but some tend to ignore the words. As for the Raven letting you in...well, it's obvious, isn't it? The Raven has deemed you worthy of learning the truth. It is, after all, the one thing that speaks the truth in this house of lies, and those who listen to its words are the ones who have no fear."
Leaning forward, David asked, "It sounds like a joke to me. Tell me, if the Raven truly speaks the truth, then what is the truth?"
"The truth is no joke. You'll see that in time- right now, you still are not ready. You haven't chosen a side to take, and those who fall against the Raven could turn you to their side soon. Once you've picked a side, you'll be on the path to discovering the truth. In time, the Raven will guide you, but only when you are prepared to find the answer."
"Alright then, but could you tell me at least who it is? I mean, it has to be a patient, there's just no other-"
The woman held up a single finger for silence, cutting David off again. "You ask too many questions. If my goal was to tell you all that you wished to know, then there would be no need to continue our conversation, since you would already have the answers. Instead, allow me to ask you a few question, David."
"How do you-?" Her smug smile answered for him. "Oh, let me guess, the Raven told you."
"You catch on fast. Now, my question for you is a simple one: may I please see your hand? I was once skilled in determining and reading peoples fortunes and lives from the lines in their hands, and your life is one I am most intrigued to read."
"Uh, sure. Here." David held out his right hand as the woman took it in her own small ones, examining and tracing each line scattered throughout with deadly seriousness.
"You have great confidence," she admitted after a moment, "along with unbridled curiosity and the belief that you will always choose the right path. However, your quest to satisfy your curiosity means that you can be easily swayed by those who wish to deceive you. At some point in your life there will come a time when you will have to make a choice, and that choice will determine the result of the rest of your life. Both paths will have hardship and loss, but it is up to you to decide which you are willing to step down."
The woman let his hand go, and David took it back while looking it over. "You're able to tell all that from a few lines?"
"Of course: the information is there already, after all. One just needs to know how to look for it. In a way, the lifelines are like a puzzle: at first they appear jumbled together, but once you look at them the right way..."
"Everything falls into place." That's kind of like what's going on here, David thought to himself. Everything is jumbled together, but the answers lie in this mess...somewhere.
"Exactly. Now, I'd think it would be best if you cease asking me any more questions."
"Why?"
"Something tells me Dr. Main is interested in speaking to you."
As soon as the words left her lips, there was a quiet cough behind David. He turned around to see an unfamiliar nurse with light elfin features and long hair that he could have sworn was a dark shade of green. She smiled awkwardly (as if she had never smiled before until this very moment) and then spoke softly. "Excuse me, Mr. Kojima, but Dr. Main wishes to see you in his office."
Has Main been watching me this whole time? David glanced quickly at the camera Gann had pointed out earlier, and then said aloud. "Alright. Tell him I'll be right there."
"I'm supposed to lead you there, Mr. Kojima."
"Oh. Right." Sighing, he turned back to the brunette in front of him. "Nice talking to you. Any other future revelations you want to tell me about? Perhaps when I'll learn your name?"
"That one is simple: my name is Zelda Hylia. As for future revelations...well, where's the fun in spoiling the surprises of the future?" Zelda watched with veiled eyes as David was led away by the nurse, and then looked back at the camera silently watching her with a smile. "He has no idea," she murmured softly, "how truly mad this place is."
"Thank you, Lyn," the voice of Dr. Main hoarsely rang out from his office chair, which was still turned away from David as he was brought once again into the large office. The nurse, who hadn't spoken since she had escorted David from the sunroom, continued her silence as she left and shut the door behind her. David couldn't help but feel as though he was some sort of small child being sent to the principal's office for a scolding. It could be that the Master had forgotten to explain something important to him yesterday, like a rule he had let slip from his mind, but something told David this wasn't the case. In fact, a gnawing feeling had begun to form in the bottom of David's stomach since he had entered the office, which told him that any idea of this being a cordial meeting was a far-fetched idea. So, why was he here?
The echo of the door shutting barely had time to fade away before the doctor jumped to the point, wasting no time for pleasantries. "I was told you visited Miles this morning, Mr. Kojima."
That's what all this is about? Confused, he nonetheless answered the statement. "Yeah, Rosalina told me I had to go to him for my meals. I'm guessing that he told you about it?"
"Of course. Miles is a fine man- one of the few that has my complete trust. I know that he is as loyal as they come, and that when I give an order, he will be the one to make sure it is followed. No need to worry though: he spoke well of you. In fact, he looks forward to reading about the Mansion when you finish your news story."
"That's nice of him." Deciding it was time to cut to the case (since there was no possible way he had been called here because of a few words from the cook), David asked nonchalantly, "So, what did you want to see me about?"
Dr. Main was strangely quiet, and David almost asked his question again when the response finally filtered out from behind the chair. "I wanted to talk to you about something important...something that only came to mind this morning."
The way the Master said 'something' made it sound like he wanted to say 'someone' instead, which left little doubt in David's mind as to what was about to be discussed. The doctor, however, continued onward. "Recently, there has been talk as to something that concerns me; something that I feel is going against the authority of both me and the staff who work here-"
"You mean the Raven."
Absolute silence followed David's interruption, until it was cut by the doctor's voice, which was slow and streaked through with barely controlled venom. 'Where have you heard that name?"
Knowing he had landed in dangerous waters, David said the first thing that came to mind. "One of the patients spoke about it this morning when I was working. I honestly thought it might have been some drug-induced rambling." While it was a lie, there still was some grain of truth buried within: after all, a patient had spoken that mysterious name that morning. "What does it mean?"
It seemed to fool Dr. Main, who could be heard shifting in his chair with a creaking sound. "I see. The Raven is something a few patients have cooked up while they have decided to be deceitful about taking their medicine." His disgust for the idea was evident as he continued, "According to the rumor, the Raven is a mysterious force that secretly runs the Mansion, and is uniting the patients together for a mini-coup of sorts in order to leave here and go back to normal life."
"So I'm guessing none of that's real?"
Main wheezed out a laugh. "Of course not! It's all ridiculous- a crazy tale created by equally crazy individuals." His voice suddenly took on a grave tone as he added, "Don't believe a single word they say, Mr. Kojima, even for a single second. They're liars disguised as misunderstood souls. There is no Raven, nor is there any trouble besides the type they wish to start. Trust me."
Trust me. Those two words were the ones that stuck out to David the most, not because of how simple they were, but because it was a command. The Master was leaving him no other option as to what to believe: he didn't want David investigating the Raven or any mystery it held. He wanted David to stay on the path of though he had crafted for him...yet was this the path David should stay on? It seemed the safe thing to do, but then again, no groundbreaking story had even been notable because it was considered "safe". He had come here seeking an exciting story, and that was what he was going to leave with- the most exciting story he could find. David had been taught from an early age that there were two sides to every story...maybe now was the time that he should learn both sides in the twisted tale taking place.
"I trust you," David said, and with that single sentence he entered the shadowy game of lies that had begun.
So you don't trust Main? The erratic tapping of the Raven echoed through the darkened room David once again occupied later that evening.
I don't trust anyone, David replied. Strangely enough, this conversation was the highlight of his day since talking to Main: he had spent the rest of the day in the sunroom writing, yet no patient acted out of the ordinary (even Sam, Gann, and the strange woman Zelda were placid). So up until now things had been pretty boring.
The Raven took their time to answer. You can trust me.
Can I? How do I know you're telling me the truth?
Why would I have a reason not to?
Main is convinced you're nothing more than a rumor.
A long, painful silence followed, and it nearly drove David to go to bed, thinking the conversation was over. Then came the sound of tapping. I am well aware of Main's opinions, and of his conversation with you today, David. He is the type who hides his fear by denying anything that goes against his beliefs and reasoning. Trust me when I say that I am no rumor or myth. More tapping came from the wall, each sounding as if more and more anger was being applied to the complex code. Here. Do you still doubt me? Do you still think me to be a figment conjured up by a raving lunatic? Let me show you how much of a liar Main is. Let me show you how 'real' I truly am. Go out your door and down the stairs.
Something about the final sentence struck David as being odd, but he didn't dwell on this feeling as he slipped into his shoes and opened the door with a creak. The hallway was deathly silent and nearly devoid of light, with only the light from downstairs filtering upwards and casting pale fingerlike shadows onto the floor. They were almost like claws, claws that tried to grab at David's heels as he stealthily made his way to the stairs. He was so preoccupied in being quiet that he almost fell down the stairs when his foot stumbled onto the first step. It caused him to lose his balance and let out a hissed curse, which he quickly muffled as he regained his balance, listening meanwhile to make sure no one had heard him. Once he was sure that his gaffe had gone undetected, he crept wordlessly down the rest of the steps to the ground floor.
The moon outside the small window in the entry hall had become obscured by clouds, making it difficult to see much in the hall. As David finally reached the bottom of the stairs, his first thought was that nothing seemed to be amiss. The table in the entryway looked fine, as did the fake flowers that rested on it. Nothing seemed wrong or out of place, and no one was around.
Then, something wet suddenly struck David's forehead with a splat.
Instinctively, he stepped back and wiped the substance off in surprise, feeling warm, sticky wetness between his fingers. There was just enough light for him to see that the liquid was a dark color...and as he stared down at his fingers, he realized that large pools of the same liquid were in front of him on the floor, which he had missed when he had come down the stairs. More drops of the stuff were dripping into the puddles and making them grow, and as David stared at them in surprise, the moon shed its cloudy cover and illuminated the puddles, which shone with a dusky red color. Slowly, he raised his head and saw the source of the substance lazily swinging above his head from the chandelier: the corpse of a young woman, whose mouth was still open in a silent scream of pure agony Her face was awash in a stream of blood, which poured from the gaps where her eyes had once been, running in small rivers down her upwards-pointing chin, which was snugly hugged by a noose of rope. Every part of her was covered in dark red blood, except for the front of her white nurse's uniform. For there a single message had been sloppily written in the blood of the victim, a message that stood out as the moonlight hit it and illuminated the five red words.
Do yoU beliEve me Now?