Chapter 9:The Past of Secrets and Suicides

'Why can I never go back to bed? Who's is the voice ringing in my head? Where is the sense in these desperate dreams? Why should I wake when I'm half past dead?'-Emilie Autumn

"Isabelle, I've been wondering…." A brown-haired boy started awkwardly, lounging on his bed while a beautiful tall girl sat beside him. He was averting his eyes away from the beautiful girl, and looking at the flashing storm beyond the window beside him.

The girl beside him looked pale, and flawless, though her skin may have multiple black lines running to it's ivory surface, she still seemed beautiful. "Simon, what?" The girl, Isabelle, wondered. Her lips gave a sad smile, as her long eyelashes touched her powdered cheek.

Simon faced the beautiful girl again with a serious look. His face seemed dark compared to the flashing lightning behind him, and a thick pair of glasses covered his large eyes. "Recently, you've been hanging out here a lot, not that I mind, it's just is there something wrong going on in the institute?"

Isabelle sighed, troubled. Her hands squeezed even tighter on the dark blue sheets she lay down on. Her perfectly manicured nails dug into those sheets ,hard, like she was clawing them. She finally sighed. "It's Alec."

"Did you have a fight or something?" Simon asked as he put his hand on her shoulder comfortingly.

"No, but I wish we had." Isabelle said miserably. "At least I could've talked to him."

Simon's free hand reached over and brushed her hair. "Go on." He encouraged her to continue.

"You know, Asmodeus, that guy who took your memories?" Isabelle reminded him.

Shivers crawl up Simon's spine when he heard the name of that demon, he always had this creepy feeling about that name. He remember when that devil demanded his immortality and memories for his friends' freedom. That memory gave him a jolt of guilt, he couldn't believe his friends has to go through that much pain. But now, he was quite happy because Clary and Isabelle found a way to bring back his memories.

But even with Simon had his memories back, he couldn't help but feel that Asmodeus is still behind him.

"Yeah." Simon swallowed his nervousness to answer clearly.

"Basically after our whole trip from Hell, Alec has been acting strange ,even more strange than usual. He seems more depressed over his breakup even if he seemed to be nicely moving on throughout our adventure." Isabelle said sadly. "He started to eat even less, and he wouldn't even talk. He wasn't the caring kind brother I once knew."

"Isabelle…"Simon wrapped his arms around her.

Her eyes didn't fall any tears. She was far too strong to cry, but she was numb and empty. She only kept looking down at her hands, refusing to look at her boyfriend.

"I'm not even sure if he's my brother anymore."

She finished honestly.

The lightning still blazed through the windows, as Isabelle walked forward. She wasn't really sure if she hated or wanted the lightning. The hallway was pitch-black so the lightning gave Isabelle some light, but the lightning gave her frights when it would flash at random moments.

Isabelle roamed froward, trying to look for her room. Usually she knew the institute in the back of her but now it was pitch black and she couldn't see, also Church was no longer here to guide her.

Regret washed over her as she continued to hunt for her room, she knew she shouldn't have snuck out of home so late. Normally, she had no regrets because she was a very rebellious person, but this time she didn't snuck out because of her parents but because of her brother. She couldn't believe she wanted to be separated from him for so long.

She remembered telling Simon all about Alec, how she spoke in hush whispers and gave blank looks. How her voice sounded so miserable and dark. How she would choke on her words because of her eyes trying to hold back those tears.

'I just want my brother back…'Isabelle thought sadly.

Alec has been depressed for so long, He always gave her broken empty looks. He wouldn't leave his room unless someone would force him too. He was so skinny because he wouldn't eat, and every night Isabelle would hear his screams from his inevitable nightmares. She knew-.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she paused her feet in front of a familiar door. It was tall and oak like the other doors of the institute, but she knew this wasn't her door. Her room had the same door but the knob would've been gold instead of the deep bronze in front of her.

It was Alec's room.

Isabelle didn't know that she was unconsciously roaming to her older brother's bedroom. It was like her feet had a mind of her own, but she really was quite worried for him. But she knew this was going to be like those other 'times', she would knock at the door several times and Alec would just tell her to go away.

But even with all those failed attempts, Isabelle wasn't going to give up. She was always hoping that one day her brother would finally heal and be his usual happy self again. She hesitantly brought her knuckles over the hard wood and gave a few knocks.

A sound like a hammer hitting a nail came through her ears. She was waiting patiently for a voice to scream at her to 'go away', but after a few minutes no voice answered her back. In worry, she gave more frantic and loud knocks that would surely make her brother annoyed, but no answer still came.

In panic, for the first time, she fumbled carelessly with bronze knob. She expected the door to be locked but surprisingly it was actually unlocked and the door was even slightly ajar. The door gave a long creaky sound when she pushed it slowly, as she enter Alec's room.

The room was actually very dim but it had a few lighting from the slightly opened curtain. She could still see a few bright coloured furniture and some black outlines of the components of the bedroom. Her chest gave a large beat when she stepped forward and felt a mushy substance on her shoe.

She looked down and her eyes widen in horror.

Blood and guts were everywhere. On the pool of torn flesh and pulled organs, was her father, Robert. One of his eyes were pulled out, and that said organ was under her shoe. His mouth and eyes were gaped in agony as if he was going through such slow torture. His disembodied tongue was rolling off his chin, and his lower stomach was ripped. Intestines were spilling out of his lower body and some of his fingers were broken.

His body was laid beside Alec's bed and on the bed laid a pair of bloodied scissors.

Isabelle was frozen in shock. Her mouth couldn't from any words and her feet seemed to be glued on the ground. Only tears were falling out of her eyes.

"Dad…"Isabelle miserably called out for him like she was a little girl trying to call her father. "…..Daddy…. Please don't be….." Her mouth struggled to say the word but she coughed out. "…dead.."

She kept croaking out small whimpers and whispers. Her tears kept flowing and she seemed so frozen and weak. But her shock was stopped when she heard a noise like a choke coming from the closet.

"Alec is that you?" She asked as she got closer, trying to stay calm. Her hand opened the old closet slowly. "Dad is…"

But she was interrupted with a another horror coming through her. Her eyes were wide and her voice kept choking out. "Alec…."

It was her brother hanging on a rope tied around his neck. His skin was as pale as a corpse and his opened eyes were blank and wide. But one of his eyes were gouged out and was hanging off his socket as the blood ran down his cheek like tears.

"WHY?!" Isabelle dropped on her knees, crying voice wailed and cried so hard. "Alec, please don't leave me!"

Her head and body kept shaking in panic and horror, till Alec's eyes started to moved again, at least eye, and his hands moved to up the rope on his neck.

Then Alec gave a small choke and his hanging eye fell out of his socket. His mouth coughed out a mixture blood and saliva as he croaked out.

"So….r..r..y"

"Alec."

Those words kept ringing in his head. Magnus couldn't talk or speak, he was completely frozen. Even the surroundings around him seemed to pause, Rose continued to stare guiltily down her hands while Catarina started at him with a certain knowledgeable glance.

The frozen silence shattered when Magnus's hands burst into flames.

"Ahh!" Rose shouted shocked as Magnus and her quickly jumped off the burning couch.

Catarina muttered a spell under her breath and the burning flames died down, and the couch looked unaffected by the burns. Rose hesitantly sat back down while Magnus remained standing, staring at Catarina with dead silence.

"Your reaction is worst than I thought." Catarina looked at him with cold calculating eyes.

Magnus gave the two women a hard stare. "How did you know?"

Catarina returned a pitiful look while Rose's eyes gave off more guilt and agony.

"Rose?" He asked miserably.

Rose covered her face using her hands and started to cry out tears and sobs. "I'm sorry…" She muttered in her hands.

"You went through my closest." Magnus growled in an icy calm voice. "How could you, you bitch?!"

His wife continued to cry as Catarina raised a grey hand to stop Magnus from hurting Rose even further. "Magnus that's enough." Catarina said sternly. "She only wanted to help you."

"She only wanted to help me." Magnus mimicked while sneering coldly. "I trusted her! You know, I had a hard time trusting people ever since…."

Alec

He paused when he remembered that name. His eyes grew softer and he stubbornly faced away from Catarina while crossing his arms stubbornly. He was like a spoiled child that didn't get all the new toys.

"Magnus…"Catarina looked worriedly at him.

"What does my ex-boyfriend have to do with this anyway?" Magnus stubbornly hid the truth. He tried to look convincing and relaxed but with Catarina's disapointed look, he knew he failed. "He's been dead for about….two hundred years." He lied through his teeth.

Catarina looked unconvinced. "Magnus, let me tell you a story….."

"Let me guess it's about Alec." Magnus muckily growled.

As Rose continued to stay silent and Magnus continued to be furious, Catarina told them a daunting tale.

"It all started when I worked for the Mental Asylum of the Insane. I worked there as a therapist and I was quite horrified of their 'treatments'." She air quoted. "I was about to quit, but one certain patient made me stay. It was Alec. I was quite shocked when he was issued as a patient because he seemed quite sane and nice when he was dating Magnus. But then when I read his file…well."

She gave Magnus an old folder containing papers. Magnus took it hesitantly and opened the folder slowly to find Alec's profile. There was a clipping of multiple pictures, some were him normally glancing at the camera and some where him in a strait jacket. There was multiple files but he read only one. It read:

Name: Alexander Gideon Lightwood

Age: 18

Height: 5'9

Reason for Entrance: Depression. Hallucinations. Nightmares. Gouged his own eye out. Brutally murdered his own father. Tried to hang himself. Sent here by Clave.

Treatments: Shocks. Pills. Drowning. Torture. Drugs. Surgery. etc.

Magnus couldn't continue to read anymore and looked up from the file horrified.

"He was quite an insane boy. At first he just seemed to be suffering from nightmares and depression but it soon got worse.." Catarina explained. "He started to torture small animals then other patients and even doctors. His own signature kill was gouging someone's eye out. I watched him laugh and laugh at the screams of his victims. Till one day, I became one of his victims."

She paused as her fingers started to shake over her tea, that a very drops of liquid fell. But even with her terrified eyes, her voice stayed calm as she continued on the story. "One day, I was just checking hallways then he drugged me. When I woke up, my hands were tied and he was filling a bathtub with so many different chemicals. He kept mocking me about my skin and telling me it wasn't bright enough. He…" She paused for a while.

"Drown you?" Rose hesitantly continued.

Catarina gave her a sad smile. "Yes, the chemicals kept sipping in my skin. It was so painful and stinging. I was practically crying underwater. When he pulled me out ,my skin was painfully stinging into dark grey, he told me I looked better that way and was about to stab my eye with my own pen, but luckily a guard found us and I was saved."

Magnus took in Catarina's story slowly then he asked. "Then what happened?"

"I…" Catarina's eyes averted like she was hiding a certain subject, but she muttered. "I quit my job then the whole asylum burned down to ashes. No one survived."

The warlock gave the story-teller a look, then asked. "Did he have a pentagram in his eye?"

"What pentagram?"

Author's note: Sorry for updating so late. Schoo has been stressful and I'll have final exams next week. But I worked hard on this chapter so hopefully you like. I know it lacks some elements but please give me some constructive criticism I'll love that. Also please review!

Guest:

UM WHAT OK WHAT JUST HAPPENED ALEC IS NOT DEAD NOPE HE IS STILL IN THE MONSTER SOMEWHERE!:,(

Well, you'll never know. ;)