Moonlight Magic

Chapter 13

"Oh my God... Oh my God... Oh my God," I kept breathing over and over. I was hyperventilating and shaking. The room had suddenly closed in around me, trapping me with no where to go.
I just stared. The place could not be described as anything other than a torture chamber. There was an actual iron maiden propped up in a corner, a table with leather fastenings with a tray of surgical tools next to it and shackles dangled from the stone ceiling and on one of the walls. An assortment of whips, belts and rope were neatly displayed on another wall. Next to the door were empty cages and nearby were branding irons and what looked like an old barbecue. And in some places there were stains. I did not want to contemplate what the stains were.
The worst thing wasn't the sight but the smell. Other then smelling damp and musty, there was the underlying scent of coppery rust in the room. There had to have been blood here recently or it wouldn't be that obvious even after a seemingly thorough clean up.
When I finally managed to get my breathing under control, I realised the horror I felt must have been the same for Talia. "Talia.." She had no doubt stumbled into this place, most probably from following my parents. No wonder she had been so hysterical.
My parents. Mum and Dad. What were they doing down here? Who were they? Why? All these questions I wanted to ask but I'm afraid. What should I do? All of a sudden the people that I thought I knew my whole life became the unimaginable monsters from my dreams.
Well first things first. I had to get out of here. They were soon going to be back and they just became that much more unpredictable. I didn't know how they would react if they caught me.
I raced out of the torture chamber and up the stairs, urging my feet to move faster and faster. I had to get as faraway from that hellhole as possible. I then realised there was still the problem of the bookcase when I reached the top.
I felt around for a switch or a loose brick or something around the exit. "Come on, come on." It had been two hours since I entered the master bedroom and Mum and Dad said they were returning at around twenty past nine. I had another ten minutes at most.
I looked around the narrow passage and noticed the one torch that was still lit. Instinctively, I reached over and pulled on it. The torch moved like a lever and just like that, the bookcase slid back open. And upon crossing the threshold, the shelves automatically moved back, once again hiding the secret entrance.
I ran from the master bedroom to my own room. I started pacing the length of the room and thought about what I should do next. For the time being I had to act to normal. I couldn't afford to tip my parents off that something was amiss. After witnessing what they might have been doing as their hobby, I seriously doubt they would be lenient towards me. Unlike Talia who they passed off as 'broken mentally', I was clear headed. And one thing was obvious. I had to speak with Talia and Purple Eyes. That is, if he shows himself again.

*****

I stared up at the building where Talia was being held. On the outside, it looked like any old hospital. It was white with at least six floors. Cracks in the concrete surface could be spotted here and there. I had taken the six o'clock bus just to get here at seven. I didn't dare ask my parents for a ride. Who knew how they would react if I told them I wanted to visit Talia.
It had been a week since I stumbled into that chamber. Mum and Dad hadn't yet learned of my little sneak peak into their gruesome secret. Or maybe they already know but was playing along with me. If that's the case, they clearly had me fooled, considering who knows how long they've kept their precious secret from me.
On weekdays visiting hours were eight to nine in the morning and three to four in the afternoon. But on weekends, morning hours were extended by an hour starting at seven till nine and later in the afternoon from four to five. It was the weekend that means I'll have at most two hours if it was in the morning. I wanted to make sure that I had enough time to speak with Talia so I came right at seven.
I haven't been to see her even once since the incident that initiated all this. I kept telling myself that I might just make things worse again. But the truth was that I was simply scared. Scared to see my best friend not be herself. Afraid of how I would be if she was not the person I knew anymore. Most of all, scared to find out that I was the reason for her to lose it.
Pulling on my big girl panties I entered the double doors. Inside, all around was sterile white walls with a couple of chairs, a couch that had seen better days and a coffee table making up a waiting area in the corner. Two dying potted plants stood by the entrance posing as the only decoration around. Behind the reception sat a very bored receptionist tapping away at the computer. Stepping up to the desk, I could tell she was just about to nod off.
"Excuse me but I'm here to see Natalia Vincent? My name is Becky Elles. I'm a friend," I said in an attempt to get the receptionist's attention. A few seconds of awkward silence hung in air before she glanced at me then ignored me. When she realised I was still there, she sighed and finally managed to say, "Yes?" without looking away from her all too important computer.
Seriously? Should this chick even be working here? With the poor service she's giving it makes visiting hours even more peaceful for a mental institution. You could practically see tumbleweeds blowing past.
Now in a sour mood and with my patience running low, I forcefully gritted out, "I said I'm Becky Elles and am here to see my friend Natalia Vincent."
"Hold on a second."
After another minute or so of typing away on the keyboard she simply droned, "Fifth floor, room 413. She should be awake now. Don't provoke or frighten her and if anything happens there are orderlies on standby and don't disturb the other patients."
"Thank you."
Just when I was heading toward the elevator she added, "Oh yeah, and what did you say your name was again?"
"Becky Elles and my relationship with her is friends." She then waved her hands and dismissed me.
I rolled my eyes and strode toward the elevator. I didn't think it was that easy to just walk in and meet up with my supposedly 'mental' friend. Guess that's what's expected of a nearly rundown institution for the insane. I stepped into the metal box when it arrived and as the doors closed, I wondered whether Talia still saw me as a friend let alone her best friend. Suddenly my nerves were back in full force for Talia could either freak out or welcome me when she saw me.