In "Black Red Blood White," the gripping conclusion to the riveting saga that began with "Tacit Resonances," author Viktor A. King delves deeper into the enigmatic world of Anna, the tortured soul turned spectral avenger, and Henry, the malevolent m...
The room was decorated in shades of lilac, as feminine and floral as any sixteen-year-old girl would desire. Kate stood for a moment, open-mouthed. She had never seen such a beautiful room. Cotton sheets, a thick blanket made of soft pink wool, and a crystal vase with small white rosebuds sat on the bedside table.
Soft carpets covered the shiny ceramic floor tiles, and the curtains were adorned with a printed design of flowering wisteria that cascaded down to the floor, reminiscent of the veils of brides as they slowly crossed the aisle of a church.
"I can get ready by myself, right?"
"Yes, of course. Get ready in private. I'll be expecting you for dinner."
"Alright."
Henry closed the door behind him, leaving Kate alone in the room. She stretched out on the bed ecstatically, reveling in its comfort.
"I wonder why all of you throw yourselves on the bed like you've never seen one before..." Kate murmured to herself.
"I don't think this is the time for irony. Come on, make some steam on the glass or write something on it with your finger... or move wooden sticks to convey Morse code, anything to make her understand," Anna suggested.
Anna grabbed a toilet brush and lifted it sharply, placing it in front of Kate's bewildered face as she lay on the bed.
"What's going on?" Kate exclaimed.
Anna gently placed the brush into Kate's unresponsive hands, which lay still and paralyzed on the soft bed.
"Baby, you're giving her a heart attack..." Anna said as she lifted a comb and moved it towards Kate.
"It's just a joke! A prank by the old man!" the brush made a clear sign of denial.
"Damn it, you're here, right? And you can see me?" Anna asked, and the brush made a clear sign of assent.
"That's easy, good," Anna said. She lifted the brush again and carried it to the door.
"Wait, let her put on her shoes," Ursula suggested.
"Okay, you're right. Without shoes, she might hurt herself if she runs outside," Anna agreed.
Anna directed the brush to the cupboard and then opened the door.
"He always kept some shoes here; let's hope... Well, I hadn't checked," Anna said.
"Here, I see them, they're sandals, but they'll do," Ursula confirmed.
"No, they won't do; they'll make too much noise. They're only slutty shoes. Let's try the bathroom," Anna suggested.
Kate followed the brush into the bathroom, and Anna picked up white cotton slippers with a slight plastic sole.
"But won't her feet hurt?" Kate asked.
"No, these won't make any noise. I'll try to get her to wrap them tightly to keep them from falling off," Anna explained.
"Okay, there. Now?" Kate asked after securing the slippers to her feet.
"She doesn't look surprised, just curious," Ursula observed.
"I like this girl; she's tough," Anna remarked.
The brush headed for the door.
"Let her get her backpack," Ursula reminded.
"True," Anna agreed.
"Get your backpack," Anna instructed Kate.
"Great, she's doing it. She's getting her backpack with her stuff," Kate said.
Kate opened the door, glanced both ways down the corridor, and saw that it was empty. The brush led her toward another set of stairs.
"No, damn it, make her run!!!" Ursula pleaded.
"Ursula, please, we need to find out and save others like us, if there are any," Anna implored.
"Please make her leave... it's horrible here," Ursula begged.
"I can't, you can't, she can't, understand? There are others like us down there," Anna reasoned.
Ursula lowered her head, knowing that Anna was right.
"Help me. Go ahead, check if he's there," Anna instructed.
"He's probably cleaning with Alfred..." Kate said.
"Yes, likely. But he might call someone to help him."
"Okay, I'll go ahead, down to the basement stairs, right?"
"Yes."
The brush led Kate toward a corridor away from the front door. She hesitated but ultimately decided to follow the brush, or whoever was controlling it.
Stairs to the basement. She descended quickly, and it was nearly dark. At the end of the stairs was a door. The brush stopped in front of it. Kate turned the handle, and the door immediately gave way.
It was the surgical room, still smeared with blood, Ursula's severed head placed on the table like a gruesome trophy.
"Oh God!" Kate exclaimed and stepped back. The door closed again.
"Fuck! Let me out, you bitch!" Kate shouted.
The brush continued, leading her toward the cold storage room. Kate tried not to look at the severed heads and body parts hanging from hooks on the ceiling and frozen on the shelves.
"This is terrible," Ursula whispered.
"You knew..."
"Yes, I suspected."
Kate quickly closed the door again.
"Hey, you! I'm telling you to move this thing... make me leave, understand?" Kate demanded.
"Please help her," Ursula urged.
"I must know, Ursula, I must," Anna said.
The brush shook its head to indicate "no."
"Damn it! I'm leaving anyway, got it?" Kate said defiantly.
"What now?" Ursula asked.
The brush led them to another door and stopped in front of it.
"Please, little Kate, open that door..." Anna pleaded.
"I don't want to," Kate replied, shaking her head violently. "I don't want to, do you understand? I don't want to!"
The brush remained unmoved. Kate took a deep breath, then a step forward, grasped the door handle, and pulled it open.
Inside, it was dark, with only one dim bulb illuminating a long row of cages.
"Are these the dogs?" Ursula asked.
"No, they don't bark... I don't understand," Anna replied.
Kate took a step further down the dark corridor, noticing silhouettes inside the cages, human silhouettes.
"Is it my turn?" a tiny voice asked from one of the cages.
"Who are you?" Kate inquired.
Two small, white hands clung to the bars of the cage.
"I'm a child," the voice replied.
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