|-14-|

150 4 19
                                    

Mark and I hurried through the automated doors as they slid open. I dashed to the nurse's station, and the sound of my rain-soaked sneakers screeching against the floors echoed throughout the corridor. Spotting a nurse behind the desk, I quickly ran to her, nearly out of breath.

"Is my friend, Lorena, alright?" I leaned on the counter, desperation evident in my voice.

The nurse behind the desk met my gaze with an expressionless face.

"I'm sorry, but I can't disclose patient information," she replied, her eyes fixed on the computer screen as she typed away.

"Why not?" I demanded impatiently.

"We're governed by HIPAA laws here. It's all about keeping our patients safe," the nurse emphasized, "In order for us to do that, we must adhere to the state and federal laws that govern us."

Mark sighed loudly as he stood beside me, "Let's just head to the police station," he suggested.

Just then, I spotted Officer Gonzales walking down the hospital corridor.

"Officer Gonzales!" I called out, waving my hands, hoping to catch his attention while I sped-walked toward him.

Officer Gonzales stopped midway in his tracks. His head shifted toward us as he gazed our way.

"What happened to Lorena?" I asked, nearly out of breath, "Where is she?"

"They took her down to the station." Officer Gonzales informed, "For questioning."

With a heavy sigh, Mark glanced at me, "I figured she'd be there."

I nodded.

Waving goodbye to Officer Gonzales, we quickly exited the hospital's doors and strolled to Mark's car.

As we made our way to the car, the night chill crept up my arms causing goosebumps to expel.

A chill manifested in the air. The urgency of the situation was palpable, our tension wrapped in the winds of the atmosphere.

Just as we retreated to the confines of Mark's car, wet droplets began to fall from the sky. The wet beads rolled down our windows in a slow and dreary motion like slugs moving across the pavement.

Mark placed his foot on the gas and revved the engine. The tires of his car murmured against the wet asphalt, the rhythmic rotation punctuated by the gentle patter of raindrops on the windshield. The road stretched out before us, desolate and eerie. The dim glow of streetlights illuminated the streets.

The silence between us inside the car was suffocating, broken only by the haunting howl of the wind outside, lending an eerie soundtrack to our somber journey.

***



Finally, we arrived at the Irvine Police Station. Mark steered his car into the parking lot. The harsh streetlights cast an eerie glow across the empty pavement.

The chill of the autumn air greeted us as we stepped out of the car, wrapping around us like twisted vines on a tree. I hugged myself tightly, seeking solace from the cold, as Mark and I made our way toward the station entrance.

The weight of the night's events hung heavily between us, a silent reminder of the multiple horrors we had witnessed over the past few days. With each step we took, the gravity of the situation seemed to intensify, pressing down on us like a screw being forcefully driven into a wall.

As we approached the door, my heart flip-flopped in my chest as the fingers of fear gripped me with uncertainty.

Mark held the door open for me, and I stepped into the station first. The lights were low, casting a dim atmosphere. The distressed walls lent the building a yellowish, antiquated hue.

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