Demon Lovers (Pinhead And Chatterer)

Chapter 33

Kirsty has her hands over her face and is shaking.
Detective Ronson stands and crosses to her. He takes her hands from her face and calms her down.
"Easy, easy. Whatever happened, whatever you saw, it's not here now."
"I was it...him. But we got away. We took the box. Grace solved it easily. She was always good at puzzles, they'd always come easy to her. I encourage her to open the box... And they came."
"Who?"
Kirsty sobs. "The Cenobites." She stares directly at the detective, daring him to disbelieve. "The demons."
Detective Ronson stares back, perhaps a glimmer of belief in his eyes.
The hospital door slams open and hits the wall. Kirsty screams. Detective Ronson is startled. In the doorway are Doctor Channard and Kyle. The doctor steps into the room, smiling apologetically as he does so.
"Sorry. Must get that door fixed. Detective Ronson?"
Doctor Channard holds his hand out, as detective Ronson nods in response.
"I hope you remember me, it's been ten years. I'm Doctor Channard."
"How can I forget. Grace Cotton was my biggest case, poor kid.
The men shake hands, they didn't notice Kirsty frozen with her sister's name. When she said it she had a regret. With them it felt wrong.
Doctor Channard gestures behind him. A young man enters the room. "My assistant, Kyle Macrae. And you must be Kirsty?"
Doctor Channard speaks quickly, as if to get the formalities out of the way. As he says her name, he smiles benignly at Kirsty who, still distraught from her memories and shocked at the slamming of the door, simply staring at him.
Doctor Channard turns his attention back to detective Ronson, drawing him away and speaking to him in a lower voice.
Kyle slowly walks over to Kirsty and smiles at her - long enough to embarrass her into smiling back.
"I've read the boys statement. Quite the adventure they believe they had. I'd like to talk to Kirsty alone, help us find Grace. She was in recovery and doing very well from what her journals told me. Last time I saw her she was in the local hospital, she had an accident on the day she moved into the new house with her father and Julia. She looked better."
"Our officers are looking for her. From what the neighbours told us, she was a happy, polite girl. They weren't sure when they first met her with all the piercings she had, but as they said, looks can be deceiving. The neighbourhood kids loved her." Detective Ronson told doctor Channard.
The doctor smiles. "She liked to help others. She was close friends with one of my other patients. They shared a bond with solving puzzles. Tiffany never talked to us, but she did with Grace. But...I blame myself for her disappearance." Doctor Channard admitted.
Detective Ronson frowned and looked at the doctor. "Why's that."
"It was my idea for grace to go and live with Mr and Mrs cotton. I wanted her to experience the outside world as she never stepped outside in ten years. After a bit of persuasion, she agreed. I wanted to speed up her recovery. To help her. She was doing so well here, I thought it was the best. Even the staff saw a huge difference. When the news comes in about the family and Grace, some even leave work early to find her. I blame myself for it..." Doctor Channard eyes watered.
Detective Ronson sighed. "Don't blame yourself, Doc. We will find her."
Detective Ronson looks over his shoulder at Kirsty. He then looks carefully at Doctor Channard and then nods slowly.
"I think she's more your territory than mine. Shame." Detective Ronson looks back at Kirsty.
"Kirsty. Doctor Channard is going to look after you now. Maybe we could talk some more tomorrow."
Kirsty nods vaguely and then, just as detective Ronson reaches the door, she calls out to him. " Wait! The mattress. You've got to destroy it. She died on it, you see. The mattress. It's haunted now. She can come back...like Frank. SHE CAN COME BACK."
Detective Ronson smiles helplessly at her, then glances at Doctor Channard with a "you see what I mean," expression, and leaves the room.
"The mattress..." Kirsty mumbles to herself.
Doctor Channard stares at her briefly, with a strange expression on his face and then abruptly follows Detective Ronson out of the room.
Kirsty is too absorbed to notice this odd behaviour, but Kyle stares incredulously as Doctor Channard talks to the detective in the hallway.
"Uh...excuse me for a moment." He leaves the room.
Kirsty stares blankly at the wall. The mattress needed to be destroyed. But how? She could try and escape. what she would use to destroy the mattress.
"You could always use holy water and petrol." A familiar voice says beside her.
Kirsty slowly turns her head. Her eyes widen in shock. Sitting on the bed next to her is Grace. She didn't look any different. Apart from being more pale than normal. Her eyes were pitch black instead of the warm brown. Around her eyes were dark circles, they looked like bruises, blue/black with a hint on purple. Kirsty thought in death, Grace looked more beautiful.
Grace smiled as she stared at Kirsty. She wished she could hug her in comfort but all she would feel is nothing. No warmth. Just words.
"Holy water works. You should ask one of the Cenobites. He remembers his past life."
Kirsty stared. "How did you get here?"
"Hey, I'm giving you advice on how to destroy the mattress and the first thing you ask is how I got here."
"Huh..."
Grace rolled her eyes. "I'm dead. A ghost if you could say. I can get anywhere I want. I thought of you and here I am." She simply says, like it's a normal conversation.
"Oh. Do the Cenobites know you are here."
Grace nods her head slowly.
Kirsty s eyes start to water. Tears filled her eyes as she came to accept that Grace was dead. She didn't survive her father.
"Don't,"
Kirsty's face snaps up at Grace's voice.
"Don't cry. It wasn't your fault. It was Frank and Julia's fault. They killed me. It...wasn't...your...fault. do you understand me, Kirsty." Grace says sternly.
"But you died..." Kirsty nearly screams.
On instinct, Grace moves her hand to cover kirsty's mouth, but her hand goes through her. Kirsty's eyes widened in shock as the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. Her mouth felt cold.
"I would have been dead ten years ago. I wouldn't have been here right now. The angels are arseholes."
Tears fell from Kirsty's eyes and trickled down her cheeks. She stared at Grace with so much love. Now she realises how truly alone she is. Everyone around her had died or left her. It's like the family is cursed, ever since Frank had first opened the box. He placed a curse on the family.
Grace watches Kyle return into the room. She noticed he looked puzzled and troubled. He then looks at Kirsty. For a second he thought he saw Grace sitting on the bed. He shook his head. He was tired, it had been a long day. He needed sleep.
He then looks at Kirsty and smiles. "So, your Kirsty, huh?"
"He's a doctor in training. He started here three years ago. A student of Doctor Channard." Grace informs her.
"You're Kyle. You're a doctor too?"
Kyle frowns. "How did you know that?"
"Grace told me. She told me a little bit about the doctors here." Kirsty lies easily.
"Oh, well, I'm nearly a doctor. And you know my name son there's no need for introductions."
Kirsty gives him a small smile.
Grace gets off the bed and leans on the wall. She lights a cigarette watching the two people staring awkwardly at each other. Her eyes light up in amusement.
Doctor Channard enters the room. She always thought he was a good doctor and a father figure. A good man. But around his is darkness. If she could shiver, she would off. Something is wrong with him. She didn't like the feeling she was getting from him. Death had its perks.
"Now Kirsty..."
Kirsty looks at him warily. Interesting. Kirsty doesn't trust him either. They both share a look.
"The cop. He didn't believe me."
"I suspect not. But that doesn't necessarily mean you're wrong, does it?"
Grace studied him. Something isn't right.
"Do you believe me?"
Doctor Channard offers a reassuring laugh. "Well, I don't know yet. However, you're not lying. You believe this is the truth."
"It is the truth. If Grace....was here, she would tell you the truth." Kirsty threw an apologetic look at Grace. She noticed Grace was staring at Doctor Channard, observing him.
"Grace is gone..."
"She was your patient for ten years. Did you believe anything she said to you. A ten year old child who went to church every Sunday. A ten year old child who loved you like you were her father."
"I can't tell you anything about...Grace."
"Why, huh? Because she was your patient...or was she your experiment and obsession....she told me all the puzzles you gave her to do. How quick she did them. What was she to you, huh? A daughter or an obsession. And you can tell me about her because I'm a relative..." Kirsty spat in anger. She didn't trust him. He had the same look that Frank and Julia had.
Doctor Channard nervously laughs. "Well..."
Grace stared at the man she respected. She felt hurt and angry. Did he use her in some way.
The door opens again. A nurse is standing there. For the briefest of moments, doctor Channard was grateful.
"Sorry, Doctor Channard. But it's Tiffany. She escaped again."
Doctor Channard sighs. He looks at Kirsty.
"I'm sorry Kirsty. Kyle will come back with something to help you sleep. We shall speak tomorrow."
Doctor Channard leaves the room. Follow the nurse closely. Kyle gives Kirsty a smile as the door closes behind him.
"I don't trust him." Kirsty tells grace.
"I know. I did once, but now I realise he had lied to me. Something isn't right with him."
"Can you do something for me...I might get caught."
Grace raises her eyebrows up. A smirk is on her pale lips. "You want me to follow him."
Kirsty nods her head.
"Okay, I need to have some fun while being dead. I will ask the ghosts who reside here. You owe me one."
Kirsty watches Grace leave the room as she walks straight through the wall.