Before The Fall (Suicide Notes Prequel)

The Preparation

~Published: August 28, 2015~

Four hours, twenty minutes left.

Victoria London slowly walked around the garden behind her apartment and wiped her mind of all thoughts of her impending death.

She looked up at the tall buildings on either side of her. The first was the main building of the institute, the second was the apartment, and the third was the hospital where the suicidal patients stayed.

Guess they missed one, huh, Vicki thought amused.

The stone buildings reminded her of her time in the ward. It was an unpleasant memory that she wished she could forget but knew all too well that it was part of her punishment.

Victoria woke up with a start, her eyes flying open as she gasped. Her nightmares were filled with surgeons and pain; with headlights and dark shadows.

She tried to move her body but failed.

Oh, no, she thought. Am I in the emergency room again?

Slowly she cracked her eyelids open only to shut them again when a bright light hit her eyes.

Victoria groaned in agony before trying again to open her eyes.

Slowly her eyes adjusted and she regained feeling in her limbs. She tried to sit up but found that a thick strap that resembled a seatbelt was tied across her chest trapping her in the hospital bed. She attempted to reach over and pull it off, but her hands were bound to the bed as well.

Just as Victoria was giving up hope, a large shadow seemingly appeared from nowhere in the corner of the room. Two floating lights glowed where she supposed the head was and its body began growing larger, almost touching the ceiling.

"Victoria," it whispered roughly. "You are mine now."

Victoria panicked, pulling at the straps with what little strength was in her body but ultimately failed. The heart monitor beside her bed skyrocketed as she began to scream for help.

"Help!" she feebly yelled out, still struggling to release herself from her bonds.

"Let me out!" she screamed louder, the lights above her bed flickering as the shadow slowly moved closer to her.

"Let me out! Please!" she cried, her eyes welling with tears of fear.

Victoria screamed as the shadow split and multiplied. They surrounded her bed, eyes glowing as they lunged at her, and somewhere in the background, she could faintly hear the rush of voices and the stomping of feet.

Just as quickly as the shadows appeared they retreated into the dark corner and converged into one, leaving Victoria thrashing and crying on the hospital bed.

"She's going into shock," someone said.

"Get the injection, now!" another voice said.

"Help me, please. I-It's trying to hurt me."

"What is, Ms. London? What is trying to hurt you?"