The Strange Case of the Jackson Building

Chapter 25 - Blood

Chapter Twenty-Five

Blood

Enough was enough. And Petra had definitely had enough.

Naima's threatening and horrifying words still echoed through her mind when she arrived on the fifth floor. She didn't know what to believe. She couldn't understand who was crazier or if none of them really was. She just knew that Naima's words were scary, because they were so violent and felt so rooted in truth. She knew her whole skin still burned due to the long and deep cuts someone had inflicted on her as she slept. And she knew she was done and she wanted to run. Petra just wanted to get out of there, give up, surrender and return home. She couldn't take it anymore.

It was over.

Running inside her apartment to pack and leave, she suddenly remembered the boys.

The conversation with Harry was still pending, but it wasn't the most vital one to have at the moment. Not knowing if what she'd discovered was true or simply the result of collective madness, she couldn't just leave them behind... If it was true, they had to be warned.

They would probably think she was insane, maybe make fun of her, disregard her crazy claims... But it didn't matter. She was willing to be deemed a lunatic, and she probably was, if it meant they'd be safer. Even if they didn't believe her, at least she'd leave the thought with them and, hopefully, they would be more attentive to the signs and escape in time.

Besides, she had the feeling Harry would know exactly what she was talking about. She hoped he would support her. Petra really did care deeply for the boys.

It was decided. Petra would pack, then she would go to the boys, do her very best to have them follow her and then she would finally leave.

And never return.

Petra opened her bag and started throwing all she could find inside it. It wasn't important to her to leave a few things behind, she was just focused on taking the things she loved the most and leave as quickly as possible, before anything else could happen. Everything that could be easily replaced could be left behind if it meant she could leave before the night fell.

Knowing that she was about to leave it all behind felt wonderful, a huge relief, but it also felt dangerous. Something in the back of her mind told her to be careful, that it couldn't possibly be that easy. It was also too quiet, too silent, too heavy... She felt like the Jackson Building was preparing to fight back.

Dragging the heavy bag to the door, Petra decided to leave it there and come back for it after her visit to the sixth floor.

"Please don't leave."

Petra jumped, startled. She was sure she was alone. Turning around, she saw Natasha, standing on the hallway, looking sad and miserable.

"Please don't go," she begged, on the verge of tears. "Please don't leave me."

"Natasha..." was all Petra could say. She had been caught completely off guard. Natasha was the last person she'd expected to see.

"I don't want to be alone anymore," Natasha said, her voice cracking. "I don't like being alone."

Petra could feel her heart breaking. It was a truly tragic sight. But something was wrong, something didn't feel right. Then, she remembered Natasha's random appearances and even weirder disappearances, her empty room, the solitary dangling rope, the news about Natasha Fletcher's suicide...

And she was scared, petrified. Her heart raced and her limbs trembled.

Was she the real Natasha? Or was she something much darker?