Why me?

Part 12

Alice couldn't open the gate because, unfortunately, it was completely locked and had multiple chains around it. It was also impossible to climb, although Alice tried to through her cries. She fell down hard and left a huge wound on her right arm. She could feel the warm blood dripping down.

"HELP!", she screamed and suddenly she heard footsteps running towards her with crackling leaves underneath their feet. When she turned around, she screamed even harder. Right in front of her was standing Patrick. It was just... He had no head.

Alice couldn't move an inch, she was shaking all over and repeating to herself: "I want to die, I just want to die!"

The power in the house suddenly went off and all the lights disappeared, leaving everything in complete darkness. Yet Alice could still see Berta's body dangling left-right, left-right... What is going on, Alice thought to herself. What am I supposed to do?!

In a split of a second, the lights went on again and Alice could see a figure exiting the house. "WHO ARE YOU?!", she screamed in horror, not knowing what to do, where to run. It seemed to be a man. He was stumbling and had a hard time walking, as if he hadn't walked for a long time.

"WHO ARE YOU?! ANSWER ME!", Alice screamed again, confused and scared. "Don't worry, Alice", the man said in a deep, raspy voice.

"I'm just here to help you. Come on, get in the house. It's getting dark".

Alice was certain that she should not, under any circumstances, believe this man, no matter what he might say or do that seems rather normal. Because he couldn't have been.

"I just stopped by to drink a cup of coffee with Berta and I found her like this... Don't worry, we'll get her down". He was slowly approaching Alice.

"What do you want from me?", she asked in a quiet, shaken voice, looking at the mans kind face that had a worried expression on it. "You're a good actor", she added, not sure whether she should have because the man now seemed a bit offended.

"What do you mean, actor? I'm no actor. I'm just a farmer... I went in through the backyard where I always go, but I guess that's why you think I'm some kind of freak ghost or something. Well let me tell ya something. I'm not".

Alice could still see Patrick's body right behind the man and when she saw the little legs approaching him, she said: "There's a boy behind you. A headless boy".

"A what?", the man seemed really shocked and when he turned around his eyes lurked, not focusing on anything particular, which Alice thought meant that he didn't even see Patrick.

After all, maybe he was just a farmer. "Come on now, let's get you in the house. Tomorrow, we can call the police and they can take you away to a new foster home. Don't you worry, everything will be just right".

Alice was slowly starting to believe him and when he spread his arm out to her, she took it... And he pulled her right up in the most violent way.

"HA!", he screamed, his face spreading in an awful, bone-chilling grin. He was looking at Alice as if she were a peace of a greasy steak.

"YOU'RE SO STUPID! AH-HA. I CAN'T ACTUALLY BELIEVE YOU FELL FOR THIS!", he was screaming into her face as Alice felt his breath reek of a dead rat.

"You're coming with me", he suddenly said, in a low voice but as much as Alice struggled to get out of his grip, it was too strong for her. Her eyes kept filling with tears so she couldn't see anything vividly, yet she could still make out Patrick's figure in the dark and Berta's body that the man suddenly, violently pulled down by ripping the rope.

Her lifeless body fell to the floor as if it were a dummy. Alice screamed.

"Oh, Berta. My poor wife", the man said and then histerically laughed, kicking Berta's body as if it were a bag. 

Alice was in shock. Berta was his wife? But hadn't Berta's husband died even before she was born? Apparently not... Or had he? 

"Oh, how innocent. Don't you realize I'm as dead as that boy over there? Don't be scared of dead people, Alice. We might help you... But we might also ruin your life. But here's the great thing about it: YOU DON'T GET TO CHOOSE!"

She screamed again, trying to punch the man but his grip was still to firm.

"I have a suggestion for you, little Alice. You can either reunite with your parents, or... you can stay with me. Doesn't that sound easy and perfect? So plain, yet so complex but you do not sense a thing... I'm sensing the answer, though".

"I want my parents back!", she screamed through tears. "Ah, yes. Of course. But, you know what? That's not priceless. Not even close. Get in the house and then I will tell you the little thing you'll have to do in order to bring them back to life..."

"Tell me now, what is it?"

"Now now, don't be so anxious to find out. Get in the house first. I want to show you something in there..."

Alice's head was throbbing and her heart was beating hard in her chest. Was it possible? Was he really going to bring her parents back to life? If so, what could be the cost?