Asylum - The Case of Sophia Rourke

Chapter Nine

The horrible, fearing feeling overcame me again. I was back in the terrorous Kingston Asylum, in my least favorite place- the basement. I took action immediately, pushing my fears to the back of my head. I ran up the dreaded stairs and up into the main room.

Security seemed to have doubled. There were three guards at the door, and many more nurses watching the children. I didn't recognize anyone- everyone I'd met escaped or died. I considered both to be escape.

Where do I find Doctor Wooding? I asked myself. In a split second, I got a perfect idea. Melissa. That's who I'll ask.

Perfect timing. She was walking down the hall, passing all of the rooms. This is going too well. Something must not be right... I grabbed Melissa without warning and pulled her into the first empty room I could find.

"Adelaide?!" she gasped. I slapped my hand over her mouth.

"Yes, it's me. I'm here to fix everything. Where is Doctor Wooding?"

"My darling, you'll be in so much trouble if they realize you're back!" Melissa cried through my hand. I moved it away.

"Please. Trust me."

She hesitated, staring at me with wide eyes. "I... I... he's in his office." Her eyes changed. I couldn't catch how- they just did. She handed me something. A knife. "Do it. For all of us."

I ran out of the room and down the hall, then into Doctor Wooding's office. He was sitting there, writing a letter. Newspapers were scattered everywhere. He looked up and screamed. I locked his door and approached him. Before I could stop myself, the knife went directly into his skull. Blood splattered all over my dress, the impact of my weapon breaking blood vessels in his head. I backed away as his head hit the desk. I was breathing like a worn-out dog. I killed him. I just killed him! I dashed out into the hall. That's when I lost control.

I found myself in the adult's ward. I barged into Doctor Rodger's office. "Die!"

"Adelaide?!" he gasped. I stabbed him, too, more times than I could count, before he was dead.

Maybe I am crazy, I thought. Maybe this is all just getting to me, like it got to Anna. No, I'm not like Anna. I'm okay. I haven't killed anyone before. Adelaide, stop lying to yourself.

You're crazy.

The shadows appeared all around me and Doctor Rodger's body. They were laughing at my foolishness. "You're mad! Simply mad!"

I couldn't help myself. I started crying and ran out into the hall. Before I knew it, I was in Patricia and Caydence's room. They were both asleep, but my sobbing woke them up.

"Adelaide?!" Patricia gasped.

"What are you doing back here? You must leave at once for your own safety!" Caydence hissed. She looked concerned.

They both noticed my tears and expression.

"What have you done, child?" Caydence asked in fear.

"I got rid of them! Now the shadows will be freed!"

Caydence got up from her bed and pulled Patricia up. I slipped the bracelet over my wrist, and the world went back to the shadows. But, this time, it was bright.

The grass was green, and beautiful flowers were growing everywhere. That's when I noticed it was, indeed, the shadow world- but now, it was merged with the good spirit's world. I saw Lucy and Liam sitting in the grass, giggling and playing together. Ivy was with them, watching them happily. Grandpa, Reiko, Brynne, Daryl, and Collin were over by a tree. Brynne turned and saw me, and ran over to hug me. She stopped midway.

"You have blood all over you!" she gasped.

"You did it, Addie!" Ivy hugged me tightly. Lucy and Liam hugged my legs, all three of them not seeming to care that I was covered in blood. Grandpa stared at me in concern and relief.

"You've corrected everything," Collin said. "You got revenge for the shadows. Now, they've become the good shadows, like us."

I wasn't focused on anything but the fact that I killed two people.

Out of nowhere, Bernice ran over to me. She, Patricia, and Caydence hugged for what seemed like hours, crying like children throwing a fit. Patricia was walking, despite the fact that she only had one leg.

"You will receive a gift, Adelaide, for what you've done for us," A voice whispered into my ear. That's when I snapped back into reality.

Thomas was sitting on the floor in front of me. Unlike Grandpa and Collin, he wasn't translucent. He didn't look like a ghost.

Thomas was alive.

I threw myself on top of him and hugged him tighter than I'd ever hugged anyone before. I started crying again. I could tell he was alive- nobody needed to tell me. It was the best gift I had ever received.

"Tommy!" Brynne and Daryl called out simultaneously. They, along with Ivy, hugged Thomas with me. It was a giant group hug.

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I had never felt so happy to see someone in my life. We hugged for what felt like hours. I could tell Thomas was very confused, and I couldn't blame him.

"Are you all ready to go back to the real world?" Grandpa smiled at us as we regained our composure. Thomas didn't stop hugging me, though. He could sense something was terribly wrong with me.

"What will we do once we get back?" Daryl asked, concern showing in his face.

"You will find new lives with Patricia and Caydence," Grandpa replied. The two women exchanged a smile.

"We're leaving hell!" Patricia exclaimed, a huge grin on her face. Ivy didn't look happy. In fact, her expression was blank.

I looked over at Grandpa. He was staring at me, a small smile on his face. I ran over and hugged him.

"You'll be alright, kiddo."

"Will I ever see you again?" I asked.

"You'll see me whenever that bracelet goes onto your wrist. And keep my diary. It'll be of good use." He kissed my forehead. I sniffled and held back my tears, then nodded. We let go of each other.

"Ready to go home?" Collin smiled at us all. He got nothing but nods.

Ivy looked up at me. "Thank you, Addie."

"For what?"

"Everything."

The world whizzed around me. Then, my vision went black.

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I awoke to loud sobs and heavy breathing. Besides that, there was no other sound.

"Oh my god." Reiko was crying loudly.

"No! No no no! Why did they let me be alive again?! Please, take me back and bring her back!" I could hear Thomas yelling. His voice was stronger than I'd ever heard. It was like he wasn't shy and afraid anymore. All I could feel in the atmosphere was pain. Emotional pain.

I sat up to look around. I froze and my heart dropped to my gut. Daryl was sitting on the ground, crying loudly. There was a body in his arms.

Ivy's body.

The realization hit me like an arrow to my heart. Ivy was dead. Gone. What she had spoken in the unrecognizable language was her warning. She knew that was going to happen. Tha petháno. She knew this would happen. Did the medicine not heal her? Did the shadows kill her? Did I kill her? Ivy died suffering. She didn't look it, but I knew she was. The little girl always put up a tough exterior, no matter what the situation. I started crying once again. This time, it was loud and obnoxious. I didn't know how much longer I could put up with the constant pain. I couldn't even imagine what Daryl, Brynne, and Thomas were feeling. They knew Ivy so much better than I did. Daryl and Ivy arrived to Kingston Asylum together. Brynne took care of Ivy like she was her mother. Thomas and Ivy suffered every second of their painful childhoods together. Through the moment of tears, I only heard one, heart-breaking phrase. It was Thomas.

"Not every story has a happy ending...."