THE GAME OF SHADOW

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Tracy stared at Late Mrs. Evelyn's house as Mr. Black drove her to the hospital, following the ambulance. "Left to the other left, then right," she repeated in her mind, trying to memorize the directions from the house to the hospital.

Mr. Black asked Tracy to narrate what had happened that night in the house. Tracy replied, "I made juice for her, and then after two hours, she went insane." Mr. Black consoled Tracy, telling her, "It's over."

Finally, they arrived at the hospital. Tracy watched the paramedics as they carried Rose inside. She was with Mr. Black, who was taking her to get checked for any injuries.

They sat down, waiting for the doctor. Then Mr. Black received an important phone call he couldn't refuse. He turned to Tracy and told her he'd be back in an hour. Tracy nodded, and Mr. Black added, "Wait! The doctor will soon be here." He left, making a call, saying, "I'm on my way."

After a few minutes, Tracy stood up. She moved around the room, humming innocently from one end to the other.

The door opened. "You must be Tracy," said the doctor. Tracy looked up and stopped moving around the room. The doctor gestured for her to come sit in a high chair beside her. Tracy moved close and was assisted onto the seat as the doctor examined her.

"Is my sister, Rose, okay?" Tracy asked anxiously.

"Yeah, she'll be fine," the doctor replied. Tracy waited for a moment, then asked for Rose's room number. The doctor, still examining Tracy, looked at her face and said, "I think you should probably let your sister rest for a while."

"I just want to know the number. I want to sit by her," Tracy said, her sad gaze fixed on the floor.

"Room 354. Please let her get some rest, okay?" said the doctor, finishing the examination. "You're good to go." With that, he left to attend to another patient.

After about five minutes, Tracy emerged from the room and walked through the hallway, searching for Room 354.

Upon reaching Room 354, she saw a doctor attending to Rose's bandaged legs. Tracy hid behind the door, waiting for the doctor to finish and leave. Rose had lost a lot of blood; she was awake but very weak. There was another patient in the room, an elderly lady, lying down but also awake.

When the doctor finished, he left the room and saw Tracy standing beside the door. He paused to speak to her, but before he could say a word, a nurse called him over to check on another patient. Tracy remained in her spot until no one else was passing through the hallway, then she entered the room and closed the door.

Tracy walked to Rose, standing beside her, exactly where Rose's face was. "Hello, sister. I hope you're fit to play a little more." Rose's eyes opened wide, frightened. Her eyes darted around their sockets, but she was too weak to make a sound or move.

Tracy then glanced at the old lady lying innocently, staring at the ceiling, before looking back at Rose. "Watch this," she said. Tracy began to move toward the old lady. Reaching a tray with surgical instruments, she picked up a scalpel and continued toward the old lady, hiding the blade behind her.

The lady smiled at Tracy and asked, "What's your name?" Tracy smiled back. "My name is Tracy, and I want you to look at my sister over there. She's trying to tell you something." The old lady turned to Rose, who was crying and looking desperately at Tracy.

"Why is your sister crying?" the old lady asked, still focused on Rose.

"Maybe she's crying because she's going to die soon, and so will you," Tracy replied. As the lady turned back to Tracy, saying, "Why would you say...?" Tracy struck, using the scalpel to cut the old lady's throat. Blood gushed out, spraying everywhere.

Tracy then turned back to Rose, humming the same song she had while walking. She carefully raised Rose's head, pulled the pillow from under it, and placed her head back down on the bed gently.

Rose was sobbing, realizing she was about to die. "Goodbye, sister," Tracy whispered, using the pillow to suffocate Rose.

The door swung open. "Stop what you are doing!" Mr. Black shouted, rushing toward her. Tracy didn't stop until Mr. Black pulled her away from Rose. He held Tracy, who was struggling to free herself to finish what she had started. Mr. Black noticed the old lady on the other bed, dead and covered in blood. A doctor rushed in to help Rose, who was now unconscious.

"What do you think you are doing?" Mr. Black demanded, handing Tracy over to a nurse. The nurse took Tracy and locked her in a room wearing a self-harm gown.

A week passed, and Tracy remained in that room. Suddenly, the door opened, and it was Mr. Black, accompanied by a few police officers there to take Tracy to the courthouse. As Tracy walked past Room 354, she looked inside, saw it empty, and smiled. They got into the car and headed to the court.

In court, Tracy was asked why she did all of this. "I just wanted to play," she replied repeatedly. The questions piled up, but her answer remained the same: "I just wanted to play."

Mr. Black was called to the stand and questioned about why he shot Late Mrs. Evelyn without understanding the situation and how he knew it was Tracy who had been the murderer all along. He explained, "I had a note in my pocket from Tracy saying Mrs. Evelyn was going to kill them that night. When I got there, I saw her with a gun pointing at Tracy, about to shoot. We arrived at the hospital, and I was called to listen to a voice note Mrs. Evelyn made. When I got there, I heard Mrs. Evelyn saying that a killer was staying with her and also about Abram. They all linked to the girl who went missing three years ago after her parents were killed and burned." The judge asked if Tracy was the missing girl, to which Mr. Black replied, "Yes."

A doctor took the stand and stated that Tracy needed help. "She has gone through a lot and is mentally unstable."

The jury then left to deliberate.

After two hours, the court gathered to announce the judgment. A paper was given to the judge from the jury.

"Tracy, you are sentenced to be helped in a mental facility," the judge declared, striking the gavel. "As for you, Mr. Black, you are hereby suspended from your duties at the bureau for shooting an innocent lady."

As Tracy was being taken away, Mr. Black approached her and exhaled heavily. Tracy looked at him and said, "Too bad you couldn't save Rose," as she exited the courtroom.

When she was six feet away, Mr. Black called out, "Rose is not dead!"

Tracy heard him as she entered the car that was about to take her to the mental facility. She glanced back at Mr. Black and smiled a forced smile through the car window as the vehicle pulled away.

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