Psychopathic Instincts

Chapter 8

She stumbled back to her office and sat down behind her desk. Running her had over the smooth surface of the desk, she logged onto her laptop and started searching anything she could find on Markus Clang and Randy Civil. If what Randy was saying was true, then she was in serious danger. She had to believe it now. She had to believe in the supernatural. As her search went on, there was a knock at the door. Paul came in, looking both exasperated and concerned. "Morning. You're obviously feeling fine since you're here doing research." She said nothing but leaned back in her chair to observe him. He sat down opposite her. "I heard what happened with Randy. Jane, you weren't supposed to see him." Paul said. "I know. I just had to check he was okay. Did they revive him?" She asked hopefully. He nodded but said that seeing her triggered a  panic attack for some reason. "They're blaming this on me now? That's not true Paul. What happened to him wasn't natural. He was... Something else. And I can't shake the feeling that Markus Clang had something to do with what happened to him. Both Randy and Markus said something about a master..." She stopped midsentence as realisation hit her. She stared at Paul, angry she had not thought of it before. "Paul..." She said slowly, "Was Markus Clang a... devil worshipper?" She finished looking intently at him. It was something she had learned helped as a psychiatrist. It normally made the patient feel nervous or that they had the doctor's attention and it worked. Paul looked nervously away, then back at her. "Well... The previous institution he was at did say he said strange stuff about... Hell and whatever. It was one of the reasons he was transferred. No one wanted to interact with him..." He stopped at the sight of her angry and disgusted face. Then she spoke, more calmly than she felt. "If the previous institution didn't want him, then why did you bring him here?" Taking a deep breath she glared at him, daring him to say anything stupid. "I... I just thought my staff could handle Markus. I thought they were being stupid." Paul said, trying to sound casual but she could tell he was nervous. "You have to be joking..." She did not have words for him. He looked ashamed. "You brought him here because you knew you didn't have to deal with him. We would. All the staff. The nurses, the doctors and especially me!" She shouted but Paul sat there like a little child being reprimanded by his mother. "Jane, I feel terrible now that I see how it affected everybody here." He said carefully. "You're right. It did affect everyone here... Except you.  I have to see patients right now. Please leave." She said and gestured towards the door. He got up but opened his mouth to say something. Thinking better of it, he left the room without another word. Jane sat heavily behind her desk. If it wasn't for Paul, Markus wouldn't have come there, Randy Civil would not be in a critical condition and Jane wouldn't have had to deal with Markus Clang and have the guilt of having a patient who was thought to have committed suicide. And not to mention this whole theory that Randy had that Markus was after her. She had enough to worry about without Randy saying she was being haunted. The anger was bubbling up inside her again and she felt like she wanted to flip over her desk but it quickly melted away when she looked into the furthest corner of the room. It was dark that side but she could see something. A dark figure. It stood there, watching her. She couldn't see its face but she felt its eyes on her. Then what looked like black mold started to crawl from the figure. On the walls, on the roof. It came closer until it surrounded her. On the roof above her head, she heard a cracking sound and she slowly looked up. She gasped in horror as a face with blood red eyes looked at her. Black hair and grey skin that was covered in blood leaking from its mouth. It opened its mouth wide revealing its long, sharp teeth. A drop of blood fell on her head and it burned her skin. Clapping her hand to forehead, she looked up helplessly as the creature loomed closer. Inches from her face she felt its breath on her skin...