Redrum: Origins

Part 6: The Game

Disclaimer: I do not own Redrum. Redrum is a game developed by Anarchy Enterprises. I only own the OC characters.

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She had originally made the decision not to share this with anyone, but the present circumstances changed everything. It sounded ridiculous coming out of her mouth, but what she experienced last night was real. She didn't know how exactly, but Rose was the one who had gotten a confession out of the murderer. She suspected that it had something to do with the girl's supernatural sensitivity.

Once she had finished, she paused, scrutinizing the detective's expression. It appeared as though he was caught between disbelief and genuine shock. However, the disbelief faded, his face settling into a grim mask of stone. "So, you helped Rose in the homicide case, then?" He nodded his head once, a stiff movement.

Maddie perked up, surprised. "Are you saying you believe me?" she asked, incredulous. Ravenwood shrugged. "If you believe it, then so do I. Too many weird things have happened in this town."

The young pseudo-human felt as if the air had rushed out of her lungs. That was easier than she thought it was going to be. Her reverie was soon interrupted by Ravenwood's next words. "Of course, that means that the perp's gonna be sent to the Asylum." That made her gut sink with apprehension. Another victim for Fraud to torment.

"By the way," the detective continued, "I did some research on the development of the N1T3M4R3 serum." Maddie snapped her full attention to the hardened veteran, eager for what he had found. "I had people dig through some old medical records. There are no recorded clinical trials of the serum. In fact, it hasn't even been approved by the FDA. Fraud filed his own patent for it, preventing anyone other than him from using it on other patients."

Maddie scrunched her brow, confused. "What does that mean, then?" The detective sighed, as if he were exhausted. Now that she had a closer look, it seemed Ravenwood hadn't been getting any better sleep than her. "It means," he said, "that he's hiding something. And the fact that he has Rose doesn't sit well with me."

Maddie knew that, of course. Whatever he had brewing within that Asylum of his made it clear that he was not interested in his patients' wellbeing. There was also his disturbing obsession with Rose. By all intents and purposes, a normal psychiatrist wouldn't have focused so much on a girl hearing voices. Unless he knew about Rose's clairvoyance...

Ravenwood put a hand to his face, grunting in frustration. "If only I could get some actual dirt on him," he said, rubbing at his forehead, "then we can put this nightmare behind us."

A spark went off in her head. "Maybe that will come sooner than you think."

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She awoke once more in a dream, but everything was different this time. Soft, pink clouds enveloped around her, making up the landscape. Warm sunlight streamed down from above, its rejuvenating rays filling her with elation. Pink and blue butterflies lazily flapped their wings in the air. Blood red roses dotted the rolling mists.

She slowly got to her feet, the cloud-floor beneath her weightless and springy. She took in the view, taking in a deep breath of the sweet air. It reminded of her of days long past, days she wished she could experience once again. However, there was a presence marring this pristine world. She could feel it. She turned around, facing this oppressive force head-on. Twenty feet from her a wall of black thorns was slowly digging into the land, tainting the clouds. Green mist emanated from them, giving it an eerie look. There was a wooden sign stuck in the ground at the wall's boundary: Do Not Disturb. It seemed as though it was the only thing holding back the prickling thorns, the wood creaking under its weight. It would not hold for long.