Room 93 (FIRST DRAFT)

Present

I slide of the bed and stand next to Elizabeth. She looks distant and afraid. I am beginning to get an idea of why she locked herself up for years on end. I don't think anyone would want to go out in public after seeing that. It is the sort of thing that sticks with you for years.

'You said you wanted to hear the story,' she sighs with wispy breaths. I hadn't known her tale was a graphic one although I should have guessed when she said that almost everyone died.
'Do you want to carry on?' I make my voice sound as brave as possible but I can tell that it isn't very good, I am terrified.
'I don't mind telling you now. You have heard about the deaths so it is only a matter of time before it sniffs you out and kills you too, there is nothing I can do to stop it now so you mig as well know the whole story.' Her voice drills right through me, cutting my open and churning me up. Wow, she has a lack of empathy.

She pulls the diary from my grasp and flicks to the later pages, past many blank sheets. She gets to a page with the number one in the upper corner. There is a photo stuck to the page. It's corners are tattered and the photo is faded but the object in vision is obvious.

The photo is from the point of view of a CCTV camera and is fuzzy. It look pixelated and blurred but I can she the pristine white floor and walls. A young girl is wrapped up in a older girls arms, a boys hand on her shoulder. The girl looks innocent and cute like most little girls. The older girl has short brown hair that is straight and silky. Although she is small she looks around thirteen as her features are mature and aged. The boy is only a little older than the girl and is rather sweet. His chubby cheeks don't suit the look of horror carved into his features as he crumpled his face in fear. The small girl has tears streaming down her face, staining her smooth cheeks. I want to look away before I see what the children are looking at but I am intrigued to see what Elizabeth has been describing. Jason's face is crumpled like Eric's but is lying in a pool of water. His thick black hair is stuck to his forehead and sweat clings to his high cheek bones. His arms are still wrapped around his chest, trying to squeezing the water out of his lungs even in death. His bold green eyes are distant and open in a infinite stare. I can tell he was once rather handsome but all that is lost in the desperation that has taken over his frightened and dead face.

Elizabeth closes the book before I have time to see the next page and she closes the diary, putting it in her handbag. She still looks distant and worried but I can't blame her. I have only ever seen one dead person and that was just now in a photo taken fifty years ago. She saw Jason die when she was seven and he died in a very gory way, not just in his sleep. I don't think she could ever get over that...

'That was horrible,' I tell her, my hands visible shaking from shock. She nods and sits back on the bed, patting the space next to her telling me to sit down.
'That wasn't the worst death. All the deaths were brutal and graphic, some more than others and I must admit that was one of the better ones.' Her voice shakes as she speaks evidently remembering the room and the deaths.
'You mean you saw worse stuff than someone drowning from the inside in that room,' I can't keep the surprise from my voice although I don't think I am really trying to.
'Much worse. The second death was one of the worst I saw whilst I was there. I will continue my story soon but first I need to show you something. We will need to drive so I will continue the story in the car.' She stands again and leads me out the room to the stairs.

I feel the cold tear through me once more but I ignore it this time and run down the stairs as quick as I can. As if taken by surprise, the cold is left behind me in my plight and I almost trip over the next step as the chill is torn away from me.

Elizabeth isn't far behind me and I wait for her in the kitchen as she hobbles down gently. She takes me through the kitchen and out the front door. I open my car and we both climb in, Elizabeth sitting in the back, as not to disturb my files.
'Where to?' I peer over the back of my chair at the old lady waiting for me to drive,
'To the graveyard. I have a lot to explain here so drive slowly and carefully.' She nods at me and I turn on the ignition, starting the car up, 'This next bit is important and about Alexia.'