Dear Inspector, It Was The Ghosts

Part one, Chapter 3 -Lost

'Yet in the morning the patches of blood we left behind were cleaned up. Nobody would ever know, and if we spoke like Jon did then we'd "disappear". We all knew that the boss themself would probably have killed him. At night, we were locked in small cells that were made of metal and inches thick. A nurse would come and tie us to the bed using sharp metal bars. If we moved even once during the night, we'd wake up with cuts. Someone even died because the barriers were too sharp on their wrists. 

'They'd inject us with needles and do all sorts of tests on us. Nobody cared if one insane child went missing overnight. Nobody escaped. Then there was the food. It was so bad sometimes I wish the men had cut my tongue out. One time I refused to eat it and they injected me with something that paralyzed me and force fed me. That happened often to the ones who never learned. 

'They thought it'd be a fun idea to get this girl called Hallie addicted to some of the medical drugs they had until she was barely human anymore. If the sleeping stuff they gave you didn't work then you'd have to listen to kids being beaten and the nurses and soldier men laughing. The inmates weren't the insane ones. They were.'

'I think whoever killed Jamie killed Benji and Anna. And somehow maybe even Joey. Can we go to sleep now? I'm tired.'

'Me too.' Julius wiped one single tear from his eye. He wandered around the room closing all the blinds. 'There are only 8 mats.'

'Grace can share with the caretaker.' Robyn and Julius chose adjacent beds and curled up next to one and other. His hand found hers and, despite everything, they fell into a peaceful, dreamless sleep.

Robyn was last of the group of nine to wake up the next morning. Sunlight was streaming through the windows and the sky was blue and cloudless. Robyn wished she could be outside, hanging out with Sam or messaging Joey. She wished she could be playing football at the park but no, she was trapped in a building with the bodies of her friends. 

Everyone else had clearly already used the staff room shower. The mats that'd been on the floor were pushed into the side. Most people were changed into oversized shirts and hoodies with shorts and trousers from the lost property boxes. Julius' hair was still wet and he was wearing a pair of grey joggers. He wore no shirt and a white towel was draped around his neck. 

Robyn couldn't help but think he looked good. The group was sat in a circle, similar to the one where they'd played spin the bottle. 'We're playing kiss, marry, kill. You want to join?' March was sat in her usual spot between KJ and Kathy, however this time she was leaning on KJ's shoulder and holding his hand. 

'Sure, why not?' She sat down between Julius and the caretaker. 

KJ signaled for everyone to calm down. 'Does everyone know how to play?'

'I've never had the chance.' Julius glanced at Robyn.

'Oh, you're boring,' Grace snapped. 'Okay, so one person chooses another person then says three people that were here at the beginning of last night. The person chosen chooses the person they'd kill, kiss and marry out of the three they were given. Do you understand?' Julius nodded. 

'Okay, I'll go first.' KJ was grinning at March. 'March, kiss, kill, marry? Kathy, the caretaker and me.' 

'Kill the caretaker, kiss Kathy, Marry you, Kieran.' March took a deep breath. 'Grace, kiss, kill, marry? Joey, the caretaker and Benji.' 

'Kill them all,' Grace laughed. 'Well, Benji and Joey are already dead, so? Okay, fine, I'll play properly. Kill Benji, kiss Joey, marry the caretaker.' Grace brushed something off her shoulder. 'Robyn, you next. Dead boy, blood boy and new boy.'