"Geez, that place sounds rough!" Dorothy playfully remarked, her eyes wide with curiosity.
It had been a day since the tumultuous events of Noelle's rejection followed swiftly by her unexpected hiring at the mysterious Veilwood Asylum. In a bid to savor one last moment of normalcy before delving into her new job...and Maverick, Noelle had invited her friend Dorothy over for a chat.
"So, aren't you gonna show me this Maverick guy? At least a picture?" Dorothy pleaded with Noelle, her hands clapping together in an exaggerated show of anticipation. She gazed at her friend with those stupid puppy dog eyes, a tactic she knew was hard for Noelle to resist.
Playfully rolling her eyes, Noelle brought out the records containing any and all information on Maverick.
Dorothy's playful expression shifted to one of pity as she inspected the photograph. "Oh?" She couldn't help but sound sympathetic."He's not that bad...definitely not the male-model type, but he's kinda a looker?" Dorothy smirked as she held up the picture, her signature sly grin aimed at Noelle.
"Dorothy! You're crazy..." Noelle snatched back the photo, her disbelief evident in her voice. She glanced at the image once more, her thoughts racing, "No way, the guy's not even husband material! I think..." She shoved the picture back into the files, a sense of unease settling in her gut.
"I'm just kidding, Elle! But you did kinda describe him as a sort of...monster...just, don't go too hard on him tomorrow!" Dorothy rose from Noelle's bedside, gathering her belongings. Noelle's mind continued to echo with Dorthy's words, which seemed to reverberate like a haunting refrain.
"Just, don't go too hard on him tomorrow!"
Tomorrow...
tomorrow...
Yes, it was true. Tomorrow at 9am marked the beginning of Noelle's new life, her first day on the job at Veilwood Asylum. It was a fresh start, a new chapter, but it somehow made her feel more nervous than anything else. It wasn't even her first job! Perhaps it was the eerie energy of the building. In that place, Noelle always thought anything could happen.
"Anyways, I'm off! See ya, Elle!" Dorothy's voice snapped Noelle out of her reverie, and she was already heading out the door. Noelle felt a pang of reluctance to let her friend go, Dorothy's departure was just another reminder of the impending challenges she would face in her new career...
Noelle's gaze shifted toward her desk, her eyes falling back onto Maverick's documents, which she had yet to examine. "Yeah, see you..." She replied quietly, and with that, the door closed with a resounding thud.
Alone in her room, Noelle turned her attention to the stack of papers. It wouldn't hurt to do some research, right? She glanced at the clock, which read 10:08 am. Time was ticking, and she needed to make this quick.
She started with the first page, which offered a description of Maverick:
Full name: Maverick Nicholas Dundly
Age: 26
Family: The Dundleys
Condition: Undocumented
Crimes: Arson, manslaughter
■ ■ ■
The document continued, but most of it consisted of phrases like "unknown" or "undocumented," which only painted a worse picture of that enigmatic individual. There wasn't much information to be gleaned about Maverick, other than his crimes.
A part of her couldn't fathom that Maverick could be capable of such heinous crimes, but another part felt it explained everyones reactions around him, and how nervous she felt herself.
YOU ARE READING
Embers Of Healing
Mystery / Thriller*THIS IS MY FIRST STORY BEWARE* Noelle Adams, a young woman with the kindness of saint, never imagined her life would take a chilling turn when she accepted a position at the imposing Veilwood Mental Asylum. Her assignment: to care for Maverick, the...
