Asylum

Chapter 11

The teens looked at the angry spirit that spoke to them. "Who are you?" Quentin asked while trying to protect his friends.

The tall spirit smiled deviously. "I could say that I'm your worst enemy but I'm not one to enjoy cliches." He pulled out a very intricate machete and ran his index finger through the cold blade. "I lured you here to slash you just like I did to that athlete and his blonde girlfriend." He chuckled. "They were easy to kill, I must admit."

"Fuck you!" Dylan spat in anger and frustration. "You're not going to kill any of us tonight." He narrowed his eyes while holding Riley's wrist.

The spirit sighed dramatically. "Well, I was offering you a quick and painless death. You see..." He started pacing back and forth like teachers do during lectures. "There is someone who wants your heads on a silver platter just for the fun of it. Torture is not fun, kids!" He grinned. "I thought that burning this damn place would release us all but it did the opposite. Now she is in charge and takes her anger out on all of us."

Riley pulled away from Dylan's grasp and took a step forward. "Who are you talking about?" She asked with furrowed eyebrows.

"Didn't Clarissa tell you?" The man sounded surprised but he was able to mask it with a condescending smile. "The devil walks among us and feeds on pure souls." He tilted his head. "That is why I've been killing every single person that walks into this filthy and sinful place. The devil can't feed if there are no souls to reap." He winked.

Dylan widened his blue eyes. "You started the fire before getting a lobotomy."

Suddenly, Clarissa showed up with an angry expression. "Leave the children alone! They can help us escape this torment for good." She warned the other spirit.

The vicious ghost shook his head. "They are just like everybody else! We are legendary, yet everyone treats our home like a freakshow." He gave the teens a disgusted look. "Children come here at night to make fun of us. They mock us, shame us and expect to leave without a scratch." His tone was definitely scary.

Clarissa stood in front of the five. "You got your revenge the moment you started the riot all those decades ago." She smiled softly. "You killed Barden and warned me to leave this place before setting the asylum on fire. I consider you my friend, Charlie."

"What is happening?" Quentin whispered, not sure what to make of the entire exchange.

Cassie stood closer to the group. "I think Charlie has a thing for Clarissa. This is better than watching daytime tv." She remarked.

Charlie rolled his eyes and mumbled something. "Fine! I won't kill your precious children but I can't speak for the other angry spirits."

"Thank you." Clarissa smiled and both of them disappeared.

The entire group, except for Cassie, took a deep breath they were holding since Charlie showed up. "I'm hella confused!" Riley stated.

Faith nodded in agreement. "Same. I guess it's safe to leave this room." She was sweating from the heat. "This feels like hell."

Quentin opened the door and they resumed searching for more clues. "Hey, Faith!" Dylan called out. "When you read Clarissa's file, didn't it mention the name of her deceased daughter?"

The brunette grabbed the file that was on the floor. "Yeah." She looked through the pages until the name appeared. "Margaret Abigail Fitzgerald. She was 6 years old."

"Huh..." Dylan adjusted his beanie. "Clarissa believed her daughter was possessed. What if she was?"

Cassie sighed before stretching her legs. "Demonic possession is fake. That's why all the movies that depict it suck ass."

Dylan raised an eyebrow. "Thanks for the input, Cass." The blonde shrugged. "Until now, we didn't believe in spirits so we have to assume that the lore is real."

Riley nodded and looked at Dylan in admiration. "That means the little girl is actually running the show which is why Clarissa wants us to burn the locket."

Quentin flailed his arms in distress. "Wait! You still want to burn the remains after learning that the devil is real?" He scoffed. "Call me crazy but I think that's a terrible idea. I'm trying to keep Faith alive here." He announced.

"I agree with Q." Faith latched onto his arm. "There's a chance we can survive this nightmare but we can't mess with the devil."

Dylan looked around the basement. "You're right!" He said. "But I want to end this nightmare, not just for us, but for future generations of fucking stupid teenagers like us." He smirked. "You should keep Faith and Cassie safe while Riley and I torch the locket."

Cassie shook her head dramatically. "I'm not gonna miss a fire show just because Quentin is too much of a pussy to face the damn devil."

"Fine, you're coming with us." The black haired boy rolled his eyes.

---

Dylan, Riley and Cassie returned to first floor but, unlike last time, the hallways were empty. "Do you know where Clarissa died?" Riley asked.

"According to the log, she was in the women's ward in the second floor. Cell number 12." He replied.

Clarissa showed up out of the blue and stopped the teens from climbing the stairs. "Fuck!" riley groaned after getting jump scared. "You really should wear a bell around your neck so we can hear you."

The brunette looked confused. "You have to be really quiet if you want to survive her." The benevolent spirit warned them.

Cassie popped her gum. "So are you like our ghostly godmother?"

"I just want to finish what I started the day I murdered my child." Clarissa stated. "I learned that killing her body wasn't enough to trap the devil."

Dylan crossed his arms over his chest. "Have you considered that maybe your daughter was born evil?" He questioned.

Riley smiled deviously. "That is just silly! No one is born evil, boy." Clarissa looked at the girl in horror. "Hello, mommy!"