CHAPTER 13
WARNING: The following chapter contains depictions of suicide, violence, and rape, which some viewers may find disturbing. It is intended for mature audiences. Reader discretion is advised.
I feel like crying. I didn't do wrong. I didn't do any mistakes to be in this place, or maybe, I did. Because I made an impulsive decision and here I am, stuck in this hell hole place. I grab the white curtains beside me and looped them around my waist. The bleeding continues but I can't stop now and die here. I need to find San and Doyoung--
I stop as soon as I heard a scream coming from nowhere. It's Doyoung. I dizzily make my way out to this room. I pushed the metal door open only to find myself in the dim hospital hallway. No, it's not a hospital but more like a psychiatric ward. Wait, how there's a ward in here? Which part of the mansion is this? I know it's infirmary or so I thought. The further I go, the more I know this mansion is something else.
I took deep breaths before walking in the right direction. I don't know, I'll just go right. The lights here are flickering or some are not but it's not enough to brighten up this hallway. I shone the flashlights to the dark spaces that I want to check.
This psychiatric ward is too old and mist all around but it looks very messy like something horrible happened here years ago. I can see dark liquids that splattered all around the area but most of them are blood. I don't know where I can go. Where are they?
I tried to open every door I'm passing but it seems jam or unknown force was blocking the door. But most of it was locked from the other side. I finally manage to get to the reception area. It's darker here than the hallway. I walked to the desk and checked the anything useful here or something like information? So that I could know something and how to escape from here. I'm more aware now of my surroundings.
I rummage the desk until I found something. It's the records from the patients. I flip it open and see the eight faces of the masters. They're bald and full of bruised. They look so skinny with open cuts all over their body, huge bags under their eyes and they look so lifeless. Under the photo, I see a diary?
'Dear, Diary
This is our patients. They all look so lovely...isn't it? But like what Atushi said, beauty is on the inside. I believe...'
From under the diary, there's another note.
'Note:
Day one for me working in this ward is kind of a bit nice I think. I take care of our patients, most of them have finally healed and I'm happy to see them going back home. Until these nine patients came. The weird doctor brought, telling us to rehab his sons; ruined my peaceful day.
- Dohwan. '
My head furrowed. Wait, nine? Did he say nine? But there are only eight of them. How could that be nine?
I flip up the page again and see electric chairs with torturing devices, metal beds, and other sickening stuff. Is this ward torturing people? I find another note below it.
'Note: 1982
Day 2 and something weird is going on to one of the nine new patients. We called it P9. Glad I recorded it. '
I put down the file and began searching the tape he was saying. Underneath the desk, I see an old VHS tape. I grab it. I need something to watch this tape. I took the file and I continue to read but I stopped when I heard the sound of someone's walking. I took the file with me even the tape and walked out. I can still hear the footsteps from somewhere near.
Although the sound of the footsteps was nonexistent at the moment, I knew someone was still here, was still following? And for that reason, I couldn't stop. I took another hallway. This hallway isn't dark as the previous one I walked through. The lights are all switched on. I don't have any idea of where the electricity coming from. We went to the vent from the second floor and fell, I assume this is the part of the mansion.
I opened one of the doors and see what was on inside. There's nothing but huge scratches on the wall saying, 'Where is he?' 'Why didn't he find me?'
I jump in shock when the light starts to flicker and soon flick out. I immediately step back and closed the door.
"I hear you."
I froze once I heard the sinister voice from somewhere in the reception area. I looked around and even shone the light there. Just then, I spot a white and long leg, it's too thin with dark liquid all over it. It moves very slow. I turned off the flashlight before taking a silent step. Isn't this the caretaker? I'm not sure but based on his movements, I assume he is. But what is he doing here? Is he supposed to be in the mansion right now?
Is the youngest master bringing him here to kill us?
I turned around and began walking fast through in this damn hallway. When I'm sure that I was finally away from the caretaker, I start to run. I just run and run aimlessly in this hallway until I found a dead end with a door. I didn't think twice and run directly to the door, holding the handle before sliding it open. A cold wind greeted me and I can hear the sound of water from the distance.
I open my flashlight to know where I am. A small smile crept on my face after knowing that I'm finally on the outside. I can see trees dancing along with the wind with the sounds of insects with it. I'm finally outside. I can get out of here without having any trouble and get some help from the police in the town. I heard there's a town near here but I don't know where is it.
I was about to take a step outside when someone grab my shoulder. I turned around and see master Yangs. He's smiling at me with a hint of threat on his face.
"You made it I see but I will warn you," he said and licked his down lip, showing his canine teeth. His voice is now back to his real voice. "once you step outside and run away, number one and number five will die. But if you close the door and hug me then I'll let them live and no punishment for them except you. Now," master Yangs step away from me. "choose."
How did he get here fast? Master Yangs' smile widen once he see my terrified expression. It seems he read my thoughts. "How did I get here? Well...aren't you be thankful because I pointed the exit?"
Did he point to the exit? "What?" I asked in confusion. Even I'm scared, I manage to furrowed and asked that. I have the right to ask questions, or even possible, I have the right to complain and protest as their employer. If there aren't monsters I'll probably file a case for them for abusing us, raping me, and all the murder they are doing.
"Oh...love, aren't you naive?" He playfully asked and raised his right hand as if touching my hair. With just one second his appearance suddenly changes into someone else. Does he change to look like Doyoung?! Is he a shift shifter?! He can copy someone's appearance or mimic the person's voice he likes? Just then I realized that whispers, it is from master Yangs all along. I began to tremble as soon as I realized that. So that wasn't a ghost at all but it's master Yangs. He tricks us! He lured us because he knew? Wait, he knew our plan all along? My eyes began to water again and I found myself crying silently.
I looked behind me. My freedom is within my reach but in exchange, Doyoung and San will die and it's gonna be my fault. I don't want to be selfish and let them die. If I was aware enough then this wouldn't happen. But how? How did he know?
"H-how?" I asked as my lips quivered and looked back at master Yangs back again.
"Human-like you can't stand in this place. I know all of you don't want to get hurt and so to escape from death is to find your way out of here."
"You mean...I'm not the only one?" I asked, tears continuously to rolled down my face.
"Don't misunderstand love," he says, voice becoming softer as if trying to soothe me.
"Why...why are you doing this? Why can't you just let us go! Why can't you just leave me alone!" I shouted the last words as I cried. The fear, the pain, and the trauma are too much for me, too much for my sanity to carry on. I almost reach freedom but I got caught and now I need to sacrifice it even myself to save them. I can't handle the physical pain but like number seven and nine told me, endure the pain.
I sigh, my voice is shaky and I could feel my whole body tense up. I walked to the door and slide the door closed. Before I can able to turn around I heard him running and soon felt his tight hug around my body from behind. He hugged me as if his life is depend on me.
"I really love you." He said while hugging me.
No, he doesn't love me. They don't love me at all. They are obsessed, and obsessed monsters that's it. If they truly love me then they wouldn't hurt me so badly, they are willing to let us go or me. They wouldn't punish me or do something weird in my body. They can't do that if they love me.
I can't help myself but cry silently in agony. I looked up, let my tears escape from my eyes.
"Shh...don't cry." He whispered in my ears. "Save your tears for my game."
What? A game? What game?
"But first, sleep."
The next thing I know is master Yangs hit me with something and that is the last thing I remember as darkness consumes my consciousness.
-
I woke with an abrupt start to find myself tied to a restraint chair. My eyes felt heavy, my chest tight, and as I tried to lift my hands, I felt a searing pain course through my wrists which I discovered upon looking down had been bound tightly to the chair by a wrist locking strap, as were my ankles and waist. But on my waist, there's also a stun belt looped around it. My senses seemed to be numb for a while, everything sounding as if it was underwater. I frowned, the headache is worst but then I can hear muffled cries near me. I looked up and find myself inside of what it seems like a laboratory but an old and messy one. All around me was covered in moisture while the ceiling is almost covered in molds. The test tubes and few apparatus, IV and even a heart monitor are here is almost look like rotten in ages; rusty with molds.
In front of me, I see San and Doyoung tied in an interrogation chair, very different from mine. Doyoung was crying like a mess while San was just looking down but I can sense that he was scared. We are all scared. I can feel that this punishment will gonna be worst than the previous. I can't stop thinking about how master Yangs found out about our plan. We see them all leave the mansion and I'm sure none of us hasn't heard the door open. Or maybe, they have also plans against us without us knowing. They knew that even there was a monster guarding us, they know that we can still escape. The masters think we are clever and I guess they are smart enough to know all about our whereabouts.
"Twenty! Glad you're awake!" I heard Doyoung say and I turned my head on him. He still crying. I'm also thinking about when the real Doyoung was gone? And all along, we with master Yangs. San's head up and turned to me.
"Where have you been?!" I asked as my lips began to quiver while seeing him crying nonstop. I can't help but teared up, my vision began to blur because of the tears. Doyoung is just a manor, he is the youngest among us, and yet here he is. He was supposed to go to school and do his studies but yet...
"When we are in the hallway," he sobs. "someone grab me, and when I woke up...this..."
"But it confuses me of who the fuck attacked us in the vent if that wasn't master Yangs at all!" San said, his voice is a little bit shaky while breathing fast.
"It's the older brother! His brother! Master Yang! They have the same ability! I saw it! I saw!" Doyoung shouted. He's being hysterical right now and I guess any minute now he will lose his mind.
"He has a point. They are brothers after all." San said, shaking his head.
"Now, we caught us. We will gonna be punished! And the master told me that one of us is going to die!" Doyoung shouted again but this time he seems like he was about to snap.
An old rusty metal door opened with the loudest creak I ever heard. We see master Leelex enter inside and this is the first time I see him wearing casual clothes such as a simple hoodie and jeans. He smiled at me once his eyes landed on me. "We expected this. Thanks to our wise observation." He said and took a seat on the rusty table in front of us with both hands were inside of his jacket's pocket. Just then I forgot that they are watching us back then. The way they stare at us from afar and then suddenly spawn behind us. So that was their observation?
"You think we leave? No-uh, we just hiding in the dark."
Then, that's why there's no one in the mansion except the caretaker. If that so, the masters are challenging us. "The youngest told that you Sunie is the only person who will receive punishment..." He held his chin as if he was thinking before shrugging, raising his both hands and shoulders. "Don't think so. You didn't behave enough so we decided that one of you will die today. Horrible right? Well,"
Master Leelex stood up. "It's your choice anyway."
"Then kill me!" I immediately said even deepest in my heart that I'm afraid, that I don't want to die yet. But I don't want them to die either. Master Leelex walked to me and kneel in front of me. I flinched once he touched my jaw. He smiled at me before leaning forward and I immediately back away. His expression slowly darkened as his stitch around on his neck began leaking and black liquid suddenly spits from it towards my chest. I felt terrified but I need to get used to this.
I winced once master Leelex pulled my hair down to look up at him. I see the white on his eyes is now bloodshot red like he's been using drugs in his entire life. Master Leelex known as the sunshine and seeing him like this, terrified me to the end. He looks like he is capable of anything. "You don't dare to refuse me!" He shouted angrily, gritting his teeth together. I was terrified when I see his teeth, it's not normal, it's a teeth of a shark.
"I-I'm sorry..." I gulp all of my fear and manage to mumble the words. I expected him to turn into his normal self but I think I made it worst. Master Leelex harshly slammed my head on the wall behind me a little bit dizzy as my head hurt in pain. I bit my lip to prevent my whines in pain.
"As your punishment, one of our dearest maids will play a game to save you from the pain and death." He announced with a sly smirk on his face. He walked away from me before fishing his flip-up phone. His back was facing us while calling someone. We heard a loud ring echoing outside of the room. After minutes, someone picked up his call.
"Yes? Is everything ready?" I freeze in my seat as soon as I heard the youngest master's voice from the intercom outside.
"Yes, our lovely Sunie is already awake." He turned to me and put a smile on his face.
"Put out the lock out from him then." Now, it's master Lee's voice.
"Alright brother." He answered and placed the phone down on the rusty table beside him. He then turns to me without wiping that smile off on his face.
My heart start to race inside my chest as I saw master Leelex walking towards me. I began struggling, trying to slide my hands out from the lock strap of this old restraint chair. My eyes were focused on him while struggling. I even heard San and Doyoung's pleading but master Leelex pretend to be deaf. He continue to come closer to me and pulled another metal table with a wheel and sharp objects on top of it. He stops in front of me. I didn't speak and just stared up at him with fear. I jump when he suddenly slammed his hands on mine, squeezing it.
"If you are deserving then your player must survive and put back your lock inside you. You see," He pursed his lips and looked down on my legs before looking up on me again. "You are not deserving."
I whimpered once master Leelex held my chin tightly and forced me to look up. Once my head move up I saw him shuffling through the table with so many dangerous objects. When he turned back to me. I realized what he was holding and I was frozen to death when I saw an acid. I don't know what kind of acid is that but I do know that it will burn my skin. I want to speak, I want to beg him not to do it but I couldn't. I'm too afraid to even speak.
"As for being squeamish, here." Without hesitation, he poured the amount of acid on my neck. I scream in pain as soon I felt the horrible heat on my skin as if burning my neck and agonizing pain. I feel like dying because of the terrible pain. I hed a hissing sound and a smell of my skin scattered in the room. I can't stop screaming and I can't stop crying like a mess. I couldn't move, I can't move my head, I don't want to see it. I can feel my blood flowing down on my body, soaking me in red as the upper part of my clothes is already ruined.
"For trying to escape from here..." He put down the acid on the floor and went to the corner. From there, he take something and when he comes back he was holding a tucker telephone. I feel like the world has crashed on me once I realized what he will gonna do next. I began to cry in agony, begging him but like what he did, he pretend not to hear us.
"I don't want to do this but you won't behave enough." He mumbled and raised his left hand. "You've been stabbed yeah?"
I didn't speak and just cried nonstop, crying ugly in front of him. My neck and chest are still stinging and I can't even properly breathe. I can't take it anymore. I can't take the pain any longer. It's too much for me. I cried and cried. I don't care what I look like right now but I just want to cry out my misery.
"Shh...are you losing it? Please do. If you become insane it won't be a problem." He chuckled and before I know it I felt a stinging pain on my stomach where my stab was. I stop crying and finally move my head down only to cry again. I see his hand was inside of my stomach. I felt like vomiting but when I puke, blood flows out from my mouth. He moved his hand very slowly like he was searching for something inside. The pain increased bit by bit and more blood was coming out from me. I can't even hear San and Doyoung's cries anymore. All I could hear was my rage breathing and the sound of my flesh being touched by master Leelex. My whole body was in agonizing pain, that's the only thing I can feel right now.
More blood spits out from my mouth and it flew on master Leelex's face. But it seems like he doesn't pay attention to it. He was too focused on my stomach. I can't scream, I feel my whole body become paralyzed and all I could feel was horrible pain. Soon enough, he finally pulled out his hand. A huge padlock with veins on it and the veins was moving. The veins moved up on his arm and stop right there. Master Leelex was looking at the padlock in awe on his hand. I stared at the padlock with shock. The thing wasn't an ordinary padlock, it was a monster. Its keyhole was a mouth and it doesn't look like an object but a living thing. Something like alien. But how, how did that thing spawn inside me? How is that? What are they? Are they aliens?
"This lock is really important to us and the human he made as it's home. But without this lock, you are nothing but a worthless human that can die any minute now." He said with his cold voice. The lock made a weird pitch noise. "Do not worry, we will see if he's deserving as your home since you were born in him." He was talking to the weird gross creature on his hands.
Now, he finally turn to us. "Now, there's one week before the game of the toys and maids start but you know it's not the same game like always. It's your punishment game." He laughed while touching the creature in his hand. "Your lives are in your companions' hands. Right now, rest for a while."
One toy came inside with a bat in his hand. He walked towards us and knock us one by one.