damned_institute | NIGHTSHIFT 29: Chapel

Entry tags:

NIGHTSHIFT 29: Chapel

[ from here. ]

Bella moved into the Chapel quietly, looking back every now and then to make sure that Rika and Edward were close behind. So far, so good. “See, Edward?” she said with a smile, lifting her pipe as a sign of victory and whatnot. Hey, she was proud of herself, god dammit! “I got us somewhere. And we weren’t even the least bit stopped by any sort of monster or anything!”

Bella grinned and moved more into the large room, her eyes peering around in silence.

Maybe their luck changing?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Lady Luck was out to lunch.

The soft sound of a brush scrubbing against tile could be heard between the girl's words, an occasion drip of water accompanying the noise. She was to clean the castle, nice and neat for the masters and their little pets. Must listen to the masters, for Master Lorenzo's sake.

But then there were intruders, nasty little intruders who were to be in bed at this hour. Daniella could smell the girl, that perfect scent that invites the darkest of creatures to lay their lips on her smooth, white neck. She could sense the beauty and the gift she held to make life, yet would not use it, the maid knew. Ungrateful, little princess...

An abrupt, shrill scream pierced the darkness of the chapel. After that, the darkness began to edge away under the presence of burning, hot metal.

Bella was a remarkable navigator: The girl brought them to what looked like a Western church, one that Rika only saw in pictures. She couldn't see very well, but something about the space itself just felt... empty. Like it was a church without a God to worship, which she wouldn't be surprised if that was the case.

And how was Hinamizawa faring, without their resident God and the priestess to care for her? Rika could only imagine the panic at the Irie Clinic, and in the village...

Her thoughts were interrupted by a shrill scream, and Rika's flashlight swung wildly around before it focused on the source: a purple woman, pale and carrying what looked like something very hot.

"Bella!" She called, reaching forward to tug the girl's sleeve and pull her back. Who was that woman?

It had been a swift, unremarkable journey. Edward was honestly glad for that. It seemed strange to pass by so many unrecognizable faces; all of them had goals they were determined to follow through with. Where did one plan end and the other begin? The static of voices was becoming more and more blended as he went on, until he stopped focusing on them altogether. He'd be unlikely to get a mental view of the hospital from anyone else but himself.

Upon entering the last room, the vampire was surprised. Not so much for an area reserved for religious services - even the insane believed in gods - but the sheer size of it. It looked like it hadn't been used in ages. Almost a flash from the past, really. The architecture was less modern than he would have thought. Had he been paying attention to the soft buzzing from Rika's mind, he would've whole-heartedly agreed. It was completely empty.

A smell caught his attention; one that rose above rotting wood and dust and Bella's skin. Sweet, like a flower. But somehow sour.

Edward snapped his eyes to the spot of glowing orange, faintly illuminating a woman. A pale, oddly-tinted woman who let out a shuddering shriek. That wasn't the sound of one who was mentally-sound. The vampire gripped his pipe with white knuckles, sidling up to Bella and Rika. "Move backwards. Now."

… Whoops.

All thoughts scattered from Bella’s brain the moment she heard that frightening shriek, only to be drawn back by Rika’s small, worried voice. Edward was by her side within a moment, yet she couldn’t bring her eyes off of the woman – was it a woman? She couldn’t even tell – who stood feet away from them, holding something that glowed with a heat that she really didn’t want to be close to.

She was careful to stand in front of Rika at this point, not wanting the younger girl to become hurt if anything were to happen. “Edward,” she whispered, finally pulling her eyes away from the woman who stood still. “Let’s … just … maybe we should leave …”

The woman did not look like a patient in the slightest – she wasn’t wearing the stupid smiley face shirt – but there was the fact that she appeared to be human, and she knew how Edward hated to hurt anything human …

Sadly, that burning glow was destroying her resolve as the seconds passed on.

The maid slowly moved forward, the clinking sound of her heels hitting the tile echoing through the chapel. Her face could be seen through the dim lighting, her lips contorting into a grotesque smile and eyes fixated on the elder girl. "You disgusting thing," she said, poker raised to point accusingly. "I can smell it on you, smell it, smell what you use to draw them near..." Daniella laughed then, her whole body shaking as if convulsing. That girl wasn't innocent. She wasn't pious. She was retched, a revolting wench who caused nothing but trouble, nothing but trouble!

She would rip it from her. It was not fair, after all. Daniella was not complete, not... why should she be whole, be loved? She did not deserve it, just like that precious, little princeeeeeeeeessssssssss-

After a moment, her body stilled and calm returned to her mien. She regarded the patients with a blank stare, emotionally void. "The masters wish you to return to your rooms, now. But you, Miss," her eyes were focused on Bella, "The masters have something special for you. If you would kindly stay with me, please..."

It was a woman, as Rika could hear the clicking of heels that a feminine, yet lifeless face that revealed itself in the dim light of the church. She was armed, and Rika really didn't want to stay around to see if the woman intended on using that poker.

The way she acted was disturbingly familiar: How many times had she seen a normal person undergo madness? The laughter didn't help, and Rika was sure that the delusional woman was seeing another girl in place of Bella. Yes, she knew exactly how Hinamizawa Syndrome worked and this woman was showing all the symptoms.

Rika was quietly backing away, bringing her small hands out and trying to drag Edward and Bella with her. She had only met them for a day at the most, but Rika was still adamant on keeping as many people as she could alive.

"We should go. That woman... I think she is sick," Rika tried to explain.

Edward didn't know why both girls had seemed to freeze. He'd said move - why the hell weren't they doing it? He didn't need to see any more of her persona to have the feeling she was completely insane. Or not human. But exactly what was out of reach, and he couldn't even hear the normal static thoughts from her -

He jerked backwards, ignoring Rika's tug, tucking the pipe under his armpit and grabbing a fistful of each girl's shirt, working to drag both of them out of the chapel as fast as he could move. Disgustingly slower than he could have - and unable to the moment he needed it. Perfect.

After seeing the look the woman gave Bella, he was given extra incentive. Accelerated by panic, he scrambled backwards, both girls in tow, for the entrance. Luckily, both of them were scrawny.

“ … Why is she pointing at me.” Bella whispered quietly down to Rika – she knew if she had asked Edward he probably would have just pulled her back by her shirt or something –

Speak of the devil.

Moments later, Bella felt her shirt yanked, and she nearly tripped over both of her feet. She really had no say in the matter, and while she knew that she should have been moving, there was still that fear that moving would only cause the woman to frenzy. It was like if you were to see a lion, you were supposed to stay still. At least, that was what the Animal Planet had said to do. Bella got the feeling that this woman was in the same category.

But, as said, she had no say in the matter, for she was still being tugged.

Oh no, no she didn't, she wouldn't escape with her little monsters. Not tonight.

Daniella's face retained that emotionless gaze as she moved, sprinted for the door and shut it tight before those disgusting patients could escape. Orders not to kill, she wasn't to kill... but she could kill one, couldn't she? The girl, that stupid... It was for a better cause.

Besides. They could not hurt her. Nothing could ever hurt her.

The doors shut firmly behind her, the maid smiled at the group.

Rika actually could explain, or at least she thought she could explain, if her assumption that this was an L5 patient was correct. But Edward was dragging them away and Rika wasn't complaining, trying her best to keep up without falling.

The woman was quicker though. Rika heard the doors slam shut before she could really register it, but the realization that they were trapped with a woman who was brandishing what looked like a hot fireplace poker hit her soon enough.

Again... Again! Why was she always trapped? Even when she was not in Hinamizawa, she was always trapped!

Shit!. He had completely underestimated how quickly the woman would be able to move. Much faster than he was - a fact he was not quite used to. Beyond the smell and her persona, there was little doubt she was other than human.

Stuck in an enclosed space... if he could move her away from the door, maybe. But it'd be a hard enough battle to distract her, avoid being injured, and keeping Bella and Rika uninjured as well. It would have been possible, but he was completely out of options at the moment.

"Both of you - move under one of the pews. Near the back," he said, dropping their shirts and sliding in front of them, feebly trying to shield them with his own body. The woman clearly had her eye on Bella.

Edward grit his teeth, staring down the woman, hand on the pipe turning bloodlessly white with his tight hold on the pathetic weapon.

Well, shit.

Bella froze when the doors were closed, and when Edward moved in front of her, she quickly reached down and full on picked Rika up, running back towards the other end of the church. Clicking off her flashlight, she only smacked into one pew (and let out a soft ow in the process) before finally ducking down behind the wooden object, kneeling in front of Rika with her own pipe in her hand.

This was bad.

Bella chewed on her lip, a soft sigh escaping her as she felt her fear begin to grow. Why had that women been pointing at her? It wasn’t like she had even done anything, so …

Letting out a shuddered sigh, the girl turned over her shoulder and gave Rika a quick look before once again gluing her eyes on Edward and the mysterious woman.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

NIGHTSHIFT 29: Chapel

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject