The streets were quiet in Clover Town, it was late afternoon. The sunset was falling upon the horizon, meaning the sky was set with an assortment of red and orange hues. The people were packing away their shops, on their way home from a hard days labour. Supper was on the stove, ready to feed the hearty families of Clover Town. It was a pleasant evening, which was why it was anticipated when the shrills screams of Erica Potter filled the streets. Neighbours would peek out through their curtains, shaking their heads are the unfortunate sight.
"PLEASE STOP!" Her voice would echo down the streets as she struggling against the men who attempted to carry her away. "YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND, I'M NOT CRAZY, I'M NOT PLEASE. THE DEVIL IS AFTER ME, PLEASE NO, NO!" Her arms were being held by two men, who were leading her to a carriage. The side of which was titled 'Morgate's Asylum for the Dangerous and Disturbed'. "YOU CAN'T TAKE ME THERE, I WON'T BE SAFE THERE. I NEED TO EXORCISE HIM, YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND. ONLY THEN WILL I BE FREE, HE'LL FIND ME. HE'S GOING TO EAT MY SOUL." Her neighbours watched unabashedly in horror, Erica Potter had been such a nice normal girl. A young woman, having only recently begun her career as a legal secretary. Having moved in, only a short few months ago, she had seemed so normal. Never had they image she would descend into madness. The men forced into roughly into the back of the cart, shutting the door behind them. The carriage would trail down the road, the screams still able to be heard from down the street. A crowd of onlookers who had been passing by, turned to each other, talking solemnly amongst themselves.
There was four of them, an elderly couple, a jogger in his thirties and a high-school girl. "Such a shame, she was so young and vibrant." Said the elderly man, "I wonder what it was that triggered such a violent madness." He wondered to the group, his wife made a loud 'huffing' noise. "Probably too much drugs, that's what youths tend to do lately, consume it until it sends them mad." The jogger shrugged, "Drugs huh?" He thought out loud, "She really didn't seem the type," The high-school girl tilted her head at him, "Did you know her?" She asked curiously, he looked down at her, eying her for a moment before smiling at the young girl. "Not really, she liked to jog, sometimes I would bump into her in the early mornings." He explained. The girl nodded before looking over the house. "What if it really was the devil after her?" She asked in a slightly fearful tone. The old woman scoffed once more "The devil! Really what nonsense, come on Harold. Let's get home so I can cook tea, enough of this drama." The couple would scuttle away slowly. The high school girl looked anxiously back at the house, "Do you think it's possible Mister?" She asked, the jogger glanced at the house for a moment.
"Maybe." He said quietly, "You know though, I'm sure if you asked him. God will protect you," He added, the high school girl's eyes widened. She smiled, nodding vigorously, "I will do, thanks, Mister!" She said before hurrying home. He watched her walk away, before turning his gaze to the house. His expression blank. Then after a moment, a slow grin split onto his face. His golden eyes would narrow maliciously, and a deep chuckle would emanate from him.
Oh how perfectly, his little game had gone.
Swiping his hand from his flaming red hair, he would turn on his heel. Continuing his jog down the road, chuckling deeply to himself as he ran. who knew all that time ago, when he had run into that woman, she would turn into such a wonderful little plaything. She was so easy to manipulate, so young and gullible. She had fallen for every trick, and here she was. Her life torn apart dragged away in throws of madness and despair. The red-head man smirked to himself, despite how well this had gone, he had one more move. The ending to a delicious game, he wanted to see if he could do it. Make Erica comment one more sin, he made his way along the path. Knowing full well his destination; Morgate's Asylum for the Dangerous and Disturbed.
~ A few months earlier ~
Erica Potter was running along the footpath in the park, it was barely a little past dawn. Wearing sweatpants and a tank top, she panted heavily as she ran. She had just about gotten used to this small town, being a woman from the city. It was quite the change to adapt to, but still, she liked it. This new sense of independence it gave her. She was twenty-four-years of age after all. She couldn't stay in her parent's house forever, fortunately for her, that had been willing to help her with the deposit on a home. As long as she handled the mortgage herself, which with her new job she could actually afford to do. She reached a water fountain, she brought herself to a stop. Allowing a moment to catch her break, she bent over the fountain for a sip. Glugging it heartily.
"Mind you leave some for the rest of us," Said a voice suddenly behind her, she jumped. Straightening up, she wiped her mouth. Turning to look at the man standing there. He was a fair bit older than her, probably in his early thirties. He has smooth skin, that was fairly pale, golden eyes and flaming red hair that hung around his eyes. He was quite handsome, her eyes fell to his chest. He was muscular too, wearing only pale grey joggers and trainers. He was topless, allowing him a full view of his well-toned body. She realised she was staring and blushed vigorously. "Oh I'm so sorry, here." She stuttered, stepping aside. The man smiled at her, before stepping forward and leaning over the water fountain. Taking a hearty sip of his own. He straightened up, "Thanks." He said, before turning to run off.
"Excuse me!" She said stopping him in his tracks, he turned to look at her. "Sorry, I just... I was wondering if you ran here often. I'm here every morning, and I've never seen you before." She said, blushing slightly as she spoke. He tilted his head at her, "Funny cause I've seen you before, I usually here every morning." He said she made an 'oh' sound; perhaps she just hadn't paid enough attention before, the man spoke up. He voice was soft, silky almost,
"Maybe now you'll notice me." he said with a playful wink, before turning away and continuing on his job. The woman stared after him slightly flustered and rather hopeful that she would see him again.
But alas, she did not.
Instead, it was shortly after this encounter that bizarre things began happening to Erica. She picked up the strange sensation of being watched. Wherever she went, it was there. The feeling that someone or something had their eyes on her. Even in her home, she felt like she was never truly alone. She tried to report it to the authorities, but they dismissed her. Without any evidence that she was being watched, they could only attribute it to the woman's own paranoia. Which only seemed to make it worse, she began noticed shadows around her home, figures that seemed to dance around the room. Just out of sight, whenever she turned to look they were gone. In the blink of an eye. She felt herself getting more and more scared as time went on. She began to lose sleep, and event sort to arm herself wherever she went. She knew the neighbours had noticed her 'peculiar' change in behaviour, but she didn't care. She knew she was in danger, she just knew it.
It was then she began to hear whispers, like robotic children. Snickering away from shadows. She could never see them but she heard them. When she asked them who they were, she always heard the same answer. "The spawn of the devil."[/color] Sometimes the messages would go into more depth, telling Erica how the devil had been watching her. How he found her soul simple too delectable to ignore. Wanting to claim it for her own. The woman went into a frenzy, studying exorcisms, reaching out to holy men to check her home. But whenever they visited, it seemed to stop. There was no voices, no shadows. It seemed like she was wasting their time, after a while, they stopped answering her calls.
It was then that the notion got into her mind. If she wanted to protect herself from the devil, she needed to offer him a sacrifice. And when Erica tried to kidnap a young child in a public supermarket, caught red-headed by the child's mother. She would openly spout about her need for child sacrifice to offer to the Devil in her place. It was hours later that the man in white-jackets arrived at her home and she was dragged away screaming.
~Later that day~
The padded cell was quiet, Erica had tucked herself away in the corner. She was a shadow of the woman she once was. Her hair was brittle and unwashed. Her eyes were red from all the crying she had done, layered with the shadows from the lack of sleep. It had been quiet for so long now, all except for her mumblings under her breath.
"Why can't they see, the devil is coming. He's coming and there's nothing I can do to stop him, he's going to eat my soul. Why would they listen, somebody, please, anybody... please listen..."
"They do not understand you Erica..."
"They really don't, they won't listen to me, they..." She stopped. She realised that the voice she had heard hadn't been in her head. But coming from the centre of the room, she slowly dragged her eyes over to it. They widened in horror as her gaze fell upon a creepy wooden doll. A female doll, quite rugged, sat there looking at her, unmoving. "Who are you? Are you the devil?"
"I am your ally. I am here to save you."
The doll said in an eerie robotic voice, Erica shook her head violently, "No, you're lying. You sound just like the voices from before. You're doing the devils work!"
"No Erica, I've come to offer you a way out." Erica stared at the doll blankly, before turning, " A way out how?"
"I will undo your bonds, and you leave you a weapon. You can draw the attention of a guard and escape. You can find your sacrifice and escape the clutches of Satan." The doll said sweetly. Erica's eyes lit up, "You would really do that?"
"You need only ask." Erica nodded her head vigorously, the puppet approached the girl, a carving knife appearing in her wooden hand. She cut away at the jacket restraining the girl. Handing her the carving knife. "Remember Erica, they want Satan to have you. You mustn't let them take you." the puppet said before disappearing in a puff of air.
The result of Erica's attempted escape resulted in the merciless stabbing of thirteen guards. Seven ended up dead, and the rest severely injured. As for Erica, well she just about managed to make it outside the building. Almost on her way to freedom. As she ran, she spotted a man in the distance. On the other side of the gate, watching her. A man with flaming red hair and golden eyes. She slowed to a stop, staring at him, her hand fell limp. The knife clattered to the ground as she wondered why he was there. That man, the jogger, why was he watching. As realisation began to dawn, there was a gunshot. And a bullet rocketed through the air, whizzing out of the gun of a guard that had been chasing her. The bullet smashed into Erica's skull with a hard thurd. She dropped to the ground dead, all the while the red-head man looked on in delight.
A wonderful game indeed.
WC: 2049 /2000
