Chapter 82
1346words
"Where did you take her?" I asked seriously. Aluncina is not crazy! How can they do that to a woman who just needs shelter.
I can't help but glare at the police officer in front of me. He looked so calm and that's annoying me. How can he pretend that this isn't a serious discussion. They just a mentally fine person to sanitarium.
"Baby," he called. He tried to hold my closed fist to calm me down but I shove it away. I am so annoyed right now.
This police officer is smiling at me.
"I'm sorry, but can you tell us the name of the sanitarium?" Josh interfere. The officer took a small paper and a pen. He wrote something on it that I am assuming as the hospital's name.
He handed the piece of paper to Josh. "Here," he says and looked at me. "If you have nothing else to say, you can leave now." He smiled.
"Calm down," Damon whispers. I diverted my gaze to him. His eyes are begging me to stop whatever it is that I'm planning on my mind. I harshly bite my lower lip to calm myself down.
"Let's go."
I walked out the station. This is unbelievable. I didn't know they can just send someone to sanitarium without proper notice. Is this what they do to powerless people?
I feel bad for Aluncina.
"This paper says Saint Luke's Mental Hospital," Josh reads. I snatched the paper from him. I read the name myself. This place is familiar. I think I've been here before.
"This is not far from here," I told them. They looked at me. "We should go there now."
*****
We took a cab to the hospital. We were on the backseat and Josh is in front. I'm still pissed and annoyed, but Damon is taking all his time to calm me down. I know that he understands me. Aluncina is my only family. They can't just do that.
I immediately noticed the mess when we arrived to the facade of the hospital. There are garbage everywhere and the walls and premises have been vandalized badly by the locals. Some of the hospital's possession are destroyed and ruined too.
Even the streetlights and sign that says Saint Luke's Hospital are not working.
"Are you sure this is a hospital?" Josh asked.
I stared at the huge building before me. This is where my foster family used to take me when I was younger. I remember getting medical treatments in here as a child. This place has been like this ever since I can remember.
You might think this place is already scheduled for demolition because of its poor state, but it's actually still a premise. Believe it or not. They still have patients inside. People who wants to abandon mentally ill patients are brought here.
"Yes, this is the place."
I turned to look at Josh. He's still staring at the hospital like he can't believe what he just saw. This is not far from civilization. It's just that it is surrounded by thick trees that made it look hidden. It's still on the map.
"You stay here," I told him. He looked at me confusedly. "There's no need of you to go inside." He nodded his head.
"Thank gosh," he replied.
I looked at my left side. Damon is scanning the place. "This place is so quiet. Are you sure that there are people inside?" he asked.
"I used to go here when I was younger," I confessed. He looked at me with an astounded expression. Josh gasped. "I remember seeing people inside. They were all sick and thin. There's something going on in here. We need to get Aluncina before the portal closes."
"I can't believe you actually went there. Anyway, I'll wait for you guys," he said and smiled. Damon's hand crawls into mine.
*****
We start to walk inside the hospital. The lights here are just like the outside. They're flickering and broken.
"No one's in the reception area."
I looked on what Damon is looking at see the empty space. Where are they?
I was just a small kid back then that's why I couldn't see the person in the reception are before, but I remember my foster mom talking to a staff before. They can't leave the reception area empty. What is going on?
"Let's wander around. We might find other nurses. The only way we can find her room is through the receptionist," he said. He smiled his lips and let go of my hand. "Let's split. I'll go here and you go there. Do the trick if you see something." I nodded my head.
I'm glad that he trusts me now.
I start to walk to the right side of the hallway. The uniform doors welcomed me. The lights are still poor and it's making it hard for me to see. I noticed how every room's lights are off. Aren't there supposed to be patients inside?
Where did they all go?
*Creeks*
I flinched on the sound of a door opening slowly. The cold whiff of wind soon followed it. I heaved a sigh and put my hands down. I thought it'd be monsters. I'm starting to get paranoid because of the darkness.
"Do you see anything?" Damon speaks inside my head. I squeezed my eyes shut and try to speak.
"This place looks abandoned. The halls are empty. Lights are flickering, but left open." I tried to turn one of the room's knob. "The rooms are empty, but locked. I think this place has been abandoned for a very long time."
I looked around.
"Then how did they bring Aluncina here? The officer said that they sent her here together with the other patients," he replied. I closed my eyes tiredly.
"We need to get back to him."
The only way to find out is to ask him ourselves. He's the only person who can bring us to Aluncina. I even have this idea in the back of my head that she's the one who took her. Aluncina's stuffs were left behind in the street. It looked like she has been forced to come with the police... Or is it the Police?
I quickly turned my body around and went back to the reception area. I saw Damon on the other side of the hall walking too. He approached me.
"There's nothing back there, but I found this." He lifted a familiar bracelet to me. It's made of beads and strings. I was the one who made that. I gave it to Aluncina. I took it from him and stare at the bracelet.
"This is Aluncina's. She was here."
I looked at him directly in the eyes. "Where did you found it?" I asked. He was about to open his mouth to speak when we heard Josh's voice screaming. I looked at the hall and see Josh running to us.
"Guys! Fuck! You have to see what's happening outside!" he cried. I looked at him confusedly. His hands are on his knees and is gasping for air.
What's outside?
Damon and I looked at each other. He nodded his head making me release a deep sigh.
I think I know what's happening now.
I start to walk down the aisle to the exit. The wind blew my face as soon as I opened the glass door. My brows arched when I saw the empty lot. There's nothing in here.
Damon came after me and saw the same thing. There are still garbage and vandalized premises. That's all.
"Josh, we don't see anything," I said in a blank tone. My eyes landed on the trembling guy beside me. He's looking somewhere with fear in his eyes.
I followed his gaze and my eyes widened when I saw the people marching towards us.
"Aluncina?" I muttered.
This is her. These are her. There are a lot of her. All of these people who are wearing separate clothing look exactly like her. What the hell is going on?
