My stomach lurched bile rising in my throat again as I emptied the contents in the toilet.
I shut my eyes tightly as I tried to brush away the sight of those lifeless eyes, the paleness of the skin, the blood matted in the hair-it was a grotesque vision straight out of a nightmare.
I tried to swallow but the lump of fear was trapped in my throat choked by terror making my body paralysed.
I could still see the horrified face twisted in a final expression of fear as if the person had met their end in sheer agony. The bad, I didn't want to think who it was. The worst, why would anyone send me… this?
I didn't know how or when I made it to the room and locked myself in the bathroom. I couldn't look at them anymore. My scream woke up the dorm and soon the guards were there followed by several students, and to my horror, none of them could offer me any comfort. The horror on their faces mirrored mine, but it couldn't compare to what I was feeling.
My breath came in ragged gasps and I could feel the cold sweat dripping down my back. My fingers shivering from the coldness, yet the back of my sweater was drenched in my sweat. I wanted to flee, to run away, but my legs had given out.
I pushed myself further away from the toilet my hands slipping on the slick floor.
I rocked back and forth, clutching my knees to my chest, desperate to feel some semblance of safety.
Panic clawed at my mind making it hard to think hard to move.
From somewhere far away, I heard footsteps approaching but I was too anxious. My heart pounded in my chest like the frantic drumbeat of dread.
"Sera?" Alina. It was her. The soft and concerned voice called out to me followed by two knocks. "Are you okay?" I shook my head crying on the cold bathroom floor. Another impatient knock followed. "Can you open the door for me, please?"
I couldn't. I couldn't move. I whimpered, staring helplessly at the door, my arms trembling as I tried to reach it. Suddenly, it felt impossibly far. I sobbed harder, my body shaking with the effort. Please, someone, help me.
"Sera, please," Her voice was more urgent now and I hated to make her worry. "Just open the door."
I tried to speak, to call out, but all that came out were choked sobs. My vision blurred with tears, and I could barely see the door through the haze. The floor felt freezing against my skin, adding to the numbness spreading through me.
Alina knocked again, louder this time. "Sera, I'm begging you, let me in."
I clawed at the floor, trying to drag myself closer, but it was like moving through the thick, suffocating fog. My body wouldn't respond, my muscles were weak and uncooperative. I cried out, a pitiful sound that barely echoed in the small space.
Please, I thought again, someone help me. I was so scared.
The next few hours were just a blur of faces and echoes of voices. Darkness seemed my only friend and my companion as I slipped into it hoping when I woke up, it'd be my mother's arms around me except for the snake coiled around me.
*****
Morning came, and I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling.
Sleep had eluded me all night.
The events of the previous evening played on a loop in my mind, and the fear gnawed at me relentlessly.
The first light of dawn filtered through the curtains, casting an eerie glow over the room. But the warmth was far away from me.
I sat up, my body heavy with exhaustion.
Alina wasn't in the dorm, and I hadn't seen her since she called out the guards and they burst into the bathroom. I remembered her changing me into warm clothes, but everything after that was a blur. I glanced at the single bag I had packed; it contained the only things I could take back with me. My heart pounded as I checked my phone. The taxi was on its way. I had called for it hours ago, my mind racing with the urgency of my escape.
I couldn't stay here any longer.
The memories, the terror, it was all too much.
Judas, the stalker, and the… I shut my eyes shaking my head.
I never wanted to come here again.
The thought of staying another moment in this place where the nightmares had become real made my skin crawl. I needed to get out, to leave everything behind, to find some semblance of safety and sanity. Even the silence felt suffocating, everything seemed to mock my situation.
I could hear the commotion downstairs.
Everyone must be horrified.
I stood up, legs trembling, and grabbed my bag.
I moved to the window peering out at the bustling street below. There were police cars and the sirens were howling. Every student was getting inquired and I knew I had to give my statement too. But what I'd say?
I had to leave.
And moreover, I hadn't forgotten about how Judas didn't seem like a normal businessman anymore to me-no businessman should be covered in blood. Now that I think about it, he's always dressed in black, and I've never seen anyone with him except Kyle. There was something dangerous about him that I already knew deep down.
My thoughts drifted back to the blood as a chill ran down my spine.
It couldn't… be him, right? The package was delivered yesterday morning and I saw him in the evening.
He could be the stalker for all I care, but he wouldn't go… to this… length to terrorise me, right?
I nibbled on my lip and shook my head. I picked up my bag and quietly opened the door, stepping into the hallway. The upper floor was silent, an oppressive stillness hanging in the air. I crept down the stairs, and the voices grew louder. I reached the bottom stairs and paused, my hand tightening on my bag as every pair of eyes looked at me.
The students stared at me as if I were some kind of freak.
Their voices turned hushed, whispers floating through the air like ghostly murmurs. I felt their judgment, their curiosity, and their fear. My heart raced, and I took a deep breath.
I started walking toward the door my steps hurried.
Just a few more steps and I'd be free.
But then, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned around, my heart sinking, to find a police officer looking down at me.
"Miss," he called out with a soft voice. "We need to talk."
My throat tightened, and I struggled to find my voice. The eyes on me were making my skin crawl and I nodded realising I had to give my statement. "Of… course." I stammered glancing nervously at the door.
The officer nodded and guided me to the outside away from the prying eyes of the students. As we walked, I couldn't help but glance back at the place where I was last night crawling and screaming.
I took a deep breath.
We stopped near the police cars and he turned around to face me. I swallowed hard.
"Miss," he began in English with a thick accent, "we need to talk about last night. You understand how serious this is, don't you?"
I nodded though my heart was pounding. "Yes, I understand."
He smiled, but there was no warmth in it. "Good. Now, why don't you tell me exactly what happened?"
I hesitated, trying to piece together my thoughts. "I... I found the… head in the box, and I screamed. That's all."
His eyes narrowed. "Is that really all, Miss, Rosewood? You seem awfully shaken for someone who just found a body. Maybe there's more to the story?"
My stomach twisted. For a moment I contemplated telling him I was being stalked, but then, I had no proof. I shook my head. "No, that's all."
He leaned back against the car, crossing his arms. "Funny thing is, some of the students mentioned seeing you with the victim earlier. Care to explain that?"
My eyes widened as I struggled to find the correct words. "I wasn't. I barely knew him."
The man's gaze hardened. "You expect me to believe that? We've got witnesses, Miss Rosewood. "One of the students saw you with the man a few nights ago, in the hotel room. He said there were some other people too, and you came crying out of the room."
Panic clawed at me and my thoughts raced. I felt a chill run down my spine. "What… are you talking about?"
He smirked and pulled out a few photographs from his jacket before handing them to me. I looked horrified at the pictures.
They were of me. Coming out of the hotel room wiping away my tears. The second picture was of a man cladded in a large brown fur coat, as he left the hotel room. And I recognized him.
Dontello.
He was there when Judas brought me with him.
Did… that mean the head's was Donatello's?
The face was so pale and unrecognizable I couldn't see it in the haze of my fear. But if….
"You can keep denying it, but the witness was pretty clear. Why would you be crying if nothing happened, Ms. Rosewood?"
My throat tightened. "I don't know what you're talking about."
The officer's smile widened, but it was devoid of any kindness. "You're making this harder on yourself. If you were involved, now's the time to come clean. We can work something out, but only if you cooperate."
"I didn't do anything!" I cried shaking my head. "I don't even know who he was!"
He leaned back, tapping his fingers on the hood of the car in a deliberate and taunting rhythm. "Maybe it wasn't just about the man. Maybe it was about the others in the room. Did something happen that night? Did you see something you shouldn't have?"
I shook my head, tears blurring my vision. "No, please, you have to believe me. I was there, but I didn't murder him."
The man's expression darkened. "Then prove yourself. But since your statements are vague, we have no choice but to arrest you as the prime suspect."
The words didn't register at first. I stood there, frozen, trying to understand what was happening. Two more officers appeared beside me out of nowhere with their presence suffocating. They began grabbing my stuff, my bag wrenched from my grasp.
"No, please, there must be some mistake," I stammered, my voice rising in panic. "I haven't done anything wrong."
The officers ignored my pleas, their expressions stern and unyielding. They cuffed my hands, the cold metal biting into my wrists. The crowd around us watched, eyes wide with curiosity and pity.
"Please, you have to listen to me," I begged more tears streaming down my face. "I'm not the one!"
But my words fell on deaf ears. They began leading me away, my legs barely able to keep up. The dorm's bustling noise seemed to fade into a distant hum, replaced by the sound of my ragged breathing and the pounding of my heart.
Helplessness washed over me. I felt vulnerable, exposed, and utterly powerless. My mind raced, trying to understand how this had happened. I had been so close to escaping, to finding safety. Now, I was being dragged back into a nightmare.
They shoved me into the police car, and I huddled in the backseat, my tears falling freely. The world outside blurred as the car sped away, my hope of freedom slipping further out of reach.
The cuffs cut into my wrists, and each turn made my heart sink deeper into despair.
I knew then that I was truly trapped, caught in a web of fear and danger from which there seemed to be no escape.