Chapter 82. She's No Human

“What are you two talking about? What’s kidnapped?” Sandra questions suspiciously to Keith and Briana. Briana even could hide her worriedness. Her tears showed something to be curious.

“Nothing, Mom. It was just,” Keith still tried to hide, although it was more like a useless thing to do.

“Just what? Why are you crying?” Sandra asked more. She looked a bit pushy now and annoyed. She knew something had happened, and they had kept it off her.

“I’m just sad,” Briana replied nervously. She didn’t want to see Sandra. Instead, she randomly glanced somewhere else. Sandra couldn’t buy that easily. She stepped closer to give them a severe glare to intimidate them.

“Where’s that star? Pearl? She said she would come when your dad is waking up.” Sandra sarcastically mentioned Pearl. Her eyes went back-to-back from Keith to Briana.

“She cannot come, Mom. Pearl said that she is still having so much work to do. She is taking overtime.” Keith replied by making up a story about his sister. Sandra still had the same flat expression. She shook her head instead of trusting Keith.

“I know that you are hiding something from me, Keith. Tell me what it is!” Sandra slightly growled to push Keith, telling the truth. Keith shook his head to avoid revealing more.

“Mom,” Keith pleaded with his low tone.

“Mrs. Rosenthal?” a nurse called suddenly. Sandra looked back at her when the nurse came closer.

“Mr. Rosenthal was asking you.”

“I’m coming there soon.” The nurse smiled and then went back.

“You’d better tell me the truth before your dad finds out about her. Where is she? I know you’ve been talking about her just now.” Sandra forced her children to talk. Briana couldn’t hide her mixed feelings. She glanced at Keith, who threw his sight somewhere else.

“Briana!” Sandra scolded.

“She’s missing.”

“Briana!” Keith scolded back to his sister. But Briana was crying and then lightly sobbed.

“What?” Sandra looked shocked. She was confused about the situation. Keith had to tell his mom about Pearl before seeing their dad.

“Pearl is missing now, and the police are searching for her,” Keith explained uncomfortably. Sandra didn’t talk just yet. She only stared at Keith and then sighed.

“Okay.” She subtly replied. Briana and Keith frowned to see their mother. It was only a nervous, quick, unbelievable reaction. Briana wanted to utter something, but Sandra quickly turned to get back to John’s room.

“What was that?” Briana held her shriek about Sandra. Keith also looked unbelievable, but he got calmer.

“Let’s talk about this later.”

Briana and Keith saw John a minute later. John has decided something about his treatment. He took the option of having a series of chemo and drugs. The doctors then explained this to Sandra, Keith, and Briana. Only Pearl was absent in the room.

“He needs all of your support.” The doctor said to the family member. Keith sadly smiled and nodded.

“Sure, doctor.”

“Please do not let him get stressed or think about something too hard. He can be failed at any time. His condition is critical.” The doctor reminded Keith, who kept nodding. After the doctors left, John asked about Pearl. He wanted to see her.

“She was coming this morning, but then she left. I don’t think she was worrying about you.” Sandra explained by making bad excuses. Briana quickly stopped her talk.

“Mom!”

“What? I said the truth.” She glared back at Briana. Briana wanted to talk, but Keith quickly squeezed her hand. As she looked at him, he shook his head. Keith didn’t want John to think about Pearl.

“No, I don’t think so,” John weakly replied. He shook his head, thinking about Pearl.

“Dad, please do not think about this anymore. Pearl is fine. She should be coming after work. Don’t worry,” Keith persuaded John while making better reason. Sandra glared back at Keith, but he didn’t care.

“I miss her. I want to see her now.” John insisted on seeing Pearl.

“Can’t you call her? Isn’t it evening already? She must come home, right?”

“She has a lot of work from her company, Dad.” Briana also replied with a gloomy look. John tried to widen his smile. He raised his arms so Briana would come closer to hold.

“My baby, come here.” Briana unhesitant to hug John. She missed her father so much. Keith also smiled gloomily. Meanwhile, Sandra smiled slightly and felt calm. At least no one would talk about Pearl anymore.

Keith turned to see Sandra, and he frowned. His mom was so reluctant about Pear. Now that she’s been missing, she didn’t look worried.

***

Pearl was so thirsty and exhausted. She didn’t have any food for almost 16 hours. Moreover, her hand was sore due to the tightrope. She couldn’t cry or wiggle. The exhaustion made her constantly want to sleep.

Suddenly, there were yelling and shouts outside of her room. Pearl was quickly startled and then listened to the shriek. A woman was crying hurtfully. She was in great pain like someone had sliced her body alive. Pearl closed her eyes tightly. Now, she is scared to death. Pearl was crying hard, so hard, like she desperately wiggled again.

The desperate scream was tearing her mind. It was so frustratingly frightening to hear it.

“What are they doing to her?” Pearl asked her mind.

Pearl couldn’t stand to hear her scream anymore. As the minutes, the scream faded. Meanwhile, Pearl sobbed on her chair like she was waiting for her last life in the guillotine. The door then opened, and Pearl kept lowering her head. She was terrified now. She even breathed harder. The anxiousness would kill her soon. As she tightly closed her eyes, a man then came closer to lose her rope.

“Your turn.” He said while whispering. Pearl breathed heavily and then opened her eyes. The man was going to take her. Pearl was never wanted to be the next victim. She mumbled from her gagged. However, she couldn’t resist because he was stronger than she was.

“Let me go!” Pearl tried to scream, but the total words couldn’t come out.

The man harshly dragged Pearl, who limping on the floor. He didn’t waste time waiting for her wobbled legs to be powerful enough to stand and walk alone. Pearl wiggled again, only to be harsher and painfully dragged by the man.

“Get up!” he forced her to stand. Pearl had been sitting for hours, and her body was so sore. Now, she dragged inhumanely. He then shoved her to a bed in another room. It was like they were in a dungeon. It barely had lights, and only dim lights helped the sight.

Pearl was terrified to see the view inside the room. There was blood scattered everywhere. Even it was still new and horrifying. The woman who screamed before must be killed in the room. Now, it was Pearl’s turn. She shook her head pleadingly to let go. The man laughed at Pearl’s hopeless acts. The man then squatted, getting closer to her face.

“There’s no way to go out, pretty girl. You are going to end up here.” Pearl mumbled her sob, then shook her head.

“First, we are going to take your kidney tomorrow. If you survive, we will take both your pretty eyes and heart. And liver as well, haha.” The man talked and then laughed. Pearl cried hard and tried to speak, but she couldn’t. She was now going to die.

Now, Pearl could see the man’s face who trapped her inside the room. She was talking inside her mind, and the man’s face suddenly changed.

“Please don’t kill me. I’m innocent.” Pearl screamed inside her mind. The man was frowning.

“Do you think you can talk to me? Tell me what to do,” the man replied by saying the words instead of speaking through his mind. Pearl opened her eyes and stared at him straightly. Now she understood that something weird happened to her. She was talking inside her mind because she couldn’t utter the words, but the man could listen.

“I will never let you hand me your order.” The man looked angry when he told Pearl to avoid his mind. He stood annoyingly, then turned. He took some of his tools in the corner of the room.

“What are you going to do to me?” Pearl asked again through her mind. The man was holding a scalpel and scissors. He shook and then abruptly turned to Pearl. He looked at her, then frowning.

“What?”

“Please don’t hurt me. I will give all the money I have.”

Her words were so clear that they got through his mind. The man clenched his jaw and then shook his head. He pointed at her quickly.

“You are a human, aren’t you?” the man raggedly pointed at her. Pearl froze at her place, staring at him. She didn’t answer him yet.

“A human shouldn’t have a telepathy.” The man spoke again. He now looked hesitant to do so. The scalpel was on his hand.

“What do you mean?” Pearl spoke again through her mind. The man shockingly popped his eyes to hear it. It was so clear and loud.