The Passion House

XII

Where did that gunshot come from?

We are all so shocked about what just happened we can not move. I have to admit that we didn’t see this coming. “What the F*CK?!” Steven cusses beneath his breath after the situation has dawned on him. His Twin, his oh so lovely sister is now lifeless at his feet. He looks at the consumed black part of the hallway. It has now seemed like endless space. It is so near us that it has already reached Stacey’s feet it looks like it is slowly eating her body and turning it black. “What the f*f**k do you want?! Do you think I am afraid of you?!” He is about to lounge on the black matter when Harris stops him and signals me to help him take Steven away. However, Steven still resists us. Who wouldn’t? He just lost his boyfriend and his sister on the same night. 

I don’t remember what has happened next. All I know is we ran as far as we could. We run as hard as we could and chased our breaths when we arrive and go inside another fire exit door. It looks almost the same where we have been earlier. Only, now, this place is much cleaner and free of blood.

I feel a sudden shot of pain in my stomach. Oh right, my wound, it hasn’t healed yet and it starts to bleed endlessly. I touch it and blood covers my hands. I feel the world start turning and my vision grows dim. I’m feeling dizzy. A hand suddenly holds both my shoulders to help me stand up. I look up. Harris...

“We should take a look at that,” he says. I look at Steven and see that he is carrying Stacey’s lifeless body in both of his arms like a bride. I see that his eyes are wet from crying and he is shaking endlessly. “Steve,” Harris call him out, “Let’s go find a safer place and find medications about our injuries,” to which Steven doesn’t reply.

Again, I feel a sudden jolt on my side and my vision gets darker and darker until I think I pass out.

I open my eyes and see that Harris is standing beside me with a white light hovering above me. “Harris...” I call out. What is going on?

“You’re finally awake, Amy,” he tells me as he helps me set me up.

“Where are we?” I ask and look around. The room is dimly lit and the only light in this room is the light that has woken me up. The air is damp and dusty as I smell some old and dry boxes around that I believe have not touched the light of day for months. I look around and I can see shadows of some glass cabinets and steel racks on the wall. I notice it has both small canisters and large carton boxes, too. I look down to see that I have been lying on what seems like a stainless steel table. The light above me is from a flashlight. I look behind me and a white cloth printed with hazy light blue and pink strips hung on it. 

“We’re in the storage room,” I look at Harris. His hand is wearing a pair of surgical gloves and it is covered in blood. “You passed out in the fire exit earlier so Steven and I looked for a place to hide,” he tells me, “Can you lean back so I can finish putting this last medical tape on your bandage?” I look down and find out that I have been only wearing my black bra and immediately, my first instinct has been to cover myself with both of my arms.

“What are you doing?” I ask him suspectingly.

When he realizes the reason for my reaction, he laughs so hard that it rings inside the storage room. He leans into me and whispers in my ear, “I’ve already seen and held all of that earlier. What are you being shy of?”

I feel my face get hot as I tell him, “Don’t you know what consent is?”

He pulls himself back and his eyes reach mine. It is full of disbelief amusement as then it turns to understanding. He looks away from me like a shy little boy to scratch the back of his head. “I’m sorry,” he tells me in a more humbled tone. “I do not know what to do earlier. You were bleeding so bad and there was no doctor around. I then, knew that I had to take action on your wounds or else, we will lose you, too.”

I look around and find that my shirt is on the corner of the supposedly operating table. I take it and notice that the blood from earlier is almost dry now. I raise my hand to wear it and cover myself.

“I was going to wash the stains away that earlier but you have woken up,” he tells me. I look at the first aid supplies on another steel table beside where I have been lying. There lies some bandages, medicines, and bloody tools. “I got this at the fire hazard corner along the hallways. You must have felt very stressed earlier and have been going around this place all to pure will.” He then puts his right hand gently on my head.

I look up as I see his face go near mine. I look at his eyes so brown, and captivating like autumn in front of me; and to his lips, so full and pinkish I feel my throat run dry. I can now smell his clean breath, now empty of the scent of menthol, and beer. I sense myself, pull myself back as his right-hand trail from my head down to the side of my cheek. The gesture leaves a trail of sweet electrifying heat from his body. I close my eyes and rub my face on the sensation. “I’ve done my first aid training, too, so you wouldn’t have to worry,” I hear him say as he chuckles and pinches my nose before he stands up straight. I open my eyes when I feel another wave of blood goes up to my face. That has been so embarrassing. I cough twice to regain my composure. Pull yourself together, Amy. I look up at him.

“Where is Steven?” He turns his back on me as he removes the surgical gloves from his hands and places them on the empty box on the floor. He also puts the non-reusable trash he has made to help me clean my wound. I stand up and attempt to go and find Steven when I feel a hand on my wrist and it gently turns me around to face its owner. “What now?”

He raises his right hand as I feel a wet cloth rub on my cheek. “I’m sorry, it’s my fault. You have bloodstains on your face because of me. I have been so happy to see you wake up that I have forgotten to remove my surgical gloves earlier.” He then smiles at me. “Steven is there on the other side of the room.” He points on a silhouette of a man who is seated in front of another cold stainless steel table, his head down, and his hand is supporting his head. “Don’t surprise him,” Harris warn me, “He’s having a hard time right now.”

“I know,” I tell him and smile. Slowly, I creep behind Steven. 

“Steve?” I try my best to softly call his name so he will not be agitated if I reach him. I figure that he raises his head to look at me. I don’t see him much as it is so dark here. But this place is not pitch black like what the devouring thing does to the areas of this hotel. It is obvious that this place is just dark because of lights are off. It indicates that the hotel’s monster has not reached this place, yet.

“Don’t come near me,” his voice is so cold it can freeze everyone and make them as hard as a block of ice. There is contempt in his voice. “You should have been the one who is dead, not Stacey. Ever since we have known you, people around me are dying.” He stands up. “Who’s next, huh?!” He quickly runs to me and I feel a hand on my neck as I get pinned on the wall.

“What have we ever done to you?!” he chokes on his tears. “We’ve been so kind to you yet---” He inhales sharply as his every word pierce my heart so painfully. What he is saying must be true. I stay silent as I feel his strength on my neck, clenching it so hard I lose my voice and I try so hard to gasp for air. I hold his firm wrist as I feel myself get weaker with everything he does. It must be true, too. When they have met me, all of these unlucky things are happening to us, “First, it is Melvin, then goes Yohanne. Now, it has been my sister. Who’s going to die next? Huh? Is it Harris? Is it Me?”