Monsterhearts:The Witch Queen's Castle

**Liam can see Shane's room, from a perspective of the door. The carpet has been completely torn away and a large round symbol has been scratched into the cement underneath, it looks a lot more detailed and ornate than it was when last Liam saw it.**

**Shane**: **He's standing between the door and the symbol. His left hand looks like it's healed, but not in the way it should have. His fingers have hooked black talons at their ends and the skin is dark and scaly. Small spine-like golden feathers are growing from the back of his hand and around his forearm. Nemo's Sigil hangs from a chain that's wrapped tightly around his wrist. Shane seems to be looking down at what's been etched into the ground, completely motionless, it doesn't even look like he's breathing.**

**The sound of the front door opening and then slamming is heard.**

**Bonnie**: Shane?! Shane are you home?! **She sounds angry and worried. After a moment his mother suddenly walks into his doorway.** Shane! Where the hell have you been?! And what have you done to the carpet? ...What happened to your arm?

**Shane**: **His head twitches slightly, and then he turns, looking back at his mother. Shane's eyes look like they are made of gold. He has no whites, not iris, no pupil, just two orbs of gold metal that reflect a warped gilded image of his mother back at her.**

**Bonnie**: ...Shane? ...What... What happened to your eyes? *Clyde*?! **She takes a step back.**

**Shane**: **A soft, warm, smile spreads across his lips. There's a sudden quake that shakes the entire house, and the window in Shane's room shatters. His mother is suddenly pulled into the room by and invisible force. Shane steps out of her way, and watches as Bonnie is pulled down against the inscribed floor. She lays there, trying to move for a few minutes before her back starts to compress down against her chest, like a great weight is pressing on her. She whimpers for several second before her rib cage gives and she's suddenly smashed flat. Her whole body is then curled in on itself and crushed into a bloody ball. The center of the rune crumbles away to a black pit, and two taloned hands reach out and grab onto the fleshy orb, pulling it into the darkness beyond the portal.**

**Clyde**: **The front door slams and he can be heard running into the house.** What the hell was that? Bonnie? You alright? **He runs into view, stopping when he sees Shane standing in his room.** Shane!?

**Shane**: **He turns and looks at his father, with the same warm smile, however a tear runs down his face. The back of his shirt rips open, and a pair of twisted scally appendages begin to expand outwards, frayed ribbons of Shane's skin hanging from them as golden spines extend and grow feathers. His father is suddenly pulled into the room and slammed against the sigil.** *I cannot tell what is more enjoyable... The sound of their bones breaking... Or the sound of your will...*

Sunday August 24th, 7:15 AM
Wildomar, On the Way to Odie's

**Chris**: **He's driving down the street in his neon-green King Cobra GT. The repairs from the car crash having been finished yesterday. He seems anxious and bites the inside of his lip as he swerves around slower Sunday drivers.** Everyone drives slow on- **He swerves around an old couple, probably on their way to church.** -Sundays... **He steps on the gas driving up the street towards Odie's house.**

**Liam**: **He's been quiet the entire morning, only saying a few words total. He's sitting in the back seat, facing down at the floor.**

**Chris**: You been quiet all morning. **He looks in the rear-view at Liam for a moment.** You alright Liam?

**Liam**: ...For one or two days there, I felt better. I felt like losing my sight was penance... It didn't make things better... But... It might've made things even... Just like the people that died... I'd never seen another sunrise... No more TV or movies... No more seeing cute boys I'd never be with anyway... **He keeps staring down.** But I think there's nothing that's going to make this right anymore... People are dying... And it's because I didn't want to believe what I was doing was wrong. I figured... The world *owed* me something...

**Chris**: **He looks out the window. Turning onto Odie's street.** We can't make it right Liam, but the least we can do is stop it. **He narrows his eyes as he pulls up in front of Odie's house. He turns the car off and pauses in thought for a moment.** You know I don't think there's any good guys. Heroes are in movie theaters and books and games... There's none of them in this supernatural... World... We've been thrown into. That's why I chose my mother over Nemo. She's not a "Good guy", and I didn't make my choice thinking I'd be doing the "*right*" thing. I made the choice because I like the money... I love Agatha, I love my uncle, and I want to prove myself to my mother... I don't trust her anymore than I trusted Nemo... But Good or bad, right or wrong, selfless or selfish, it's the choice I wanted, so it's the one I made. **He rests his chin against the steering wheel.** To be completely honest... Saving Shane didn't even come to my mind in those moments when I was caught between my mother and Nemo.

**Liam**: So you're saying we're bad people...?

**Chris**: What I'm say'n is, is that we all make selfish choices. We're doin the best we can do, and even though we keep fuck'n up, we have to keep trying. The demon is the one killing these people, not you... **He sits back and drums his fingers on the steering wheel a few times.** If you asked me if you deserve the blindness and all this guilt... I'd say yes. **He pulls his key out of ignition and opens the door.** We can't fix everything or make it right, but I'll be damned if I don't try to make it *better*, or at the very least, stop it from get'n worse. So save the heartache and the guilt 'til after.

**Liam**: Shane's parents are dead.

**Chris**: **He pauses as he's about to get out of the car.** What?

**Liam**: I saw it in a dream last night, same as when I saw the demon kill my dad. He did some ritual and killed Shane's parents. **He sounds like he's on the verge of crying.** ...I can't get the sounds of their deaths out of my head. **He grabs the side of his head.** All I see is what happened in the dream... And you should've seen Shane... He looked... He doesn't even *look* like Shane anymore.

**Chris**: **He looks down and scratches the back of his head, staying silent for a minute.** You listen here Liam, there's nothing we can do about it if it's already happened. We're goin to that asylum, and we're paying that old lady a visit. **He looks down.** So you're gonna stop sulking, get out of the car, and walk with me up to Odie's. Then we're gonna leave for that asylum, so that we can save Shane. **He gets out of the car and walks around to Liams side and opens the door.** 'Cause there's nothin else you can do, and linger'n on what that thing is doing to everyone else is just gonna make it worse... So feel bad later. The longer we take, the more he'll kill.

**Liam**: **He takes off his sunglasses and wipes his eyes.** Ok... **He puts them back on and gets out of the car. Stumbling a little as he walks around Chris.** ...Let's go. I'll follow your footsteps... Tell me if there's a rock or something though.

**Chris**: **He leads Liam up to Odie's front door, he looks back at Liam for a second.** You good?

**Liam**: **He clears his throat.** Good enough.

**Chris**: **He rings the doorbell and waits for someone to answer.**

**There's a loud deep bark from the other side of the door. After a moment it opens and Odie's younger brother is standing behind it. There's a sweet smell that pours out, like someone is cooking apple pie and bacon with eggs.**

**Hunter**: **His hair is messy and he's wearing an old t-shirt that's too big for him that hangs unevenly around him with the collar hanging halfway down his right shoulder. It looks like he just got out of bed. He looks back into the house.** Hey Odie your Sleestak friend is here! **There's an exceptionally large grey mastiff standing beside him. The hound doesn't look like it cares for Chris much and has its strange eyes fixed on him.**

**Odie**: **He walks into view, brushing his teeth as he's pulling on a shirt.** Shleeshtuck?

**Hunter**: **He turns and looks back at Odie.** Like the ones from Land of the Lost.

**Chris**: **He rubs his forehead, not knowing what that is or what the show is.**

**Liam**: **He smiles slightly, knowing what Hunter is talking about.**

**Chris**: **He looks passed Hunter.** You ready to go Odie?

**Odie**: Give me a sec! **He runs out of sight.**

**Claudia**: **Her voice rings out from somewhere inside.** Who is that at the door Hunter?

**Hunter**: **He calls back to his mother.** Odie's very wealthy friend from the hospital... And someone with glaucoma!

**Liam**: **He murmurs to himself.** ...Glaucoma? **He looks towards the front door.** I was blinded by a bolt of lightning.

**Hunter**: **He raises his eyebrow at Liam and then takes a few steps back, almost like he doesn't want bad luck to rub off on him.**

**Claudia**: **She walks into the front room wearing an apron and taking off a pair of cooking mitts.** Odie said you name is Chris, right? **She looks very happy.** I don't believe we've formally met.

**Chris**: No ma'am, I don't believe we have. Chris Courier, and this is my friend Liam.

**Claudia**: Well I'm Claudia, this is my younger son Hunter.Is that a southern accent I hear?

**Chris**: Kentucky, kinda the south I guess, but I think we're farther south here than there so... Uhh... **He shrugs.**

**Claudia**: Why don't you two come in? I'm making breakfast to take to Sunday church, but there's plenty to go around. **She smiles happily. Hunter stands behind her, keeping his eyes fixed on Chris.**

**Chris**: I don't want to be rude, but we already had a big breakfast ma'am.

**Claudia**: So where are you two headed this morning anyway? I asked Brendan, but he didn't seem like he wants me to know... **Her happy demeanor seems to quickly fade and she looks Chris up and down. Her tone turns grave.** Last time my boy went with you somewhere he nearly died.

**Chris**: **He bites his lip and looks down.** I formally apologize for that. It was my fault, I drove down that road and saw the powerline, I put us in that danger.

**Claudia**: **She slaps Chris across the face and frowns, her eyes starting to water. After a long pause she looks away from him.** ...I'm sorry.

**Chris**: **He rubs the side of his face for a moment, looking at the ground, then looks to her.** No need to apologize... You can do it again if it makes you feel better.

**Claudia**: **She looks up at Chris.** It was wrong of me to strike you, you and your family already made amends, I'm just... **She laughs slightly, her happiness returning.** ...I'd have to say that I'm just a bit stressed. Please forgive me.

**Chris**: There's nothing to forgive. **He smiles nervously.** I earned that slap, if it's any comfort, I feel better that you did it.

**Claudia**: ...Well... Now that I've made a fool of myself, I'll wrap up some pies for you to take back to your family, and I'll stay out of your business, excuse me. **She wipes her eyes as she turns away and heads back out of the front room, out of sight.**

**Liam**: **He whispers to Chris after he hears her walk away.** Did she smack you?

**Chris**: **He nods slowly, then remembers Liam can't see him nodding.** Yeah.

**Hunter**: **He watches his mother leave.** Rich kid or not, you get my brother hurt again and you're dog meat. **The large mastiff lets out a deep grow.**

**Odie**: **He walks in, shoving his wallet into his pocket and pulling a nearly empty backpack around his shoulders.** Let's blow this pop-sickle stand.

**Chris**: I think you mom is wrapping me up some pies.

**Odie**: Oh. **He looks back into the house, then down to hunter.** Why're you making that face, Hunter?

**Hunter**: Just threatening your wealthy friend's life. That's all. C'mon Rodin let's go get dressed and find some breakfast. **He turns and walks out of the front room, the large dog follows him.**

**Chris**: So uhh... Is Rodin a demon dog or somethin? Was kinda getting that vibe from him.

**Liam**: I couldn't see him, so he isn't. **He nods.**

**Odie**: Uhh... **He pushes some of his hair out of his face.** Rodin's kind of a long story.

**Claudia**: **She walks in with three boxes stacked on top of one another.** I got you an apple, peanut butter, and my specialty, Black-berry and lime custard. I didn't know how many there were in your family, so I thought I'd better give you three. **She hands them to Odie.** Carry those for you friend will you dear?

**Odie**: **He takes the pies from her and rolls his eyes a little.**

**Chris**: **He smiles as Odie takes the pies from his mom.** Thanks ma'am, that's more than enough.

**Liam**: They smell really good.

**Claudia**: God-willing, it's the least I could do for what your uncle did. Make sure he gets a piece, please, especially the Black-berry and lime. **She smiles. Even though she seems happy, all of her emotions have a quiet sadness to them.**

**Chris**: Thanks, and yeah I'll make sure he gets a slice. **He smiles and looks at Odie.** Ready?

**Odie**: Let's roll. **He walks out of the house, passing Chris and Liam.**

**Chris**: **He turns and walks down the path towards his car.**

**Liam**: **He's already walking towards the car, carefully making his way.**

**Claudia**: Oh, and Chris? **She walks out after them.** I was hoping you could leave your phone number, so that I might talk with you mother. I'd like to get to know her better.

**Chris**: **He stops.** Well I... Yeah I suppose I could leave my number... **He pats his pockets.** I haven't got a pen on me...

**Claudia**: Let me get one real quick, I'll be right back. **She runs into the house.**

***30 minutes later, After dropping of the pies at Chris's house...***

**Chris**: **He's driving down the road very quickly, he doesn't want to waste time, and he generally doesn't care about speeding tickets.** So you gonna give us the scoop on this old woman?

**Liam**: You didn't tell us much in the car last night... **He's sitting in the back seat behind Odie.** ...Like, even her name?

**Odie**: **He's in the passenger's front seat.** Luana Araujo.

**Chris**: Anything else?

**Odie**: Well she's kind of hard to explain... I've got this file on her from Murdoc's though. **He grabs his backpack and opens it, pulling out a porfolio file. He clears his throat.** *"La Madre, also known as the "Ill-Mother."* -That's her- *"A powerful witch queen from the south Americas. For over a decade she and her consort held an iron fist over the occultic culture of Brazil and surrounding nations. She was feared both by Angels and Demons for her terrible cruelty and great kindness to those that came to her. She later became known as the "Ill-Mother", after the death of her husband. During this time she..."* Well it cuts off there because the copying machine we have in the office is shit and the original was lost in an... *Incident*.

**Chris**: Terrible cruelty and great kindness? ...What the hell does that even mean?

**Odie**: From what I can tell she was like a soothsayer, or a witch doctor, or a shaman or something. I'm not sure what the hell she is... Was? Is. She helped people get better until something went wrong, and her husband died, they she became *really* scary... Hunted down monsters, demons, witches, whatever threatened her or those she cared about... At least that's the myth.

**Liam**: So what has she done? ...Or I mean, what does a Witch Queen do? What's she capable of?

**Odie**: ...Well, I haven't seen her do much, but she's spooky. Nice, but she's not someone I'd want to piss off.

**Chris**: Scarier than my mother? **He looks over at Odie for a moment before looking back to the road.**

**Odie**: ...Uhh... Yes.

**Chris**: ...Damn.

**Odie**: I've seen her write with chalk on the wall and open doors to places that weren't even there before. Lucas said she once opened his boyfriend's chest like a bear trap and reached in and fiddled with his organs to make sure he was alright, then closed him up like nothing happened. She's got really strange powers. Above all else, don't piss her off. *Seriously*. **He looks at Chris.** Like *seriously, seriously*. Don't threaten her, don't talk about her family. Nothing, alright? You do that and I'm on the next plane outta here, because they'll probably find your blood splatter stretching across four states.

**Chris**: **He shakes his head, starting to get nervous.**

**Liam**: So do you think she'll help us?

**Odie**: Probably not, but it's worth a try, right?

**Chris**: **He sighs.** And if this doesn't work you'll tell us who your other witch friend is?

**Odie**: **He looks out the window.** Yeah... **He sighs.** I realize this is serious, but... A lot of families in this town have gone through a lot. They don't need to go through anymore if they don't have to.

**Liam**: **He looks down.** ...Yeah... But you said she was always nice to you...

**Odie**: I, uhh... Won't actually be going *into* the asylum with you two.

**Liam**: What, *why*? **He sounds annoyed.** How are *we* supposed to convince her, she doesn't even know us!

**Odie**: **He takes a deep breath, then sighs.** After I was... Exorcised or whatever, I had a bad couple months... I actually don't remember a lot of the first few weeks. I remember seeing Yuri's face right after he saved me... I remember seeing my mother was always crying... I couldn't go to school, I was afraid of everything... PTSD or whatever... Like I told you guys before... It was bad. So... My mom did the only thing she could do. She put me in the Riverside Asylum, so that they could help me get better. I think I was in there almost three months... Even though I'm better now... I don't think I could go back in.

**Chris**: **He feels bad, looking outside for a moment.** We understand Odie. I can't imagine what you've been through.

**Liam**: ...Is Shane going to be that way... Even if we save him... He's going to have that happen to him, isn't he?

**Odie**: **He looks out the window. They're driving down a long highway, there's little else besides desert and random farms scattered here and there.** ...Having a demon use your body like a sock puppet isn't something you just get over... It screws with you mind... Everything feels like a dream. One minute you're lucid, you understand what's happening, and the next you're trying to kill your best friends, and the demon *makes* you think that's what *needs* to be done... It replaces your thoughts with its own, and you don't even realize what you're doing until after you've done it... **He stays silent for a moment and then looks to Chris.** Then again one of my other friends came out with a lot less emotional turmoil, so what the hell to I know, heh. **He smiles meekly, then looks back out the window.**

***About fifteen minutes later, outside the Riverside Institution of Psychiatric Care...***

**The building is large, made from grey brick and set against a slight hill. It's five stories tall, and expansive enough to to be imposing. It looks rather old and dilapidated.**

**Chris**: **He walks into the Asylum, looking around at the front office area. He's never been in an Asylum before.**

**Liam**: **He carefully follows after the sound of Chris's foot steps. He scratches the edge of his nose a little. The place smells like lemon cleaner and old people.**

**Asylum Receptionist**: **There's a pudgy woman sitting behind the front desk. She looks up at Chris with a grim expression. She speaks in a high-pitched nasally voice.** Can I help you two with anything?

**Chris**: We're here to see a patient.

**Asylum Receptionist**: You don't say. **She blinks lazily as she looks up at him.**

**Chris**: Luana Araujo. We were wondering if we could just visit with her.

**Asylum Receptionist**: You two family?

**Chris**: **He hesitates for a moment.** ...Yes.

**Asylum Receptionist**: You have an appointment? **She slowly wheels herself over to the massive monitor that takes up most of her desk.**

**Liam**: Do we need an appointment? **He's standing next to Chris, leaning on the desk a little.**

**Asylum Receptionist**: **She sighs.** ...Names?

**Chris**: Lucas and Yuri... **He realizes he doesn't know the twin's last names.**

**Asylum Receptionist**: **She pauses, then slowly looks up to Chris.** No.

**Liam**: No?

**Chris**: **He raises an eyebrow at her, hoping she doesn't know they're not the Twins.** Huh?

**Asylum Receptionist**: You're not Lucas *or* Yuri. **She stares at Chris blankly.** A woman my age doesn't forget a matching pair of handsome faces like the two those boys had. **She blinks again, her face expressionless.**

**Liam**: **He sighs.**

**Chris**: **He bites the inside of his lip and looks around. After a moment he bends towards the woman.** Alright, look lady, I'll give you a thousand bucks if you give us just a few minutes with Miss Araujo.

**Asylum Receptionist**: **She smiles up at Chris.** I was hoping you'd say something like that.

**The next moment Chris and Liam are being thrown out the front doors of the Asylum and out onto the sidewalk by a pair of very large orderlies.**

**Odie**: **They land right in front of his feet, and he's standing over them, wearing a pair of duke aviator orange-tinted sunglasses. He's eating a frozen yogurt.** That was fast. **He scoops a small amount of frozen yogurt into his mouth.**

**Liam**: **He pats his hands around on the cement, feeling for his sunglasses.** I want to kill that stupid whiney voiced bitch! **A blast of wind radiates outwards from him and knocks Chris away.**

**Odie**: **It knocks Odie's frozen yogurt from his hand and sends it crashing to the floor. He stares at it and frowns slightly.** What the hell just happened?

**Chris**: That was it! **He gets up, dusting himself off. Even though Liam rolled him a good two feet he doesn't seem mad.** You did that thing again! Like you did when you knocked Nemo away from me!

**Odie**: Huh? **He looks from his frozen yogurt as it melts on the cement, over to Liam.**

**Chris**: **He walks over and grabs Liam's sunglasses, then helps him up as he hands them to him.** Liam has some kind of power, it's like the Force from Star Trek or whatever.

**Liam**: The Force is from Star Wars...

**Chris**: Whatever. You did it again, just now. Try again.

**Odie**: **He takes a few steps back, half-expecting Liam to shoot bolts of lightning from his fingertips.**

**Liam**: **He calms himself down and holds out his hand. He concentrates, then shoves his hand forward, but nothing happens.** Anything?

**Chris**: ...Nope.

**Odie**: **He raises an eyebrow.** Well you did it a second ago, my banana-raspberry yogurt is melting on concrete to prove it.

**Liam**: **He sighs in frustration.** Whatever, I'll figure it out later. **He dejectedly drops his hand.** We couldn't even get passed the receptionist. She knew we weren't the twins.

**Chris**: Said she'd never forget such "A matching pair of handsome faces"... **He shakes his head.**

**Odie**: Why would you try to pass yourselves off as them?

**Chris**: Because I figured family would get in easier...

**Odie**: You two are white, Lucas and Yuri are mexican or something.

**Chris**: Well I've never seen *either* of them.

**Liam**: **He lets out a groan and shakes head.** If nothing else, she's right. Their faces are unforgettable.

**Odie**: Well did you try bribing her?

**Chris**: *Yes*. That's how we got thrown out.

**Liam**: Well what do we do now? We'll have to sneak in or something.

**Chris**: **He narrows his eyes.** I have an idea. **He turns and walks down the sidewalk.**

**Liam**: What is it? **He pauses, listening for Chris.** ...Did he walk away?

**Odie**: Yep. **He walks over and picks up his frozen yogurt, throws it away in a trash bin outside of the Asylum front doors, and then pats Liam on the shoulder.** Let's go see what the hell kind of trouble he's going to get us into.

**Chris**: **He walks around the corner of the building, continuing on.**

**Odie**: Hey, wait up Chris! **He looks back at Liam and follows as quickly as he can without losing him.**

**Chris**: **He leads them all the way around the build towards the back, and he looks around.**

**Liam**: What the hell are you doing Chris? **He crosses his arms over his chest.**

**Chris**: Looking for a back door.

**Odie**: ...Seriously?

**Chris**: **He looks around until he sees a maintenance entrance. He quickly walks over to it.** We sneak in through the back, pull a fire alarm, all the doors open and we look for Luana.

**Odie**: **He looks nervous.**

**Liam**: Do we want all of the doors open? This is a mental ward, Chris.

**Odie**: Yeah, for all we know Hannibal is locked up in there and he's gonna go Clarice Starling on your ass the second you pull that alarm.

**Chris**: Hannibal eats humans, not snakes. **He looks the door over. It's clearly locked. He looks over at Odie.** You think you could blast this door open with you ice magic or whatever?

**Odie**: There's cameras everywhere around this place, I'm not getting filmed doing any weird shit. In fact... I *do not* know you. I will be at the car. **He turns and walks away.**

**Chris**: ...Coming here was your idea! Couldn't you at least help us out a little?

**Odie**: **He stops and closes his eyes, realizing Chris is right. He's just being jumpy because he doesn't like this place.** Alright, alright... **He looks around spotting a camera. It slowly turns away and he runs up to Chris.** I'll get the door open...**He grabs the handle and frost forms over it.** You're gonna want to stand back.

**Chris**: **He takes a good six steps back, pulling Liam with him.**

**Odie**: **There's a quiet cracking sound. He looks back over at the camera, seeing that it's still turned away. After a short moment he steps to the side, and the door handle blasts apart, small shards of ice blasting out along with it.** Alright... **He opens the door and stares inside hesitantly.**

**Chris**: **He moves quickly, leading Liam by the hand to speed things up as he runs inside.** We'll meet you at the car.

**Odie**: **He sighs.** ...Wait for me... **He follows the two of them in.**

**The interior of the maintenance room is rather large. There's hologen lights that flicker slightly. There's dozens of electrical boxes and pipes that run along the walls. There's a few very large water heaters in the corner. It doesn't look like there's a fire alarm in this room.**

**Liam**: **He whispers.** I thought you weren't coming?

**Odie**: I decided to man up...

**Liam**: **He smiles a little.** So what do you guys see?

**Odie**: It looks like there's some fuse boxes are over there. **He looks uncharacteristically nervous. Liam can even hear it in his voice.**

**Chris**: We could switch them off, but that'll just attract people to our location when they come looking to flip them back on. **He sighs and puts his hand on his forehead.** This might not even work. We need to get to that front desk, or find a nurse's station, and see which room Luana Araujo is in. **He walks over to a door at the far end of the large room. It's unlocked on this side, so he peaks out.**

**The next area is a large stairwell that leads up to all the floors.**

**Liam**: Couldn't we just pull the alarm, then wait for her to leave?

**Chris**: We could.

**Liam**: Or we could just pull the alarm and wait for everyone to evacuate, then find Luana outside.

**Odie**: **He raises an eyebrow.** Well decide on something quick, we can't be back here forever and I don't want to be in here any longer than I have to.

**Chris**: **He takes a deep breath and rubs his temples.** Alright, alright. How about we shut down the power on the first floor, make our way to a nurse's station or locker room or something, steal a set of keys, and we'll find where she is.

**Liam**: **He sighs.** Won't we have to find the security office or something? There's cameras everywhere, right Odie?

**Odie**: Yeah... **He sighs.** Leave that to me. I know where it is, you guys just worry about finding Luana.

**Chris**: **He takes a deep breath to calm his nerves.** I'm gonna to flip off the power, then we have to make a run for it 'cause the first place they'll check is probably gonna be right here. While we find the nurse's room, Odie, you go shut off the cameras. I'd very much not like to be arrested today.

**Odie**: Roger.

**Liam**: What about me? I'm just going to slow you down. Maybe I should wait outside...

**Chris**: No. You're a witch, maybe she'll be more inclined to listen to you.

**Odie**: **He shakes his head a little and walks over to the door.** Alright. Ready when you are.

**Chris**: **He walks over to the fuse boxes and opens a few of them, checking the tags on them.** This looks like the first floor. Get ready.

**Liam**: Ready as I can be.

**Chris**: Here we go... **He flips switch after switch with a loud clack, eventually the lights in the maintenance room itself switch off.** That's all of them, let's go!

**Odie**: I'll meet you guys at the car afterwards. **He opens the door and vanishes beyond it.**

**Liam**: **He quickly makes his way towards where he thinks the door is.**

**Chris**: **He grabs Liam's wrist and pulls him so they can move faster. He darts out into the stairwell and swings open the next door, running out into the hall.**

**The hallway is full of patients shuffling about. A few of them are murmuring to themselves. A deep voice rings out through the hall. The source is unseen as there's so many people wandering about.**

**Orderly**: Everyone get back to your rooms!

**Chris**: Shit. We gotta move. **He pulls Liam with him.** Stay low.

**Liam**: **He ducks down.** See any nurse rooms yet?

**Chris**: I think there's one at the end of the hall, but it's hard to see. **He ducks behind a few patients and moves as quickly as he can.**

**Liam**: **He repeatedly stumbles, but catches his balance. Each time he does he silently thanks his new shoes.**

**Fat Orderly**: **As they reach the halfway point of the hallway, it opens up on the left to a large communal area, full of tables and chairs. Two orderlies are grabbing patients and herding them back to their rooms.** Hey Bob, go check the damn fuse boxes, I bet one of these idiots got into the maintenance room again!

**Tall Orderly**: You got this?

**Fat Orderly**: Yeah I got it. **He grabs one of the patients trying to leave the hall and go into the next wing.**

**Chris**: **He pulls Liam over with him, making sure to stay out of the orderly's lines of sight. He whispers.** Duck down, onto your knees. **He pulls Liam down with him as they duck behind an old couch.**

**Liam**: **He stays as low as he can, not knowing how tall the couch is.**

**Tall Orderly**: **He walks passed them and down the hall.** Outta my way. **He pushes passed a few patients and walks out of sight.**

**Fat Orderly**: Hey! **One of the patients runs for the door, screaming. He grabs her and slams her against the wall. He pulls a small syringe from his back pocket, rips off the cap with his teeth, and then injects her with it. She squirms for a few seconds and then goes limp.** Everyone get back to your damn rooms!

**Chris**: **He's peaking around the couch, watching the fat orderly.** ...I think I got an idea. **He looks around for a moment before seeing a camera in the corner.** I hope you've got those cameras shut down Odie...

**Liam**: What are you gonna do?

**Chris**: Give me a second, I'm still trying to figure it out. **He looks back to the orderly.**

**Patient**: **A random patient walks up to them. It's a young man, probably a few years older than them. He suddenly starts screaming.** ALIEN!! THERE'S A GOD DAMN REPTILIAN IN MY HOUSE! **He looks deathly afraid and points to Chris.**

**Fat Orderly**: Mr. Ross get back to your room! **He runs over and grabs the old man, struggling with him for a few moments. They're right at the end of the couch, but the orderly doesn't see them as he's struggles with the young man, who seems to be athletic enough to be a pain to deal with despite him probably being half the fat guard's weight.**

**Chris**: **He narrows his eyes at the guard and jumps up, grabbing one of the syringes from his back pocket, pulling off the cap and sticking it right into the fat guy's right butt cheek, injecting the entire thing.**

**Fat Orderly**: **He feels a painful pinch on his ass and lets out a quiet scream.** Ahh! **He lets go of the young man who runs down the hall screaming. He turns and looks at Chris and Liam, blinking a few times.** Who the hell are you two? **He stumbles a little as he starts to lose his balance and becomes woozy. After a moment he falls to the floor with a heavy thud.**

**Chris**: **He runs over to the guard and pulls his key card off of his waist, then moves back over to Liam, grabbing him. He helps Liam up.** Let's go, I got a key card.

**Liam**: How'd you do that?

**The lights flicker back on and the door at the end of the hall slams closed, locking itself automatically.**

**Chris**: I injected one of them with their own sedative. **He turns and leads Liam with him.** The lights are back one, we gotta move.

**Liam's other wrist is suddenly grabbed and someone pulls him in the opposite direction.**

**Patient**: I FOUND HIM HE'S MINE! **It's some insane looking woman, grabbing onto Liam's wrist with both hands.**

**Liam**: What the hell?! **He pulls his wrist from Chris and grabs at her hands.** Get the hell off of me!

**Patient**: HE'S MINE-HE'S MINE!! **She pulls Liam away from Chris with surprising strength.**

**Chris**: **He runs up and grabs the woman, trying to pull her off of him.**

**Liam**: Get back Chris! **He pulls his little lead pipe out of his pocket and it grows to its normal size. He swings it down at the woman, hitting her with, literally, blind swings several times.**

**Chris**: **He lets go of her and jumps back when he sees Liam swing at her.**

**Patient**: **She squeals several times then lets go, stumbling back and falling to the ground, curling into a ball and trembling.**

**Chris**: **He grabs Liam.** Let's get the hell out of here. **He pulls Liam with him down the hall, opposite the way they entered, looking for the one of the orderlies or doctors rooms. He pushes passed several patients until he gets to the end of the hall. He slides his keycard and the door unlocks. He walks through and spots the nurse's office just on the other side.** There's an office!

**Liam**: **He shrinks the pipe back down as Chris practically drags him down the hall. The smell of all the patients is starting to gross him out.** Jesus... Fuck this place already...

**The rooms is sparse, looking like something between a break room and a locker room. There's a single computer sitting in the corner, which looks like it just finished booting back up.**

**Chris**: **He pulls Liam into the room with him and looks around. He runs up to the computer and starts clicking around to look for a patient manifest, after a moment he starts to type in her name.** L-U-A-N-A... **He taps each key with one finger, taking a few seconds to find each letter, as he's not good at typing.** ...How do you spell Araujo?

**Liam**: Well Odie said the twins were mexican or something, right? It's probably A, r, a, u, j? O? I would think that's it.

**Chris**: **He starts tapping the keys one at a time, the presses enter.**

**The computer searches for a second, then suddenly her picture pops up, along with what looks like a very incomplete medical history. Her picture looks like it's staring directly at Chris. To the right of the photograph it says her room is in A Wing, Hall 3, Room 212.**

**Chris**: She's in Wing A, Hall 3, Room 212. **He looks around for a map of facility, knowing that there must be one in here.** You see a map?

**Liam**: Oh yeah, it's right over there! **He points at the window and then immediately frowns and drops his arm to his side.**

**Chris**: Oh, right... Sorry. **After looking around for a moment he spots a small fire evacuation map on the wall and runs over to it.**

**The map is of "A Wing" and has the five floors it comprises. It shows that in order to get where they need to go they'll have to go back towards the maintenance area and back up the stairs to the next floor.**

**Chris**: I see where we need to go. **He rips the map off of the wall and folds it up and shoves it into his jacket pocket, just in case. He then grabs Liam's wrist again.**

**Liam**: **He sighs, hating being pulled by the wrist everywhere, though he doesn't have much choice.** Lead the way...

**Chris**: **He pulls Liam back out into the hall and turns, running for the locked door, he waves the keycard in front of the door and it unlocks, he moves through it and runs back into the communal area.**

**Tall Orderly**: **He's walking down the hall, moving a Patient out of his way.** Back to your rooms everybody! Bag to your rooms! Show's over! **He seems to be looking around for the other orderly. As he reaches the day room he spots the fat orderly passed out on the floor.** Shit! Stanly?! **He bends down. The guard didn't seem to notice him or Liam, but he's blocking their path none-the-less and there's no way around him without him noticing them.**

**Chris**: **He freezes up and looks around, seeing that there's no apparent opetions he tries to think of something.**

**Liam**: What's wrong, why'd we stop?

**Chris**: The other orderly found the first one, he's blocking our way...

**Liam**: I'll distract him... Make your way around and I'll catch up with you if I can.

**Chris**: What?

**Liam**: Just go when you have an opening! **He pulls his wrist free of Chris's grasp and then waves him away.**

**Chris**: **He runs to the side, ducking behind a small table. It doesn't hide him completely, but he's out of the orderly's line of sight due to the couch. He peaks over it to see what Liam is going to do.**

**Liam**: **He sighs. After a moment he builds up some nerve and calls out as he stands up.** Sir!?

**Tall Orderly**: **He looks up from the fat orderly.** You see what the hell happened here?

**Liam**: Well I'm actually blind, so I'm not entirely sure, but I think one of the patients grabbed his tranquilizers and injected him with it. I've been trying to get to the second floor but I got turned around due to some kind of commotion. Could you help me? I'm trying to find my grandmother, I know where her room is, I just need a hand getting there...

**Tall Orderly**: **He looks to his partner. He walks over to Liam and pulls a walkie talkie from his belt.** Hey Renolds you in A wing?

**Renolds**: **His response comes statically from the tall orderly's walkie talkie.** Yeah, you get that power outage checked up?

**Tall Orderly**: **He stands up and starts walking over to Liam.** Yeah, looks like one of the patients attacked Stan, he's out like a light, I think he was tranq'd. Also the back door was broken into. I think someone got into the fuse box and caused all this, can you come down and take care of Stan? I got a handicapped visitor down here who needs my assistance.

**Chris**: **He sneaks around until he's behind then orderly, then bolts for the hallway as quickly and quietly as he can, running towards the stairwell as the orderly is distracted by Liam.**

**Renolds**: I'm on my way, be there in a hot minute.

**Tall Orderly**: Thanks. **He clips the walkie talkie back to his belt and grabs Liam with a firm grip.** So you're not the guy who broke in are you? You actually blind, kid?

**Liam**: **He pulls off his sun glasses and looks up at the Orderly. His eyes are bloodshot and scared. The irises look speckled black and white, and a little smokey.** I don't know, why don't you tell me?

**Tall Orderly**: **He recoils a little.** Alright, sorry sir. I just had to make sure, I hope you understand.

**Liam**: If you don't escort me right now I'm going to report this facility for violating the Americans with Disability Act!

**Tall Orderly**: Alright, alright! Sorry sir, it's just been a crazy morning...

**Liam**: **He holds out his hand for the guard to lead him.** It's an asylum, I'd expect every morning to be crazy... Take me to room 212 please. **He puts his sunglasses back on with his other hand.**

**Tall Orderly**: **He shakes his head and grabs Liam's hand.** This way sir... **He sighs and leads Liam to the stairway down the hall.**

**A few minutes later he's opening the door to Luana's room.**

**Tall Orderly**: This it. Room 212. Call on an orderly when you're done and someone will escort you out if you need it... **He shakes his head and walks off.**

**Liam**: Thank you... **He grabs the door and opens it, tilting his head and listening for Chris.**

**Chris**: **After the orderly leaves he pops out from around a corner down the hall a ways and runs up to Liam.** Hey, that was great! **He smirks.**

**Liam**: Thanks... All I had to do was act like an entitled asshole... **He takes a deep breath and pushes the door open into the room, he walks inside.**

**Chris**: **He looks around the room.**

**The room is drab and grey, with a single small bed. The lights are off, so the only light is from the overcast morning sky outside. In front of the window is a dark blue armchair, and sitting in it is a small old woman. Her long silver and dark-gray hair hangs around her face, and a shadow obscures most of her features.**

**Luana**: Who told you to seek me out here? **Her voice is grave and stern. The tone is threatening, despite her not overtly saying anything threatening to them.**

**Liam**: **He gulps.** A friend of ours... Odie, said you might be able to help us.

**Luana**: ...With your pigeon infestation? **She lets out a soft cough, and reaches over to a small table, grabbing a small folded cloth and patting her lips with it. The cloth looks like it's been stained with old blood.** Why would I do such a thing?

**Chris**: It's killing people... Families...

**Luana**: I've no concern with... *People*... **She weakly tosses the cloth back onto the table.**

**Liam**: Please... We were told you might be able to help with a ritual that could stop it... Save my friend...

**Luana**: **She clears her throat.** I am old. My final weeks are upon me, I've no reason to spend them fighting demons.

**Chris**: You're just going to turn us away? **He's quickly getting angry, all the trouble they've gone through to get to her is going to amount to nothing.**

**Luana**: He got you into this... **She points at Liam.** Why should I clean up *his* mess? Do I look like a maid to you?

**Liam**: **He looks down.** I'm doing everything I can, but this is all new to me... I don't have the... Knowledge or experience... Or anything... Please help us... I've lost everything because of this demon... My sight... My home... My father... One of my only friends... And he's losing more than me... Please... **He frowns and looks down.** We don't have much time left... The demon keeps getting stronger and I'm afraid we'll lose the person he's possessing forever...

**Luana**: **She leans back in her chair.** I still see no reason why I should help you.

**Chris**: We were told you used to help people in need. You used to destroy demons like this... If these really are your... Final weeks, as you say, don't you want to spend them doing something helpful?

**Luana**: **She starts laughing, almost a cackle.** Hehhe... Heh eh eh... **She smiles and tilts her head, her face is illuminated much more. Though she's old, she has soft features, and looks like she was probably beautiful when she was much younger.** Why? So I can help a lost witch and the son of some kind of old-world monster? **She pulls her hair from her face.** Witches... I should've spent my life burning all of you... All your kind does is walk the streets and cause a great deal of *misery*... You're good for *nothing else*... And I don't even know what you are supposed to be... A snake in man's skin... Slithering around, pretending to be something you're not...

**Chris**: **He takes a step back from her, as she speaks about him, feeling like she's looking right into his soul. It makes him feel vulnerable and uneasy.**

**Liam**: **He gulps.** ...Is there something we can do... For you? Anything we could do to convince you to help us?

**Luana**: **She lets out a horse cough and grabs her rag, putting it to her lips and wiping her mouth a second time.** What could two *cretinos* like you do for me...?

**Chris**: I'm rich... My uncles a renown doctor, he could heal you. Make you better. Whatever illness you have, I'm sure he could help you, if not to overcome it... Than maybe to live somewhere more comfortable than this...

**Luana**: **She pauses, thinking for a moment.** You don't even know what I suffer from, *snake*.

**Chris**: ...There's... A potion, I've seen it, seen what it does... It heals *any* wound, my family knows how to get it... We might be able to use it to heal you...

**Luana**: **She waves her hand.** When you're as old as I am, having done so much, the endless sleep of death is welcomed, and I've grown *accustomed* to this place.

**Liam**: **He quietly sighs.** ...Then there's nothing we can do? ...All that power in your hands and you're just going to sit here, knowing that people are dying...

**Luana**: Hundreds and thousands are killed every day. Is their blood on my hands? **She holds out her hands.** Life and death... They exist because they need one another...

**Chris**: **A tinge of anger boils up inside of him, her comment reminds him of what his mother said when he tried to get her to help him with Shane, but he stays quiet, remembering what Odie said.**

**Liam**: **He's starting to obviously cry a little and he wipes his nose.** ...But these people don't need to die... These deaths are ruining lives... And we can't stop it... This demon is killing people... He's ruined their family's lives... He's ruined my life... I'll never get to go home and sit with my dad at dinner... I'll never see him leave for work, or ask him how his day was... **He falls to his knees. His father's death starting to fully hit him in this moment.** ...He'll never give me another ride to school, or surprise me and bring home ice cream... I'll never sit outside, watching the sun go down while we listen to the radio... I'll never get to spend time driving around with him while he tows peoples cars... I'll never hear him yelling at me... Or even tell me to do chores... I'll never see him again... He was torn into a million fucking pieces because of what this demon did... I never got to say goodbye... **He bends forward and presses his forehead to the ground and wraps his hands around his head in defeat.** It's all my fault... But I can't stop it on my own... And somehow every day it's just getting worse...

**Luana**: **She stares down at Liam with a blank expression as he breaks down crying. After a moment she lets out a cough and wipes her mouth again and then lets out a raspy sigh and shakily gets up from her chair.** Enough of your babbling... If you want me to help stop this thing, then let's be done with it... **She walks towards the exit to her room, as she does her clothing shifts, changing from baggy white medical clothing to a black coat and a long brown dress. Her hair wraps around itself until it forms into a bun, done up at the back of her head. She goes from mental patient to an upstanding looking old woman in only a few short seconds.**

**Chris**: **He watches her appearance change, and when she walks passed him he immediately moves over to Liam to help him up.**

**Liam**: **He's wiping his eyes with his sleeves.** She's going to help us?

**Chris**: Sounds that way. **He smiles and helps Laim stand up.** Let's go, she's already leaving.

**Liam**: **He wipes his eyes and then fixes his sunglasses.** Lead the way... **He's so broken up in this moment, that he doesn't even seem happy that she's helping.**

**Chris**: **He leads Liam out into the hall, looking around for Luana.**

**Luana**: **She's walking towards an elevator at the far end of the hall, opposite of the stair well. An orderly stops her, and she looks up at him. After a moment he just steps out of her way, walking off in a confused daze, and she continues onward, slowly walking towards the elevator and going inside as the doors open, seemingly on their own.**

**Chris**: **He quickly moves after her. He and Liam pass by the dazed orderly and into the elevator.**

**The doors close and there's a ding.**

**Chris**: **He presses the first floor button. After a moment he looks to Luana.** Thank you for helping us.

**Luana**: I'm not doing it for gratitude. **The elevator doors open and she walks out. Heading for the front doors. No one seems to even look at the three of them.**

**Chris**: ...Why are you helping?

**Luana**: Because this witch is hopelessly pathetic... **She doesn't look at either of them as they walk out the front doors. In fact she doesn't seem to look at anything in particular, she just walks, staring straight, as if her eyes are looking somewhere else.** And because I want to see this snake's mother for myself...