CHAPTER 4.5: The Hospital That Forgot the Sun

Veronica ripped through the cupboard like a ravenous beast, paper spilling across the floor until her hand closed around a thin folder. She flung it open—her breath caught.

The reports screamed in black print: Patient shows extreme mental instability. Blood chemistry anomalous. Subject not entirely human.

Her tears rushed down her cheeks.

"Why… Mama? Papa? Why hide this from me? Why… why… why…"

Her crying stopped into nothingness. And then her body collapsed, dropping onto the floor.

Her mother also heard the thud downstairs and came running up to the upstairs.

"Sweetie—" She was there standing. The reports were still in Veronica's hand. Her complexion went pale.

She grabbed her phone and called her husband. They rushed Veronica off to the hospital a little later.

The physician strode to her, pinching up his face. "Her blood is. off." He produced a vial and vanished into the elevator.

The doors slid shut. Seconds passed—

A splintering crash.

The elevator fell.

Metal shrieked. Silence.

The physician was gone.

In the corridor of the hospital, meanwhile, Veronica's parents hunted desperately for their daughter. The overhead fluorescent light crackled out of control. The corridors grew dark, the humming electricity reducing to a whisper.

"I’m scared," her mother whispered, clutching her husband’s arm.

"I’m with you," he murmured, pressing a kiss to her forehead before pulling her along at a run.

A shadowy figure appeared at the end of the hall. They approached slowly. The figure twitched… then sprinted toward them. Its face was a nightmare — and then it vanished into thin air.

Her husband tightened his hold around her.

Something wet splashed from above. It dripped onto her cheek. She wiped it… red.

Blood.

Her scream tore through the dark as they ran. Ahead — daylight. They charged toward it, lungs burning, until they burst outside.

Their car waited. But as they approached, a dark liquid pooled from beneath it. Blood again.

Panicked, they fled back into the hospital’s maze of corridors. Her mother clung to her husband.

"I’m scared… where’s Veronica?"

"We'll get her back."

Light sparkled again in front. They ran. This time the hospital was quiet. Quiet. The sun shone gently through the glass doors. Outside, the car sparkled like nothing ever happened.

In it, Veronica was sitting at the back seat, bouncing her legs, carrying her doll.

"Mama, Papa, where did you go? I've been waiting!"

They glanced at each other.

"We. gave money to the doctor, that's why we came late."

"Oh, come on! Go home!" she sang.

The ride was dull. They arrived at their driveway. Veronica smiled.

"Bye, my two favorite people in the whole wide world!" she screamed before running upstairs.

Before long, she returned downstairs.

"Mama… I left my dolly in the car. I need her. I need her now!"

Her eyes started to brim with tears.

"Okay, okay. I'll call your father."

The phone was picked up.

"What happened, honey?"

"Veronica took her doll out of the car."

"Okay. I’ll bring it back."

He ended the call, turned in his seat, and glanced at the rear-view mirror.

The doll sat in the back seat.

It slowly lifted its head.

And smiled at him.