The Prison

by Amy Cross

  “It's me,” Leonora continued, with her hand still out and tears flowing down her face. “Elenora, please, I -”

  Before she could finish, Elenora turned and screamed at her sister, causing the two babies in turn to start crying again.

  “Please,” Leonora said, leaning closer despite the scream, “I -”

  “Let me,” Amanda said, taking her hand and forcing her back into the chair, at which point Elenora immediately stopped screaming and returned to playing with the babies, who were still crying.

  “She doesn't recognize me,” Leonora sobbed. “I'm too old...”

  “Just let me do this,” Amanda replied, stepping past her and kneeling next to the little girl. With tears in her eyes, she watched as Elenora tried to comfort the babies. “Elenora,” she said finally, “I think we've met before but...” She paused, her whole body trembling with fear, but she knew she couldn't leave them, not now. “Are you looking after my babies for me? Is that what you're doing?”

  Slowly, Elenora turned to her.

  “Thank you,” Amanda continued, wiping away the tears from her face. Looking down first at Jonathan and then at Andrea, she felt as if her heart might burst from her chest at any moment. “Hey,” she said finally, “it's me. It's Mummy.” She reached out and put a hand on the side of each baby's face, and they both stopped crying, as if they recognized her touch. “I'm here,” she sobbed. “I'm right here, and I didn't...” She could feel herself on the verge of breaking down, but she forced herself to be strong. “I didn't hurt them. It wasn't me, was it?”

  “They miss you,” Elenora said suddenly, her voice sounding tired, as if she hadn't spoken since the day she died more than a century ago.

  “I miss them too,” Amanda replied. “I miss them more than I can even understand.”

  “It...” Elenora paused for a moment. “It's my fault. I did something bad.”

  “No,” Leonora said, still in her wheelchair, “it's my fault. I should have come back for you a long time ago.”

  “It doesn't matter whose fault it is,” Amanda replied, before gently reaching over and taking her children in her arms. With tears streaming down her face, she looked down at the babies' faces as they smiled back up at her. “I can't lose them,” she said finally, “not again. Is there any way to get them back?”

  “They're dead,” Leonora told her. “They can't return to the world of the living.”

  “But maybe there's a way...”

  “There isn't. They've passed over to that other place now, but it's okay.”

  “It's not okay,” Amanda sobbed, leaning down and rubbing her nose against their faces. “It's never going to be okay. I want to be with them.”

  “You are with them,” Leonora replied. “Don't you realize?” She paused, watching as Amanda continued to cry. “You don't, do you?” she said finally. “It must have happened very recently.”

  “What did?” Amanda asked, turning to her.

  “Elenora spoke to you. She doesn't speak to people who are still alive.”

  Staring at her, Amanda finally began to understand.

  “I don't know how you died,” Leonora continued, “but the moment I met you just now, I could tell you were a ghost too.”

  “No, I'm not dead,” Amanda replied, starting to panic. “I can't be! I was hurt, but...” She paused, thinking back to Doctor Bell's efforts to save her. “I survived, I swear... I was alive, and... She saved me. She must have. I was taken to the showers and stabbed, but Doctor Bell saved my life.”

  “I don't think she did. I think she tried, but I you must have been too badly hurt.”

  Amanda shook her head, even though she was slowly starting to realize that it was all true.

  “Tell her I'm here,” Leonora replied. “Tell Elenora I'm sorry. Tell her I don't expect her to forgive me, but tell her I'm here now, and I'm not leaving her again. Tell her she doesn't need all these other women, she only needs me, and now she's got me. Tell her -”

  Before she could finish, Elenora turned to the old woman.

  “I can hear you,” she said finally. “You look funny. Your face is all wrinkled.”

  “I'm here,” Amanda said, holding the two babies tight. “I'm here and I'm never leaving you ever again!”

  ***

  “Jesus!” Doctor Bell shouted as she got halfway down the stairs toward the basement and found that water had risen almost to the ceiling. Shining a torch across the room, she saw the partially-submerged generator on the far side, and she figured that the emergency release switch was completely underwater.

  Staring down at the water as it lapped at the steps, she realized that the submerged generator might kill her instantly if she entered the water and there happened to be some exposed wires.

  “Just let me do this one good thing,” she whispered. “Just let me help them.”

  Taking a few steps more, she began to make her way into the freezing, pitch-black water, and soon she had no choice but to start swimming, while desperately trying to keep the torch above the waterline. As she got to the middle of the room, her head bumping constantly against the ceiling, she accidentally let the torch dip down a little, causing the light to cut out for a moment before she held it back up. Gasping for breath, she trod water briefly before making her way over to the generator. Finally, she grabbed hold of a pipe on the wall and rested for a few seconds, before looking down into the dark water, which was rising slowly as the flooding continued.

  In her mind's eye, she could see the handle for the emergency release switch, but she had no idea whether she could actually find it once she got down there. For a moment, she realized she could just turn around and leave, that she could run and leave everyone else trapped in the prison. She knew that was what she'd have done in the past, but this time she felt compelled to do the right thing. Setting the torch on top of the generator, she took a deep breath and dipped under the water.

  She swam down into the darkness and began to feel around for the lever that she hoped would activate the emergency release mechanism. At first all she could find were more pipes, but finally her hand fell upon the long, tapered piece of metal. Already starting to run short of breath, she pulled on the switch but found that despite all her efforts, it would only budge a few millimeters. She pulled again, but still it seemed to be stuck. She knew she should go up and get more air, but she figured she needed to try one more time first. Summoning the last of her energy, she pulled on the lever with all her strength, and just when she felt she could do no more, she felt the metal turning until she was finally able to pull it all the way over to the 'open' position.

  Letting go, she swam back up to the surface, only to find that the water level had already risen too far and the basement was now completely flooded. She reached up and put her hands flat on the ceiling, but there was no air left at the top and the torch had been submerged, cutting off what little light there had been. Panicking, she tried to work out which way to go in order to get out, but in the darkness she could only guess. Convinced that she'd soon find the steps again, she pulled herself across the ceiling but all she found a moment later was a wall. She was already running desperately short of breath as she turned wildly and reached out, and for a few seconds she was suspended in the pitch-black water, just reaching out into the darkness...

  Finally, the tips of her fingers brushed against something, and when she pulled herself closer, she realized she'd found the stairs.

  Hauling herself up, she finally broke through the surface and landed gasping on a step. Desperately trying to get air into her lungs, she crawled up a little further, before collapsing and then turning onto her back. She lay staring up for a moment as she felt the water level continuing to rise past her knees, and she knew that soon she'd be submerged again. This time, however, she felt as if she had maybe reached some kind of an end: the thought of living with the knowledge of everything she'd done was too much to bear, and as the dark water rose to her shoulders, she realized that she no longer fe
lt like her old self now that Elenora was out of her mind. Thinking back to all the people she'd hurt and killed, she knew that those memories would stay with her forever and drive her insane. With the desire to cause pain no longer pulsing in her mind, she let herself slip down the stairs, until finally she dipped back into the dark nothingness and began to sink.

  Suddenly a hand grabbed her by the arm and began to pull her up. As soon as she was above the surface again, she felt herself being dragged up the stairs and then finally out into the yard, where torrential rain was still falling. Hearing a noise, she turned and looked over at the main gate, and she saw that with the release mechanism having been activated, a handful of prisoners were now stumbling out of the building, while flashing blue lights in the distance showed that the police had finally arrived. Turning and looking up, Doctor Bell saw her rescuer towering above, framed against the stormy night sky.

  It was Chris, staring down at her with empty, bleeding eyes.

  Epilogue

  One year later

  “You'll have to be patient with her,” the nurse explained as she led the smart-suited gentleman along the corridor, “she's not very responsive. We think she hears us, though, so just tell her whatever you need to tell her and... Well, hopefully she'll understand, even if she doesn't say anything.”

  “I'll be very quick,” the man replied, looking down at the documents in his left hand. “It won't take long at all.”

  “One more thing,” the nurse said, lowering her voice a little. “It might be better if you avoid saying the name.”

  “Hardstone?”

  “It tends to set her off.”

  “Of course.”

  As he was led into the psychiatric hospital's day room, the man saw that there were several patients dotted around the place, each sitting separately as if they preferred to be alone. The nurse gestured for him to follow her as she made her way over to the large window overlooking the garden, where a woman sat in a wheelchair and stared out at the trees with an impassive expression.

  “This is her,” the nurse said quietly. “I'll leave you two alone for a few minutes.”

  Once the nurse had gone back to her station, the man waited for a moment, hoping that the patient might acknowledge him. Finally, realizing that she seemed to be completely zoned out, he took a seat in a wicker chair and set the documents down on a nearby table.

  “Ms. Bell,” he said after a moment, “my name is Lionel Keller, I was the personal assistant and driver for Leonora Blake. We met very briefly one night at...” He caught himself just in time. “I don't imagine that you remember me,” he continued, “but following her death, Ms. Blake left a number of matters for me to deal with, one of which is the dissemination of certain evidence that had been acquired over the years. All the inmates at Hardstone were -”

  He stopped as he realized he'd said the word.

  “I mean -”

  “How many died?” she asked suddenly, still staring out the window.

  “I... I believe there were eighteen survivors in the end.”

  “And the rest?”

  “The rest of the inmates were found in their cells with their throats cut. So far, the incident investigators have been unable to explain what happened.”

  “What about her?”

  “I'm sorry?” He paused. “If you mean Leonora Blake, I'm afraid her remains were found in the building. They were removed before the place was demolished.”

  “Not her,” Doctor Bell replied. “I mean Amanda Weir.”

  “Her body was also found. In your laboratory, actually, strapped to a table. The autopsy revealed that she'd died following a knife wound to her torso and several blows to the head. I had the good fortune to deliver a file to her parents, however, which proved beyond doubt that she wasn't responsible for the deaths of her children. I'm not sure the conviction will be overturned, since the nature of the evidence is somewhat unusual, but it was enough to persuade her parents. Amanda and her husband were buried next to the graves of their two children.”

  “She was the good one.”

  “I'm sorry?”

  “She should have made it out.”

  “Everyone should have made it out. As it is, every single one of the convictions is currently under review based on certain items of evidence that the Blake estate has provided. My employer had been monitoring members of the extended family for quite some time, and we have been able to mount a convincing argument in favor of clemency. The last thing anyone wants is to have a series of drawn-out appeals, so I think the whole process will be swept along quickly and with a favorable outcome, provided those involved undertake to maintain a dignified silence.”

  “What about Christine?”

  “Didn't you hear? The Blake family has paid for her to be taken to Switzerland for some experimental surgery. There's a small chance that she can gain some degree of sight back using various new advances. Even if that doesn't work, she'll regain some independence and she'll be able to live a life.” He paused for a moment. “Actually, I hear that she hopes to come and visit you some time, if that's something you'd be willing to consider?”

  “But she's... not evil?”

  “From what I've heard, she's a remarkable young woman, a real inspiration. She's already talking about establishing some kind of foundation to help drug addicts.”

  Doctor Bell moved her lips a little, as if she was trying to say something, but no words came out.

  “I wanted to see you today,” Keller continued, picking up the documents from the table, “to extend to you the same courtesy that has been extended to all the other surviving women who were caught up in this terrible situation. Thanks to my late employer, we have significant evidence that can be used to challenge any charges that are brought against you for your actions both before you went to Hardstone and once you were there, although I understand that at present no charges are pending. I guess there's not exactly a wealth of evidence.”

  “That doesn't matter,” she whispered. “I know was happened. I remember it all.”

  “The important thing to remember is that it wasn't really you. These documents prove -”

  “I don't care,” she replied, suddenly turning to him and grabbing the paperwork, before tearing it down the middle. “I still did those things.”

  “Your mind was -”

  “My own.”

  “No, you -”

  “There's something about me,” she continued, interrupting him. “All those other women were induced to commit crimes so they'd end up at Hardstone. I, on the other hand, just went on and on doing things, never getting caught... I excelled at criminal activity, at murder and torture. Even if Elenora Blake was guiding me, I'm still the one who showed such startling proficiency. There must have been something in me, something that existed before she started working on me. Everyone else became a prisoner. I became truly evil.”

  “Ms. Bell -”

  “Elenora did the same thing to me and to Amanda, she pushed us both to do terrible things. Amanda was strong enough to resist, but I wasn't. I broke and I embraced it all.”

  “I don't think there's such a thing as true evil,” Keller replied, “not in humans, at least. Just shades of gray. Matters of pure good and pure evil are probably better left to the cosmos.”

  She turned to him.

  “Has anyone seen them?” she asked.

  “I'm sorry?”

  “At the prison... Have any more ghosts been seen? Amanda Weir, or Leonora Blake, or any of them?”

  “I don't believe so,” he replied. “There's a demolition crew already working on the site, but no-one's reported anything. Sorry, no ghost stories for you.”

  “That's good,” she said with a smile. “If there are no ghosts, that means they've moved on to...” She paused for a moment, thinking back to Amanda's story. “They've gone to wherever people end up after they die.”

  “And where do you think that is?” he asked.

  “I don't know.” She paused. “
And I'm fine with not knowing.”

  “I should go,” he said finally, getting to his feet. “If there's anything else that the Blake estate can do to help you, Ms. Bell, you must let us know. A fund was established to help all Elenora's victims. The Blake family is also overseeing the demolition of Hardstone. At least that way, we know nothing like this can ever happen again.” He paused for a moment. “Those eighteen survivors I mentioned earlier... They probably all would have died if you hadn't gone into the basement and managed to open the doors. In some ways, Ms. Bell, you're a hero.”

  He waited for a reply, but after a moment he realized that her attention was still focused on the corner of the room, where apparently she could see flashes of figures from her past.

  “Thank you for your time,” he said, patting her on the shoulder and making his way out of the room. At the door, he stopped for a moment to talk to the nurse.

  Sitting alone, Doctor Bell continued to stare at the corner, imagining the prison being knocked down and the lack of ghosts. Slowly, a tear ran down her face, and the faintest of smiles began to spread across her lips.

  ALSO BY AMY CROSS

  Horror

  Asylum

  American Coven

  The Night Girl

  Devil's Briar

  Ward Z

  The Devil's Photographer

  The House We Haunted and Other Stories

  Darper Danver series 1

  The Writer (13 Nights of Horror)

  The Disappearance of Rose Hillard (13 Nights of Horror)

  The Fan (13 Nights of Horror)

  Hugo: The Lockton Downs Haunting (Novella)

  Fantasy / Horror

  Dark Season series 1, 2 & 3

  The Hollow Church (Abby Hart 1)

  Vampire Asylum (Abby Hart 2)

  Lupine Howl series 1, 2, 3 & 4

  Grave Girl

  Graver Girl (Grave Girl 2)