Page 8 of No Escape

“Please, let’s not make a scene,” Dr. Stadler said. “You’ve made so much progress recently, Valerie.”

One of the orderlies nodded and began to lead Valerie out of the common room.

“You might have fooled them, but not me!” Valerie shouted, almost hyperventilating.

Another member of staff took her other arm.

Valerie’s breath came in ragged gasps as the orderlies escorted her back to her room, her eyes never leaving John’s. As she was led away, she caught sight of him grinning at her, a triumphant gleam in his eyes.

The worry and apprehension that had been building within her now threatened to consume her whole. The thought of John Murphy being so close to her sister, and the chilling promise of violence he had whispered in her ear, haunted her every step.

The once-comforting walls of Shady Pines now seemed to close in on her, each step down the corridor toward her room feeling heavier and more suffocating. The whispers of the other patients echoed in her ears, their curious gazes boring into her back as she was led away.

She tried to calm herself. Valerie knew that stress was what brought on her hallucinations. Now more than ever, she needed to be sharp. But nonetheless the stress was still present.

As they reached her room, Valerie’s mind raced with the enormity of the situation. She knew she couldn’t let John get away with his threats, but she also realized that confronting him directly had only made matters worse. She needed a plan, something that would expose his true intentions and ensure Suzie’s safety.

The orderlies released their grip on her arms as they guided her into the small, minimalist room that had become her temporary sanctuary.

“Stay here for a while,” one of the orderlies said. “If you go back to the common room right now, we’ll have to lock you in, taking away your privileges.”

Valerie dreaded that. She knew that if she were locked in her room, she couldn’t doanythingto protect her sister and the other people in the building. So she didn’t say anything at all.

The door closed behind her with a soft click, leaving her alone with her thoughts, sunlight fluttering between the blinds.

Valerie paced the confines of her room, her footsteps echoing off the carpeted floor, which now seemed colder than it had before.

Her mind worked furiously, searching for a way to unravel John’s twisted game before it was too late. The clock on the wall seemed to mock her, each tick a reminder of the precious time slipping away.

Outside her room, the world of Shady Pines continued on, seemingly unaware of the danger lurking within its walls. The laughter and conversations of the other patients seemed distant and muted to Valerie, as if they were in another world entirely. She couldn’t help but feel a pang of envy, longing for the simplicity of their lives compared to the nightmare that had become her reality.

Valerie stopped pacing and sat on her bed. She peered at the sun through the blinds and started counting. She imagined herself walking down a staircase toward a beautiful lagoon in a forest.

Breathe, she thought.In and out.

Slowly but surely, the serenity of that forest scene and her breathing brought her stress levels down. Now, she could think clearly.

Only one thought remained.

She would not let John Murphy win, and she would not let her sister become a pawn in his twisted game. She would do whatever it took to protect everyone and expose the truth about the man who had wormed his way into their lives.

Valerie steeled herself, her resolve hardening as she formulated a plan. She knew that she couldn’t do it alone; she would need help from the people she trusted most. With Will and Charlie at her side, she was confident that they could put an end to Murphy’s game.

We could smoke him out, she thought as she stared at the coral-colored wall, blank and bland opposite her.

But how? That was the question.

As the sun began to set, casting long shadows across the room, Valerie knew that time was of the essence. She had to act quickly and decisively if she wanted to save the other patients at Shady Pines from the monster in their midst.

Then a terrible thought crossed her mind: What if he escaped?

CHAPTER SIX

Valerie sat on the edge of her bed, her hands clenched into tight fists as she stared at the floor of her room. The coral walls closed in around her, suffocating her with their relentless brightness. She had never felt more alone, her emotional pleas to Dr. Stadler having fallen on deaf ears.

A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts, and she looked up as Suzie entered the room. Valerie could see the concern etched on her sister’s face, her eyes searching for answers.

“Hey,” Suzie said, gently. “I heard about what happened in the common room. Are you okay?”

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