Speak No Evil Trilogy

by Amy Richie

  “And that’s all she said? Tristan was coming so I needed to take you somewhere safe?”

  “Pretty much.” No way was I telling Toby that she wanted me to destroy Tristan. I knew exactly what he would say about that.

  His lips pursed until his jaw throbbed. “It looks like we don’t have much choice, huh Crazy?”

  “Can you…” It felt strange asking Toby for help. Normally, I tried my best to pretend he wasn’t there.

  “Can I what?” he growled.

  “W…will you be able to keep Tristan away from here? It seems like he just pops up whenever he feels like it.”

  “We have to leave.”

  My eyebrows furrowed until my forehead felt tight with my confusion. “Leave Nine Crosses?”

  “Look,” he held his hand out in front of him, “I know this place is a wonderful home for you, but it’s time to leave.”

  “They won’t just let me leave.” I didn’t like how panicked my voice sounded. I wasn’t all that attached to bed B in room 36, but it was safe here. Or at least, it used to be. I wasn’t so sure anymore. “We should stay here…where it’s safe.”

  “There is nowhere safe for you, Crazy.” His finger traced an unseen pattern on the grey blanket.

  I had already guessed that, so his words didn’t scare me very much. “They’ll find me where ever I go?”

  “Afraid so.”

  “Then what’s the point of running from them?” I scooted off the edge of the bed and hurried across the room into the small bathroom. The water didn’t work on the sink so I couldn’t even splash my flushed face with cold water.

  “You just want to stay here like a sitting duck?” Toby’s brash voice filled and then over filled the space inside the bathroom. “Give up?”

  “How about accepting my fate?” I brushed past Toby, our arms touching on my way back out into the room. It was the closest we had ever been. I expected him to be cold like the other ghosts instead of the heat that boiled off of him. Fire rushed into my cheeks, creating a thin line of moisture on my upper lip.

  “Your fate isn’t to be killed by Tristan.” He followed close behind me.

  “Really? Cuz that’s how it sounds to me. I can’t hide from them, I can’t run. How can you fight a ghost? Even if I could throw a punch - it’s not going to hurt them.” I was talking louder than I should and I knew it; it was hard to reign in the emotion though.

  “I liked you better when you didn’t talk,” he growled. “Fine,” he sprawled out on the bed, “you’re not really worth the effort anyways.”

  “The more times you say that, the less bite it has.” My lips jutted out into a pout but I held my ground.

  Toby laughed outright, shocking the pout off my face. “Can’t help it, Crazy. All the years I’ve been alive, all the generations I have witnessed - you are the most pathetic human I have met.”

  “Why?” I shrugged one shoulder. “Because my mom tried to kill me and my dad thinks I’m crazy?”

  He moved his eyes to look up at me until only the whites of them were showing. “Nah, that’s not it. I don’t care if you’re crazy; I’ve known a lot of crazy humans.”

  “Ren?” The door opened suddenly, cutting off all the questions I wanted to ask Toby. How long had he lived? And were they all crazy because of him? If he was with them, maybe they could see ghosts too. Was it possible that I wasn’t the only one?

  “Ren?” Doctor Moore stood just inside the door, watching me. “Are you alright?”

  I nodded mutely.

  “Who were you talking to?”

  I glanced automatically at the bed where Toby was grinning like a Cheshire cat. Doctor Moore waited, but of course I didn’t tell him.

  “Nurse Grey informed me of your accident.” He motioned me forward so he could examine my face more closely. “How did this happen?”

  “She tripped over the glider,” an aide supplied the answer when I continued to remain silent.

  “And you spoke.” It wasn’t a question. “Who did you think was trying to kill you?”

  The ghosts.

  “Did someone threaten you?”

  Yes.

  “Were you thinking of your mother?”

  “No.”

  He half smiled at the sound of my voice. “I’m glad you’re finding your voice, Ren.”

  I turned away from him, hoping that I made it clear that I didn’t want to talk to him. Speaking to Toby had opened floodgates I wasn’t sure how to close again.

  “We’ll meet again in my office tomorrow.” He turned slowly away, his eyes lingering at the now empty bed.

  “You know, I’ve always suspected that he was into you,” Toby said loudly from his new position leaning against the wall beside the now closing door.

  “Maybe you’re right,” I whispered when the door was finally closed.

  “Don’t tell me you like him too?” His face twisted into a look of disgust. “Is that why you don’t want to leave here?”

  “No!” Irritation made my nose crinkle slightly. “I meant we might have to leave.” I could be killed in my bed and no one would even know. I wouldn’t be able to get away through the locked door. If I stayed here, Tristan would get to me for sure. If I left with Toby, I might have a chance. Maybe Toby knew more than he was saying.

  “Hmmm,” he folded his arms across his chest and leaned back to stare at me. “What made you change your mind?”

  “Maybe I just don’t want to die some horrible death at the hands of the ghosts.” Wasn’t he the one saying we needed to leave? Why was he being so hesitant now?

  “You’ll probably still die a horrible death- just not at the hands of the ghosts; as you call them.”

  “I know you say they can’t hurt me, but they made me fall.”

  “Your fear made you fall.”

  Who wouldn’t be afraid? Toby talked like my fear was a disgusting weakness, but who wouldn’t be afraid? “So, when do we leave?” I asked in a low hiss. Better not to think of my eventual death until I had to.

  “Tonight.”

  “So soon?”

  “Why wait?”

  “Don’t we need some sort of… plan or something?”

  “The plan is,” he disappeared briefly and then reappeared to finish his sentence as if he never left, “to get out of here without being seen by the nurses or guards.”

  “Could I just sign myself out? I’m over eighteen.”

  “It would take too long. We’ll have to use this.” A small metal object clanked to the floor. A key.

  “Is that to the door?” I scooped the key up in my hand. “How did you get this?”

  “I have my ways.” He bowed slightly at the waist. “Get some rest.” He held one finger up to stop my protest. “You’ll need it.”

  Like it so often happened, my body obeyed Toby even when I wanted to tell him where to stick it. I laid on top of the stiff grey blanket that Toby had vacated not long before and stared up at the off white ceiling.

  My eyes refused to close, instead tracing the pale yellow designs that some old water damage had created. We would leave tonight, this would be the last time I would be sleeping in this bed. Toby had gotten the key that would unlock my prison. How had he done that anyways? He was a ghost; how had he carried a key?

  Chapter Six

  “Hey, Crazy.”

  My eyes popped open at the sound of Toby’s voice. I hadn’t even realized I had fallen asleep. Last I knew, I was seeing a dragon on my ceiling. I looked up at the now shadowed ceiling, not able to make out any shapes through the darkness.

  “What time is it?” I asked groggily.

  “The night shift aides came on thirty minutes ago.”

  I rubbed furiously at my gritty eyes. “Is it time to go?”

  “Your shoes are in the hallway. I’m going to open the door; you put them on quickly and then do exactly as I say.”

  My eyebrows furrowed to meet low on my forehead
. When I laid down, my shoes were on. Why couldn’t I remember anyone coming in to take them off? My mind still felt fuzzy. And I was in my nightgown. “Why… I mean how…?”

  “They gave you a sedative last night,” he sighed loudly. “In the late afternoon.”

  “What?”

  “There’s clothes in the bathroom; unless you’d rather go in that.”

  I made my way to the bathroom slowly; my legs shaking dangerously the whole way. I could barely walk, how was I supposed to run?

  “Come on, Crazy,” Toby called impatiently, “they’ll be doing their checks soon. It won’t look good if you’re up doing your hair.”

  I pulled the drawstring tight on my pants and stumbled haphazardly through the doorway. “I’m ready,” I whispered, nerves and fear adding to the sedative and making me shake all over.

  Toby took in my condition and shook his head. “We’ll never make it.”

  “Yes we will.” Was that breathless declaration supposed to pass as confidence?

  “Not if your legs won’t work.” His top lip snarled in disgust.

  “I’m good.”

  “Not even close.”

  “Look,” my hand shot out between us, “Nona said you’re supposed to take me somewhere safe. You said you would. Either we’re going or we’re not. If not, let me go back to bed.”

  His breath came out heavily through his nose as he regarded me through narrowed eyes. “Let’s go.”

  He disappeared and a few seconds later, the door swung open. This was it. I squared my shoulders, trying to gather my determination, and stepped through the door.

  The hallway was different at night- with no people in it. Not that the hospital was empty. That would be way too easy. The faint sounds of a TV came from the rec room where the nurses probably watched TV after all the crazies went to bed for the night.

  “Wait,” Toby warned when we reached the end of the hall. The nurse’s desk loomed large just a few feet away. A tall woman with her dark hair piled high on her head sat with her back towards me; a phone stuck to her ear.

  “No Randy, I can’t pick him up,” her high pitched voice carried to where we were hidden in the hall. “Because I don’t even get off work until 7:30.” Her voice rose the longer she talked to the unknown Randy.

  “You’ll just have to be quiet,” Toby whispered.

  “What?” I felt the blood drain from my face, leaving me feeling faint. Did he really expect me to just be able to walk right by her? If she didn’t hear my footsteps, she would definitely hear my heart hammering a million miles a minute. “No,” I shook my head quickly.

  His finger flew to press against his lips. “Yes,” he nodded.

  My eyes fluttered closed, defeat already settling in the pit of my stomach. “Well, you are just going to have to!” The nurse was practically screaming into her phone. Now or never.

  Staying as close to the wall as possible, I crept out of the hall and past the nurses desk. The nurse never turned around. “No, Randy, you listen to me…”

  The door to the stairwell opened easily, revealing several flights of stairs going in both directions. Careful not to make any noise, I only let go of the handle after the door clicked back into place. The tightening in my chest started to subside, but we were far from home free.

  “This way,” Toby called from several steps down. “Hurry up.”

  With only a little hesitation, I followed Toby down the steps. Since the day I came to Nine Crosses, I had never been off the Fourth floor. I wasn’t considered “sane” enough to go outside and we had everything we needed to be self sufficient.

  It was more intimidating than I would have imagined to open the door and step out onto the smooth marble floor on the first level.

  “We need to get to the front door,” Toby distracted my panic attack just before it fully blossomed.

  “Wh…”

  “Do you just take it black, Rod?” A female voice had me dropping to my knees and crawling behind a large grey desk.

  “Yeah. What channel again?”

  “I think seven.” The woman passed close by, but luckily didn’t look down as she walked like so many people did.

  I stayed crouched in plain sight while the aide walked through a swinging door that I assumed was a kitchen. All she had to do was turn around and she would see me. Panic churned around in my chest, making it hard to breath.

  “Over here,” Toby called loudly, only adding to my panic. He waved his arm wildly, pointing down a short dark hallway. Taking a deep gulp of stale air, I took off after him.

  I felt my panic start to subside slightly when the huge grey door finally came into view. I lurched forward until Toby stopped me with an upraised hand.

  “Wait a second,” he whispered. Why was he whispering? No one except me could even hear him. I nodded mutely, not even chancing a whisper. I could be heard.

  I watched nervously as Toby crept forward without me to make sure no one was around. Freedom was so close, I could almost taste the fresh air just behind that door. Just a few feet and we were free.

  Moisture beaded on my top lip and my mouth felt too dry. Should I just run for it? Even if one of the aides popped out, I would be able to make it to that door.

  The sane part of my brain warned me that it would take more than just opening the door for me to be free. I had to actually get away. If one of the aides caught me now, I wouldn’t be able to get away. The other part of my brain told me to make a run for it, though.

  I shifted forward slightly on my knees in an effort to see better. As far as I could tell, there was no one out there with us. Even the ghosts had fallen silent as if they too were anxious about my escape.

  Toby stood silent and still by the front door, listening for what I could never hear over the pounding of my own heart. Finally, after too many agonizing minutes had passed by, he motioned me forward with one hand.

  He nodded down towards the door handle as soon as I had scurried over to join him. Grasping the cold metal between two trembling hands, I took a deep breath and turned hard to the right. Nothing happened. The knob wouldn’t budge. Turning it to the left had the same affect.

  My heart stopped and then sped back up. Of course the door would be locked. Had I really expected it to be that easy? How were we going to get out now?

  “Try turning the lock, idiot.” Toby pointed to the thin metal locking mechanism in the middle of the handle.

  The lock turned easily to the unlock position. I would have been relieved if I didn’t have to hear Toby’s dark chuckle. “Shut up,” I scowled. It wasn’t like I was a pro at breaking out of a mental hospital.

  With a grunt of irritation, I pushed the tall door open. The second my skin made contact with the cool night breeze, a high pitched wail filled the air all around me.

  “It’s an alarm,” I screeched.

  “There is no alarm on this door.” Toby crowded close to me, scorching me with his bizarre heat. I wanted to sink into him, to savor in the protection I felt from that heat. “There,” he pointed upwards where a thin ghost man was circling close to the ceiling. His light brown pants billowed out from his legs, giving him a strange “flying squirrel” appearance. The man’s mouth was opened wide, emoting the high wailing.

  I cowered close to the ground. “I didn’t know they could fly!” I shouted over the noise.

  “He can’t hurt you, Ren.” Toby’s voice was intense as he watched the man circling above us like a vulture. “He can’t touch you.”

  It might have been the first time Toby called me Ren.

  “Hey!” We both turned to see the aide hurrying down the stairs at the same time. No doubt he had heard me screaming to no one. “What are you doing down here?”

  “Go!” Toby ordered.

  “What about you?”

  “Just go. I’ll be right behind you.”

  I didn’t want to go without Toby; not because I was worried about his safety, but because I
knew the ghost would follow me. He said he would be there though, and he hadn’t let me down so far.

  Besides, I thought as my feet sounded against the grass outside, what was the worst that could happen? The same thing that would happen if the aide caught me and locked me back up. At least this way I wasn’t just giving up.

  “Go, go, go!” Toby shouted.

  I ran. Faster than I ever had before. I ran away from the ghost, away from Nine Crosses, and away from my fate.

  It was going to be a long night.

  Chapter Seven

  Just as I had feared, the ghost people followed us into the night, calling out to me- making me trip. “Come on, Crazy, quit falling over your own feet.”

  I didn’t waste any energy yelling back at Toby. It wouldn’t have done me any good anyways. The ground grew more uneven as I ran, sticks and rocks littering the path where my feet hit.

  The backs of my legs and my lungs started to burn after a while, proving just how out of shape I really was. The lack of proper nutrition didn’t help either. I quickly fell behind Toby’s lead. “Wait,” I gasped.

  Whether he heard me or not didn’t affect his speed. Most of the time as I ran, I couldn’t see Toby. He was too far ahead. I could only hope I was heading in the right direction. Trusting Toby didn’t come naturally, but I didn’t have much choice; I didn’t even know which state we were in.

  A large root sprang out of the earth, invisible to me until I was sprawled out beside it. “Oph!”

  “What are you doing?” Toby almost screamed at me.

  “I fell,” I panted.

  “Get up.”

  “Just give me a minute to breathe.”

  “Come on,” Toby ordered loudly. “We can’t stop here.”

  “I know,” I snapped back. “I just need to breath for a minute. I don’t have the luxury of ghost lungs like you do. Mine need oxygen.”

  “I guess I should feel sorry for you, right?” he snarled. “Being locked away in a mental hospital hasn’t exactly kept you in shape.”

  I rolled my eyes, pursing my lips angrily. “You’re such a jerk,” I muttered.