Hallucinations Plague Armed Veteran in Oakwood; Arrest Made
I skimmed the article, reading about the quiet man who had seen visions of children on his front lawn on Terrace Avenue on July 3, 2006. The story walked through the terrifying ordeal of Robert Essic, who was found with a loaded gun on his front lawn, waving it and shouting. When questioned, he was quoted as saying, “Make them stop. Please, make them stop. Little Red, go away.”
His neighbors were also interviewed, noting that Robert was an introverted, apathetic man who was rarely home. I noted the name of Emily Landing, who was one of the neighbors quoted. Was she still alive? I also noted the address of Robert. Maybe someone knew more, could tell me details about the enigma in 5B.
The other pictures were just of the file notes, detailing the treatments and behaviors of 5B. I noted that on the financial paperwork, an anonymous donor had sponsored 5B’s stay; a trust had been apparently established for his care. Still, it was crazy to me that after so many decades, none of the treatments had worked. I looked at the list of treatments, including an electroshock treatment issued last year.
“Worsening condition in patient; experimental electroshock treatment perhaps has led to more hallucinations. Mr. Essic’s penchant for childlike drawings have gone rampant. Voltage perhaps too high? Noted for future use of the treatment.”
I shook my head, wondering whose handwriting was in the file. An experimental treatment. And apparently the drawings only started after that. My stomach curled at the thought. There I was working in the place day and in and day out. I kept my head down and did my work, like I was told. But how many things were going on underneath my nose? How many experimental treatments? How many sketchy practices due to the untrained nature of the staff? A sickening feeling usurped me as I put the phone down and headed home for the night. But when I pulled into my driveway a few minutes later, I froze, bile rising.
A hint of a girl floated in the darkness, a yellow aura surrounding her. There was a distant quality to her, and her face was undeterminable, even in my headlights. Her face was nondistinctive, lacking all physical features of a human. I swallowed, shaking my head.
I hadn’t brought home any more drawings. I hadn’t. Still, the quality of her reminded me of something from the drawings of 5B. Had I stirred her from the files?
There was a long moment where she just stood and we gawked at each other, me through tear-filled eyes, her through no eyes at all. Her pigtails were high, I noted, and her dress a party dress if I had to describe it. I bit my lip so hard I tasted blood.
“No,” I whimpered, shaking my head. There was no way. It was 5B. Something had happened with the files. Certainly.
But before I could convince myself, the figure was pounding on my window, banging and shrieking at a decibel I was certain would make dogs howl.
“Stop, please,” I begged, reaching for my phone but wondering who the hell I would even call. Instead, I started the car and backed erratically out of my driveway, panting as I flew onto the road. I peeled out, tires screeching on the damp road as I zoomed back toward Redwood, the only place that felt like it made any sort of sense. I was losing it. Madness was creeping in. I was gone.
When I was safely distanced from my own home, I stopped at a corner and put it in park, needing to regain my composure. I swiped at my eyes and steadied my breathing.
It was okay. This was no different than red or brown. I just had to figure it all out.
I nodded, reaffirming my connection to the world of the living. I looked in the mirror to assess my appearance.
But when I did, a new shriek escaped my lips.
And a matching shriek escaped from the yellow being in my backseat, blood now running down the front of her, oozing from her hairline as I wept into the steering wheel.
As I prepared to exit the car, though, she was gone. A whispered thought in my memory, but no longer visible. I sat for a long time in the silent, dark car, my heart thumping as I reached for my phone and desperately sought the clues I needed to find the lost children of 5B, to put them to rest, and to move the hell away from the nightmare my life had become once more.
Chapter Sixteen
Arestless night of nightmares haunted me. Visions of the yellow girl and all that had happened swirled in my mind, keeping me tossing and turning. Eventually, I gave up on sleep, every noise and echo in the night jarring me upright to see what horrific sight awaited me. I meandered to my desk, pawing through the drawings from 5B. My fingers hesitated to even touch them, afraid that they would jolt the beings to life, that they would again wander through my apartment. Still, I pressed on, comparing the drawings to the notes in my phone. Wondering, fearing, trying to uncover it all. But to no avail.
A few crayon drawings. A few kids who were probably murdered, and a supposedly insane man in 5B. What detective could piece it all together? And who would listen to me without thinking I was the unstable one? I needed more information.
I thought about leaving that night. About getting in my car like once before and letting the road take me away to a new start. Still, I had a feeling
