With all the resources that had unraveled before me, I was certain I was just miles away from finding my friends and family, or better yet, finding them all. My mother's death stung me every day reminding me of the never-ending pain it must have brought to my sisters. What if they had to witness it? What if the monsters lurking around them had forced upon them the heavy murder scene just to torture them. Emilia and Sammy's fate troubled me. I had been told that they had volunteered. Thanks to Anna, Sammy was chosen as an ideal woman. I wondered what Daisy and Jane did. What if the other woman that Anna talked about was responsible for choosing Jane's fate? I had to know for sure.
It had been four days since the big revelation and I had not seen Henry's face. He was missing in action. Getting one's long-lost love back would do that to them. I was happy for him, a jealous kind of happy. I really wanted him to make up for the time he had lost with his love but now wasn't the right time. They couldn't risk getting caught after coming so close to the end of the investigation. One thing I knew for certain was that the warden or the rest of the faculty here at our institute weren't aware of the fact that Anna was the lady in black. They had never seen the face behind the mask. They were afraid of her and what she could do. They respected her. If they had known it was Anna, they wouldn't have let her have this much power. They wouldn't have let Henry meet her. All of this investigation depended on the fact that Anna's identity stayed hidden. I feared what the game master would do once he found out about Anna and Henry. He held Anna very dear to his heart and his liking towards her was vital to keep us in the loop.
After a long span of a week, Henry was back. I waited against the drain pipe for him. When he finally showed up, through the door this time, I pounded at him with a big hug. I was afraid I had lost him. Patting me on my back, he said, "calm down buddy. I am here now. I was safe and sound. Don't worry, I wasn't out enjoying. Anna and I were investigating. I am sorry I couldn't keep you in the loop. She wants to meet you. Our ride awaits us outside." My expression was that of terror. "She wants to meet me? I have so many questions to ask her but is that even safe? What if someone sees us? I don't want to risk anything. I really want to meet her and thank her in person for what she did for Sammy but are you sure about this Henry?" I asked.
"This meet-up has already been confirmed with the pawns of the institute. I told them that I wanted to scare you off. I told them this was some sort of strategy to get inside you head and torture you. they were immediately in on it. Every thing is clear. All I have to do is take you to her. Now hurry up and put some clothes on. It is going to be a cold night." Henry had planned perfectly. I would finally get the answers to my questions without having to overthink about it for weeks.
I stepped into the white limo, suspicious about the driver. Henry assured me that the barrier between our cabin and his seat was sound proof. There she was, in the flesh, the lady in black. Henry had been accurate about her description. She was a beauty. Her long black dress complimented her skin tone. This time, it had rose shaped designs on its collar. As I extended my hand to greet her, I wondered how many of these dresses she had. She shook my hand back, giving me a sense of comfort. I finally broke the silence. "Hello, my name is Neil. I have heard a lot about you. I just really wanted to thank you for saving my best friend. Her name is Samantha. Before we move forward, I wanted to know about my sisters. I know Emilia was chosen as ideal and she has already volunteered, but what of Jane? Were you responsible for her or did the other woman you talked about get to decide her fate?"
Anna slowly removed her mask. She said, "Hello Neil, I am Anna. I have heard a lot about you as well. I saved Sammy just like I did the rest. It is vital we save them all. Emilia is beautiful and so is Jane. She was placed under the other woman's responsibility but she passed her tests. She was as ideal as any other woman chosen. She hesitated to leave, having seen what had happened to your mother. I am really sorry for your loss. I can't save the elderly. I am helpless to them. I grieve for you and your loved ones. From what I have heard, you have lost almost every person you know to the game master. We need to get them back."
Anna's reassurance gave me peace. My sisters were okay, as much as they could be in that place. My next question was trickier. "Thank you, Anna, for the relief you have just given me. Do you have any clue what happens next? Where do these people get taken? What are they being forced to volunteer for? What is the game master's plan?" I was eager to find out everything.
She replied, "I am sorry Neil but I am not aware of the next step. The game master watches me closely when I am at that place. It seems that he trusts the other woman more than he trusts me. She came quite later than I did but she has made a place in his heart that I never could. My heart always belonged to Henry. I never let the game master come too close. He still saw potential in me and that is the only reason I continue to work there, or else I would have been thrown away like the rest of them. I am not even allowed to look outside these tinted windows when we go to that location. The driver doesn't mind taking me to other places, but he always asks his boss for permission. I regret the fact that while I sit here in front of you, glamoured into a beautiful lady, the truth is that I am not safe. At any moment of time, I could be taken like the rest of them. The other woman came this year itself but I fear she might fill his ears with her lies. Enough about me. one thing that I do know is when they agree to volunteer, they go to the beauty station. Lately, I have been the in-charge there. They are completely rebuilt. They undergo various procedures to maintain their looks. They get their hair done and their nails painted. I get to choose their looks, the dresses and every tiny detail that would make them the most beautiful women anyone would ever lay their eyes upon. It is like a game of dress up. After that, they are forced to sign a hidden document. They are lead outside through a restricted area and after that, I have no idea what happens. I think we should get going before the limo driver gets suspicious. Don't worry, we will continue to look for them. Good night, Neil. under better circumstances, it would have been wonderful to meet you. "
I wished Anna and Henry good night as I went back to my room. This meet up taught me three things; Jane was okay, Anna was a good person and the other woman was now the gamemaster's mistress. All this information and a whole night of overthinking were looking forward for me as I closed my eyes, trying my best to fall asleep.