Evie stared at the fading words on her arm: You have 24 hours. Her heart pounded as she replayed the Devil's demand in her mind:
"I want you to damn them. Lure them into sins they cannot escape. Corrupt their souls, so they're mine before their hearts stop beating and then bring them to me. A damned life for five days on earth."
Her time was running out, and if she wanted to stay alive, she had to act.
With shaky hands, she began detaching the medical equipment hooked to her body. The machines beeped as she pulled out the IV drip and slipped off the heart monitor pads. She paused for a moment, making sure the coast was clear through the window. She walked towards the door, cautiously opening it and peeking into the hallway. It was empty.
Go. Now.
Evie slid out of the room with bare feet, walking silently against the cold hospital floor. She walked down the corridor, glancing through the small windows of the other wards. Her mind raced as she tried to spot her first target.
Then she saw them.
Through the window of a nearby room, Evie caught sight of a young boy, maybe eighteen, standing beside a hospital bed. A woman was next to him, her arms were crossed, while a nurse stood on the other side, speaking with them. On the bed laid a pale, fragile-looking girl—her eyes were closed, and her face was bruised.
Evie lingered near the window, and her ears were pressed against it as she eavesdropped on the conversation inside.
"Who did you say she was to you again?" the nurse asked with a polite but slightly confused tone.
"She's my girlfriend," the boy replied firmly.
The nurse shifted her gaze to the woman. "And you must be… his mother?"
The woman frowned and shook her head, correcting her quickly. "No, I'm his lady friend."
The nurse blinked, clearly taken aback. She forced a tight smile, trying to steer clear of the awkward situation. "I see. Well…" She turned back to the boy, "Lizzie here sustained a few injuries, but in no time, she'll make a full recovery."
The boy's eyes widened with hope. "Are you sure she's going to be okay? It was a bad accident… I just need to know she'll live."
"She's strong," the nurse assured him. "She'll pull through. I promise."
Evie's eyes shifted towards the woman. The look on her face was anger, or maybe resentment. The news of the girl's recovery didn't sit well with her, and it was clear as day.
The nurse made a quick exit, offering another polite smile before leaving the ward. Evie stepped back, holding her breath as the nurse brushed past her, too focused on leaving the uncomfortable scene to notice Evie.
And just like that, Evie knew she had found her first kill.
The boy, the woman, the unconscious girl. Evie could feel it in her bones. This was it. This was her way in.
Her heart beated frantically for a minute as she stood there, as her mind began weaving the plan. She had to corrupt one of them before the Devil claimed either of them. And once that was done, she'd be five days closer to staying alive.
She clenched her fists. It was time to play the Devil's game.
Evie stepped into the ward quietly, and her presence immediately drew the attention of the boy and the woman. The boy frowned, looking confused.
"What are you doing here?" he asked.
Evie didn't answer. She just glanced around, scanning for any security cameras. Her silence irked both the boy and the woman.
"Hey!" The woman called out. "He's talking to you. What the fuck are you doing here?"
Evie ignored her too, still looking around, until she heard a gasp from the boy.
"Wait… I know who you are. You're that girl," he said slowly as the realization hit him. "The one who came back from the dead."
Evie's eyes turned towards the woman. "You don't want her to live. It kills you that she's recovering."
The woman straightened up, tilting her head and scoffing. The woman's eyes shifted nervously between Evie and the boy. "What? What the hell are you talking about?" she asked with a forced innocence. "Babe, don't listen to her. She's talking trash."
But the boy, despite his obvious confusion, kept listening. Evie could see it—the doubt filling his mind.
"You want more from him," Evie continued, with her eyes locked on the woman. "You're jealous. Jealous that he loves his girlfriend more than you… So you tried to end her. A hit and run. But you failed 'cause she's recovering now."
The woman's eyes widened with fear. She stumbled backward, visibly shaken. "How the fuck do you know any of that?!"
The boy's face carried shock, his eyes widened as he looked at the woman he thought he knew. "Caroline… is this true?"
"Babe, no, of course not!" Caroline quickly turned to him, with a desperate voice. "She's lying! You can't possibly believe her!"
But the boy wasn't listening to Caroline anymore. His gaze was fixed on Evie. "How do you know all of this? If this isn't true, I'll…I'll have you arrested."
Evie was stunned at herself as well. How the hell do I know this? She hadn't overheard that much—there was no way she could've known the details of a hit-and-run. But she pushed that thought aside. This was her mission, her task. The Devil's game.
"I know," Evie said simply to him. "And deep down, you know it too. Caroline doesn't want her awake."
Caroline's panic started to show, her eyes began looking around the room, searching for an escape. She took a step toward the door, but Evie blocked her path.
"He'll never forgive you," Evie whispered. "Not for this."
Caroline's eyes shifted to the boy, who was still staring at her, with confusion and hurt painted on his face.
"Shut up!" Caroline screamed at Evie, with her hands shaking. "You don't know anything!"
But Evie did know. The Devil's whispers in her mind gave her every vile piece of information she needed. She stepped closer. "You wanted him. But he loved her. And now, you'll lose him, too."
Caroline's breath quickened and her fists clenched at her sides. "No," she muttered, shaking her head as if trying to deny what was happening. "No, I didn't… I didn't mean to…"
Evie took another step forward. "But you did. And now he knows."
The boy looked at Caroline with disbelief. "Caroline… is she telling the truth?" His voice was soft, almost broken.
"I—" Caroline stammered as her grew eyes wide with terror.
Evie seized the moment. "Do it," she whispered persuasively. "You've come this far, haven't you? Finish it."
Caroline's eyes looked around the room, panicking. Her breaths came in fast and shallow. She spotted a pair of surgical scissors on the bedside table. Her hand hovered over them, trembling.
"No!" the boy shouted, but it was too late.
Caroline snatched the scissors and stabbed the boy repeatedly in his throat. The boy gasped, staggering backward, clutching his throat as blood began to pour from the wound.
Caroline's face went pale as she realized what she had done. She stared at her bloodied hands as her lips quivered. "Oh my God… I… I didn't…"
"You've already crossed the line. There's no going back now." Evie said.
Caroline stood frozen in shock as the boy slumped to the ground, bleeding out in front of her.
Evie moved closer. "Finish it. You know what you have to do."
Caroline looked at the girl on the hospital bed with indecisiveness. Tears ran down her face as she walked towards the bed, with her hands shaking violently. She picked up a pillow, staring at it in disbelief before slowly pressing it down over Lizzie's face.
The monitor beside the bed began to beep frantically as Lizzie struggled beneath the pillow. Her legs kicked weakly, her hands flailed in a desperate attempt to push Caroline away. But Caroline pressed harder, with her tears falling onto the pillow as she smothered her.
Evie watched as the monitor flatlined. Lizzie was dead.
Caroline dropped the pillow, stepping back in horror. "What have I done?" she whispered.
Evie approached her. "You killed them both. Just like you wanted."
Caroline collapsed to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably. "I didn't… I didn't mean to… I didn't want to…"
Evie knelt down beside her. "I'm sorry," she said softly. She reached towards the drawer next to them, pulled out a glove and slipped it on. Caroline's tear-stained face lifted in confusion.
Before she could react, Evie grabbed the bloodied scissors and stabbed Caroline in the chest and throat multiple times.
Caroline's eyes widened in shock as she gasped for breath. Blood spilled from her wound as she fell flat to the floor and body twitched once before going still.
Evie stood there, staring at the three bodies, with her heart pounding rapidly. The room was silent, apart from the hums of the medical machines. She ripped the gloves off and fled the scene.
She entered into the nearest bathroom, slamming the door behind her and locking it. Her hands trembled as she clutched her head, sinking to the floor.
What have I done? she thought, horrified by her actions. Three dead bodies… all because of me.
She stood up, breathing raggedly, appalled by her actions as she looked up into the bathroom mirror. Her reflection stared back at her. Then, in blood-red letters, words began to form on the mirror's surface.
"Well done…"
Evie screamed through gritted teeth after she read the words. She sat at a corner, holding and rocking herself back to sanity.