The Secret of Sujay
The room was dim, lit only by the faint glow of the talisman hanging on the door. Lara sat on the edge of the bed, her body tense, her mind a whirl of thoughts she couldn't untangle. Andy stood by the window, her silhouette stark against the false, bustling cityscape outside.
"Tell me," Lara said, her voice trembling but resolute.
Andy didn't turn immediately. Her fingers traced the edge of the windowpane, her gaze fixed on the illusion beyond. "You don't want to know," she said softly, her tone laced with weariness. "The truth has a price, Lara. Knowing it… is like asking for death."
Lara's breath hitched, but she pushed down her fear. "Then I'll pay it," she said firmly. "That's why I'm here. My group took a huge risk to come to this godforsaken place. If I walk out of here with nothing…" Her voice cracked slightly. "If I walk out of here at all… it has to be worth something."
Andy turned slowly, her expression unreadable. For a moment, silence stretched between them, thick and suffocating. Then she sighed, sinking into the chair by the desk.
"Alright," Andy said quietly. "But don't say I didn't warn you."
"Years ago," Andy began, her voice low and steady, "this hospital wasn't the nightmare you see now. It was a sanctuary. A place for healing. And it was all thanks to one woman—Elene Margot."
Lara tilted her head. "Margot?" she echoed, the name sparking a faint recognition she couldn't place.
Andy nodded. "Elene was brilliant. Kind. She dedicated her life to helping people, to curing ailments others deemed untreatable. Sujay was her dream, her life's work. But there was one thing she wanted more than anything else—a child."
"She was barren?" Lara asked.
"For years," Andy confirmed. "Doctors told her it was hopeless. But then, miraculously, she became pregnant. She gave birth to a little girl, beautiful like her mother. Margot, she named her."
Lara listened intently, her fingers gripping the edge of the bed. Andy's voice carried a strange sadness, as though she'd lived the story herself.
"Margot was everything to her," Andy continued. "She was bright, curious, loved by everyone at the hospital. Elene thought she'd been blessed. But…" Andy's voice faltered, her eyes darkening. "Things changed when Margot turned twelve."
"What happened?" Lara pressed, her voice barely above a whisper.
Andy leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. "It started small. Margot would talk to herself, muttering things no one could understand. Then came the violent outbursts—smashing things, injuring herself. It was like something had taken hold of her."
Lara's stomach churned, the imagery vivid in her mind.
"Elene was desperate," Andy said. "She brought Margot here, to her own hospital, hoping the staff could help. They ran tests, searched for answers. And they found something… strange."
"Strange how?"
Andy hesitated, her gaze flickering to the talisman on the door. "Her brainwaves were unlike anything they'd ever seen. Like two minds were fighting for control. It wasn't just a mental disorder—it was something else. Something unnatural."
Lara's skin prickled with unease. "And they couldn't cure her?"
Andy shook her head. "No matter what they tried, Margot's condition worsened. She became violent, uncontrollable. One day, she nearly killed a nurse. Elene had no choice but to chain her in the deepest part of the ward, where she couldn't hurt anyone else."
"Elene didn't give up," Andy continued. "She spent days, nights, years searching for a cure. She became obsessed, sacrificing everything to save her daughter. But no matter what she did, Margot only grew worse. And then…" Andy's voice dropped, her tone barely audible. "They came."
Lara stiffened. "They?"
"Beings," Andy said, her eyes narrowing. "Not human, not entirely. They offered her a deal—Margot would be cured, but only if Elene gave them her heart."
Lara's breath caught, her heart pounding in her chest.
"Elene refused at first," Andy said. "She tried to fight them, to resist. But Margot was dying—breaking apart in ways Elene couldn't bear to watch. In the end, she agreed."
"And then what?" Lara asked, her voice trembling.
Andy's expression darkened further. "Elene gave her heart willingly. The beings took it, and Margot was healed—or so it seemed. For a time, things returned to normal. But the cost…" She trailed off, shaking her head. "The cost was more than anyone could imagine."
Lara leaned forward, her desperation mounting. "What happened to Margot? What happened to Elene?"
Andy didn't answer immediately. Instead, she stood and moved to her cupboard, rummaging through its contents. After a moment, she pulled out a small, weathered photograph and handed it to Lara.
Lara's hands trembled as she took the picture. It showed a woman with kind eyes and a warm smile, her arm around a young girl with striking features and an unmistakable presence.
The name hit her like a shockwave.
Margot.
The girl in the photo wasn't just any Margot.
It was her Margot.
Lara's heart pounded as she stared at the photo, her breath coming in short, shallow gasps.
"Is this…?" she began, her voice shaking.
Andy gave a faint, bitter smile. "Now you understand why I said knowing the truth comes with a price."
"No," Lara whispered, shaking her head. "No, this can't be real. This can't be her."
Andy tilted her head, her gaze sharp. "What did you expect, Lara? That your journey into this hospital would lead to something simple? Something easy?"
Lara clutched the photo, her mind racing. The Margot she knew couldn't be the same Margot from the story. But the resemblance was undeniable, and the weight of the revelation pressed down on her like a vice.
"She's… alive," Lara said, her voice cracking. "She's with us. She's one of us."
Andy's eyes narrowed. "Then you should ask yourself: is she really who you think she is?"
Before Lara could respond, a soft knock came from the door.
Both women froze, their eyes snapping to the talisman hanging from the knob. It flickered faintly, the glow dimming as if struggling to hold back whatever was outside.
"It's happening again," Andy whispered, her voice tense.
The knock came again, louder this time.
"Don't open it," Andy hissed, grabbing Lara's arm.
Lara's body trembled, her grip on the photo tightening. The edges crumpled slightly under her fingers.
The talisman flickered once more, and then the knocking stopped.
But the silence that followed was worse.
A faint, guttural laugh echoed from the other side of the door, low and menacing.
And then, a voice:
"Lara…"
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