Pandora’s Box - Part 3

Awoken by yet another scream, I rushed out of bed and marched down the staircase. Maiko and the twins followed behind me, as for the others, they never came to share my bed last night for some reason. Making my way downstairs, I heard Cinder's stuttering voice echoing along the hallway. Following it, we reached Erica's room, outside which Cinder was lying horrified on the floor. 

"Cinder, what happened?" Getting down on my knees, I grabbed her by the shoulders and helped her get back onto her feet.

"E-Erica!" She yelped, her body turning cold and gray.

"Maiko, help Cinder, I'll go check inside," handing Cinder over to Maiko, I quickly went inside Erica's room.

Once inside, the sight I witnessed froze my mind in its entirety. I couldn't think, conjure a thought or even begin to understand how and why these things kept happening one day after the other. Laying lifeless with her blood drenching the sheets, Erica's pale body was right in front of me. And yet, my mind wouldn't let me believe it. How could she die? Who, and why would anyone kill her?

"I…" Pulled right out of my thoughts, my mind was left astounded as Erica's hand stretched up high. "I'm fine."

Like an undead beast rising from its grave, her wounds healed on their own as she sat down on the bed. Casting her gaze down to her belly, she took out a broken blade that was hindering her wound from being closed completely.

"Not the first time I've been stabbed in my sleep," throwing the blade on the ground, she got off the bed and made her way towards me. "Now, where's Dandelion?"

"What do you–" Looking around with confusion filling my head, I noticed that the marionette was missing from the room. "I… don't know."

"Damn you all…" Her fists clenched tight, she shoved me to the side and made her way out of the room. "I'll burn this place to ashes if anything happens to her!"

Rushing past everyone, she went off to look for her doll. Watching her from afar, it seemed as though she was moving with purpose as if she knew exactly where Dandy was. Heading down the stairs behind her with the girls, I watched her stomping her way to the reception, where for some peculiar reason, Rin was all dressed up in her work clothes even though none of us were supposed to be working after the murder incident.

'She barely stays one minute over time, then why is she in her work clothes right now?' The whole situation was a mess, and I had little control over it at the moment.

Storming up close to Rin, Erica finally stopped and began taking off her gloves. In the meantime, as Rin looked up, her eyes furrowed deep with visible confusion. Getting out of the chair, she took a step back. Her eyes glued to Erica; she stood there with her mouth gaped open.

"How did you?" Rin muttered.

"Shut up!" The moment her gloves came off, Erica conjured a hand of blood floating in mid-air. Moving it to Rin, she grabbed her by the throat. "Just tell me where you hid her vampyr! Maybe I'll spare you the curse!"

"Hey! Hey! Stop!" Getting closer to the action, I grabbed Erica by her shoulder. "Erica stop! I'll talk to her!" 

"Not until this damned vampyr speaks!" Shoving me away with her free hand, she made a squeezing motion with the other and it made the blood hand squeeze Rin's throat even harder.

"W-wa-wait!" Choking on her words as her throat could be heard cracking under the grip, Rin attempted to get the hand off of her by clawing it with her nails. "I'll TELL YOU!"

"Then speak!" Demanded Erica, her grip tightening even further.

"B-BASE…Basement!" Watching the light in Rin's eyes escaping, I grabbed Erica once more and shook her as hard as I could.

"STOP THIS NOW!" Despite my warning, her grip remained tight for a while longer.

Only when Rin's eyes lost their light did the witch finally let go of her. Watching it all unfold; my hands began to shake. Letting go of Erica, I quickly moved over to check on Rin's body. Propping her up to sit down, I moved my ear to her chest and looked for a heartbeat.

"Fuck me, is she alive?" Moving closer as well, Maiko cast a spell of healing.

"I-I think so, her heart is still beating…barely," feeling my own heart racing as if I'd run a mile, my angry gaze turned to Erica towering over us all. "The hell did you do that for?!"

Clicking her tongue, a look of utter disgust washed over her face.

"She's the one who drove a knife in my chest," turning her gaze from me to Rin again, her teeth clenched tight as if trying to hold back her words. But they failed. "She killed the woman from yesterday as well, that demon you sent with her knows this too!"

"Stop lying!" I retorted, speaking from anger rather than reasoning.

"Then see for yourself!" As she yelled her eyes turned darkened and reflected in them were memories. Pulled into those reflections, I saw myself walking through the forest dragging along with me the blood-drained body of Miss Marloon. 

In an instant, many more memories flooded into me. From watching myself carving Miss Marloon's skin to look like a skin crawler, to me driving a knife through Erica's belly. So far, they all appeared as if I was the one committing these atrocities, but then yet another memory flooded into my mind. I was looking through Rin's eyes at Erica standing before her, and soon even my body could be seen in her memories.

"Is that enough proof for you?!" Yelling at me with scorn, Erica turned around and walked off in the direction of the basement.

Left confused with what I saw, my body lay frozen and so were my thoughts. After all, how could I believe it? Believe that the monster I refused to see in Rin was there after all. So far, I'd only seen her bring comfort and reliance, but by murdering a person out of jealousy, all of it has been shattered.

"We should…" Shaking my head, I pushed it away for the moment. "We should take her to bed."

Slipping my hand under Rin's shoulder, I picked her off the ground. Grabbing her from the other side, Maiko helped me carry her up the stairs. And once we laid her down, the obvious question was asked of me.

"What did you see?" Asked the twins in unison, their voices nearly indistinguishable.

"I don't know how to tell you…" And yet heaving a heavy heart sigh, I began to unravel what I exactly saw.