The Devil's Story

KATE ARES

Year 2002

(Summer, The U.R.T, The Republic Western Psychiatric Hospital)

The hand around her neck squeezed. Air grew thinner and thinner…until there was none. 

Kate was terrified. It was dark, and she couldn't see who it was. She needed to tell it to stop. She couldn't breathe. 

She tried moving her limbs, but nothing too. 

Then, a voice murmured: "Die, you little devil… die… DIE KATE." 

Fright burst her eyes open and an extremely bright white ceiling glared at her. It was extremely bright because it was white. 

She looked down and saw that she was in white too. 

What's happening? Where am I?  

She tried to pull up the last memory. Mummy was crying very loudly, and the policeme was comforting her. Mummy called herself a 'failure' and Kate a 'murderer'—a 'psychopath' who tortured lizards, birds and puppies—a 'weird girl' who set leaves on fire. 

But Kate did none of that. She wasn't sure why Mummy would say that. She must be mistaken. But how to tell her? Kate was too scared to look at anyone, even her.

She was laid on a stretcher, her arms strapped tightly so they couldn't move. A mask went over her head covering everything except her eyes, and it terrified Kate. She tried to cry but they ignored her. She cried some more and they shushed her; their glares wanting to kill her. Kate clamped her lips together as tightly as she could. 

They shoved her to the back of an ambulance and then… that was it. 

Slowly, Kate got up and finally took a look around. She wished she hadn't. 

The room is completely covered with white padding. The only exit is a door, which is locked. 

A new terror gripped her. 

***** 

THREE DAYS LATER…

"Your name." 

Kate couldn't stop shivering. They called this man 'doctor', but he looked like the evil scientist who would turn her into a robot. And he was as angry as mummy. Was it because he knew that Kate killed her own father? 

"Your name," the doctor repeated, his voice louder and more annoyed. 

Kate hugged herself tighter. She didn't want to look at the man but she had to stay in this chair, or they'd put her in another one and stick those wires on her head to punish her. 

The doctor sighed and scribbled something on his iPad. "You've done some really bad things, Kate. Can you remember what it was?" 

Slowly, Kate shook her head and said, "It wasn't me." 

"Indeed." Another sigh of exasperation, followed by more tapping on the iPad. "Lack of empathy, guilt and remorse…. chronic lying."

"But I didn't lie—." Kate stopped herself because the doctor was staring at her like a vulture. 

And then, he tapped some more. "Arrogance and aggression." 

*****

TWO WEEKS LATER…

They pinned her down—arms and feet—and the kind nurse pried open Kate's mouth. "Come on, Kate… be a good girl… these are… good for you—argh!" Her desperation pinched Kate's nose. 

Unable to breathe, the heiress gasped for air. 

And in come the two pills. 

Kate tried to cough them out because they made her feel weird, and it scared her. 

But water gushed down her throat, and the heiress had to swallow everything down. 

*****

Year 2003

(Summer, The U.R.T, The Republic Western Psychiatric Hospital)

"Name." 

Kate stared at the white floor as she heard her voice replying, "Kate Ares." 

"So why are you here, Kate?" 

"I killed my father." 

"Good…. You've made lots of progress, Kate. This is the first step towards recovery." 

The heiress looked up in surprise. "Real—really?" 

'Yes." The doctor wasn't smiling, his eyes fixed on the iPad, scanning up and down. 

"Can—can I go home then?" Kate finally plucked the courage to ask. 

Slowly, the doctor lifted his gaze, and then his lips pursed in disapproval. "Why do you want to go home, Kate? Let's talk about that." 

*****

Year 2004

(Summer, The U.R.T, The Republic Western Psychiatric Hospital)

"Kate Ares, am I right?" 

The voice was different. It was lighter and smoother. Kate wanted to take a peek but she was too scared. The second she took her eyes off the white floors, they would punish her, so she needed to keep her focus on the white floors. 

"Right," she replied. 

"How's the food here, Kate?" 

The question was different too, which made Kate even more curious. She felt a strong urge to tear her gaze from the white floor but the thought of a million needles going through her body instantly killed it. 

Any answer is bad. So it's best to say nothing. 

But the strange doctor was making it very difficult for her. 

"I hate the food here." A weary sigh slipped out. 

And Kate jerked away, pinning herself to the chair, waiting for the impending tapping of the iPad, and then the chair, and then the needles, and then more pills. 

But the tapping didn't come. 

Instead, the same voice grew warmer. "Do you like pancakes?" 

Pancakes. Kate's last breakfast with daddy was pancakes. Did he send this man to take her home? 

Her head shook furiously, scolding herself to stop imagining things. Daddy's dead. She killed him. So why would he send someone over to—? 

"You don't?! That's criminal! What's not to like about pancakes?" The doctor clucked his tongue in disbelief. "You're lying, aren't you?" 

Kate was horrified. The chair, the needles, the pills. No, please! "I wasn't lying!"

She did it again. She'd taken her eyes off the white floor. 

And the new doctor smiled warmly with a concerned gaze that reminded her of daddy. "Then, let's have some pancakes, shall we?" he asked. "Nice to meet you, Kate. I'm Dr. Tim. I'll be your doctor from now on."

*****

ALPHA RAY 

Year 2006

(Winter, The U.R.T, Furnace Mount Buddhist Monastery)

"Let's see…what shall we call you?" She murmurs absently, scratching under his jaw. "You've got really sharp teeth—'Fangs'?" 

Ray was aghast. You did not just name me after that stupid wolf's teeth! He swivels his snout away, disgruntled. 

A smile in her voice, Kate confesses, "I've always wanted a puppy. But daddy's allergic to animals." Her voice fades to the distant… and a tiny sob comes through. 

The Alpha jolts around and finds his angel sniffling back her tears. 

"I miss him, little pup…I miss daddy." The fingers stop ruffling the fur on his back and start trembling. 

Ray inches closer to wrap his white bushy tail around the girl's heaving shoulders, brushing up and down her back in a comforting way. 

Then, she buries her face into his white fur and cries, "It's all my fault… my fault Daddy died… I burned the house… oh, why did I do that?!" 

Huh? Ray stares confunded at the top of the shaking redhead. So the fire was real? I was really there when Kate's father died? But how…? And if it's true, then why isn't Kate dead too? Didn't that evil woman try to kill her? 

As Kate sobs harder, Ray feels the stab of a thousand needles and gets anxious. She needs to stop crying. How can he make her stop—. 

"Why did I leave the toaster on!"

No, no, no! His paw lands on her shoulder and he tries to shake her to her senses. That wasn't you! That was the evil—your mother! Your mother did something to the toaster and set the house on fire to kill your father! I don't know why you aren't dead yet, but IT WASN'T YOU! 

Kate jolts up, her eyes wide in astonishment. 

And Ray snaps his snout shut, his eyes wide in horror. Blast it! Did I just say that out loud?