Jonathan

Even by his standard, Jonathan felt the time they spend on cleaning up, choosing new clothes and putting on makeup, to be embarrassingly long. And the result wasn’t satisfying at all. They had managed to cover most of the redness around their wounds, but the slashes were still visible on their faces. After giving up, they made their way over to the Northside Psychiatric Ward. Their walking was accompanied by sharp intakes of air and at some point, there was a drop of blood running down Lester’s cheek. But Jonathan felt the weight of coins in his pockets again, so he wasn’t too worried about getting access.

When they arrived at the massive, l-shaped, stone structure, covered in barred windows, his money wasn’t even necessary, because Dorothy, the small, chubby woman that approached them after entering, was really welcoming besides their looks.

»Who are you here for?«, she asked with a welcoming smile.

»An eight-year-old girl named Emely. Dark, brown hair. Between four and five feet tall. Friendly face and nature. Last seen wearing a simple yellow dress.«, Lester said, making Jonathan glance at him with raised eyebrows.

Dorothy took a moment to think before answering. »I’m sorry. I don’t think she’s here.«

»Do you mind if we look around for a bit anyway? You can never be too safe.«

»I can’t just let you walk around here.« She pressed her lips together. »Some patients have trouble with strangers.«

Jonathan was about to open his mouth, when he felt Lester nudging him. »We could just come back with some guards«, his partner said.

»That really isn’t necessary.« Even Jonathan could see her smile as false. »But I will have to stay with…« She paused putting her hand up to her mouth. »This morning Herb told me about a girl that has come in last night. I haven’t seen her yet. But maybe she is the one?«

Jonathan thanked her, knowing in his heart that it was her and that they would solve their first case. He couldn't keep the smile of his face as they walked through narrow corridors, filled with sunshine, broken by the barred windows.

»We have been getting many weird cases lately.« Dorothy started chatting as they went up some stairs. »People that talk about the oddest things. About giant birds in the sky, about all-consuming fire, about the ground shaking and rocks roaming around.« Dorothy looked around and then spoke really softly. »If you ask me, it is the work of a witch.«

Before Jonathan could come up with something to say to that, she stopped at one of many identical doors on the second floor. The nurse took out a key to open it, revealing a room that was trying very hard to look comfortable, but clearly lacked the money to do so. On a simple bed, with a single stuffed bear, sat a girl in a yellow dress. She didn’t react when Jonathan knelt before her.

»Emely?«, he asked. »I am a friend of your dad. He is really worried about you. He misses you. Do you want to go see him? Him and your mom?«

The girl’s eyes opened wide. She stared into his, raising her thumb and extending her index finger. »Hide. Hide as long as you can. Hide until the fire disappears. Until the weird stone stops to drop all around you. Until the screams turn silent. Until the giant birds have flown away. Until all is dead.«

Jonathan stepped away. He looked at Lester, at Dorothy. At their open mouths, their wide eyes.

»What. What happened to her? Where did you find her?« He paused. »There are others you said? How many? How many are there?«

Dorothy cleared her throat before answering. »They are just left here. We wake up in the morning and there is another one. We’re at seven now.«

»Let's get her parents.« Jonathan was barely able to hear his partner. »Let's just get her parents.«

Lester

After they had reunited the family, Lester was lying on the bed, he had dreamed of for years, and couldn't fall asleep. This didn’t feel like a victory at all. He barely noticed all the luxury around him. All the books, the food, the softness, the cleanliness, the space. What did it matter to have all of this? What did it matter with something like that out there? He had been dismissive when first coming to Jonathan's house this morning, and he had been glad to be out of the psychiatric ward this afternoon, but now he felt like he needed to do something. This wasn’t some dumb, easy way to get everything he wished for. This was an opportunity to finally, truly do something good.

Lester stood up, left his room and walked up the dark hallway to knock at Jonathan's.

»Come in.« There was no pause before the answer.

Lester opened the door and without excusing himself or making a single step into the room, he said what had been keeping him awake. »We need to find out what is happening to these people.«

Jonathan smiled. »Oh yes, we will.«