CATCH ME IF YOU CAN

[Back to Casper's POV]

"Man we should have thought this through."

"This was your idea idiot."

I felt a cold breeze behind me as I was staring at the empty bottle of wine. I felt numb for a while… and for some reason this feels good. Jonas went up to me, handing me my book.

JONAS: Here, I figured you might have forgotten about bringing it. Oh and uh, we're leaving in five.

I nodded and thanked him. He smiled at me genuinely like a child that got praised, he hurried back to help Kain to ready extra tires. I can't believe he didn't change, he's thoughtful as before.

JES: We should leave right away. Gabe's mom told me she saw some cops roaming at our street earlier. What Kain said might be true.

We all went in the car and drove off. Earlier Jes convinced Kain to drive us to MARRY PATH'S MENTAL INSTITUTION where Roshey's cousin is. It wasn't expected of Kain to agree on going with us or even drive us there considering I am with. He and I aren't close… even though in every picture, any where we are, we're together.

Jonas is at front keeping track on the map guiding him. Kain is bad with directions so Jonas is the one pointing where to since Jes is too tired. Marry Path's isn't an easy place to find its location. The actual location's name was replaced with a paper town.

PAPER TOWN= A town that is added to a map but doesn't exist to keep other mapmakers from crossing copyright laws.

As of what Roshey said the paper town's name is "Nichts." Fortunately it's in the map of what we have. We drove for hours and hours, and I could tell Jonas is getting tired arguing with him. I didn't dare to open my book, they're too loud. I keep on loosing track on what sentence I was just reading. I keep on feeling nervous from time to time… I just want to figure out who really started this mess.

"You're still reading that?"

I was surprised. Jes leans closer to me and opened the book.

JES: Aren't you getting tired reading the same thing?

No. I don't.

"Man, if I were Harry I would have been sus of you two. Y'all are too close."

I glared at Kain. I saw him smirked at the rearview mirror. (You know, it's that rectangular mirror at the top of a car's windshield.)

JONAS: You're lucky we didn't snitch on you two when we were in high school. Valerie would have kicked you in the balls if she found out you kissed her cousin.

KAIN: Pffttt— as if she'd care.

They both started laughing. I wish not to remember those events and yet these idiots have to remind me of it. Staring at Jes unbothered, I noticed something. She has a scar on her bottom left of her eye, I don't remember her having that before. Going back, it seems to me that the moron driving the car didn't saw the "Check point ahead." Sign earlier. Good thing I still remember this place. Up ahead there are two paths that lead to Marry Paths, the left one is a short cut. Due to unknown events they banned people from taking that route.

CASPER: Turn left!

Kain immediately stops the car. I might have startled them, Jonas looked at me confused.

JONAS: But it's that way. The sign says don't turn left.

CASPER: Just do it, there's a check point on the right.

Kain sighed and took the left, I heard him whispered. "Well, I'd rather not do paper work driving with a suspect." To be fair avoiding everything that could lead me being questioned is suspicious enough. I don't blame him.

JONAS: Dude I could see the roof, how'd you know there's a short cut here?

KAIN: This used to be opened ten years ago. Haven't you been here?

Jonas shook his head, it looks like I wasn't the only who've been here, Jes looks at me, probably surprised. Well… I haven't been telling them much since the funeral. We all lean closer to get a good glimpse of it. It's huge, really HUGE. All of us put down our windows. I was surprised, the place is quiet. Really quiet for it to be a mental institution. I expected loud noises coming from the patients inside. The whole place outside is breath taking.

JONAS: Should I go down and look for Roshey's cousin first?

JES: Did you ask him his name?

JONAS: I thought you did?!

Kain and I let out a huge sigh. I can't believe this two.

JONAS: I'll look for the dude, wait here.

Jes stops him from opening the door when her phone rings. It might be him, yet it was an unknown number. She asked us if she should pick it up, I nodded.

JES: Hello?

"It's Roshey, I'm inside. You guys can come in. I already told them to let—"

It was cut. Kain started driving forward. The huge gates were opened by the guards. I guess they know it's us. I expected to see Roshey greeting us, and instead a female nurse approached us. We all went out of the car, and for some reason I have very bad luck with me. The owner stepped out of the entrance, and it seems he recognizes me.

"Long time no see, Casper."

They all looked at me confused, kill me already. Surprisingly, Roshey rushed out from the door to greet us. He looks really sweaty. He must have been running.

ROSHEY: Sorry guys I didn't know you'd arrive this early.

KAIN: Hold on a second, you know the old dude?

"Ah yes, please excuse my sudden appearance. If I may, I'd like to escort all of you today. It would be delightful to get to talk to my granddaughter's friend again. Oh and please allow me to introduce myself. I am the owner of this establishment. Feel free to address me as Mr. Veron."

F*ck.

KAIN: Did you just say Veron?

"Why yes."

KAIN: Oi, you guys have some explaining to do.

Looks like I'm stuck in this. Jonas and Jes looks confused, don't tell me they don't know a thing? I wanted to start laughing seeing Jonas zone out being questioned on the spot.

ROSHEY: Isn't Valerie's middle name Veron?

JES: So??

KAIN: Don't tell me you're that clueless.

It looks like there's a huge misunderstanding. Kain walked towards Mr. Veron and asked him "Do you know Valerie Asher?"

CASPER: Leave him be, he has nothing to do with Valerie. His first name is Veron, he's not related to her.

KAIN: Then how come he said you were friends with his granddaughter?

I sighed… this isn't a good topic for Mr. Veron

"He used to tutor my granddaughter. She's not a murderer. She was only ten when she died here."

Murderer… I looked at Jonas's expression towards that. He seems pissed.

JONAS: Valerie isn't a murderer.

Everyone was silent… Mr. Veron was going to say something, but I shook my head. He hates Valerie… he met her on the news. Everyone who knows about her does. Again, I can't blame them. Though I hate people who judge an individual base on what other people tell them. Then again she didn't exist to other people till she got in the news. People who went with her to school just started remembering her, she was invisible. Now hearing her name will—

ROSHEY: Hey, let's just go proceed to the tour. You guys went all the way.

KAIN: Fine, let's just go. Sorry old man, my condolences.

"I would still like to escort all of you, if you may."

JES: We don't mind sir, thank you.

All of us went inside. I stick with Jonas the whole trip inside, he seems a bit down. Roshey whispered to Jes, passed to Kain and Jonas.

"Sanders died earlier. Around 9am."

Everyone looked devastated, though I'm still curious who Vivoree Veron is… I just hope everything is just a weird coincidence. While half our way in the corridor we saw someone came out of room 1101. Mr. Veron frowned. When a nurse came out from the room next to it he called her. The nurse gladly approached us, suddenly after another nurse came out and opened the door of room 1101. A loud impact of an object that has been dropped on the floor startled us. We all looked at her, she looks petrified. Jonas and Kain rushed down to the room. They immediately shut the door as soon as they saw what's in it.

JONAS: Casper, come here!

I ran towards them. When I was about to open the door I told Kain and Jonas to find the person who just came out earlier. They might have not got out of the hospital yet. I slowly turned the knob. When I opened the door I was speechless to see what's written on the wall.

JES: What—

"CATCH ME IF YOU CAN."

Mr. Veron almost fainted when he saw the fingers on the floor. There were seven fingers, bloody. Freshly cut I assume, judging by the amount of blood on the floor.

JES: The fingers… there's so little—

"Please fetch the police, nurse."

CASPER: Jes, stay with him.

Jes quickly grabs my wrist.

JES: Stay here, they'll be back.

I took my wrist from her and ran out. While I was running I saw a room with nurses panicking. Jonas came out of the room and called me.

CASPER: What are you doing here, aren't you guys supposed to chase—

JONAS: Kain went for it, you won't believe this. Someone killed a patient.

CASPER: Dude go with Kain!

I entered the room and saw a man's dead body. The organs were scattered on the floor, his large intestine was used to tie his hands, his liver on his mouth and— I don't even want to describe the rest.

"Casper, we need to leave!"

I turned. Jes immediately threw the car keys at me. I covered her view where she could see the corpse laying down on the floor at its gruesome condition. She covered her mouth, I guess she still saw.

JES: We need to go, Corpse texted me someone's in the house.

Every time I'm with an Asher sh*t happens. I hesitated for a moment, suddenly Mr. Veron walked to our direction telling us to leave faster.

"Child, you moron you should have told me you were being hunted down. Get out of here before the cops arrives!"

I looked back on the corpse… should—

"I'll take care of it, go." He whispered. "Take the fire exit. It's faster."

Jes and I kept on running. I haven't felt this tired in years. I could hear my heart pounding from all of the running. When we both saw the two, we yelled at them to get in the car. When we all got in I didn't hesitate to speed up. Good thing they weren't here yet.

KAIN: Who knew you can drive, man!

JONAS: CAN WE FOCUS ON THE FACT THAT SOMEONE DIED?! And where the f*ck are we going?

Jes kept on tapping my shoulder.

CASPER: I'm going as fast as I can. Just wait.

JES: HOW CAN I WAIT WHEN SOMEONE BROKE IN OUR HOUSE?!

JONAS: Wait what?!