CHAPTER 9

Alicia Booker was sleeping. She hated hearing the Whisperer come and go in 12 hour increments; telling her how long she has until she is pulled out of whatever this place is. She woke in a start.

“Hello?” Alicia gave that pregnant pause that was in all horror movies “Is anyone there?” she whispered.

“Yes, I’m here.” She heard someone whisper back to her. “My name is Lauren, what’s yours?” the woman whispered in between sobs.

“I am Alicia. Do you know what day it is?”

“The last time I knew, it was Sunday. My name is Lauren. Why, how long have you been here?”

Alicia started to cry. “I will be going very soon. I have been here almost 3 days; the Whisperer will come for me soon.” Alicia said in between sobs.

“There was a girl here before me, one before her and another girl before that one. The girl before me only was here two days. I have been here three days; well at least that’s what I have figured out. How long do you think you have been here?”

Lauren was shocked, “Umm. I may have been here three or four hours, but it was definitely today when I was brought here.”

Just as Alicia was about to say something the door opened and she heard footsteps and the whispering started.

“…know ye not that these things area an abomination in the sight of the LORD; yea, most abominable above all sins save it shedding of innocent blood or denying the Holy Ghost? For behold, if ye deny the Holy Ghost when it once has had place in you, and ye know that ye deny it, behold, this is a sin which is unpardonable; yea, and whosoever murdereth against the light and knowledge of God shall be guilty of such a great crime. I will not dwell upon your crime, to harrow up your soul, if it not for your own good. Lauren I am your executioner. You have been found guilty for your sins and your punishment will commence in seventy two hours. May God have mercy upon your soul even though the murder of the innocent you committed showed no mercy upon that soul! Seventy two hours…know ye not…”

“What?” Lauren screamed. “No, I didn’t do anything!”

Alicia felt her hair being grabbed and she knew she was going up the stairs the same as the other girls. She tried to move her legs but to no avail. As she was being pulled up the stairs she remembered Michelle’s voice. Alicia started to cry again. The Whisperer seemed oblivious to her cries, so with all her strength Alicia started to recite the Lord’s Prayer as loudly as she could say it. “Our Father who art in Heaven, Hallowed be thy name…”

When Alicia was at the top of the stairs the Whisperer asked her a question. She almost missed it because she was shouting the Lords prayer so fervently.

“What did you say?” Alicia asked.

“Do you repent?” The Whisperer asked in her right ear.

“Yes, to be forgiven, one must repent.” Alicia spoke solemnly between breaths.

The Whisperer whispered an “AMEN” and walked Alicia to a door. He whispered three simple instructions into her ear

1. Get undressed.
2. Remember to say your prayers.
3. When you wake you will be free.

Alicia wanted to say something but the masked Whisperer put his finger over her mouth and Alicia knew not to say another word. She did as the instructions had said. When she awoke she was in an empty lot. She was naked and bald but she was alive! She saw headlights ahead and got up off the rocks to run towards the lights. Her left ankle hurt so much she thought it was broken and the pain was slowing her progress toward the lights.

A car stopped and someone shone a floodlight onto Alicia.

“Help me please!” Alicia screamed. She was relieved to see a police officer running towards her with a blanket. Alicia was helped into the police car and Officer Coffey called the Station to report she had found a woman who needed medical care. Patrolman Coffey asked the Receptionist to call Detectives Darker and Adams and request that they meet her at the hospital.

When Alicia got to the hospital, she started to relax. She closed her eyes and tried to think positive thoughts. She said a silent prayer to thank the Good Lord that she was alive and all in one piece.

“Alicia? Alicia Booker?” Gayle tried to sound sensitive and less cop like. She was trying but it wasn’t working. Darrell walked up to Alicia quietly, said her name again and then reached out and rubbed her arm

“WHAT?” Alicia screamed at the top of her lungs. She rolled herself into the fetal position. Terrified, she looked towards Darrell and then at Gayle.

“I’m sorry I startled you Alicia. I am Detective Darker and this is Detective Adams.”

Alicia took a few moments of looking around before she realized she was safe at the hospital. She started to cry.

“We know you’ve been through something terrible but we need to ask you some questions. Do you think you are up to answering them?” Gayle asked.

Alicia wiped the tears from her face and nodded. “I can try,” Alicia whispered while looking at Darrell.

“OK, what can you tell us about where you were held?” Darrell asked.

“It was dark and damp; down a flight stairs, maybe in a basement somewhere.” Alicia answered quietly.

“That is terrific Alicia; do you know if there was anyone there with you?

“Yes, there was a girl named Michelle when I got there. She was dragged away up the stairs and then after Michelle a girl named…..” Alicia thought for a moment. She exploded with the name, “Lauren. She was still there when I left. I heard her crying. I shouted the Lord’s Prayer so loud that I almost couldn’t hear her anymore.”

“Alicia? Look at me please.” Alicia turned her eyes towards Darrell and blinked the tears out of her eyes. “Do you know where Michelle went?”

“No, but she was taken up the stairs. I could hear her feet hitting the stairs. And she had a nice voice.” Alicia finished.

“Now what about the other girl, Lauren? What can you tell me about her?”

“Not much. We only had moments before the Whisperer came down the stairs and I was taken. “Taken where?” “I don’t know, up the stairs. I was dragged by my hair up the stairs.”

“Who dragged you up the stairs? Was it a man or a woman?”

“I don’t know. I think it was a man, it was dark and the person was whispering crazy things non-stop. Whenever that person came down the stairs all they did was whisper.”

“Do you remember what was being whispered?”

“It was the same all the time.” Alicia closed her eyes so she could remember as much detail as possible. The only thing that changed was the time we were told we had left before we would be killed. It was every twelve hours and when it was someone else’s name; I knew it was my turn.”

Alicia’s eyes looked paralyzed. She looked scared and unnerved. She was petrified beyond belief.

Darrell looked at Gayle to make sure she was recording all of this. She nodded so Darrell continued.

“What did the Whisperer say?”

“I think it was a bible passage of some sort. I have never heard this passage before but I am pretty sure it was from a bible. There was a lot of God and Lord and ‘ethos’ and Yeas”. The Whisperer kept telling me how much time I had left before I was executed. It started with seventy two hours, then thirty six hours. When it became twelve hours, I was taken up the stairs and I screamed the Lord’s Prayer. That’s when the Whisperer asked me if I repented. I said that ‘Yes I repent, because that is the way to be truly forgiven.’ Then the Whisperer said “Amen” and gave me three things to do. I was to get undressed, remember to say my prayers and when I woke up I would be free. When I did wake up I was there in that lot. I saw the headlights and I screamed as loudly as I could. I was so happy to be free from that dark place. I just wanted to get away and be somewhere else.”

Alicia stopped, took a deep breath and then a large sip of water. When she put the cup down her eyes got big and tears started falling.

“OH MY GOOD LORD! Why me? Where are the other girls? Why was I set free?”

Alicia started to cry. Gayle held her hand while she cried and Alicia cried herself to sleep. Gayle gently let go of Alicia’s hand and looked at Darrell then at the door. Darrell nodded and both detectives left the room.

“WOW!” Gayle said looking instinctively at her partner.

“Wow” is an understatement. I have a few thousand questions to write down.” Darrell said. Gayle shook her head and smiled.

“I have lots of new ones myself” she said and together they left the hospital with questions floating through their minds.