Page 18 of The Asylum
“Edwin Lawson died in an asylum, driven crazy by the female ghosts that tormented him. Reports say that his victims returned and took their revenge in death. Lawson became insane and claimed that spirits haunted him. But it gets stranger. Lawson was reported to be wearing a straitjacket, yet scratches appeared on him. Bruises would form even when he was in a padded cell.
“Worse, Edwin would scream all hours of the night, stating that the women were torturing him like he did them. Edwin made many confessions about his crimes, but they couldn’t prosecute him for two reasons.”
“Which were?” I demanded as Justice lifted his head. I shoved him back down ruthlessly. We didn’t need Justice running around with his brand of vengeance.
“One, Lawson had gone crazy, so wasn’t judged fit to stand trial,” Harry replied.
“The second reason?” Jack asked.
“Nobody ever found the bodies of his victims.”
Chapter Four.
Pyro
“Not a single body?” I exclaimed.
“No. Not a hide nor hair of one. Some reckon they were burned in the morgue’s furnace,” Harry said.
“The morgue had an incinerator?” Jack mused. “The deaths here could be much higher than we imagined.”
“We heard about burials, not cremations,” Phil added, frowning.
“This asshole had hundreds of victims at his fingertips. Shit,” Magic growled out, and I glanced at him. This was affecting the big man, who believed women should be worshipped and treated with respect and kindness.
“Okay, let’s get this done. I really hate this place,” I complained. Sunny and Magic both nodded.
“This is an Ovilus Spirit Box. It captures sounds we might not hear, and a spirit can talk to us through it. The Ovilus contains over two thousand words, and spirits can pick them to communicate,” Jack informed us as he showed us the small box he carried.
“I’ve got this EMF thing,” Magic declared, waving it about.
“EMF meter. It detects spikes in the electromagnetic field. Together, the two of them work well,” Phil explained.
“I have the infrared camera,” I said, and we all looked at Sunny, who shrugged.
“I’ve got my eyes and ears,” he stated, and we laughed. The laughter felt wrong here, and it quickly subsided.
I watched as Jack began asking questions. When he didn’t get a reply, Sunny assumed control only to receive identical results.
“Maybe this place isn’t haunted,” Magic boomed, and I almost cringed at how loud his voice was.
“Nah, there’s something here,” Jack replied, frowning. “Pyro, you try.”
“Is anyone here?” I asked, feeling stupid.
We jumped as the Ovilus spat a yes.
“What the hell?” Magic demanded, peering over Jack’s shoulders.
“You got a reaction; keep going,” Jack urged.
“Wonder why?” Sunny mused, and I caught his gaze. His eyes held an awareness that made me uncomfortable. I knew Chance and Bear had guessed about Justice, but had Sunny too? Sunny nodded and somehow conveyed that my secret would go to the grave with him.
Justice surged, feeling murderous and threatened. But Sunny hadn’t committed a heinous crime, and Justice couldn’t justify killing him. My alter ego wouldn’t kill an innocent man. No, Justice hunted the foulest sinners going and punished them ruthlessly. Chance had once asked if I had split personalities. Who the fuck knew? Though residing in the same body, Justice and I were completely different. Justice loved fire; I feared it.
Justice sought revenge for victims whom the legal system failed. What was ironic was that Hellfire hadn’t been clean, and yet Justice ignored our crimes. I wasn’t fully aware of what he did, and vice versa. The only thing we agreed upon was Bunny.Even Justice adored her, and he’d kill for her in the blink of an eye.
“What’s your name?” I asked.
