Chapter 2 - The Step-Mother’s Shadow
Stepping out from the dim corridor shadows into the perimeter of the overhead lights, Evelyn watched the exchange with a cold, calculating detachment. Her immaculate ivory trench coat remained buttoned to the top, untouched by the storm raging outside. She placed a manicured hand on Arthur’s shoulder, her voice smooth and chillingly rational as she dismissed the boy's hysteria. Evelyn claimed that the strong post-operative painkillers were causing severe auditory hallucinations and wild paranoia. Arthur wanted to believe her, desperately needing a logical explanation to quiet his own escalating unease. However, Leo thrashed against the pillows, screaming that the scratching sound inside his arm was getting louder and sharper by the second. Evelyn’s eyes flashed with a sudden, unreadable panic as she urged Arthur to sedate the boy before things escalated further. Just as Arthur reached for the nurse’s call button, the heavy metal door of the hospital room slowly clicked open on its own.
