"So you...All the people in those rooms...You just killed them for pleasure?" I asked.

The mad woman laughed hysterically.

"No! No! No! Those aren't people darling. They're just experiments. Lab rats if you will. Though, you're quite right, they did give me pleasure. Yes. Yes. They did." Beckley said.

Old wounds began to rip apart. Just then, I remembered another set of blue eyes I cherished. Old wounds bled.

"And Nathan? During the investigation of his death, you said you raised him. Did...Did you also kill him because of me?" I asked.

"Precisely!! Darling you're the reason that young man died. I did like his mother. We were friends. We had our ups and downs but even though I had lost a great part of my sanity and hated his mother just a bit, Nathan had to put up with my insanity."

"To tell you the truth, he was a precious gift to me. He often told his mother about my predicament, but the foolish woman ignored her only child and called him delusional. Nathan hated that he had to live with me, but I loved it. In a while, he got used to me and we became mother and son. He started calling me Mama. It was like having my long lost child come back to me. That's why you should have stayed away from him. You killed him! You call me selfish but you're far worse. You knew what would happen if he got close to you and yet you kept him by your side till he was dead. You killed him Ramona!! I just got rid of him like you wanted! You don't have to say it but I know there was a part of you that wanted him to stay away, since he was becoming a pest. It's not like you had feelings for him or anything. He was just your personal comedian. Isn't that right?!" said the lunatic, Beckley.

She was right. I did not love Nathan. And as much as I wanted him by my side for his kindness and humour, I also wanted him to stay away. I wanted all of them to stay away.

No!

She was getting into my head. I got to a stage that could be described as being more than just angry. I bit my lips hard and blood slipped out the soft tissues that guarded my dental region.

"So you ignored the fact that he was like a son to you and you just slaughtered him to get to me?" I asked unshaken but poisoned in every cell by hate.

"Sure dearie!! He was a son to me but my purpose on earth called for his death. Hurting you to your very soul is my purpose on earth Ramona Stark. So yes I killed the child I loved. I wasn't going to let some pretty blonde oaf stand in my way. No. No. No. You know, he even called me mama while I pierced through his fine flesh. I was glad that my face was the last thing he saw before he died but it hurt. That's the reason I wanted revenge on him."

She turned to Stark.

"Wesley Stark! He was my last resort. I wanted to get rid of him right after I killed Nathan. When you were in high school, I was aware of the bond you had with Stark. That's the reason I decided not to harm him, while I made some changes and tried to develop my skills for five years. I tried to recuperate peace and sought deities of lands unknown to forgive my sins. I was sure that even the invisible God I prayed to as a child wouldn't even look at me. So after five years of no answers I decided to gain satisfaction by resuming my torture on your life. I observed Wesley Stark closely and I knew he would come in handy. After all, the best is saved for last. I wanted to kill him after this skinny red-haired girl, who almost caught me once, but Nathan's death hurt me and I wanted Stark dead. Now I might actually get to use this last resort!!" Mrs Beckley said as she fixed her eyes on Wes and gazed at him with a crooked smile on her face.

Something kept my eyes shut, teeth gnashed and fist clenched.

Blood flowed through every vein and capillary within me in haste.

My brain made no calculation but sought a stance in the darkness.

My heart gained strength and my soul sought no mercy or remorse of any kind.

I don't know if it was love or hate. Whatever it was moved my clenched fist and in a flash Mrs Beckley was on the ground.

She coughed loudly and spat out something bloody.

For the sake of either love for Wesley or hate towards the insane killer, I hoped the bloody thing was a tooth.

"You'll have to walk over my dead body before you get to Wes. I won't let you do to him as you please again."

It was clear now. I did not gain strength from hate. The love I felt for Wes had made me a warrior in a minute. I was aware that I faced reality and not the screen in a cinema; still I wanted to protect Wes. If anything were to happen to him I would lose all. I had to protect him.

Lost in my moments of thoughts, Mrs Beckley took her stand.

"So it's just as I had predicted. You have fallen in love with him. He's truly proven to be the perfect trump card. Oh well, if I can't have him then I'll take another who's closer to you. She caught me once and I can't let her live to tell my tale. Besides she's another way to hurt you. Her green eyes and red hair would look perfect on my wall!!" Beckley said as she drew out a short blade from within her jacket.

She aimed for Tina.

I had to do something but my gun was far away. Too far.

I ignored the existence of a weapon and pounced on Beckley.

I wasn't going to let her take another life from me.

"Ray!! Stop it Ray! You'll get hurt. I can't aim at Beckley with you on her! Ray you've come this far. Don't be stupid. Let me handle it! Ray!!" Wes called on me and once again as he had done several times before. I turned deaf to his call.

How dare she make a fool of me? How dare she think of hurting me by killing everyone I knew? How dare she try to hurt Wesley, just to get to me? How dare she touch Tina? How dare she?!

Anger filled my soul and set every neuron within my being on fire.

I trusted Mrs Beckley. I believed in her. She was the mother I never had.

Mrs Beckley was my god mother. She was my flicker of hope in my world of despair.

My life was a blank canvas but while Wes and Tina formed admirable sketches, Mrs Beckley added colours. Pretty colours that swayed in my mind and made my brain forget about the past.

How could she be the one so desperate to kill me?

I knew why she wanted me dead. She had told me that all she wanted was revenge. My mother's actions had caused her pain. Still, such a reason was not satisfactory enough for her to eliminate the people I loved or cared about. Such a reason was not good enough for someone to hurt Wesley or Tina. I knew she hated me because of my parents but still, I was innocent.

Why? Why? Why Mrs Beckley? I really cared about her. No. I loved her. I loved Mrs Beckley with all my heart. So why did she have to be the culprit?

The struggle between Mrs Beckley and I continued for minutes that seemed to occupy time.

Mrs Beckley pushed and I kicked.

She bit and I punched.

She slapped and I scratched.

Soon enough our faces had scars, long and short.

I felt pain in my ribs and my stomach growled but not for the sake of hunger.

I wanted to scream. I wanted Mrs Beckley to stop, but I continued to struggle.

Fear made me to fight. I feared that if I paused for just a moment, Mrs Beckley would kill me and then eliminate Wesley and Tina.

I knew it was not a movie and such a thing was quite impossible, but still, if she could wipe out all I had loved, then Wes, Tina and I were no match.

Mrs Beckley's silver hair littered the ground as I pulled on them. I could feel her breath on my face. Sweat poured endlessly from the sides of her head and neck. She seemed tired but continued in her mission to eliminate me.

It was a wonder, that a woman her age had so much energy, hence her sudden weariness was expected.

I wanted her to stop. She needed to stop. She was out of breath, but she continued to push the small dagger towards me.

There were times, the pointy thing was an inch away from my eyes and other times, it gently swept my cheeks without a scratch. I was scared.

I gazed at Wes for a moment. He pointed his gun towards Mrs Beckley and I in confusion.

His eyes said so many words. Too many words.

He did not speak but words replayed in my head.

"Please be careful Ray. Please don't die Ray. Ray! Why are you so stupid?! Ray watch out! I told you I'd protect you...What are you doing?!"

He did not have to say a word but I knew he was scared. He was worried about me and confused. I could tell.

I wondered if all the love birds in the world had a certain language that needed no words.

In fear and courage mixed up in my heart, I caught the weapon Beckley swayed around, in my hands.

Mrs Beckley pulled with might, but I held unto the blade with every last hunch of strength I could find.

Beckley's eyes were covered by hate and her joints wanted that dagger out of my reach. Still, my muscles and bones had refused to let go.

My fingers bled and the tiny scars on my palms grew slowly into deep wounds. I gnashed my teeth in pain. The wound stung and tears hung on my eyelids, but I had to hold on. I had to bear the pain.

Wesley's life, Tina's life and my life depended on it.

My fingers shook and I felt capillaries within my hands tear apart. I had to do something. I could not let the dagger go.

Just then, something I could only describe as an instant rush of adrenaline caused my legs to move.

I kicked Mrs Beckley with great force and shockingly I had won the struggle.