Shining among Darkness

By
WingzemonX

Chapter 09.
Kill her

It was a silent week during the sessions of Matilda and Samara. The day after what happened in the garden, and they talked about Carrie, Samara had not wanted to see her, claiming however that maybe tomorrow; at least that's how Dr. Scott send the message.

Matilda thought that perhaps the incident had been much more severe for Samara than she had anticipated. For her luck, the next day, Samara did agree to see her, just as she had promised. But that day and the two that followed, the opening of the girl was quite reduced, not to say that it was practically non-existent. She almost did not answer her questions, and for the most part, she kept silent instead. When Matilda asked her to do something special on paper, however, she accepted to do it in silence, but no more. Matilda tried a couple of times to talk to her directly about what happened, but she remained reluctant.

On that fourth day, in the middle of the session, Matilda mentioned Cody; how she would like she know him and that they both talk a little. Matilda told her that that could help a lot. Samara, however, just looked at her out of the corner of her eye in silence, but did not answer at all.

On the fifth day, Samara's attitude improved a little. She was already more receptive, although somewhat absent. She answered more, and no longer looked annoyed... but something else. Matilda did not identify it immediately, but it seemed to her that it could have been a pity. Almost ending the session, she asked again if she wanted to talk about what happened the other day, but she just shook her head.

The sixth day seemed like it would be a little like the previous one. They were in the same room with a children's theme, sitting on that small table for which both were relatively large. Samara traced images on the paper, each time in a much more controlled and rapid, but each continued to convey a rather cold and dark feeling.

Matilda was in her chair, watching her, and from time to time writing down her observations in her notebook. She was really absorbed in her own thoughts, which were between the present moments but mostly in the whole situation that had been accompanying them for almost a week now.

Suddenly, something changed abruptly.

"I'm sorry," she heard Samara say out of nowhere, slowly but clear, after almost half an hour of absolute silence.

Matilda looked up, almost alarmed. Samara watched her out of the corner of her eye from the other end of the small table. Her long hair fell forward.

"What do you say, dear?"

Samara looked down, distressed. Her fingers tightened between them on the table, nervously.

"I'm sorry for what I said the other day in the garden," she whispered slowly, not daring to see her directly. "And I'm sorry about how I behaved with you these days. Are you angry with me?"

Matilda felt really confused by this sudden change. She did not expect Samara to apologize, especially so abruptly. It had taken her by surprise, but she could not let that situation get out of hand.

"No, of course not, little one; it doesn't care," she answered quickly, smiling at her with all the possible kindness because it was not very easy to pretend that what happened did not affect her at all. "I'm sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable in some way. But what I have told you since the first time we saw each other is the only truth."

Matilda then extended her hand over the table, very slowly, to place it on top of hers. She thought for a moment that Samara would take them away, but she did not. She left them there, and at last, she turned to see her, and she could see a certain glimmer of hope in her eyes.

"I'm here to help you get out of here and go back to your parents. And I promise you again that I will do everything, everything possible to make that happen. Do you trust me?"

Samara did not respond immediately, but in the end, she nodded her head; at first slowly, but then with a little more effusiveness.

"I trust you, Matilda. That's why I don't want you to be upset with me. I like you; you're not like other doctors, or like other adults. You don't fear me."

"Why would I fear a girl as sweet and pretty like you?" Matilda commented with a slightly playful tone, and for the first time in all the time she had been in Eola, she noticed how the little girl's cheeks blushed, standing out considerably on her pale skin.

Samara looked away at that moment, as did her hands; more out of pity than discomfort, according to his perspective.

"And you don't have to worry," Matilda continued "I'm not upset at all. In fact, I'm glad we can talk about this and fix it."

Samara nodded slightly.

"I'm sorry I reacted that way," she said firmly. "I didn't meet Carrie, but I'm sure she must have liked you too."

Matilda felt a mixture of emotions at that moment. On the one hand, a puncture in the stomach at the mention of Carrie. And, on the other, pride and happiness at seeing Samara in such an expressive and mature state of speech, more attached to her age.

"I don't know. I only know that I could have done much more for her. But I didn't have enough time or chance. But, it would be better if we no longer talk about it ... at least for now, if you agree."

"Yes," the girl said cautiously. "I won't do it again."

"Thanks, Samara."

Matilda felt a slight relief in her heart. However, it was not complete. If there was something she had learned in her years of treating people, especially children, it is that they could hardly let go of such a dense and profound subject as that. She knew that sooner or later, they would have to touch it again, and she hoped to be better prepared for it at that moment.

"About your friend you told me you wanted to introduce me," Samara commented suddenly as if she wants to change the theme. This surprised Matilda again. She was sure she was talking about Cody, but Matilda thought that Samara had not even paid attention when she told her about it. "Does he also do things like us?"

"It makes other things, much more unique," Matilda answered with a ring of mystery surrounding her words. "But if your question is if he also shines, yes. You would like him; he is a middle school teacher and an expert on butterflies. Is very smart."

"Like you?"

"Not so much," Matilda answered with false pride, which made Samara smile jovially.

Smile and blush? That was too good to be true. What exactly had caused this change? How much had she been thinking those days when she did not speak to her? She would have liked to ask her but didn't know if it was the right time.

"If you think it could help me... I'd like to meet him."

"Really?"

Samara nodded again.

"But before that... there's something... I think I should tell you."

Her face lost its color again, her smile disappeared, and her long black hair fell back on her face, hiding a large part of it when she looked down at the image she was creating at that moment.

"I haven't told it to the other doctors or my parents."

"What is it about?" Matilda questioned, intrigued by the strange air that suddenly began to surround her.

"It's about my nightmares, the ones I told you about before." Samara was silent for a few seconds. Her hands were on her thighs, under the table, but Matilda still felt that she was squeezing the fabric of her dressing between her fingers. Nervous signal? Or... fear maybe? "There's something about these that I didn't tell you, something that always appears in them."

Her voice complemented her first guess. Whatever she was about to tell, it seemed to affect her, at a deep level. Matilda leaned a little towards her, trying to place her face at the same height as hers, and be able to see her eyes.

"What is it?"

Samara shook her head slowly.

"I don't know... it's..."

Suddenly, it was heard loudly as someone knocked on the door suddenly, interrupting the words of the girl.

"Give us a second," Matilda exclaimed so that she could be heard by whoever was outside since it was not the time to be interrupted. However, they insisted again. "I said a second!" She exclaimed again, now with more force, but the result was the same.

Matilda let out a small curse. She put her notebook in her purse, and hurriedly stood up.

"Excuse me just for a second, is that okay?"

Samara nodded and watched silently while she left the room.

On the other side of the door, Matilda found herself face to face with the complacent face of Dr. Scott, who smiled at her when he saw her.

"Dr. Scott, always so timely," Matilda pointed out with a touch of subtle sarcasm.

"You'll be grateful for my interruption, doctor. From now on, you can't say again that I don't do you any favor."

Matilda arched an eyebrow, confused.

"What are you talking about now?"

"I managed to convince Mrs. Morgan to talk to you."

Although angry at first, Matilda's next reaction was one of a surprise after hearing him say those simple words.

"Samara's mother? Seriously?"

Matilda had asked to speak with Anna Morgan, also interned in that same place, since her third day in Eola. But Dr. Scott's reluctance had been so great, and he did not mention it again, so she had believed that he had simply thrown her crazy and ignored her request. She also, after the conversation with Eleven, her trip to Seattle, Moesko and Silverdale, and then the incident in the garden, she had practically forgotten it too.

But it remained as a subject that could not be ignored.

"That's excellent... when can it be?"

"Right now."

"Now? Matilda exclaimed loudly, stunned."

Scott nodded, quite expressive in his act.

"At this moment, she is considerably calm and seems receptive. I recommend you take advantage because I would not know how long it will last."

Matilda hesitated a moment. Talk to Mrs. Morgan was vital, indeed; the relationship with her was quite primordial for the proper development of Samara. But equally, the conversation they were about to have seemed quite important.

In the end, she had to make a quick decision. She could always talk with Samara tomorrow if she agreed, but Anna Morgan was a very different case.

"It's okay. Just give me a minute."

"No hurry," Scott murmured quietly.

Matilda entered the room again, but not before giving a small break to try to calm down, and thus be able to speak with Samara in a better way. Upon entering, the girl stared at her expectantly. She smiled at her, again as sincerely as possible.

"Samara, I have good news for you," Matilda exclaimed enthusiastically, before sitting back in the same chair as before. "Dr. Scott just told me that I can talk to your mother, right now."

The black-haired girl's eyes widened when she heard that, and without saying a word, you could tell she was trying to say: Really?

"That's why I have to finish our session early. But I'll be back tomorrow in the early hours so we can continue with this talk, is that okay?"

Samara conveyed a mixture of feelings on her face, between emotion and disappointment at the news. Like Matilda, surely she was torn between the importance of both situations. Everything that involved her mother was undoubtedly significant to her, but so was what she wanted to tell her.

"But, will you return tomorrow?" Samara questioned, something uncertain.

"Of course. I promise you."

Matilda then extended her hand to her in greeting. Samara looked at her for a moment, confused, but later agreed to shake her hand. Matilda made them go down and up repeatedly in a somewhat exaggerated and comical way, which made Samara smile again amused.

"Thanks," the little one murmured, with a slightly softer and sweeter tone.

"You don't have to thank me for anything. Do you want me to say something to your mother for you?"

Samara nodded slowly again.

"Tell her that I love her."

— — — —

Scott led Matilda through a series of corridors to Anna Morgan's room. It was practically on the other side of the hospital; on the opposite end to Samara's room, in fact. Matilda if that would have been the intention.

She had previously studied everything she could about Mrs. Morgan. She was a well-to-do woman, raised always surrounded by horses, which were her greatest passion. The only thing she might have desired for more than her horses, raised, and cared for them by herself, was being a mother. She tried it without success several times, and that's where the adoption process came in. These last points, however, she did not know them until she spoke directly with Anna's husband.

According to what the doctors said, Samara had "attacked" her with her abilities; just like the horses. Was no record how, or why, this attack happened. But it left her personality deteriorated. There were angry and insane episodes in the following days, added to suicidal tendencies, which culminated in at least one failed attempt. After that, she had been interned there with Samara.

In the descriptions of what Samara did to her (and where the theory is derived that she did the same to the horses), Anna claimed to see images. Horrible images, returning to her from time to time, and unable to get out of her head, causing her an intense obsession. The descriptions of those images in the reports that Dr. Scott passed on to her were quite vague. The recurrent elements seemed to be darkness, water, cold, death; not always visually, but at least in the feeling they conveyed. Matilda could not prevent thinking that the same thing happened with the images she had seen Samara creating on paper.

Outside the room, a male nurse waited for them and opened the door with their key as soon as they approached.

"All yours," Scott exclaimed, leaving her free to pass.

"Won't you come with me?" Matilda questioned, somewhat surprised.

"I thought you liked privacy, Dr. Honey," he murmured in an ironic tone, which Matilda did not find funny. "Besides, she specifically requested to speak with you alone. So, go ahead."

He extended his hand again to indicate that she should enter now, and for a moment, Matilda felt as if she were walking into some kind of trap.

She walked cautiously in front of Scott and the nurse and entered the room. Hardly and placed one foot inside, when she felt the door closed behind her. A little Déjà vu of her first night in that place came to mind.

The room in size and appearance was quite similar to Samara's. According to what she had read in her file, Mrs. Morgan was in a place like that not because she was dangerous, but rather because of the risk of hurting herself. Although evidently, that had not happened again in the last weeks, Dr. Scott still did not think it was enough to change her to another more accessible dormitory.

Partly it was understandable, considering the circumstances. When someone gets that idea into their mind, it was complicated to let it go, and less in just a couple of months; with more reason if what she and Cody thought about the true nature of Samara's Shining was right.

However, the room had something that Samara's did not: a window in the back wall, which if she was not mistaken, must have seen to the backyard for granted. Through it entered abundant sunlight; in fact, the light in the room was off, and the one that came through the window was the only illumination. It seemed little, but that single detail changed the feeling of confinement. In fact, it was there where Matilda glimpsed the occupant of that room. She was standing in front of the window. She was staring for it the forest on the other side of the fence surrounding the hospital.

Anna Morgan was a tall woman; definitely taller than her, although that was not saying much. She had black hair, very long and loose like Samara's, although hers was somewhat less straight and looked a little careless. She also wore a white hospital gown, but on top of this, she wore a light brown sweater. She didn't look at her when she entered, or when they closed the door behind her. I was like if she hadn't noticed her presence.

"Mrs. Morgan?" Matilda murmured slowly, but she still did not notice any reaction on her part. "Mrs. Morgan, I'm Matilda Honey. Her husband..."

"I know who you are," the woman interrupted in a low, ironic voice. "You're the miraculous doctor, who came to... cure that girl."

Anna turned slowly towards her, and then Matilda finally saw her face; this, however, left Matilda somewhat impressed. She looked older for the age she had, with several wrinkles around his mouth and eyes. These, precisely, were reddened and had two large circles under them. She was smiling, but the rest of her face seemed too expressionless... frighteningly expressionless.

Matilda did not let that intimidate her, and instead, she remained as firm as she had entered.

"Mrs. Morgan, your daughter..."

"My daughter?" She exclaimed with an exaggerated surprise, followed by a sharp laugh, and then a complete expression of coldness. "That thing is not my daughter..."

The way she had said that was so charged with hatred and anger that Matilda's blood turned cold. It was almost as if she had been talking about some animal, insect... or even something less than that.

"I can see you're a smart girl," Mrs. Morgan added. "Surely you found out it, right?"

Matilda refused to answer, although her silence was possibly sufficient response. Instead, she preferred to finish what she was going to say before being interrupted.

"Samara doesn't have any disease that deserves to be cured."

"Tell that to my horses," Mrs. Morgan said, beginning to move toward the bed. "My beautiful horses. Beings so noble, so loyal, so pure... until that demon went into their heads, and shook them to the point where they preferred to end their lives before spending another second with those horrible images. I understand them because I went through the same thing..."

After surrounding the bed, she ended practically in front of Matilda, and took advantage of the position to show her wrists; or, instead, the cuts wounds on them, recently healed. The psychiatrist fell silent; it was really a striking image to see, no matter how many times or whoever they were.

Anna stepped back, hugged herself, and sat on the edge of the bed. She smiled at her again in the same awkward way as before.

"I should have had better use the knife in her."

"Mrs. Morgan..."

"Anna," she cut off abruptly, in a tone of fake friendliness. "Call me, Anna. Surely you have read so much of our lives in your files and psychological analysis, which you will already feel like part of our sweet family. Or not? That was my sin, you know? To want so much a family; Longing to be a mother. I should have understood that it was not my destiny. But no, no... I was arrogant and selfish. I wanted everything. A loving husband, a nice house, a large ranch, and my beautiful horses. Nothing of that was enough for Anna Morgan. She had to bring darkness and destruction to her life to feels full. And you looked at where I ended up with that."

She looked around, pointing with her eyes to the room where they were.

It was a bit difficult for Matilda to keep her poker eyes. The news that she might finally speak with Mrs. Morgan came to her so suddenly and unexpectedly that she had not been able to prepare herself in advance for that talk; especially mentally. She knew that the situation was difficult, but the attitude she now saw in this woman showed that she had no idea.

Whatever it was, she had to try to stay calm. Matilda approached her, standing in front. She would have liked to have a chair to sit on, but it was obviously one of those dangerous things to have in a patient's room.

"Anna, I know that at the moment you feel confused, upset, and scared, and that's normal," she began to say softly. She looked at her, intently in silence. "But you have to understand that everything Samara has done, she has never done with bad intention. Neither against you, your husband, or your horses. She still doesn't dominate what she can do, but she will; I'm here for that. And once she achieves it, she can have a normal life, like any other girl. You and she will be able to return home, and everything will be like before."

"Like before?" Anna exclaimed in disgust. "I won't put a foot on that island if that girl is even close to it. In comparison, I'm much safer here."

Matilda felt a little lump in her throat as she heard her say that.

"That will be your decision. I can't force you to accept her again in your life. But you must at least try to forgive her and forget this. Regardless of who has given birth, for her, you are her mother, her only mother."

Matilda squatted in front of her, trying to put her face on the same level. Anna kept looking at her in silence and coldly, without changing to her words.

"Samara regrets everything she's done and wants to fix things. She has worked hard and has made signs of progress. But she can't get rid of all this entirely if you don't allow it. Both need each other to heal, and I am here to help you; both of you."

Matilda smiled slightly at her, but Anna did not respond. She looked at her in silence for a long time, but then began to laugh out of nowhere, taking the young brunette by surprise.

"You are as naive as Dr. Scott told me."

"Sorry?" Matilda exclaimed, confused.

Anna bent her body to the front and took her abruptly from the right wrist as if to make sure she did not try to move away.

"Do you think I asked him to talk to you so you could give me a sermon like that?" Anna exclaimed with her face near hers; her voice became hoarse and threatening. "No... No forgiveness, no healing. You don't heal the devil, Dr. Honey: you pierce his heart with a sword."

"What?"

Matilda was bewildered. Anna's gaze had become lost and absent. The fingers of her hand tightened around her wrist, and they trembled slightly. She could even see the veins in her temples throb as if she were making an intense effort.

"Scott says you've earned that monster's trust," she continued. "She let you approach her, let her guard down before you. That's why you have to do what I couldn't."

Her breathing stirred, her eyes opened wider than Matilda would have imagined possible. These were injected with blood, and the veins in her temples throbbed even more.

"Kill her..." Anna snapped out almost like a scream of pain. "Kill that girl before it's too late. You have to do it. Water is the only thing that can end it; it is the only way."

"Let me go, you don't know what you're saying," Matilda snapped, trying to get away from the firm grip, but she would not let go.

"You haven't seen what I did. You haven't seen what is hidden behind that face. You haven't seen the horrors that will unleash in this world if you don't finish it here and now!"

Her voice was filled with great desperation, and at the same time, she began to shake it with every word she uttered. Matilda kept fighting, trying to make her release her wrist, but her grip was too strong, almost inhuman. In the anxiety that all this provoked, she was tempted to use her telekinesis and force her away violently. However, she had to resist. She should not use his ability against people unless the situation was absolutely necessary. Luckily, on that occasion, it was not.

Matilda heard suddenly how the door behind her opened. Alerted surely by Anna's screams, the nurse who had seen outside, accompanied by a second, entered the room, took Anna from her arms, and between the two managed to separate her from her. As soon as she was free, Matilda stepped back several steps and took her wrist with her other hand.

The nurses pulled Anna to her bed. She kicked and shouted with despair, and even tried to scratch the face of one of the men with her long nails.

"Kill her! Kill her!" She kept on screaming again and again before one of the nurses put an injection in his arm. It took a few seconds, maybe a minute, but little by little, her screams turned into little ones, then murmurs, and finally silence.

Anna closed her eyes and stayed, apparently, asleep. Only then Matilda breathed again, and her feet answered to leave the room. Outside was Scott, with his hands in the pockets of his white coat, and a mocking smile on the lips.

"I suppose it didn't go as well as I expected," he pointed out amused, adjusting his glasses with one hand.

"You told me she was calm and receptive!" Matilda claimed to him, annoyed while carving her wrist, which had been somewhat red after being held that way. Scott, on the other hand, shrugged.

"She was, or so it seemed to me. Maybe you said something that bothered her."

Suddenly, Matilda returned to the wicked thought that had crossed her before entering: had that really been a trap? Some revenge for any of her previous comments outside the place? No, in spite of everything, she refused to believe in it. John Scott could be as pedantic and annoying as a doctor of his position could be; but at least she hoped that he had enough professional ethics not to jeopardize the health of a patient, and of a colleague, at the expense of a joke in bad taste.

Most likely, Anna Morgan's condition was even worse than her evaluations had thrown up until then. Even worse than the good doctor, or even her husband, had noticed. Still but of what Matilda had foreseen.

What had all this been that she shouted at her? Was she aware of what she was saying? Matilda would have liked to think that nobody was capable of thinking that kind of things about an innocent girl... but she knew very well that it was not like that. She had seen how people reacted to something they did not understand; especially, when that something caused them some damage.

There were quite serious implications she had not foreseen, and that in hindsight, she realized that she should have prepared, at least since she knew that Samara was adopted. How would you solve such an error at this point?

"Well, it ended faster than I expected." She heard Scott point, causing her to look at him again. "Do you want to continue talking with Samara, Doctor?"

Matilda hesitated. Perhaps it was the right thing to do, considering that they had left an important conversation pending. However, after seeing the real state of her mother and her position before her... how could she see her? What will she go to say? What was the direction she had to take from then on?

It was best to take a few moments to think about what her new strategy should be, and the steps to follow. The situation had become too delicate, and she must treat it as such.

"No, I'll be back tomorrow morning to talk to her." The psychiatrist answered and prepared to go once to her hotel to rest and meditate a bit.

"And maybe then we can sit down and talk calmly about what you owe me, Doctor." She heard Scott say with moderate force behind her.

Matilda abruptly stopped her steps, and turned to him, totally confused.

"Excuse me?"

The doctor put his hands back into his pockets and approached her with firm steps until he stood right in front of her.

"I have done and allowed everything you have wanted," he explained. "You had been like a kid asking Santa Claus for gifts, and I have given everything you wanted from my magic bag. But it's not Christmas, and this was supposed to be a give and take agreement, and I have not received anything yet. I think you had spent enough time with the Subject, so you can share something with me. Or is it that in all this time you have only been talking about dolls and still have nothing worth sharing? Do you really expect me to believe that?"

What it lacked; that was definitely what she needed the least in those moments.

Matilda breathed deeply, though discreetly. She had to accept that part of the good doctor was right in his claim. He told her the first day he arrived there that she would share everything she felt pertinent to his investigation, and for the moment she had not. She would have to keep her word, although she had to be careful about what tell him and what keeps secret.

"All right. Tomorrow, after finishing talking with Samara, I will share what I consider worthy of your interest; as we had agreed."

That said, and without waiting for an answer, she turned back and kept walking, although now more quickly.

"Do I have your word?" She heard him exclaim loudly as she walked away.

"Don't press, Scott," she answered with a vengeance, though in truth she was not sure if she had said it aloud, low, or maybe she had only thought about it.

In all the fuss, Matilda had been unable to pass the message Samara wanted to tell her mom. However, seeing the situation, it could not have been worth anything.

END OF CHAPTER 09

Author's Notes:

—Anna Morgan is based on the respective character from The Ring of 2002 and The Ring 2 of 2005. In these films, we didn't see her much. For this reason, so much of her personality and way of acting and thinking is based more on a personal interpretation. Also, like Richard, Samara and the other characters corresponding to the franchise of The Ring, Anna is influenced by the temporary change mentioned in the Notes of Chapter 01, which places the events between Samara, his parents, and the Eola Psychiatric in a more current era.