THE ROOT OF DARKNESS

CHAPTER NINE

The occupants downstairs of the motel called the officers to report the incident as well as an ambulance which came immediately as it carried the dead bodies of Katiana and Jensen. 

“This motel is starting to give me the creeps. I can’t believe someone died”. Said a random person as they made their way back into the motel. 

“But what can we do about it? It’s raining so we can’t even leave now if we want to”. Said a man with a pale face.  

“I’m sure there’s no killer here.” Chimed the voice of an old lady. “Those two probably just had a lover’s squabble”

“So bad that they both jumped off the building?” Asked a middle aged lady in her twenties. 

“A lover’s squabble can lead to anything “. The old lady said as she moved away and went up to her room. The room of the old lady just happened to be after Liz’s room. 

The moment she passed by the room, her eyes caught hold of the blood that was splayed on the ground. For a moment, she thought her eyes were deceiving her so she was about to walk away. 

It wasn’t until the lightning flashed once more up in the sky did she see the blood more clearly did she scream, crashing to the ground as she started trembling, moving backwards. 

The trio who she’d left downstairs rushed up the stairs to meet her. “What’s going on?”. The pale face man asked but the old lady couldn’t respond as she was still in shock. 

When she found the courage to move a muscle, she pointed towards the room with shaky hands as the middle aged woman walked towards it slowly but deliberately.  

When she saw the interior of the room, she screamed as she started breaking down in tears. She ran down the stairs to the entrance of the front door as she pulled the knob, in an haste to leave. 

She’d just briefly stepped out of the motel into the main road when an oncoming vehicle had ran her over. The onlookers whom had been standing by as they’d heard her violently descend the stairs gasped on shock as they watched her get runover. 

A man named Dexter quickly ran to bolt the door shut to prevent whomsoever it was that had ran that lady from entering the motel . 

The loud sound of the engine overtaking the woman, they knew not attracted Miss Penelope’s attention as she and Alfred made their way down the stairs.

“What was that noise?” Penelope inquired from the man by the door. 

“There’s a serial killer out there and there’s no way on my watch, am I going to let anyone walk through this door.”.

No sooner had that word slipped out of his mouth than had they heard a loud bang against the door. 

Dexter trembled in his stead, shivering profusely but never for once leaving the back of the door.

“Mister, it might be a real person out there. Open the door”. Penelope countered. 

“Killers are real people too, aren’t they?”. Dexter snarled back. “If you want to act all godly then go out there yourself and do so”

“Please let me in..” cried the feminine voice outside the door. “

On hearing the voice, Penelope immediately recognized it.”Kira?” She questioned. “Kira, is that you?”. 

“Miss Penelope, it’s me”. Came Kira’s voice from outside as she banged on the door fervently. “Please let me in!”. 

Miss Penelope walked up to Dexter as she tried to push him away but he wouldn’t budge. “Move aside”

“Over my dead body. I Just witnessed a murder and soon afterwards your girl shows up from nowhere?. How on earth did she even go outside under your watch?.”. 

“Mister!”. Penelope shouted loosing her cool as she was on the brink of tears. “I just came here to take my students out on a field trip. You said it yourself that there’s a murderer outside. Do you want to leave a poor girl like her all alone out there? Are you sure it would be okay with your conscience?”

“Please let me in!”. Came Kira’s cracking voice yet again as she banged the door harshly making Dexter to be slow on his decision. 

“Let her in already”. One of the onlookers said.

“Yes. If you let something happens to that girl, what’s the difference between you and that murderer?”. Cried another voice. 

“Yes!. You would be less than a human yourself!”. Came another voice. The uproar that came from the disagreement with the whole occupants and Dexter was a rather loud one and Dexter just as equally felt attacked as no one was on his side. 

“I’m trying to save you all!”. He shouted. 

“Well then prove it first by saving the girl!”.

“Yes!”. Left with no other choice, Dexter turned towards the door. “Kid, is there anyone around you?”. 

“No, it’s just me” came Kira’s voice. 

“Okay. I’m going to open the door for you now. Make sure to run in, okay?”. 

“Yes”. Dexter opened the door for a while as Kira ran in and he immediately bolted it back. 

“Miss Penelope”. Kira cried as she ran to hug her. She was wet from her head to toe but Penelope didn’t care about that right now. 

All she knew was that this child was by herself all alone and scared and now that she was in her arms, she planned to make her feel safe. 

“You’re safe now Kira”. Miss Penelope said tightly embracing her as she patted her hair and the latter’s body equally shivered under her touch. “Everything fine now”

“Everything is not fine, Miss Penelope”. Came Kira’s cracked voice. 

“What do you mean?”. 

“Sasha, Bree and Monica…they are gone”

Penelope furrowed her brow, confuse. “What do you mean they are gone? But they didn’t come with us”

“They later came, ma’am and…”

“And?”

“Now they are dead.”. Kira said sobbing profusely as her hands started to shake. “I saw their dead bodies in the forest”