New Year's Eve Kill Read Free Page B

Took another nap. How are you? I’m guessing it must suck working on New Year’s Eve.”
       “Yeah…It’s been an interesting evening already.”
       Ethel couldn’t help notice that Missy had looked over to Mr. Grant as she said ‘interesting evening already.’
       “I’m sorry to put you on the spot, but how is Mr. Grant doing?”
       “Oh—he’s doing good. A heart attack can take a lot out of you.”
       “But Nurse Gita said he had a stroke.”
       Missy’s eyes looked like she wanted to tell her something but she soon forced a smile, “Oh, don’t mind my silly head. That’s right Mr. Grant had a stroke. So sad, and in the prime of his life.”
       Ethel had got a quick look at her roommate, and the man looked near ninety-years- old. Still, vital, yes, but prime? Ethel didn’t think so. There was something definitely sinister going on at Christmas hospital besides the food. She knew now she wasn’t imagining things. She wanted to call Detective Vince Carpino and have him investigate. But what would she tell him? That the hospital was scary, and the old man in the bed next to her was being neglected in some way? Vince would tell her she had an overactive imagination. And what proof did she really have?
       “Here is your medication. It will help the pain.”
       Ethel took the pills, reluctantly. Five pills seemed like a lot of medication, but she didn’t want to fight with the nurse. Who really liked to take pills anyway, unless they were drug addicts?
       “Now if there’s nothing else you need, Ms. Cunningham…”
       “Nurse—Missy. You know if you need someone to talk to, I’m here. I’m really a good listener, and I am stuck here in this room. Mr. Grant is not much of a talker.” Ethel smiled with her eyes, and Missy seemed to relax for a moment, until she heard footsteps from outside the room.
       “I have to go make my rounds. I suggest you rest, and before you know it, your stay in this hospital will just be a memory.” Missy left the room quickly.
       Ethel spit out the melting pills that the nurse had given her in a tissue. Some of the medicine had dissolved in her left cheek where she stored them but at least she wouldn’t be totally knocked out. She felt pain at certain times on the sides of her skull but felt too anxious to be passed out in the weird hospital if she took the drugs.
       Minutes passed as she took turns watching TV and staring out her window from her bed. Her mouth was feeling dry and a little numb. Ethel was about to close her eyes, when a slow, hissing sound seemed to be coming from beyond the curtain. Ethel sat up in her bed and leaned over and tried to listen more closely. Peaking towards the door, the half view of the outside hallway looked even darker and mysterious than before. The overhead fluorescent lights seemed to be buzzing and blinking their last breaths. She thought she should just get up and leave the room now and find an exit. And run until she got a cab or a bus. The place was starting to drive her mad and she started to feel like she didn’t know what was real or fake anymore.
       As more scratching came from beyond the curtain Ethel clutched her hands on the white hospital sheets. She was going to lose her mind if the sound didn’t stop. At last she couldn’t take it anymore and tried to get out of bed but her legs felt strange. Almost like she had weights strapped to them.
       Did Missy give me drugs to paralyze me?
       She felt lucky she didn’t swallow all the pills, but knew they must have been strong to start working already. Is this what they had given Mr. Grant and that’s why they knew he was definitely out for a while? She thought in horror. Fatigue was taking over and she wondered if she should just give up. The clock on the wall said it was getting closer to the New Year and that woke her up. This was not the way she wanted to die.
       Ethel took every ounce of strength she had to get out