Chapter 2 - The Desperate Escape
Clara did not wait to see what Lawrence was pulling out of his pocket.
She scrambled to her feet and sprinted across the perfectly manicured lawn of the cemetery.
“Stop that crazy woman,” Lawrence yelled at the men in suits.
Heavy footsteps thundered behind her as the two thugs gave chase.
Clara dodged between rows of ancient marble headstones, using the maze of graves as cover.
She could hear the heavy breathing of the men getting closer with every passing second.
Her lungs burned, but the thought of Leonard being trapped gave her unnatural strength.
She reached the iron gates of the cemetery just as a black town car pulled up to block the exit.
The driver stepped out and crossed his arms, waiting for her.
Clara realized she could not outrun them in a straight line on the open street.
She sharply veered to the left, diving into a thick patch of thorny blackberry bushes lining the fence.
The thorns tore at her clothes and scratched her face, but she pushed through the pain.
She rolled out onto a steep dirt embankment and slid down toward the busy highway below.
Cars whizzed past at high speeds, blaring their horns as she tumbled into the gravel shoulder.
She waved her arms desperately at an approaching pickup truck.
The rusty truck slammed on its brakes, skidding to a halt just inches from her knees.
“Please, you have to help me,” Clara begged, pulling open the passenger door.
The teenage driver looked terrified, but he nodded and stepped on the gas.
Clara locked the door and sank down into the seat, clutching the brass key to her chest.
She read the faded gold lettering on the leather tag again.
It said the name was Blackwood Manor Medical Center.
She borrowed the boy’s phone and typed the name into a search engine.
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The first news article that popped up made her blood run entirely cold.
Blackwood Manor had been permanently closed three years ago after multiple patients vanished without a trace.
