2019-08-02 - Case File: Amelia Walton

Minerva had been up early today, leaving a note for Itzhak at his job. She felt like she had messed that up pretty bad and well...she didn't think he'd want to have much to do with her after so may as well apologize and move on with life. You'd never know when you'd be dead in this town as it was.

"Doc?' comes the voice that breaks her out of her thoughts and she turns her head from the window to look at Amelia. There's a bright smile for the little girl and she crouches down, "I was thinking. Sorry about that." she tells her quietly. "How is your painting going?" she asks the girl as she gives a look to the easel that's turned away from the windows.

"I ran out of red." Amelia tells her as she looks to Minerva. The way she says it makes Minerva squint at her, but she chalks it up to just being almost out of paint. Not that she ran out completely. Children were sometimes dramatic. "Lets see what you've got so far." Minerva states as she stands. Then she's heading over to the paper that the girl was painting and there's a bit of dread that settles in as she looks over the paper.

Amelia had painted the whole of the surface red, like it was a field of blood. If that wasn't disturbing enough there was a black skeletal like figure that had been painted by the child's hands. "Amelia, do you remember this from the house?" she asks her in a soft voice. Amelia's head bobs up and down, "Yes. That's the mean man." she tells the doctor. Minerva looks to her and there's a soft frown, "We'll put this in your file, how does that sound?" she asks the little girl.

Amelia's looking at something else though. And those already big eyes of hers are staring at the painting in sheer terror. Minerva's head whips back around and there's a moment she almost screams. But she manages to compose herself and not scare Amelia. The painting was looking at them, the skeletal figure starting to peel itself off the page. One creak of bone and a second and it was making Minerva nauseous.

Without a second thought the woman grabs Amelia up and runs out of the room. All the while there's the snapping of bones behind them. She heads for the office, slamming the door shut and locking it as she holds onto Amelia. "What is it?!" the little girl shouts. Minerva presses the girls head to her shoulder, "It's just a bad dream. Everything will be fine. I promise, Amelia." she tells her in a quiet, but wavering tone.

And Amelia believed her.

It's a few minutes before there's a wiggle of the door knob. "Where are my girls?" the rasped voice of Skeletor asks from the other side. That made Minerva's blood run cold. "Go away...please go away. Pleasepleaseplease go away." the one eyed woman prays softly as she tightens her arms around Amelia. Who is sobbing softly as the banging starts on the door.

Bang: "LET" BANG: "ME" BANG: "IN!" comes the booming voice and the violent strikes to the door.

"GO AWAY!" Minerva shouts at the door as she extends one hand. The other keeps a hold of Amelia protectively. "Don't look sweet heart. Everything's going to be fine." she whispers to her.

The door comes open. Slowly. Like one of those slowed down moments in horror movies. And there is Skeletor in all of his unholy glory. The darkness seems to grow when he steps into the room, shutting the door behind him. "Ah, there you two are. Did you not hear me?" he asks in that rasped tone.

Minverva doesn't give him a chance to talk anymore she lets an arc of electricity hit him, sending him smashing back through the door to her office. Leaving him laying there in the wood splinters as she makes a run for it. And then the laughing echoes from the spot where they left him.

She can still hear it ringing as she drops Amelia safely at the Walton's home and she just drives. Anywhere but her place.