2 years later...

10th of October, 1968

2 years have already passed briskly quick. On one hand, Jude and Timothy were tremendously blissful to welcome one new family member in May 1967 as they had one more daughter, who was named Agnes Jude as her middle name was took after her mother's changed name when she became a nun, officially recognized face of the church as she was a nun in Briarcliff. The little girl resemble so much her mother as she inherited almost every physical trait of hers including her golden curly hair, her well-shaped eyebrows, her down to earth and beauteous hazel eyes, her wee ears, her sheer white like milk skin color that was mingled between her and Timothy as well, her button nose and her facial expressions whenever she's either exasperated, blissful or miserable. In the contrary, she had her father's plump, extraordinary lips as it was the single thing that Agnes derived from her biological father. Agnes's nature was rather pure, virgin like as she reminded her parents so much of the young nun who used to collaborate with both of them a several years ago. Every time whenever either Jude or Timothy especially in Jude's case held Agnes Jude in her arms, she can see Mary Eunice in her arms as she recalled the times during her nunnery how Mary Eunice was like her daughter, the sole child that she profoundly loved until the devil overtook her body as she lost her pure virginity and innocence, including in that number her virtue as she raped Jude's nowadays husband.

Agnes was treated excellently by her older siblings Ellie and Tristan, besides Jude and Timothy's friends and acquaintances even Mother Claudia herself, who was the first person with Valerie and Velika who paid a visit a little after Agnes's birth. Shona had already met Howards' children as she made friends with three of them, but her friendship with Tristan was much deeper as they shared something in common. They were quite mature mentally for their age though their mild age gap.

When the youngest Howard's member appeared in this world, she was tiny compared to Ellie and Tristan who were perfectly normal sized newborn babies.

***

Flashback

15th of May, 1967

"Mrs.Howard, here's your daughter." One of the nurses handed the nameless baby firstly to the mother as she was beyond ecstatic and impatient to hold the newborn in her arms after labouring as Timothy was on the other side of the bed, congratulating her for her courage and equanimity.

"Aww, hello there, little angel!" She giggled as she held the tiny baby in her arms, rocking her as Timothy stared down at his gleeful wife and crying newborn daughter who just established in this world.

"She's so special." Timothy exclaimed as a broad, endless smile curled up in the corner of his lips as he sat beside his wife, stroking her soft, wild honey hair to reassure her after spending hours in pains and pushing as her body and face was sweat stained.

"She's. Just look at her." She looked up at Timothy's warm chocolate eyes who goggled to the new life that was brought, thanks not only to the nurse and Jude herself, besides his support and aid. A smug smile lit her face as she still panted, trying to regain her breath as much as she could after her strength and stamina was all drained.

In the interim, the newborn didn't stop crying as her cry floated all over the room where Jude was transmitted twelve hours ago. It was one of her toughest labours, honestly. She hadn't such issues with giving birth to Ellie and Tristan, despite the unutterable suffer of spending hours motionless on a bed as one of her hands was held, grasped by her husband, pushing painfully as she was breathless, barely having the chance to catch her breath as she panted abysmally.

"Shu, shu, honey! Mommy and Daddy are here." She shushed to the unnamed yet child, soothing her as she stopped crying as her face changed from palish into rosy-coloured. "Sweetheart, you remember how we planned to name if it's a girl?" She inquired as a smirk flashed on her face as she ignored Timothy's eyes that darted to the marvelous scenery he witnessed as father for third time.

"Oh yes, of course, darling!" He leant as he kissed his both precious females. "Agnes Jude." He answered boldly.

"Correct! How about if it was otherwise a boy?"

"Jared."

"Exactly! You are so precise, Mr.Howard." She teased him as she relished the moment of Agnes's first breaths that she inhaled in her mother's arms and thereafter in her father's as well. Meanwhile, the little Agnes cooed to her parents as she looked uncertainly with her lovely hazel eyes at her parents especially her mother.

***

1968

On other hand, 1968 year wasn't an easy year. Especially in certain people's cases as well.

For example Kit experienced toughly Grace and Alma's deaths, subsequently leaving him a single father with two children from two different women as the first one is his wife, whilst the another one with whom he fell in love in Briarcliff.

Valerie and Velika were struggling as Valerie's partner was diagnosed with breast cancer in progressing stage as she was diagnosed in the beginning of the year. She was in first stage once they had discovered the atrocious sickness that tormented not only her, besides her partner Valerie, their child Shona and their friends as well. Unfortunately, the things got worse as the time passed and the new seasons were approaching. The person whose love Ms. Volkova has devoted for more than 5 years hadn't actually a lot of time living, struggling. In the beginning of September, she was in third stage as almost nothing helped her to improve her own condition. Her partner and friends including her daughter did everything to save her life from the hollow darkness after thr death. Nevertheless, the last bells tolled in mid October for sadly.

***

"Do not leave me, my love, please!" Valerie said desperately through bittersweet tears that had poured down her face for a couple of minutes when she entered her bedroom to say good-bye to the love of her life.

"Please, auntie, do not do it!" Shona clarified upset.

The middle aged doctor laid on the bed as she wore a white cotton long sleeve nightgown ankle length as the quilt blanketed her body, spending her final minutes being encircled from her only family to her acquaintances and friends Jude, Timothy, Ellie, Tristan and Agnes Jude. The adults hardly smiled unlike the children who wore small, timid smiles across their tiny lips.

Her chocolate eyes gazed at her surroundings with a small, radiant, warm smile across her lips as her eyes were fixed on Valerie and then the Howards.

"I don't have many opportunities, kiddos. All I want is peace." She murmured as her words sounded almost like a whisper byond the pre-death grim scenery. "Kill me!" She stated boldly as she opted to catch her breath.

What Velika craved for was either to die painlessly or to be killed by either of her friends or family's though their goose would be cooked if they have done it. Dr.Azarova was feeling much weaker, physically and mentally in the last weeks of her life even after diagnosing her as she was in the very early stages of the eerie illness. She couldn't continue her job as doctor anymore as Valerie was the sole person in the entire family, who endured three family members including herself in this number with her salary. Velika retired shortly after. 

"We cannot kill you." Jude shook her head in disagreement as she sat beside her, taking her hand into her elegant one, pecking it with a light kiss. "You are a friend."

"That's right. Furthermore, murder is actually a sin." Timothy stated sternly as he placed a hand on his wife's shoulder, offering a genuine, soft smile to the helpless lady. 

"At least, I will be on better place, thanks to you." Velika smiled as she cupped her cheek in one hand.

"Mom!" Denis sat on other side of the bed as he placed his mammoth hand on his mother's petite one. "Don't leave me, please!"

"I won't, my son."

"Jude and Timothy, would you like to leave us for a while as I and the kids stay here, okay?" Valerie inquired imploringly with a bittersweet smile on her face.

"Okay." The Howards answered humbly, subduedly, leaving the room.

"Thank you!" Valerie exclaimed inwardly as the both parents of three children left the room.

"Kiddos! My love! I am so happy to spend my final minutes with you. So happy for seeing Judy and Timothy."

All children including Valerie sat on the bed as they stared at the ill woman, offering her possibly the most memorable, most propitious smile that they have offered her as her time descends.

"I promise to not leave you ever again. I will watch you from the heavens with my husband." She promised as she couldn't help but have already built crystal tears that poured down her tear stained face.

"Never and ever!" Everyone exclaimed as one.

They gave her hugs, kisses on the cheeks even her hands as Valerie was the only person who can kiss more intimately, passionately her dying lover as she had her last chance to press her lips on her pale ones. Moreover, they told her rightfully they love her and vice versa. Whilst Howards' children, Shona, Valerie and Denis encompassed her around her imminent death place as her last minute started passing as the hourglass's sand falling slowly, something illusional emerged in front of her mildly hazy vision. Shachath. The Angel of Death. 

The arcane woman whose hair was raven black hair with fishnet veil that dropped down to her nose tip, framing her palish, porcelain beautiful face with her bloody red lips as she was dressed up in goth black garments and her hands gloved in black leather, shieldhing her hands from wounds and scars. She was so elegant, composed, mysterious. Very unpredictable. She stood beside wooden footboard as a small, tranquil smile curled up on her face, watching the still suffering creature lying on the bed.

"Do I know you?" Velika questioned as she looked up at the dark, tall woman figure with bitter tears in her eyes that built, welling up her pretty chocolate eyes.

"I know you, Velika." It shocked the middle aged woman when she realised that Shachath knew her name by heart. Her chocolate eyes widened as the tears didn't stop making their way down to her face.

She swallowed hard as she looked down at her cold, trembling hands, thereafter returning her stare at the fallen angel.

"Are you ready for your salvation?" She walked up to the hopeless woman as she slightly bended, cupping her face gently in her gloved hands.

She just nod her head without hesitation, without peeling a word as she definitely agreed to receive her salvation in matter of seconds. 

In the meantime, Shachath dissolved her grand feather black wings as she approached her face, pressing lightly her lips on her ready victim's ones as Velika's eyes were closed, her heart stopping functioning as her last heart beat and breath passed through void's path with nothing left beside it and after passing it. 

Consequently Shachath vanished forever as had nothing happened.

When Velika's corpse was blanketed in the bed yet, everybody in the room sobbed as they mourned over her death. The children went up to Valerie as she leant to kiss them though Shona was the eldest child as she was halfly her mother's height now. She placed her hands on her daughter and Ellie's heads, watching blankly her already dead partner, unable to look away from the sorrowful, sinister landscape that painted in front of her eyes just moments ago. 

"Have you planned what to do with my mother's corpse?" Denis asked as he lowered his head, too sorrowful to look in his mother's partner who grieved over Velika's death.

"Yes, I have. I would like her funeral to take its place in my yard as her body and remains are burried on my house's territory." She said through bittersweet, remorseless tears.

"When is going to be her funeral?"

"Tomorrow in 9 o'clock."

***

Kit and Valerie lost their most prominent people in this world, as a result of horrid circumstances. They were now single parents, dealing and surviving under one roof with their children though the abscence of somebody significant, who can take a special part of their lives.

But actually something can be more than surprising especially when Jude and Timothy learn it sooner or later from nobody else, howsoever, Mother Claudia herself. She was the only person who knew with the new Monsignor of Briarcliff that Frank was actually still alive though he was commited as a patient shortly after Jude was stripped off her position. Nevertheless, the things were brutally complicated. They were seperated due to the possessed Mary Eunice's order when she was still alive until she was killed and Timothy got Jude out of the asylum, leaving something which truly meant a lot to Jude as it took a big part of her life in Briarcliff, not exactly as a love interest. It was actually a genuine, unique friendship between her and the security guard Frank. The person, who actually supported, had ginormous respect for her and liked her during her nunnery. He was amidst the fewest people who she can rely on after Timothy though he betrayed her, thereafter getting her out as soon as possible.

Not only he lost his job as he was an inmate for almost straight 4 years, furthermore the much younger monsignor Father McKenzie who had power over Briarcliff, had ruined everything in the institution as he stole the money that were supposed to be used for improving the conditions, repairing the facility as it started demolish slowly. Father McKenzie treated unfair even Frank himself but the things weren't up to here. Frank had lost drastically weight as he wore ragged clothes just like the other patients, besides he was slovenly. 

Mother Claudia did her best to get Frank out of the mental institution though her failures, thanks to the selfish, cruel and avaricious priest who was profoundly careless if either the inmates were dead or who was being beaten by the violent pack of patients.

***

10th of October, 1968

Frank was in the common room where it all gleamed with its better ambience when the jukebox was playing repeatingly song that floated in the room that was remembered once. But after Monsignor McKenzie took in his own hands Briarcliff, everything got much worse. Even the common room didn't have its own jukebox as it was destroyed by either one of the murderously violent inmates that roamed around the room.

He wore nothing but white T-shirt with stone blue wool cardigan and regular jeans as they were the single piece of attires that covered his body, protecting it from the autumn's chilling days. His scruffy hair framed his unwashed but still handsome face from days. He was feeling hopeless as he was trapped in the institution where he used to be a security guard. There were still wandering criminally dangerous and sceptic patients, who were either gathering in small group, beating another patient cluelessly, or otherwise, banging their heads in the wall or the porch, or doing something else.

He sat by himself in the corner, without being noticed by almost no one when suddenly Leigh Emerson, unfortunately, still alive, walked around him as he attempted to taunt Frank in possibly the worst way, despite Frank was wise and sober enough to ignore his enemy.

"Hooohoooo!" Leigh taunted him like an infant as he chuckled wickedly, opting to get his attention, in spite of his reluctant failure. "Aren't you actually upset for having no hopes of getting out of here, hm?"

Then the wicked light laughter of Leigh was ignored by Frank himself as he gaped blankly the tiny window as the daylight bathed the common room in gloomy light.

"How about the whore that used to collaborate with you and punished me in the cruelest way years ago?" Mr.Emerson himself didn't stop with his childish provocations as his malicious cackle clattered in Frank's ears which were fed up with listening to Lee's voice all over again.

"Don't you..." He got from his chair as he grabbed Leigh by the neck, chocking him with his entire physical strength that abided in his skinnier body. "ever dare to call her a whore. Am I clear, Lee?" He continued as he gritted his teeth through his livid tone.

"Ooh, calm down, Frank! This town pump escaped with the monsignor three years ago." Leigh carried on to tease the former guard. "Why now? Why do you care about this woman?"

"Because she's my friend." He paused as he looked around his surroundings as he grabbed the another inmates' attention who cheered him up, screaming out loud his name. "I am glad for her she is rescued from this hellhole, regardless my current dark fate that I am facing." His azure blue eyes glared at Leigh's horrified eyes.

Furthermore, Frank felt a tight heartache that tugged his heart in sombre, sinister envelope in his chest as he swallowed hard when he heard that his friend Jude was released from the facility almost four years ago. On one hand, he was blissful that she was out of this snake pit. On other hand, he was worried for himself that he will be like the other inmates. Forlorn, godforsaken by everything even by God. Every hope of his collapsed like a dilapidated century fort. 

"Hah! This sister is your friend? She had forgotten about you, Frank." Mr.Emerson cannot refrain and conform himself as divulged an unholy chuckle. "She's much far away from this stinky place where we shall all die." 

"You are disgusting." Then Frank released Leigh from his mammoth, still mighty grasp as he walked away from the common room gloriously as the another patients clapped their hands jubilantly, staring at the inmate who just walked away as Leigh tried to come to his senses after arguing with his old rival. Further, Frank stopped to argue with his old rival mainly because he found it for pretty pointless, besides immature. 

Frank felt proud for clashing simply Leigh who was famous as Santa Claus who murdered people and having twisted mind, opted to rape one of Frank's friends back in their times when they were still colleagues to one another.

***

"Well, well, well!" Father McKenzie wanted immediately Frank in his office as he uttered dramatically, his fingertips clicking against the oak wood's desk, flashing a mincing smirk across his youthful face. 

Likewise, Frank sat beside Father McKenzie's desk, swallowing a gulp in his throat after hearing his cocky tone. 

"Frank, you are in a trouble as always again. How is that supposed to continue in this way?" The young priest posed the question as his cocky tone aggravated Frank though he restrained to show his emotional, enraged side.

"It's a conspiracy against me, Father. You can't understand how much it hurts when this person insulted my friend, addressing her with an inappropiate name." Frank spitted it out as he cleared his throat, speaking only the truth, looking up at the juvenile priest's passively aggresive icy blue eyes.

"Ooh, you have a friend? Since when, Frank?" The priest stated impudently as he showed lack of respect to his inmate. A smug smile curled up in the corner of his lips. 

"I have actually an old friend who used to be a nun, then an inmate just before you to be the administrator of this institution. But she's luckily far away from this place."

"I see." He muttered. "But you cannot attack an inmate especially choking his neck like a beast." Then Father McKenzie slammed his desk toughly with a fist as Frank didn't startle, fortunately. He was rather too calm and prepared to speak whatever he wants, disregarding the priest's menancing words. Frank and Father McKenzie didn't actually like one another since the beginning. 

"But is he allowed to use a bad language especially calling a person who I liked a lot a whore?"

"That's all, Frank!" The monsignor gave up as he noted the stubborness that incited him to not give up easily as the younger man pressumed. "Guards! Take him to the solitary where's exactly his place for such ignorant freaks like him."

In the interim, two guards rushed as they entered in Father McKenzie's office, grabbing Frank by his shoulders, dragging him out the office as the middle aged man glared continuously at the ignorant monsignor, without peeling a single word afterward as he opted to wriggle in guards' stronger arms. The failure was evident. 

Once the guards finished their work as they put Frank in the cold, malodorous solitary where he was seperated from Jude since the commencement of their downfall in Briarcliff which nothing looked to post-Jude's one a couple of years ago. The patients weren't murderously unbearable, more insane after taking their tough medication that envenomed their bodies, toxinating their minds with haze vision and loosing their minds as they scarcely can recollect their memories. Frank made an exception as he attempted to evade those risky pills which would worsen his condition as well.

When he sat in the corner of the wall, brought his knees to his chest, his arms encircling his legs as his heart was broken after hearing Leigh mentioning Jude during their debatable collide in the common room. He sobbed quietly as his eyes welled in poignant tears, burrying his pale face in his legs, his nose rubbing jeans' fabric.

"I am damned and gonna rot here until my final days." He whispered to himself as he didn't dare to look away as he shutted his eyes, not wanting even to look in another human being anymore.

To be continued...