Night 33: Intercom, End of Night
When the intercom finally came on, the quality of the broadcast wasn't as good as it usually was, as if the Head Doctor had been forced to use some unorthodox means to return power over the speakers back to himself. It seemed that his idea had worked; despite the intermittent static that made his words harder to hear than usual, there was no interference or old tapes from a faceless saboteur.
And it seemed he'd made another change to the broadcast system as well. His voice not only came from the speakers inside the Institute but from the radios as well, a sudden and jarring change from the helpful voices that the handheld radios had afforded the patients until now.
"Haa ha haaa..." The Head Doctor laughed with the tone of a man who had lost a battle but who had not yet given up on the war. "I concede, Jill, or whoever you are, that you are triumphant tonight. Bravo, bravo!" He clapped slowly. "You've allowed the patients to escape past the walls of Landel's. They're out! They're free! But...."
The sound of him shifting in his seat could be heard, as if he was leaning forward towards the mic. His voice was low in tone, amused.
"...But they aren't free at all, are they?"
He chuckled again, and an intermittent squeaking could be heard as if he was rocking back and forth in his big office chair.
"No, no, they aren't, and in fact, you've done more damage to the poor, pitiful psyches of my patients than I could ever dream. You see, Ms. Radio, I keep them caged, and in that cage, they are safe. Why, yes, there are threats within that cage, but they are merely a diversion, a distraction from the cruel truth of the outside world. Why? Well, you, Ms. Radio, should know why they will be so, so very disappointed come morning, but... I don't want to spoil the fun, now, do I?"
The Head Doctor cleared his throat and snapped his fingers.
"Bedtime, my prisoners."
And it seemed he'd made another change to the broadcast system as well. His voice not only came from the speakers inside the Institute but from the radios as well, a sudden and jarring change from the helpful voices that the handheld radios had afforded the patients until now.
"Haa ha haaa..." The Head Doctor laughed with the tone of a man who had lost a battle but who had not yet given up on the war. "I concede, Jill, or whoever you are, that you are triumphant tonight. Bravo, bravo!" He clapped slowly. "You've allowed the patients to escape past the walls of Landel's. They're out! They're free! But...."
The sound of him shifting in his seat could be heard, as if he was leaning forward towards the mic. His voice was low in tone, amused.
"...But they aren't free at all, are they?"
He chuckled again, and an intermittent squeaking could be heard as if he was rocking back and forth in his big office chair.
"No, no, they aren't, and in fact, you've done more damage to the poor, pitiful psyches of my patients than I could ever dream. You see, Ms. Radio, I keep them caged, and in that cage, they are safe. Why, yes, there are threats within that cage, but they are merely a diversion, a distraction from the cruel truth of the outside world. Why? Well, you, Ms. Radio, should know why they will be so, so very disappointed come morning, but... I don't want to spoil the fun, now, do I?"
The Head Doctor cleared his throat and snapped his fingers.
"Bedtime, my prisoners."