"I told ya to stop her!" Father McKenzie reluctantly slammed a fist on his hard wood desk in his office as a thick files of patients flinched, his voice decibels increased as they reflected instantly his ire. He casted a menacing glare on the both sanitarians who were sent immediately in the juvenile priest's dim light office.

"But she invaded its institution's territory without a direct permission and her crew filmed her how she exposed its horrors inside..." Whilst one of the sanitarians was unraveling about Lana's exposion of Briarcliff in front of the young priest's desk, in the interim Alexander clutched firmly his fists as he was almost prepared to bang vigorously on the desk again, however, more violently. He scowled as he didn't peel a word, listening to the older man who spoke. Father McKenzie's temper verged, in fact, Lana and her filming crew entered through Briarcliff's dull, demolishing gray walls without warning. "...this facility."  The same sanitarian kept on whereas Alexander growled ferociously like an untamed animal. 

"It's your fault for letting this pathetic journalist to be filmed instead of stopping her with her crew."

"At least, we tried!" One of the employers confessed humbly as it was a tough task for him to confront the immensely cussed and cunning man of the cloth. 

"It's not apparent what have you done. I don't want to repeat myself again." Alexander stated beyond livid. The blood in his veins boiled frequently igniting as a volcano erupted its own lava in his body, embodying the priest's wrath. His azure blue eyes were darted to the both irresponsible, regretting sanitarians whose hands were in their pockets due to uneasiness. The more uneasy they were, more might the priest had and losing his temper. 

"And Father, we shall inform you she has mentioned your name out loud and about your deeds."

"Ha! Splendid!" Father McKenzie japed as a mischievous, subtle grin loomed on his illuminated face via his desk's lamp. "I have the right to know about it!" Then his mischievous grin vanished on his face as it was the same grimaced one with a grotesque scowl, imprinting his frustration and indisputable rage. 

"Well, Ms.Winters said some things which has to do with your notorious past and malpractice as an administrator of this facility." The second sanitarian spoke calmly, emotionlessly after he inhaled intensely.

"For example?" Alexander inquired.

Flashback

Earlier tonight

"The church sold Briarcliff Manor to the state of Massachusetts in the fall of 1965. Since then, conditions have deteriorated. These images and sounds are far more powerful than any words that can be spoken. But how can I describe to you the way it smells? It reeks of filth, of disease. It smells of death."

"Who are you? Do you have permission to do this? You are the first attendant we've seen the entire time we've been here."

"Is it the policy to leave patients unclothed and unclean, some of them smeared in their own feces?"  

"Uh I'm sorry, there's just too many for us to take care of."  

"One of the main issues why Briarcliff is demolishing is not only in the lack of funds and staff, but also one person who runs this facility and gave us a contrasting example how it's pressumed an asylum to alook like in normal conditions." The young journalist wandered up in relaxed pace as she held the microphone, her chestnut eyes directly darted to the recording camera like arrows.

"Father Alexander Stanley McKenzie is actually the administrator of Briarcliff since the spring of 1965. He sold the mental hospital for criminally insane patients to the state shortly after he earned the highest position as it's eerily evident how a regular inmate is being supervised. Just look for yourselves!" The muddling and loathsome images of starving to demise, unclothed, filthy patients roaming around the common room was far from pleasant for viewing especially by the younger, elder and sensitive viewers. Lana, herself, nauseated as soon as she burst in the old facade and her vulnerable nostrils smelled the stench of smeared in their own feces desolated inmates, lack of hygiene and misery, refraining herself from vomiting. 

A silence fell as she glimpsed around the place, surveying it once again, inhaling, although the pungent stench. Then the reporter furthered:

"Before Father McKenzie was elected as the next Briarcliff's adiministrator, he used to be a priest in one of the Boston churches as I have collected sufficient evidence to expose him and his atrocities." Lana paused as she caughed raspily. "For example, he raped one young woman four years ago, days before his categorical election. Moreover, he has committed as patients former nuns, sanitarians and security guards as Frank McCann was midst them. Luckily, he's no longer part of Briarcliff's responsiblity as he is living with his family happily ever after. The young priest has tortured hundreds of wretched, godforsaken souls there. Without showing preliminary compassion to them!" 

***

"How's that possible this nosy bitch to intervene in my personal life without having any clue what my past used to be?" Alexander slammed a fist on his hard wood desk once again, evoking a predatory yell, escaping the top of his lungs. Moreover, the young man was disorientated what kind of a language he used right away. He was very waxy. Far from its moderate border lines. "I think this pathetic ex-nun or to be exact lewd old nun and her toy boy former priest of the Roman Catholic church are pressumed to have this discreet, forbidden personal information about me..." He dramatically paused as he exhaled reluctantly, scarcely blinking. "...and spreading it like an epidemy in their inner circle."

Father McKenzie knew from somewhere that Jude used to be a promiscuous nightclub singer and she had some kind of a relationship with Monsignor Howard generally via the unsigned document for Jude's release as he delved more profoundly about the middle aged woman's personal info in her patient's file. It was a year ago after the misfortune encounter when Lana sezied inside the snake pit with a few journalists by her side and questioned about Jude. Further, he recalled when he has read the Jude's patient file. 

Flashback

1968

The azure blue eyes of the juvenile priest were cautiously scanning Jude's patient file as he frowned, reading it for himself in his dim light office as the flourishing storm brewed outside, lighting bolts jolting and streaming down rain drops. It has been raiing for a straight hour.

He delved in one of the drawers of the cupboard in the west side of his office a couple of minutes ago as he was beyond curious about the former nun and patient in the same time, Judy Martin. This name sounds so familiar to him. 

Judy Martin is a 45 years old woman. She has never been married with children. She used to be a nightclub singer. Judy spent 15 years, living behind Briarcliff's walls as a nun. 

Her family wasn't huge at all. Her father left her when she was just 5 year old girl. Judy's mother, Hazel, worked as a housekeeper in hotel. Judy had a close relationship with her mother, both cousins, Penelope and Beverly and grandmother, Jacqueline. Miss Martin described herself as a nervous child. She had no friends at school. Moreover, until the age of 10, she rejected to sleep on her own as she feared of the dark and had developed nyctophobia. When she was in her mid-teens, she left school, saying she hated it and the children were coarse to her and monkeyed her over being a fatherless child, besides her peers perceived her as a distant weirdo, according to her words.  She did everything in her power.

"Whore!" That was the initial impression he got from Jude as she was no longer Briarcliff's responsibility since her absence was particularly obvious.

Father McKenzie loathed women who were lewd and judged them by what they did work instead of examining their characters in details, by simply keeping in touch with them instead of judging them by its book cover. The former nun was amidst the type of women he disliked or loathed.

Then he put her file in the drawer of the cupboard in mousy manner, thereafter getting back to work by checking other patients' files.

***

"Father, are you okay?" The first sanitarian concerned enquired the juvenile priest as it renders the ambience even more awkward when the evident frustration of Alexander brewed in him like a big, fat storm.

"Of course, I am not okay, Samuel!" Subsequently Samuel swallowed a lump in his throat after hearing the priest's hostile undertone. "Why do you care about me when I am nothing more than your boss?"

"Well...it's okay to ask..."

"Do you think it's okay to let an endangering reporter to invade my workplace and exposing its horrors, according to her words? Huh?" The man of the cloth responded irritated as his anger began cooking inside him. 

The both sanitarians were numb as they didn't utter a word since Alexander's irascibility reached its own edge. They just nod their heads, agreeing with their boss's words or otherwise he would have fired them. He just gave Samuel and Matthew a malicious eyeing, lasting for seconds.

Consequently Father McKenzie ran vexedly fingers through his short light hair, combing its hairs, glimpsing at the ground as he opted to ignore his employers' continuous eyeing, swallowing hard when the hesitancy knocked on the door. The young man vacillated whether to leave his position as a head of Briarcliff for another candidate or stay here. He figured out he's in danger. He would be questioned over its investigation and be put behind the prison bars if he arrives in a courtroom with the Howards and Frank, and the judge's in their favour.

Whilst the hesitation and overthinking tortured Father McKenzie, meanwhile he caught his employers' fret looks. 

"Father, are ya overthinking?" Matthew questioned anxiously as he strolled up to the priest's desk, examining his current condition.

"How do you think, Matthew?"

"It's apparent."

"Good!" A derisive smirk distorted across his plump lips as he shifted his contempt eyeing to the second sanitarian. "I was just lost in my thoughts which is perfectly normal for every human being. For every one of us!" Alexander furthered as he justified vapidly.

"Oh." The both sanitarians sighed a sigh in relief. "I don't want to sound brash, Father! But..." In the interim, Matthew started as he caught the priest's instant disdain gaze. "...I think it's best to run away as far as you can. Sooner or later, the police will be after you, questioning you over Lana's Briarcliff exposion where...you know!" The older man stuttered as realized the man of the cloth was well informated for what he's going to be investigated about, without giving a further, detailed explaination about the future events. 

Silence fell between the 3 men as they just looked at one another in embarrassing perplexion. Eventually Alexander broke the silence:

"Perhaps you are right! Since the police would be here very soon to inquire me about there and everything I did as I don't sense any remorses since the beginning..." The young priest paused as he scratched idly his eyebrow. "...I have made my final decision!"

The both employers listened attentively the juvenile monsignor without cutting him off as they knew his manners if he was being interrupted otherwise. 

"I am going to leave this institution tomorrow the morning. I am going to run as far as I can. From the authorities. From the police. I will still be the pious and well-intentioned priest in the church." Alexander declared his final decision triumphantly at last. He sensed some ounce off his shoulders after determining himself to get out of the mental facility more sooner, the better for him and saving his own skin from the cops who will be at his heels in a matter of days and weeks. 

Despite the young priest's decision, the both sanitarians, Samuel and Matthew were secretly happy they will get rid off Father McKenzie within hours, while, on other hand, they weren't exactly content. After Father McKenzie releases his spot for a head of the facility, there would be almost no one who wants to run the slowly, gradually razing down facility. Whether a nun, doctor or even a priest. Not only Briarcliff was being exposed and the investigation will be in the imminent months, but also there's a greater chance the mental hospital for criminally insane being shut down forever and leaving it godforsaken in its ruins. 

***

Whilst the twins were watching Elsa Mars's show on the television on the couch in the living room as Ellie clinged her rag doll to her chest, Jude seated on the chair as she held one of her old dresses which the mental institution ensured her when she used to be a patient a long time ago, sewing its cotton long sleeve of a yale blue knee length dress since she inspected some of her older, unworn clothes for years and she wanted to check them if they had issues, besides she hesitated whether to sell them, donate them in a charity or otherwise keep them. Meanwhile Timothy was with Agnes in the children's room, reading her a bedtime story since she was sleepy. 

The twins' eyes were transfixed at the television screen, enjoying to watch the former freak show owner singing and perfoming. They have been watching her for a half an hour.

The former nun hummed inwardly to herself as she inserted the one end of the thread through the small hole at the head of the needle, tying the two ends of the thread along in a knot, hence, stitching inside the dress's sleeve through the cotton fabric at the top and to the right of the hole from the inside out. The melodical song that she thrummed to herself was one of her favorites- Surrender by Perry Como.

She sang to herself as her humming simulated its instrumental:

"You came, I was alone. I should have known. You were temptation. You smiled, luring me on..."

Then she poked through the fabric 2 inches above the hole, afterward pushing the needle down through the hole and then back up through the fabric.

***

"Waaaahhh!" Agnes Jude's wailing diffused through the bedroom's walls as the both anxious parents opened reluctantly their eyelids as their heart raced once they heard the youngest Howard. 

Without hesitancy, Jude got from the bed as she promised her husband she will be right back within minutes as he was still lying in the bed, awaiting patiently for Jude as she got from the bed, hopped up in her comfy slippers as she fled out their bedroom. 

Once she was in the dark hallway, coated in shadows, she scurried up to the children's room as her hand reached the lukewarm door knob, thereafter pressing it as she was met with pitch black room, still hearing the wailing of her youngest daughter. Luckily, Ellie and Tristan were deeply asleep as they overlooked their younger sibling's cry. The door slightly squeaked, leaving it ajar as she walked up to the bassinet where Agnes slept usually. 

When she was beside her daughter's cot, she picked up the little girl in her arms by lifting her up from her sleeping nest, holding her as her cry softened even halted in the hollow, in the meantime, the former nun shushed, trying to reassure her apprehensive daughter, fondling her head with a hand.

"Shu, shu, honey! Mommy's here. Mommy's got you!" She rocked the three-year-old child in her arms, pecking a kiss on her cheek as she looked down at her lovely face, admiring her beauty, the ajar door letting a dim light illuminating apart of the pitch black children room. 

"Mama!" Agnes murmured as she felt secure and loved in her mother's arms shortly after the nightmare she had. Fortunately, she stopped weeping and sobbing.

"Yes, honey! Tell Mommy what's bothering my baby. Is everything alright?" In the meantime, she left the children's room with Agnes in her arms as the little girl threw her arms around Jude's neck.

"No!"

"Sweetie, what's bothering you? Did you have a nightmare?"

"Yeah." Agnes Jude replied as her chin rested on her mother's shoulder, her frail nostrils taunted by rosy scent of her hair. 

"About the filthy place you watched with us earlier tonight, right?" The former nun figured out instantly why the young girl had a nightmare as she re-entered in the bedroom after closing the children's room door. 

"Mhm." 

As soon as the middle aged woman came back in the same room where she shares a bed with her husband for years, Timothy was beyond relieved to behold Jude with Agnes in her arms. A broad, loving smile curled up in the corner of his lips. His heart suddenly melted.

"Timothy, it seems Agnes will be bettah sleeping with us." Jude strolled up to the bed with the infant in her arms as she kicked off her slippers as she sat on the edge of the bed.

"Is she struggling to sleep?" He asked concerned, unwrapping the blanket for Jude and the child where the blonde always slept. 

"She does. She had a nightmare." In the meantime, she laid down to sleep as Agnes was in the middle of the bed, sharing a large sized bed with her both caring parents. 

"Mommy and Daddy, can I sleep with you?" Two inquiring adult faces were fixed on the youngest Howard heir.

"Of course, you can, darling!" Timothy stroked the young girl's slightly wild golden hair and kissing the top of her head. "Tell us what exactly you dreamt so that to have a hard time be asleep!"

"Urm, the movie we watched earlier tonight. With the filthy patients," She stammered as she commenced explaining in details what she exactly dreamt, recalling the graphic memories of the documentary Briarcliff Exposed which aren't supposed to be seen by whether sensitive or young viewer like her. She was too young to behold such cringeworthy images and scenes. Her age was just a little too fragile. The parents' attention was utterly focused on Agnes's words. "the filthy place and Lana Banana."

The both parents seriously refrained to laugh after hearing by the way Jude addressed their old friend as they abided beyond serious and worrisome for their daughter. 

"Oh! I think my judgment was absolutely right. And that's why yar Daddy clamped your eyes with a hand, preventing you from watching the turmoil images." Jude guessed her own judgment was peculiarly right as she realized that the crucial reason why her daughter was still awake, struggling to fall asleep was actually because of the documentary with its horrid and nauseating pictures of the nuthouse.

"Yeah but I couldn't help to peep at it at least."

"Agnes, you deserve some rest!" The middle aged mother cautioned gravely as she slept on one side. 

"Your mother is right. You need to relax, babygirl! Save your thoughts and energy for tomorrow morning, okay?" Timothy responded calmly. 

"Mhm. I love you Mommy and Daddy! Good night!" 

"I love you too, sweetheart!" The both parents said at once as they kissed their daughter's cheeks as she felt more comfortable and better, thanks to Jude and Timothy. They soothed her. They provided her love, warmness and welfare she lacked of a handful of minutes ago. "Good night!"

To be continued...