SAW IX (The last game): Chapter 1

Chapter 1

SAW IX
(The last game)


Chapter 1:

'The door opened, when her opponent was bleeding to death. She was paralyzed by the pain. She could neither stir, nor cry. She just laid there. A man came up to her and pushed her 'almost murderer' to the side. She had killed someone! She could not believe it...
The stranger leaned down to her and felt checking her pulse. She knew that it was very weak. She would bleed to death if she would not be medical supported...
He quickly pulls his hand back, grabs her under her arms and pulls her out of the squalid scene.
When she left this room, he leaves her there shortly. He closes the door. Then he goes back to her, "Are you awake?"
His figure seemed to be like a guardian angel. Weak she lifts her head and looks up at him. But only for a brief moment. Powerless, her head falls back on the floor.
    When she regained consciousness the next time, she was lying on a bed in a mannequin-factory. Her wounds were cleaned and aggregated. This man came in again. She recognized him immediately: It was the man who asked her -after her meeting at her psychiatrist's- for the way. But when she wanted to tell him where to go, her stunned her. He was John Kramer.
He asked her one question: 'Do you want to share your views?'
Before she could give him an answer, she lost consciousness again...
    Then she was in hospital. Their wounds were dressed again. A doctor came in and...'
"Mika? Earth to Mika!", Concerned a young woman -with light brown, shoulder-long hair- waves with her hand in front of the face of  Michaela Connor a.k.a. Korey Bishop a.k.a. Michaela Bishop.
This has laid her chin on her right hand and draws -with a biro- a picture on a white sheet of paper. It is, though she has no special effort, very realistic. The drawn head of Mark Hoffman stares -with his lifeless view- at her. Confused Mika looks at her image, her seatmate, then again at the picture, "What's going on, Anika?"
"When did the day come, that you are so distracted?" Asks Mika's best friend, "This is actually MY Part!!! You're the ordinary one, which always follows the instruction and hangs at the teacher's lips." She seems really to be worried, "Are you hiding something? ... A murder or a BOYFRIEND?!?"
"N... NO!", The orphan is outraged. Of course, her sister-in-mind knows nothing about their machinations after school. Whenever Anika makes such a joke, Mika thinks, her heart would stop. 'If she only knew...' "When and WHERE would I have the chance to pull a friend? ... And... come on! Me and a MURDER?"
"Was just a question...", then the sight of young Thomis falls on the image, "'s that him? Is this your father? How's he like?"
Michaela nods, "Well ... he is not very familiar ... We argued ofte-"
"Miss Bishop," interrupts suddenly a serious, male voice. The Teacher, Mr. Blitly, "We are here in school and not at a coffee gossip!"
"Excuse me ...", the first student of John Kramer looks -in shame- at her drawing.
"If you are already in the mood in the topic talking, then you can immediately recite your homework.", The middle-aged man is wearing, like every other day, a blazer, over a white shirt and black tie, and his dark blue jeans. He combed his blond hair, as best he possibly can, over his receding hairline. Scrutinizing he looks at her through his dark glasses as he sits down in the chair, which is standing in front of the desk. Provocative the teacher in Psychology and Latin crosses his arms in front of his chest, "We are very excited about your psychological analysis about John Kramer..."
Hesitating the seventeen-year-old stands up. Suddenly her heart starts to race. She does not know why her memories of her test shot through the head again... But she knows why she is so excited. Jigsaw is a very sensitive issue. Both here, at her school, and anywhere else no one is able to defend John in his lessons, but she wants to clarify some aspects. For example, that he saved the lifes of a lot with his tests. Or that he was just misunderstood in some aspects. While the rest of her class analyzed some stars, she wanted to try to make the views of her true master more understandable.
A murmur goes through the rows, as she walks to the board. Mika has no notes. She does not need any. She knew John better than any other apprentice.
On the front of the class she turns. She takes a deep breath, "John Kramer was the murderer Jigsaw.
But was he really a MURDERER?
I say he was NOT. He was a misunderstood genius, that started, after the revelation of having a brain tumor AND with the loss of his son's life, to appreciated life that much, like people which are very close to death are able to.
He wanted to help society! NOT to bring fear and terror.
Morally, was what he did was not justifiable. But his victims are still grateful to him, that he sent them through this hell, and-"
"How you do, Jiggy fan.", Brings a classmate to silence her. It is Josh Marx. A wannabe macho of the sort that always brings females, which do not agree to his cheap pickup, into disrepute. Swanky he strokes his dark, shoulder-length hair from his face. With his green eyes he is a ladykiller of the worst kind, "I'm right, am I not? You adore him."
"He has changed my life." She returns dry. Internally, Mika is furious. She should have not tested just this certain teacher, also him...
"This can be a daily charge of coke." He grinnes viciously with his wide mouth, "or a relationship ... Sorry, I forgot: You're still a virgin," Josh begins to laugh. Just like the rest of the class. But Anika does not. Her eyes show compassion.
"At least I can say for myself that I a-", but she does not get to finish her sentence. As on a que she collapses and lies unconscious on the floor.
Anika would like to respond. She squirts on and rushes to her best friend. Peals of laughter follow. Also, the unnecessary and especially sarcastic comment from Josh "Now I do not know what the little crybaby was going to say. Was surely important. Like everything she says."
She would like to say something to this childish statement, but Mika is more important. She knows about her syncopes. Usually she manages to have any symptoms and she can visit the school toilet in time, that exactly THIS does not happen.
With a certain routine, the sister of Hoffman's last test object, lays Mika's legs on a chair. Then she tries to shake her awake, "Come on, wake up Ka."
No response. Mika looks like a corpse, pale, motionless, and she is freezing cold. Her eyes are closed.
"Wake up!", This time the bright brunette pushes her hand it into the flank.
Suddenly Mika opens her eyes. Disoriented, she looks around. When she understood what just had happened, she annoyed shakes her head, "I'm not-"
Anika just nods.
Suddenly Mr. Blitly stands next to them. He probably has recovered from his shock, "Mika, please go to the hospital. You have to be under examination. From your response, I conclude that these faint attack wasn't the first. Such attacks are the signs of heart rhythm disorders, for example .. . "
"I already ha-", but when she realizes his determined look she pauses.
"Miss Thomis, please join Miss Bishop. I want you to be sure that she will be inspected from top to bottom about diseases are. Of course, both of you are suspended for the rest of the day."
Compliant Anika helps Mika to leave the classroom.


Annoyed Alexander sits behind the wheel of his car and stares at the moderately-filled parking lot of East Senior High School. After a short while, he looks -like the last forty-five times- at the digital clock that was built in the integrated radio.
11:18
He shakes his head uncomprehendingly. He has been waiting TWO HOURS for his appointment.
He sighs heavily, "Normally, he's in time ..."
Actually, he has more important things to do, but his appointment is the only person who cooperates in this whole town with him. He always thought, when he would finally get a job in this agency, everyone would respect him... Wrong thinking, as it turned out. Only his best friend, who is now suspected of being a serial killer helped him to 'earn respect' and gave him, sometimes, a lesson in this topic. Alexander is just too good-natured. What comes out, he learned a few days ago...
Once again, he lets his gaze wander over the pitches of the students and teachers. In this he sees two young women, about eighteen years old, walking in the direction of his vehicle. Both probably came just out of school because they still wear the typical girl uniform: The pleated skirt with white collar, the blouse with necktie and knee socks. The first, about a head larger, girl with light-brown hair shows with a more or less cheerful view with her right index finger the way to go to get to her car. It must park somewhere in his area.
The other is slightly smaller, petite and has dark brown waist-length hair that is held back by a white Alice band. As if she is ill, she walks a bit ducked and she has folded her arms across her stomach. Even from a distance he can see that she is deathly pale. She sneaks, with a facial expression, which can be interpreted as one that someone has, when this has been disgraced before the whole class, alongside her friend...
When the two come closer, the larger waves to Alexander. Only now he realizes that she is his youngest daughter, Anika. The girl beside her is her best friend Mika, one of the first victims of Jigsaw. She helps, the best as she can, to bring the case forward...
Meanwhile, the young women reached the vehicle. Anika opens the passenger door, "Hey, Dad. Don't ya have to work?"
But before Alexander Thomis can reply, Mika answers for him, "You're AT work, right, Mr. Thomis? You're waiting for the only cop, on the west coast, which cooperates with the FBI. But Chris is usually on time but...", she is really smart.
But in some aspects, the FBI agent is confused, "Since when do you call me with my last name, Mika? And how do you know that I am currently in service? I might want to pick up and Anika."
"First, you are in the service and then you are a person of respect. Secondly... Your dress. From my point of view I can see your FBI-identification in the inside pocket of your coat. You know that we have school til, at least, three p.m. And you have other concerns than to pick up your daughter from school, where she has parked her motorcycle. "
"Well observed, Sherlock." He laughs. But then he gets serious again, "Why aren't ya in class?"
His searching glance sticks at his daughter.
"Ka had a fit and Mr. Blitly wanted that she will be examined in hospital.", she defends herself with a ashamed, but approvingly nod of Michaela, "Can you please take us there? You, anyway, have nothing to do..."
He turns to the seventeen year old, "Have you heard of Chris?"
"We had a short phone call last night. He sounded pretty sick." She replies as a shot from a gun, "Chris is rarely sick. But if it catches him, then very bad..."
"Come in.", With a nod, he shows to the backseats.
Thankfully, the young adults come to his statement.
"I'll drive you to the Angels Mercy Hospital." He says as he drives his black official car from the parking lot.
"No... My doctor is working in St. Eustace." Mika corrects quickly.
"I thought your doctor is in the Angels'"
"He asked for a transfer."
"You have to be quite loyal to him, even if you are going into the more distant hospital."
"We Jigsaw victims have to hold together." She laughs dryly, "He had also made an exception for me and treated me, although I am not a cancer suffering patient... Speaking of... Is there something new in the Jigsaw case? Chris had a lot to do... that's the reason why we could not talk so long. "
"Does the name Kathrin Scorpion say you something?" Alex knows that this name is well known to Mika. Her step-father killed and ate Kathrin's man and daughter.
"Uh ... yes ... why?"
"She and her co-conspirators were tested. Typical Jigsaw trap. This time it was the old swimming pool at the other end of town. Three survivers. Jayden Johnson, her son Tobias and Susan Morrigs."
"The half-sister of Lynn Denlon?"
"Exactly."
"Have you found any trace?" She asks.
"No. Unfortunately not.... as usual"
She keeps quiet.
"Hey, Ka," Now Anika is trying to start a conversation, "if these tests at the hospital don't last so long, we can go to your's and do a horror film marathon. We hadn't done that for ages!"
Denying Mika shakes her head, "No. Doesn't work today. Sorry. Have to learn."
Annoyed the young Thomis rolls her eyes, "Is the gratification of your life learning, or what? You're good in school! And you can sacrifice ONE afternoon for your best friend!"
"I really have to-"
"Then I'll learn with you.", Anika is a really good friend. She knows, that, since her best friend was tested, something is wrong with her. Therefore, she somehow wants to figure out how she can help her. She also has noticed that Mikas syncopes are piling up. Even if they see each other just at school.
"No. I am learning just with myself.", These two sentences definitely do not brook a re-issue.
"Tell me me, Michaela Bishop," Anika is aware that she hates to be called by the surname of her stepfather. Although Mika is in the witness protection program of the FBI -because of Jack Bishop- Mr. Blitly calls her always by that name.
"Damn, my name is Connor!", Now the Alice-band-wearer is aggressive. Is exactly what Anika wanted. In this mood, Mika might slip out, what she is doing -eapecially- for the last two weeks.
"Are you living a double life? Or do you have a friend from whom you don't want to tell me anything?"
"I don't want to answer your stupid questions." She ostentatiously crosses her arms over her chest.
"They're not stupid. If you don't hide something from me, you can take a day off and do something with me. I your best friend. Even I donno what's wrong with you."
"I have NO FUCKING DOUBLE LIFE!" Mika starts to scream. Her emotions change abruptly. This makes her so unpredictable.
"Then prove it, with going to the cinema with me!"
Angry the blue-eyed leans forward to Alexander, "Stop the car."
"Wha-?", He is confused. He has just reached the driveway of the hospital.
"STOP THE FUCKING CAR!!!"
The agent hits the brakes. All are pressed into the straps. But before the car stops completely Mika jumps out of the vehicle and slams the door behind her. Angrily she trudges the road to the main building along. Alone.