[color=Gray]DR Stanton's Building - [color=YellowGreen]7:54PM[/color] The group was ending it's formalities and greeting as Serena approached, her fingers clutching at the heat that resonated from the foam cup of coffee. She nodded and afforded them all the faintest of smiles or a nod to those that made eye contact or gave any gesture. She thought it was very strange that Dr. Hopkins was greeting them prior to the group session. She had only seen Linda a handful in her four months with the group, and it was usually only in passing or briefly during group. She took another sip of her coffee as she followed the group inside. She was quite eager to get out of the cold and she was welcomed with a dense blast of warm air all over her face from blowers above the entrance. The building was fairly large and well maintained. The floors were nice, but not overly done, as was the rest of the aesthetic of the main lobby. It was a mix of classy modern design, fairly minimalistic, with a clean and open flow of traffic. The Lobby was extremely quiet tonight. [i]Oddly so[/i], she thought to herself, as she passed by the front desk that was void from any receptionist which she also noted, sipping her coffee as they passed. The group piled onto the elevator like it was a carnival ride, at least it seemed that way to her. She was never weirded out by elevators or anything like that, but riding one with a group of fundamentally fucked up individuals had given her perspective new dimensions. She piled on with the rest of them as they enjoyed the short but awkward ascent to the fifth floor. [hr] [i][color=YellowGreen]:::The tone dings just before the doors open:::[/color][/i] Serena stepped out from the elevator and into the hallway. She gasps as her coffee falls to the ground. Something really fucked up was going on. [i]It was either that or those oxycodone's weren't oxycodone[/i], which wasn't completely out of the question but this... something strange was definitely going on. She walked the hallway with the others to the door which lay ajar. Russell drew his sidearm and prepared to breach the door. [color=B0C4DE][i]"I'm with you Russell."[/i][/color] she said in a firm, but edgy tone. She put her hand on Russell's shoulder as they stacked the door. She also had a conceal carry in a slim holster on her belt but she refrained from pulling it. The incident had left her less keen on firearms than she had been before it happened, and she would only consider using it in a life or death situation. She followed Russell's lead as he opened the door to the Dr. Stanton's group room. Again, she could not believe her eyes. The horrendous sight was too much to take in all at once and it was extremely surreal. She stood motionless as Russell gave his phone to Linda, but her shock was broken by a rustling noise as she could see movement in the corner of her eye. A dark figure was briskly trying to flee from the room. Serena immediately sprang into action as her heels dug heavily into the flooring below. She bolted after them. [color=B0C4DE]"Call the cops! I'm in Pursuit!.."[/color] she yelled vigorously as she began to pursue the figure. [color=B0C4DE][i]"and don't let anyone touch anything Russell!"[/i][/color] Her words fell audibly as she gained ground between herself and the group, her heavy footsteps pounded the hall floor as she approached the stairwell, just as the door was closing back on her, which she slammed into with her shoulder as she entered the stairwell. The sound of the door slamming open was deafening as it panged against the block walls. She looked over the railing and could see the figure a few floors down already and gaining. Her feet fell on the steps, just barely catching enough of them to keep herself upright and free from calamity. A loud booming noise bellowed in the stairwell as she jumps down to each landing, rounding the curve and onto the next flight below. She looked over the railing once more as she heard the door bursting open below. The sound in the stairwell made it sound as if the door had been liberated clean from it's hinges. She was still three flights up but moving as fast as she could. She reached the bottom as the door is again closing on her. She slammed into it once more and straight out into the cold, snowy streets below. The snow was blowing wildly about and visibility was poor at best as Serena busted out into the streets. She could barely make out the figure as it was traveling southeast on West 89th Street. She bent and rested her hands on her knees she gasped for air, trying to catch her breath. It was abundantly clear that her excessive smoking had indeed taken a bit of a toll on her, and the shrillness of the night air wasn't helping either. She took a moment to gather herself before trying the door to the stairs to return to the group, which was able to auto-lock apparently... [hr] [color=B0C4DE][i]"Fucking unbelievable."[/i][/color] she said standing in the light of the floodlamp above the door. She pulled her cell from her jacket and began dialing the police herself as she rounded the street corner to go in through the main entrance again. She knew that Russell had told Linda to do the same by now, but it certainly couldn't hurt for her to do so as well. She got off of the elevator and was just getting off the phone when she returned to the group. [color=B0C4DE]"Yeah, I mean... that's all I got. Dark clothing going southeast on West 89th.... yep... mhmm.. you got it. Make sure you get forensics and the coroner here as soon as you can..."[/color] she said, looking over the group. [color=B0C4DE]"there's a group of um... [i]witnesses[/i] here that are going to have a hard time not muddying up your scene... Alright... Mhmm.. The sooner the better. Yep, mhmm... [i]thank you Sergeant.[/i]"[/color] and with that she slid her phone to end the call and she placed it back inside her jacket pocket. She blew on her fingers to warm them as she went to secure the crime scene. She could only hope that Emily hadn't fingered everything in the room before she could get back. Surely Russell would have done a decent enough job containing the rest of them while she was absent. She still couldn't believe that this was happening. The brutality of the scene was extreme and shouted occult, at least that's what Serena thought anyway. It was very ritualistic, full of symbolism. [i]But why?[/i] Why would anyone have motive to kill [i]the good Doctor[/i]? Besides the fanatical patient theory, there wasn't a lot to go on but this was so intricately staged that it would have taken a lot of planning and setting up to do. This was sophisticated in it's design. She looked to Linda and then to Russell, and then back to the statuesque Dr. Stanton. [color=B0C4DE][i]"What... the actual... FUCK."[/i][/color] was the only response she could muster, still panting from the run. [color=B0C4DE]"Is everyone... alright?"[/color] [/color]