MADMAN'S HAVEN

14

I kept staring.

Everyone around me were already so caught up with their pursuits, that they didn't notice my angled head or broad open eyes.

I was stuck with gaze.

I couldn't keep my eyes off him. Even though I really wanted to, it seemed impossible for me to stay away.

Then suddenly. The first move in minutes.

The brown eyes of liability looked up from the spread pages, and immediately hit my own without further search or hesitation. Just like he was aware of my stare all along.

My whole world stopped as I felt so plainly exposed by him, and I inhaled with a loud sound to find the oxygen that my lungs needed so desperately.

The grin on Brandon's face was as plastered as always, and the evilness inside of his eyes shined through even from the distance.

I was still paralyzed, unable to turn my head around as I should. My inside was panicking, but my eyes were so pleased with the view, they just couldn't let go of it.

Even though I felt so extremely humiliated by the regular grin of evil, I didn't want him to stop penetrating my soul with his stiff gaze.

But he did.

He rose from the armchair, stood still for a couple of seconds, probably to stabilize the glucose in his blood from dizziness or faint.

He was so smart. In control of himself.

He would never let anyone witness his weakness, because that was the only thing he had left for himself.

He began to walk. Put his hands in the pockets of his white attire trousers. I watched him, step by step. Even his way of walking was something mysterious. He owned every feature of a bad boy.

Just when he was about to approach the guards and pass the entrance, he pulled one of his hands out of his pockets again and turned his head back in my direction.

His eyebrows descended as he looked at me, and his sharp expression made me shy. Why did he look back at me again? I just wanted to get rid of him now.

Then I looked down at his hand, the one that was now placed outside of his pocket. A small white piece of tissue showed through his fingers.

I didn't have time for further thoughts before the paper fell to the floor. Brandon looked away from me again and continued to walk out of the assembly room in the company of Frank's broad figure.

It all was so obvious. He dropped the paper on purpose. I held my breath, kept my hope that no one would notice the paper tissue before I got to it.

I let the moment pass. The door to the room closed heavily to confine the ones inside again, and with the shut, I raised from my chair and slowly walked over the floor to pick up the dropped paper.

I made sure not to draw any attention to me, and I looked around the room too many times before I decided to investigate the small white tab.

It was folded, two times, so there was no chance for someone to read what was written on it. I was so curious, what did he want to say to me? I thought that we were strangers by now. Completely done with each other for the last time.

Apparently, I was wrong.

I read the small written letters on the unfolded paper, and I had to repeat the lonely word several times to get into some kind of comprehension.

"come"

I bit my nail again. I really shouldn't go there, but his calling forced my sanity to do the opposite of the right thing.

The patients around the room were still peaceful and under control by the other few nurses inside, and the guards were so bored with the undramatic atmosphere that their postures sunk and turned them into the mounds of men that they truly were.

Frank was back in the room again after leaving Brandon in his cellar, and I couldn't help but take advantage of the perfect moment I was left before.

Slowly I began to walk my way out the corridor with quiet and unnoticeable steps. I had to envy Brandon, and this was my only opportunity to get there in secret since Frank was not guarding the ward right now.

I didn't have much time to think about my decision, I just wanted to get there fast without someone noticing me.

I grabbed the key chain from my pocket and with only one short breath of nervousness, I turned the key in the locker to open up the heavy door to cell 401. I closed the door as fast behind me and remained standing in the small, silent room.

Now my heart seemed to find the right pace for the moment, and it began to pound on the inside of my chest. I didn't know what to say or what to do. I just stood there with big eyes, and looked at the man who was seated so placidly in position on his bed.

"You came," He looked up at me, and I couldn't interpret the mood in his voice.

"You wanted me to," I chose my words carefully, remained calm in my voice.

Brandon moved slightly to adjust his position. He leaned forward, but didn't stand up just yet.

"I did, Beverly,"

Now I could read the playful tone in his dark voice, but I was unsure if it was out of seduction or out of anger he wanted to play with me.

Once again he moved. This time he raised from the bed and stood up. He didn't approach me, but I decided to take a step back closer to the wall, just to keep an instinctive distance from him.

I crossed my arms to show my confidence that disappeared as soon as he took one small step closer to me.

"What did you want then, Brandon?" I asked firmly.

Another step closer, and the weakness inside of me grew stronger with the fright. He was so unpredictable, and I had no idea what to expect next.

"I wanted to show you something," His words were so silent, and now he was smiling. But it was not a smile of happiness.

I had no more time to think. Now he was standing so close to me, and I had no more room for stepping back from him because my back was now pushed against the wall.

My breathing started to get heavier with every passing second, and the fright made the adrenaline come through to pump my veins into substantiality. This was the rush I had been missing for so long. Even if it was filled with uncertainty and suspense, I didn't care. Somehow I felt fulfilled again, and there was nothing to compare with the drugs I had been taking for the last couple of months. This feeling brought me so much more excitement and lust for more.