Illusions

Chapter 3

Suddenly I was aware that I was being vigorously shaken.

"Wake up you nasty hag!" I groaned, rubbing my eyes and glared at him. In front of me stood a filthy Middle aged man with beady eyes and breath that reeked of beer and deteriorating dental conditions. He shoved a moldy piece of bread at me.

" you have an examination in 10 minutes and you are in the psycho ward starting tomorrow!" I winced at his putrid breath and the nasty news.

He stalked out of my cell and I tried to eat the moldy bread. But, when I saw a cockroach crawl out of it I heaved all of the contents of my stomach on to the floor. Dizziness overtook me and I fainted.

Later...

I woke up later to find myself being pulled down the halls, my feet dragging behind me. Two guards on either side of me.

I lifted my limp head and attempted to get a good look at the guards. The beer gut man was on my right and a new guard was on my left. I carefully examined his face; electric blue eyes, chiseled cheek bones and raven black hair swooped to the side. He gave me a cold glare and I quickly looked away.

" oh great I'm stuck with a jerk and a bum" I thought. The middle aged bum wrenched me up. " Now that you are awake you can walk you lazy slut" he snarled.

I pulled myself up and trudged down the corridor, both of them holding my arms in their strong grips.

As we walked down the corridor I saw a window and quickly glanced out longingly. It was cloudy but freedom was freedom and I wanted out. I made a mental note that I would escape tonight and use that window.

Finally we reached the examination room and the guards shoved me in and locked the door behind me.
The room was dimly lit and I waited for my eyes to adjust. Surveying the room I found that it was a rubber room and I shivered. The silence was deafening as I waited to find out my fate.

The silence was broken when the door opened, letting some light shine in and an intimidating figure in a lab coat strode in. I leaned against the wall trying to appear confident.

"What do you want?" The figure walked closer and ignored me. The light shown upon the stranger revealing a man with salt and pepper hair and piercing grey eyes. I fearlessly held his gaze.

" i am here to conduct your examination," he said. He set his bag down and went digging through it. I awkwardly waited, twiddling my thumbs. He finally emerged, holding a very sharp looking scalpel and a syringe. I gulped and took a step back.

"We can do this the easy way or the hard way," he said calmly. I took a step forward and offered him my arm and he took it and started wrapping a rubber band around my bicep. I started trembling.

He took the syringe and prepared to insert it when I realized that it was filled with a chemical and he was going to inject it in me. I flipped out and knocked the syringe out of his hand and shoved him across the room. I ran to the door and found it locked.

"Maybe he has the keys" I thought. I walked over to his slumped form and examined him. I thought I saw his eye twitch but I ignored it and started searching him for the keys.

Suddenly, his eyes popped open and he yanked my hair and slammed me to the ground, my face being shoved to the linoleum.  I yelped and struggled to get up to no avail. Finally I resorted to kicking him in the jewels and he yelled and jumped up.

His rage grew as he showered me with punches.  Each strike to my body sending pulses of panic and agony. He punched me in the ribs and I felt something crack. I balled up on the floor and hugged my chest, my breathing growing ragged. 

"I guess it's the hard way then, Ms. Devreux " He growled. I looked up to find his fist connecting with my head and sending pain shooting through my skull and down my neck. I tried to sit up but found that the room was spinning and stars were clouding my vision.

"Help" I croaked. Before my head slumped and I felt him inject something into my neck causing an incessant throbbing.

I drifted in an out of consciousness in tranquil state. In my delirium, I felt a searing hot pain blaze it's way down my arm.

Rough hands drag me away and I whimper, my arm feeling as if it was on fire. My head is suddenly thrown back as I am slapped across the face hard enough to awake me from my semiconscious state.

I lifted my head and saw the beer bum. He kicked me in the ribs. I coughed and blood spattered on my filthy dress already partially covered with my blood.

"Sleeping beauty awakens eh?" He spat on me. I groaned but stayed put. I didn't have enough energy to fight back. "Got nothing to say? I thought so!" He roughly pulls me up by the waist and I cry out. " that's it you ungrateful wretch! I'm leaving you here!"

And with that he dropped me on my ribs and i heard another crunch. I held my chest and tried to slow down my breathing but found that I couldn't breath. I panted and tried to breath but I couldn't get any air in my lungs. My consciousness faded away once more.

Warm and strong arms enveloped me. I was picked up and leaned my head against a strong chest as I was carried bridal style somewhere.

I was laid down on a soft mattress as warm sheets were pulled over me and my hair was smoothed back by gentle hands.

I tried to open my eyes but couldn't. My eyelids were heavy and my body wouldn't move. The darkness took me.