Mental

19 | l a u g h i n g

"There are poisons that blind you, and poisons that open your eyes."

— August Strindberg

/ / l o u i s / /

"W-What?" Dr. Foster widens her eyes before clearing her throat and acting as if she isn't terrified at all.

"He's standing right beside you," I repeat myself. "You can ask him your questions."

Dr. Foster slowly turns her head to look beside her and stares right at Harry. His dark figure leans against the wall and his bright eyes look back at her. The room fills with a ticking sound. It's always around when he's nearby. It's as if his entire body ticks. Dr. Foster doesn't seem afraid of him. Why is she not screaming and running away? Harry reaches out and touches her face but she still doesn't move in fear.

In fact, she looks back at me with a confused expression on her face, "There isn't anyone there."

My eyes widen as I look back at Harry. He's looking back at me now with a devilish smile. How can she not see him? He's standing right beside her!

"Yes, there is. He's standing right beside you. He's looking at you!"

"Louis, no one is standing beside me," she says again and Harry begins to laugh. He loves to make me look insane. He places his black hands against the wall and continues to stare at Dr. Foster. I watch him carefully. What's he planning to do now? "Are you all right?"

I'm quick to look back at her, "You really can't see him?"

She looks back beside her and shakes her head, "We're the only ones in the room. There isn't anyone else in here."

I turn my head back around and stare at the wall. I shake my head in disbelief. He had just touched her face. How could she not have felt it?

"She looks so innocent and pure," Harry whispers. "What would happen if I took her innocence? What would happen if I suddenly made her a sinner?"

"W-What?" I stutter, turning my head around to look at him.

"I said we're the only ones in the room." Dr. Foster says.

Harry gets off of the wall and his long fingers ball up into fists, "I wonder how long she'll last before she figures out that you truly are mental. Let's bet on it, shall we? Seeing as how you don't have any money, how about we bet on your soul? I don't own that, yet."

You only own my fear...

The ticking sound gets louder the closer he gets to me.

"Shut up!" I snap and Dr. Foster winces. "Shut up! You can't say that to me!"

"I'm sorry," she apologizes. "I...I guess I shouldn't have said that."

I look at her and her eyes are wider than before. I look back at Harry and he's laughing. He wants her to think something is wrong with me and I won't let that happen. I'm going to get out of here whether he likes it or not. I turn my attention back to the wall and stare down at my bloody fingernails.

Harry begins to whistle, "I don't think she'll last long. Remember what happened to all the others that tried to help you? Oh, the horrible things you did to them."

"That wasn't me," I whisper.

"Ah, but it was," he continues. "It was your arm that grabbed the pen and attacked Dr. Horan. It was your arm that took Dr. Sanchez's nail filer and attacked her."

"You had control over my body," I hiss. "You were controlling me. You did those horrible things because you wanted me to stay here and suffer."

"I wonder what I'll do to your new doctor," Harry says and the word 'doctor' slithers off his tongue. I look over my shoulder at him and he's running his fingers through her hair. She doesn't feel it. If she doesn't feel it now, she'll never feel it. "Will I have you attack her arm? Or will I have you snap her neck? Oh how delicate and fragile it looks..."