I walk briskly down the corridor. Screams echoing all around me. Pale faces peer through the windows. Pleading eyes follow me as I walk. Silently begging me to set them free. As I walk, I catch glimpses of the people inside their rooms. Some are scratching at the door like caged animals, while others sit in corners curled up tight into a ball and rocking gently. Some are talking animatedly to thin air, holding conversations with people only their eyes can see. Others sit, staring blankly at the wall with glassy eyes. Staring, yet unseeing.
Those are the ones that scare me the most; the ones so drugged up that the world around them simply ceases to exist. The ones who are so far gone that all that can be done to help them is to keep them almost catatonic. They sit there, floating away to who knows where, completely unaware of their surroundings. I have been working here for years, and they still give me the creeps.
Day in, day out, I talk to patients. I try my best to help them, to make their lives better. I try not to let it affect me. But its tough. Some days, I just want to sob over all of the poor lost souls. The way that some of them have no idea whats going on. They don't know where they are, who they are, or even what they are. All they do is babble.
They mutter and mumble. Gibberish. Things about how the aliens have spoken to them, how the world will soon end and we will have to live off creamed corn. They talk about how if we don't start treating animals as our equals they will take over. They tell me the same stories over and over again. To the point where I know their stories better than they do.
And no matter what I say to them, no matter what drugs I prescribe for them and no matter how much I try to help, these people are never going to get out. As hard as I try, there is no hope for them.
Every day I walk down the harsh white corridors, I see the hopeful looks in their eyes. And every day I am reminded that there is nothing I can do. I can't fix them. They are already too far gone. These walls will drive you crazy I tell you.
When the day is finally over, I walk down the maze of neverending corridors, and finally head home. Trying to forget about the day. Trying to wipe my mind of the poor decomposed minds I have seen, and been unable to help.
It's the end of the day and I have just dismissed my last patient. A man called Phil. I walk down the corridor, past all the gloomy faces, watching me as I walk. The drive home is a long one, as I have only my depressing days' memories to mull over. Finally I arrive home.
I curl up into bed, and am fast asleep in moments.
I am woken by a blood curdling scream. My blood turns to ice as I realise I can't move my legs. I go to sit up but my chest is too heavy. I'm panicking now. Where am I? What's happened? I manage to tilt my head forward, and I see thick leather straps fastened to my arms, legs and torso. I am tied to a bed.
Screams echo all around me. Faces peer through the door at me.
A tall man walks through the door carrying a large needle. He walks towards me, leering at me.
“This won't hurt a bit.” he says.
I feel a prick, and my mind goes fuzzy.
These walls will drive you crazy I tell you.
