Asylum of the Mind

Just a Child: Ina's POV

    At first, I trusted her. She was different than other nurses, she understood. Normally, having something in common with someone you trust is a good thing. But not this time, I don't feel closer to Clare now. I fear her and Charles almost as much as I fear Ferguson. Maybe it's because they are crazy, but everyone here is crazy. Except me, I'm not crazy.

    I wonder if Charles and Clare did bad things. The other nurses said people only get put in places like this because they did bad things. But I wouldn't know. The other nurses at the other institutions always told me I was too small to understand anything, I'm just a child. I wonder when I'll be big. I hope it's soon.

    Maybe when I'm big I'll understand why Charlie and Clare lie and do bad things, but probably not. I don't understand why Ferguson lies or does bad things either. The other doctor at the other hospital told me I was the one that hurt me. But that's silly. Why would I hurt me? I don't hate me. People only hurt people they hate. I wonder if Charlie and Clare hate people enough to hurt them. I think they do.

    Maybe one of the other patients can tell me why Ferguson hurts me and why Charlie and Clare are here. But I dunno, the other patients are scary. I think I saw a little boy around my age when Clare was showing me around. I'll go talk to him. He didn't look scary, he had a teddy bear. I like teddy bears too. I used to have one, but Ferguson ripped it apart. He said I couldn't have other friends. He always told me he was my one and only friend, but we both knew that wasn't true.

    I looked for the little boy for what felt like hours and hours and I couldn't find him. Until I discovered a steep stairwell that led down, the stairs were rough and rickety. I found a playroom down there. It wasn't very bright in the playroom, there was only one bare lightbulb swinging sadly from the low ceiling.The little boy was sitting on the floor surrounded by old broken toys. He looked even younger than me.

    I was scared of the creepy toys and the dark, but I walked up to the boy. He put down the train he was playing with and looked at me. He had pretty eyes, but they were a weird color. I went and sat next to him on the carpet. The carpet was stained and full of holes, but it was soft. His clothes were dirty like the carpet. He smelled like he had never had a bath, but I still wanted to talk to him.

    "Hello, I'm Ina. What's your name?

    "My name's Arlo." Arlo is a weird name, I think he made it up.

    "Is that really your name?"

    "No." He picked up a toy car and started playing with it which was very rude because I was talking to him. He didn't have any manners at all. And he made up a name. he wasn't a very nice little boy, but I really wanted someone to play with.

    "What really is your name?" It certainly was not Arlo.

    "Otto."

    "Is that really your name?" I think the boy is a liar. I quickly checked his pants to see if they were on fire, but immediately felt silly for looking. I knew it was just a song.

    "Yes." I believe he told the truth. I can usually tell when people tell the truth. I'm smart like that.

"Except for Clare and Charles..." Ferguson's voice tickled my brain but I ignored him. I knew I would regret ignoring him later though.

    Otto didn't talk much. He just played with his trains. I don't talk much either when adults are around. But there weren't any adults around now. I don't think adults go down into the playroom a lot. It looked very dusty and forgotten.
"Forgotten, just like you..." I shook my head and pretended I didn't hear him, just like the doctors told me.