Crazy House

Chapter 1: Happy Birthday to Me

Chapter 1

My first vision came when I was five, or at least that was the first time I was able to recognize that whatever I was dreaming of would eventually came true. I had had a vision that I was in a meadow, playing with my favorite doll under an oak tree. She was special this doll, her hair was blonde like mine and we shared the same strange shade of periwinkle eyes. The moon was so bright overhead I could easily see the silver kissed world around me. Tall grass rose above my five year old waist and the wild lavender that grew there filled the air with its soft and haunting scent. As I played with my doll, I hummed quietly to myself, oblivious to the pair of yellow eyes watching me from the shadows. Then the whispering started.

It was so soft that I didn't even notice at first, but eventually I did and I foolishly let it draw me from safety. I was so distracted by the whispering, I didn't even notice when the yellow eyes left the shadows and started silently stalking towards me. When I reached the center of the meadow, the whispering ceased. Confused, I stopped walking, trying to hear the noise. Suddenly a cold feeling swept over me and the hairs on the back of my neck stood straight up. Very slowly I turned around, my tiny body shaking in fear, to find the yellow eyes but a few inches away from my face. I let out a shrill scream, but it was quickly cut off when a pair of hands wrapped around my slender neck. The fingers were impossibly long and as cold as ice, efficiently cutting off my airstream. The hands didn't seem to be in any rush to suffocate me; in fact they took their sweet time. As I blacked out, I heard my name being called in the distance.

Of course when I tried telling my parents this when I woke up from the vision, they thought I had just had a nightmare and after a while, I believed them. That's why I wasn't concerned when my parents took me on a walk through the woods the next day, why I didn't distress when I got lost and found my way to a cool oak tree to sit under as I played with my doll, in a meadow of tall grass and lavender. In fact, I didn't make the connection until night had fallen and I was standing exposed in the middle of the colorless meadow, wondering what had happened to the whispering. My body shook as I turned to face the yellow eyes that I knew would come next.

I woke up a few hours later in my bed back home; my parents had found me asleep in the middle of the meadow. I tried to tell them what had happened, that what I had seen just a day before had come true, but they just told me I had had another nightmare. This time though, I didn't believe them, I could still feel the cold fingers wrapped delicately around my neck. It took me hours to fall asleep, and it wasn't until the next morning that I realized my doll was missing.

Not all visions came true as quickly as that first one, my grandmother died a year after the vision and no matter how hard I would try to avoid them they always came true. My visions became more frequent as well, disrupting my day to day life. It wasn't until I grew violent during the visions that my parents stuck me here, so the "professionals" could take care of me. Apparently, strong guys who hold me down and give me drugs to knock me out equate to professionals. The drugs serve another purpose as well; they stop my visions from occurring so often but not so much that I get to leave the room I have called home for the past eleven years.

Time is a weird thing when you live inside a padded cell. Sometimes months will pass by in a blink of an eye, other times a day will last a life time. Once, I woke up to find that a whole year had gone by without me realizing it. The only reason I even know how much time has passed at all is because the doctors have the date on top of their daily evaluation charts. Today, when the doctor comes in, her chart tells me that today is the third of March.

"Morning Juliette," she says cheerily as she walks in. "Happy eighteenth birthday!" I ignore her and say the ABC's in my head, staring stonily ahead at the cushioned wall. When you have been in here as long as I have, you need to do things like that so that you don't slip completely in to insanity. I continue to mentally sing as the doctor does her routine checks, swaying back forth just a tad to get under her skin. When she starts to pull my hair back into a braid though, I freeze.

"Oh don't worry dear! I'm just making you look nice for your surprise visitor today, don't want anyone to think we've been neglecting you." I roll my eyes; no we wouldn't want anyone to suspect the truth now would we? "I only wish I could brush your hair, but it's so knotted that would take hours and we don't want your special guests to wait too long do we?" Yes actually, I would, not that anyone cares what I think. My life has pretty much been filled with an endless series of questions that I've never gotten the chance to answer.

"I suppose a plait will hide those knots well enough for the time being. Now let's be on our best behavior today Juliette, this could change everything around for you." Hundred bucks says they are taking me to try out some new experimental drug again, I think in annoyance.
The doctor takes me to the bathroom so I can relieve myself then lets me out my straight jacket so I can brush my teeth. I actually don't spend as much time in there as most people might think, I get about seven hours of free time outside of my room and jacket. I say the word free time loosely though, since it consists of either exercising, going to crazy school, or sitting through counseling. Each is more of a joke than the last. If I'm not doing that, I'm back in my cell, arms wrapped around my body, singing the ABC's. My medication wears off by then so they need to make sure I am nice and crazy proof before I have anymore visions.

When I'm done brushing my teeth, the doctor gives me a fresh, granny gown to wear before shuffling me to Doctor Schaffer's office, the head doctor of my unit. As soon as I walk through the door, I freeze. Crap, I think, there goes my record. Sitting across from Doctor Schaffer are my parents. They stand up as soon as they see me, their faces filled with shock.

"Oh Juliette," My mother gasps, her perfectly manicured nails fiddling nervously with the pearl necklace that hung around her neck. "Look how grown up you are!" Well, that's what happens when you don't see someone for over ten years. This funny little thing called time catches up with you and snatches your youth away. I think, my mental voice dripping with sarcasm. My father stands in front of my mother almost protectively, looking at me warily, as if I am some strange girl who had replaced the daughter he knew. Little does he know how much truth that statement holds. I am not the sweet little girl he used to tuck into bed.

I say nothing as I stare at the faces that once brought me such comfort and solace. Nobody seems to know what to do, so we just stand there studying one another. The silence reverberates in my eardrums, closing in on me. A moment later however, I hear a cough come from the corner.

As if we are of one body, my parents and I turn to face a snowy haired old man sitting serenely in a wooden chair. His suit tells me that he comes from significant wealth and on his right hand rests a large ring with some sort of family crest.

"Yes Dr Schaffer?" My mother asks, clearly gracious for the distraction. My father stares at the man in shock; he obviously hadn't even noticed him before.

"Oh no my dear, you are mistaken. I am by no means Doctor Schaffer." The old says placidly, his voice is deep and thick, reminding me immediately of the maple syrup I would pour over my pancakes when I was little. "I am-"

"Professor Alexander Arrington, it is a pleasure to meet you." Doctor Schaffer says, quite loudly might I add, as he walks into his office. He shakes the old man's hand vigorously, before turning to my parents and giving them polite nods. "Mr. and Mrs. Rivers, so glad you could join us today. Why don't we all sit down?" Everyone obeys, leaving me the only one standing awkwardly by the door.

"Now before I go into too much detail about the paperwork and such, do you two have any questions?" Doctor Schaffer asks my parents. My parents look at each other before speaking.

"Yes we do actually," my father says "Why exactly are we here?"

"You mean no one has informed you of the nature of our meeting?" Both of my parents shake their heads. Doctor Schaffer looks taken aback; one eyebrow shoots up comically higher than the other. "Well I am so sorry for your inconvenience Mr. and Mrs. Rivers that was very bad form on our part. You see we have some very exciting news. We are here to discuss the possibility of Juliette leaving our institution."