Screamer

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I followed Ms. Morell down the hall, ignoring the repetitive cries of Meredith. 'I can't save you, little bisque doll...' Angels, demons, little bisque dolls... None of it made any fucking sense. I had to get out of this place, before I turned into one of these loons.

"Please take a seat, Artemis," Ms. Morell opened her office door and indicated a chair near the large window overlooking the courtyard. I obliged, sinking into the cushions, reluctantly. I kept my eyes glued on the young woman as she sat primly across from me, smoothing out her skirt with the air of a monarch. She held her self with authority and mystique, while maintaining an air of mystery. It was intimidating. She watched me as intently as I watched her, unmoving and perfectly silent. We sat like that, calculating and sizing each other up for what felt like an hour, but really must have been maybe a minute. She broke the silence.

"Have you been sleeping"

I scoffed. "Seriously? Am I sleeping? I killed someone, have attacked several people, and you want to know more about my sleep cycles? Let me guess, next question will be 'am I fairly regular'?" I rolled my eyes, and leaned back in my chair, fixing my gaze on the tree limb just outside the window. I watched as a small yellow bird pecked at a frayed edge of bark. Ms. Morell watched me quietly.

"You didn't answer the question." She stated. I sighed. I needed to come up with a new plan. My new objective, obviously, would be escape. In order for me to get out of here, without a warrant for my arrest, I would need to give them a palpable reason for my temporary insanity. And that would be easy enough. Obviously I couldn't give them full truths... 'yeah, so I died, came back, have a massive hankerin' for blood, and enjoy long walks along the beach when I'm not indulging my inhuman bloodlust... It's all good, bro...' But, I could give them half truths. Had I been sleeping? Hell no. Why? Because this loony bin housed a screamer.

"No. I have not been sleeping." I gave her my best bored expression before turning back to the window. The bird was gone.

Ms. Morell stood, suddenly, walking to her desk and opening her second drawer and pulled out a small, orange pill bottle. After checking the print, she returned to her seat and handed me the bottle.

"Take two a half hour before bed. I'm giving these to you directly because I know that Brunski has been withholding your meds and he could easily do the same with these. I've been hearing from multiple staff that you appear exhausted both in and out of groups. You're irritable, aggressive, and exhibiting other classic symptoms of sleep deprivation. Do you have nightmares?" I stared at the pill bottle for a moment before shaking my head. Of course I had nightmares, but they were not why I couldn't sleep. Ms. Morell's brow furrowed slightly.

"So you have trouble falling and staying asleep?" I nodded, solemnly. That was truth. The screaming from upstairs was making me feel like my ears would start bleeding at any moment.

"What is it that keeps you up? Is it another patient? Staff?"

"It's the guy upstairs. The screamer. He keeps me up. I honestly don't get how anyone gets any sleep in this joint. It's driving me bat shit crazy."

Ms. Morell shook her head in confusion.

"What do you mean, 'the guy upstairs'?"

I frowned. "I mean the guy upstairs on the fourth floor, who hasn't stopped screaming since the first moment I stepped foot in this god forsaken place. You can't honestly tell me you don't hear it." I smirked and glanced up at her, my smirk fading at the look she gave me. It was one of close scrutiny and confusion.

"Can you describe the voice to me?"

I stared at her incredulously. "You have got to be shitting me. It's the guy! The guy on the fourth floor! I have no freaking clue who he is or what they are doing to him up there, but he has not stopped screaming since the night I arrived. You gotta admire his endurance though. He never stops. Not once." I shook my head in disbelief. Ms. Morell continued to stare at me with obvious scrutiny.

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