Running Wild

Part Four, Walker

The buzzing of the door that was opened woke me up. I wasn't in my room, it was bigger and had more beds, I wasn't alone. Three other patients were with me in the room. I looked at the door the buzzing came from. It was a metal-gate door, which was locked as soon as the nurses came in with the food. They all had shocker on their belt. After they left the door was locked again. Next to my Bed, was a Guy sitting on the other one. He had handcuffs and only ate the bread on his plate. I realized I also had been handcuffed, I tried to sit up and looked at the food in front of me. I took the spoon and wanted to eat the soup.
    "I wouldn-n't eat that, who knows what they put into it?" The guy said. I looked up to him, he had black hair, and brown eyes, like me.
    "What?" I wasn't sure I heard him right.
    "The soup, easiest to put drugs into it, you k-know." I stopped and looked at the soup. The hunger had left and I put the spoon on the tablet.
   "Who are you?" I asked nervous. His head turned in my direction.
   "Walker. And you?" he asked with an interested voice. I hesitated at first.
   "...Reagen" I said and he stopped saying anything, eating his bread.
"What's going on?" I asked, not liking the feeling that everything could happen. I looked around, the other two ate quietly.
    "They put you in-n here to calm down. They don-n't let you out until they t-think it's okay." He said and got quiet again. I noticed that his hand twitched some or another time when he tried to eat.
    "Are you alright? You're shaking a lot." I asked, he was the first one in a year I could talk with. He stopped eating, looked at his hands and nodded.
    "Yeah, I have Tourette syndr-rome, it's alright." I leaned back and started eating my own bread.
    "I'm sorry I asked." I wanted to talk more to Walker, but I was afraid I would annoy him, it's been so long since I met someone I could talk to, someone who wouldn't forget what we talked about two minutes ago, someone who wouldn't treat me like a little child or who I wouldn't have to treat that way.
    "I've never seen you walking around before, are you new?" I asked him, he was already finished eating.
    "No, I've just always been in here." He said carefully, not to shutter.
    "Why?" He scratched his head awkwardly.
    "Because I can't sleep al-lone. I'm afraid of being al-lone. I get violent when no one pays attention to me, I hate it. That's why my mother brought me here. She got scared of me." Hearing him say that made me feel pity. Overall Walker was a sad boy, alone and scared of people leaving him behind. We shared the same room for almost a week, Doctor Finnigen said it would calm me down, not being alone at night, mostly because I hadn't had any weird nightmares since I got sent in there.

    "Have you ever thought of running away? Of escaping?" I asked him while we played with cards.
    "I feel be-etter since I'm here, I don't need to escape. I'm happy." He said it with a sad voice, which made it hard for me to believe him.
    "I know you like it, since you're not alone, but what if you escaped with me? We would be together all the time." It's been almost two years, it was spring again, shortly before 'anniversary', and I wanted nothing more than finally breathing fresh air, it felt like a prison.
    "I don't k-know Reagen, what if-f we don't stay together, I don't want to hurt anyone anymore." It seemed too hard to persuade him, I sighed.
    "Would you help me escape then?" We stopped our game and he nodded hesitantly.

The next time the guy with the food came in, I had to hide the fact that I was overjoyed that I might finally get out of this damn hospital. I took the spoon from the soup, stood up and rammed it in his neck. Before he could scream we covered his mouth, and grabbed his baton and shocker. With them we ran out and attacked every nurse and helper, who came in our way. I hugged Walker before I ran through the exit and hoped he would be well in there.

The security was getting closer so I ran away. The hospital was built on a hill and around it was a forest, so there was not really a choice. With the baton I ran in the woods, hoping I would find a way out, without being caught. It was already dark and the security wasn't following me anymore.

Gasping for air, I searched for a place to stay for me. I soon heard voices and a light, like a fire, must be a group of students or something. When I got closer, I hid behind the bushes and watched them. They had a lot of food and tents, knowing I wouldn't survive long without food; I got even closer to attack them. I grabbed the first one at the back of his shirt and rammed the baton in his head, not a nice view. The rest ran away as they saw their dead friend, somehow mean, but I was glad that I didn't have to hurt another one. It wasn't much fun. It was really dark in the forest, but never silent. Every second you hear a rustle or some animal. Normally I wouldn't even consider to go in a forest alone, not when it was almost night. But after what just happened I prefer it than an old Psychiatry.

Sleeping in a tent or under the stars leaned against a tree. I never thought my life would change like this, it all happened so fast, it was surreal. I didn't know how long it has been, but I think I lived in the woods for a quite long time, almost one year I think. I could remember the day as if was yesterday when I broke out. I still think about Walker and that I probably would have never made it so far without him. I somehow missed him, I hadn't talked to anyone since I broke out. I often talk to myself, it helps me remembering that I'm still able to. When I was in school I heard lots of stories of people who disappeared in the forest, coming back as brute, not being able to talk normally.

Living from food I stole campers all over the woods, I met things which shouldn't exist. I met a lot of creepy campers. But thanks to them, I was the one I am today, owning many knifes and knowledge of how to defend me.

Since I lived in the woods, she, rather myself from the past never bothered me again. Sure I was glad, but something was wrong. I could feel it.

    "You said it was here?" A male voice asked. It was really high.
   "I'm not sure, this was the last place it was seen at" A deeper voice said. What were they looking for?
    "Why did I even agree on going with you?" His voice began to shake, he sounded a bit like Johanna's first boyfriend.
    "Come on, you're such a loser, I really should have left you at home." The other one laughed.
    "Shut up, if you're just fucking around I'll tell mom!" I almost forgot those kids, running around in the forest at night because of a dare or to show who's the alpha animal. I ran behind the bushes to see if they would react, and they did, at least the smaller one.
    "Jake, did you hear that? I think we should go back!" He looked around hastily.
    "Brian, what are we here for, we wanted to go hunting, and that's what we do." The bigger one of them took out a gun. I hated people like that, thinking they could just run around and shoot every animal they come across for fun. People are assholes, but animals don't deserve this. Before he could act, I threw my knife at the smaller one, it got stuck in his back. He fell on his knees and screamed. The other one looked around and shot everywhere he thought I could be. I tried to throw another knife at him, but he shot my right shoulder. I backed away and fell on the ground.
    "Jake!" The boy screamed and the other carried him away.
    "Argh, Idiots!" I cursed as the pain increased. I was about to bleed out. That boy was stupid and proud, but he knew how to shoot. I stood up and searched a place to rest, or to threat the wound. With tired feet and a blurred mind I stomped through the forest. I felt so weak, so ashamed of losing so easily.

After walking almost the whole day, I was in an area I didn't know, it wasn't much different, but I could feel that this place wasn't friendly. A bit later I finally found a little cottage, with the rest of my power I dragged myself to the door, but before I could open it, my energy left me and rested on the porch. I hated feeling so powerless.