Asylum {[h.s]

One. Welcome to hell

 I had been checked in to Davender Hill exactly one week when I noticed him. The boy down the hall. He rarely came out during the day, which would explain me only just now seeing him. He was making his way down the hall, a few steps ahead of his nurse as if he liked to pretend he didn't need one. He was in a tight pair of jeans with rips all down the knees, and a plain off white t-shirt that might've been a true white at some point, but faded over time.

He stares at the ground as he slowly strides down the hall with a sort of angry intensity, but as he passes by me his head suddenly snaps up, and his intrusive glare is suddenly baring right into my soul.

I was startled. His eyes were a shade of green that was almost concerning. Far too bright, and far too electric to be normal. The eyelashes framing his striking green eyes only contrasted the brightness of them and made them stand out even more, adding to his jolting appearance. He was a kind of make-you-weak-in-the-kness eccentric that I had rarely seen before and to be honest I was a little intimidated.

His eyes are back on the ground almost as soon as they were on me, but before his gaze fell, I saw something spark in them that made my stomach turn. Whatever it was, was far from good. I could feel it all over, and I ran cold all the way down to my bones.

As soon as he had passed and rounded the corner, I let out a breath I hadn't realized I had been holding.

----------------------

My head was pounding and my throat was dry. The trees were scraping against my arms like claws, seemingly dragging me back and begging me not to go, as the wind whispers promises in my ears. I'm almost out of the woods, I can see the moon through the breaks in the tree branches ahead and my feet pick up speed as I desperately try to throw myself through the last bit of foilege and to safety. My finger tips brush the final tree branches before I feel hands close around my wrists, their strength yanking me back. I try to scream but my voice only cracks.

Im woken by a nurse holding me down. I was panicked, frantically screaming and trying to claw past her as my heart beat just a little too fast.

"you're okay Scarlet," she says, for probably the tenth time this week, holding my wrists tightly as she repeats her words in the comforting tone of voice all nurses here are taught. Despite the frequency of my nightmares, she never once got impatient with me. After all, I couldn't help it. She thought i was crazy, right?

as soon as i relax again, she straightens up and smoothes her uniform down again, brushing her curly brown hair back. I sigh. I'd spent so many disturbed nights here, I forgot what real sleep felt like. It was because of my restless nights though, that I knew I wasn't crazy. I wasn't paranoid, because evey night as I lay awake, too scared to close my eyes, I could hear footsteps pacing outside my door, as if a simple inch of wood was the only thing protecting me from whatever lurked in the darkness of the asylum halls.

"same one?" Maria questions, bringing me back to reality as i lay back against the pillows of my bed, my breathing slowing as i nervously fidgit with the fraying hem of the blanket.

I nod quietly, and she gives me a reassuring smile. "we'll get rid of them soon. they've already gone down to only one a night now," she chrips, forever cheerful. "we just have to stay positive. you'll be out soon, i promise."

She's promised me that evey night for three months.

And so I lived my life in the asylum day by day, dreading night time and welcoming the first rays of sun like a long lost friend.

One particular January morning, when the sun had just begun to thaw the frozen grass outside, I decided to leave my room for the first time in two weeks. I had lost so much muscle mass from refusing to move that I had to hold onto the rail of my bed to keep my balance after being bedridden for so long, but I make it across the room in one piece and open my door.