"Why don't you tell me a little about yourself?" she asked, cocking her head slightly and giving him a modest smile.
She had a kind look about her- this is what he decided upon meeting Dr. Price. A soft look, a gentle look- the look of a mother.
"My name is Eddie Gluskin, darling. Would you marry me?"
Yes, this was what Eddie decided when he first met his bride-to-be.
*********
When my brother, Julian, committed suicide, I decided that I would never let anyone else suffer the way he did again.
The shock I felt on that day- the phone held to my ear, my mother's weeping voice barely slurring out the words that would change my life forever.
"Ava, sweetheart, It's Jules. He, he's... He's dead."
He'd been seeing therapists since he was thirteen.
"Jules, what's wrong?"
"Nothing, Ava. I'm fine."
Chronic Depression. And later, mild schizophrenia.
The therapy increased, but he only got worse. Still, he smiled. Whenever he saw me he would laugh and ruffle my hair- brushing off concerned questions.
"I'm fine."
They found him hanging from a light fixture in his condo, a single envelope marked by his elegant handwriting placed upon the countertop beside him.
"Ava, I lied. I'm sorry."
I wish I could say I hadn't saw it coming. I wish I could say that when I dropped the phone it was from shock.
But it wasn't.
And when the tears came and the cries of my sorrow filled my lonely little apartment, I wish I could say that there was no guilt in my heart.
But there was.
"I'm fine."
"I lied. I'm sorry."
"Ava..."
It was at that time, still only a freshman in college, that I made a decision that would change my life forever.
To become a psychiatrist. To help prevent the tragedy that took my brother from me from hurting anyone else.
I would listen. I would protect.
This was my resolution.
So when I was offered a job at Mount Massive asylum, I didn't even bat an eyelash before packing my bags and moving to the looming peaks of Colorado's western most border. There I found an ominous and often threatening place. Even now, a part of me wanted to run away.
But something even greater than fear had brought me here- and with pure determination, I began my career at Mount Massive.
"Price, you do realize that you're not actually getting paid to loiter around, don't you?" A stern voice broke through my thoughts. I glanced up from the file I had been looking at, my reading glasses falling to the tip of my nose.
"Sorry sir." I responded, my voice clipped. Jeremy Blaire. For all intents and purposes- my boss. A man with an attitude as nasty as his position. When I'd first arrived his interactions with me had been cold but brief, but now he seemed to pay special attention to me- even going so far as attempting to start conversation.
A change that I was more than a little uncomfortable with.
"Hard at work as always, I see." He nodded his head towards the file on my desk.
"Yes sir." The dark haired man gave a small smile that made my stomach roil.
"I'm glad we have you on our team, Price." He placed particular emphasis on my name, turning away and heading back towards his office. I shivered.
"That seemed uncomfortable." Thomas said from the desk beside me, leaning back in his chair to peer at me.
"It always is." I responded, pushing my reading glasses up my nose and trying to push all thoughts of Mr. Blaire from my mind.
But, no matter how hard I tried, the creepy feeling refused to dissipate.
"Ugh. I can't do this. I'm going to take a quick walk." I said, getting to my feet.
"That's no good, A. If Blaire catches you, you'll be in deep shit!" Thomas stated.
"Good, maybe then he'll leave me alone." I responded. Still, Thomas was right.
Picking up the manila folder from my desk, I headed outside.
The sun was still high in the sky- it being just past noon. In only a couple more hours I would be heading home to a nice long bath and an hour of Netflix.
Now that was something to look forward to.
But for now...
Sitting down on a bench, I opened the folder in my hands.
"Eddie Gluskin." I spoke aloud, gazing at the picture of the broad shouldered man with the charming smile.
"Will you marry me?"
"He's certainly an interesting one." I said to one in particular.
But interesting wasn't exactly the best word to describe this particular patient.
Physically and emotionally abused from a young age. Interestingly enough, Gluskin- despite deifying his mother- had a particular distaste of women. One most likely born from his desire to find someone who recreated the ideal of the woman in his head.
However, the result of the abuse he had suffered had also resulted in a psychiatric break which resulted in a bipolar disorder characterized by fits of anger and gentle mannerisms. This was a man who would had kidnapped and murdered multiple women when they no longer suited his fantasies.
A killer. A madman. A monster.
But when Ava looked at the photo, all she saw was a victim.
"I'm sorry. I lied."
A soft, cool breeze danced through the air, and I chanced a glance at my watch. It was probably about time for me to be heading back inside.
Getting to my feet, I began to head back towards the main building. That's when I heard it. The loud blaring of warning bells.
My heart immediately flew into my throat.
Unsure of what the disturbance was, I stopped in my tracks. No matter what was happening, it was probably better to stay away. Glancing around me, I decided to head farther away until everyone began to evacuate.
After I had walked a safe distance away, I waited patiently.
But nothing was happening.
Time seemed to drag on and on, and yet still no one exited the building. I was beginning to wonder if there had been some kind of mistake, and even contemplated going inside when all of the sudden the doors flew open, revealing a group of people in white coats I didn't recognize. I opened my mouth to call out when I realized something: they were screaming.
And that's when I saw them. Some naked. Some wearing red stained uniforms.
Patients.
One by one they picked out the scientists, brutalizing them.
I stared at the scene, a mixture of horror and shock making my mind numb. Before any of them could noticed I darted behind the nearest tree- covering my mouth in attempt to hold back the scream that was welling in my throat.
What had happened? What was happening? The questions swirled around desperately within my mind- but I couldn't come up with any logical explanation. The only thing I knew was that I needed to get out of here. Now.
Swallowing, I carefully glanced around the tree's base. The patients milled idly among a series of bloodied corpses- most heading back towards the entrance to the asylum.
Now was my chance.
Pushed forward by adrenaline and fear, I darted straight towards the gate, running with everything I had. The only thought going through my mind was that I needed to get out of this place. That if I stayed I was as good as dead.
The massive looming iron gates drew closer, and I felt relief slowly seep into my aching veins.
Almost there. Almost...
My foot caught, and I was sent tumbling head first into the brambles- the branches tugging at my clothes and scraping at my skin. My body fell, hitting the dirt hard as I was sent rolling down, down, down. Pain bloomed just above my right ear- followed by growing darkness. I gazed upward at the darkening sky streaked with dark branches, sending a single prayer for safety to the heavens before everything went black.
+above9w.