CHAPTER 4
The cool London weather made me shiver, walking into the building with my hand clutching the sides of my jacket to tighten the clothing and provide some warmth. I jogged up the steps that were too fancy for the purposed they served, making the building seem much more elegant than it really was from the inside. The streets were mostly vacant, the harsh weather keeping most barricaded indoors.
A gust of warm air hit me as I swung open the doors to the institution. My body was instantly warmed up, a relief from the blizzard outside. The change in temperature did nothing to heighten my spirits of starting work today, though. Because as soon as I turned the corner, I saw none other than Harry Styles at the end of the hallway, accompanied by two guards gripping each of his muscular arms.
As soon as his hypnotizing green eyes rested upon my figure, a cheeky smirk graced his features. As we neared each other he shot me a wink, like you'd expect of a high school flirt, not of an unhinged felon.
His alluring habit played out on his lips as he swiped his pink tongue across their fullness. "Hello Rose," he said. The silky sound of his husky voice surprised me, in just a short time my memory of him not doing it the least bit of justice.
I nodded, mumbling, "Hi," with a tight smile, feeling slightly uncomfortable. Harry deeply chuckled at my response, which irritated the shit out of me. I swear every single thing he did was executed to belittle me. I had been working here for months, but around Harry I never felt more out of place. And the fact that he made me flustered only made me more flustered.
I shook my head, trying to rid my thoughts of the boy for once. I had a job to do, and he certainly wasn't going to distract me from doing it.
I hastily made my way down to the nurses office, Lori greeting me with her usual warm smile. She was sitting behind her desk, filling out paperwork of some kind. With all of the patients being admitted, released, and even dying, the records she had to keep were endless. "Hey Lori," I greeted.
"Oh, Rose. I'm so glad you're here, can you please go get Lilly and grab me some extra bandages from the supply room and check up on Buck's foot and then hurry back to help me with Marise?"
"All in that order?" I asked, a little taken back by her sudden demand. Not to mention I was still half asleep with it only being eight o'clock.
"Yeah. Sorry dear, we're just really busy this morning."
"It's fine, consider it done."
"Thanks you so much," Lori said, seeming relieved to have the extra help.
So I embarked on my long voyage of obtaining materials and checking up on patients. I walked down to the supply room and went to the back, grabbing what I hoped were the right bandages. I passed a variety of whips and chains to get to the medical supplies, which made me shudder.
It was sick, what's done to the patients. They were constantly whipped into obedience, sometimes even caged up like animals. Lobotomies were performed too, which is basically where a doctor hammers an ice pick behind your eye, hoping to hit a certain nerve that was supposed to calm and relax patients. Most of the time their efforts to bring some sanity back into the patients were fruitless, so now it was only performed on the most malicious of patients.; almost like a punishment rather than a surgery.
Oh, and how could we forget the miraculous electro-shock therapy. Shooting electric currents through people to sedate them, hearing awful shrieks from the electrocuted patient, seemed to be a popular practice that the doctors often inflicted. It wasn't fair in my eyes, they should be treated and cured of their malicious ways, not beaten into further insanity. Our punishments have gotten a slightly more pleasant than in the 30s and 40s, though, but not by much.
I shook the thought of chained and bruised criminals out of my mind, grabbing what I needed and getting out of there. After returning the materials to Lori, I checked up on Buck who kept mumbling something about demons and the apocalypse. Then I managed to drag a shrieking Lilly back to the office, getting her sedated and assisting with Marise, who had broken her hand by punching a brick wall. After about an hour of hearing throaty screams and bones being cracked into place, I was relieved when Lori released me to go to lunch. Not my lunch, I would just be supervising again, but it was better than what I had been doing moments earlier.
I sighed as I left the awful cries behind me and headed to the cafe. Despite the so-far busy day, time seemed to fly by. My shift was already half over.
When I arrived, I was happy to see a table had been pushed against the wall at the far end of the cafeteria. I used it as a chair, propping myself up to sit on it. Everything seemed pretty normal, or as normal as things could get around here. Nobody was screaming at least, which lessened my headache that had developed due to Marise's tortured cries.
I stared at the clock, watching the seconds tick past. With this dreary and sometimes horrific occupation, most people would wonder why I didn't just quit. But there were numerous reasons, really.
My interest was always peaked when anything to do with the insane came up in conversation, because it was interesting. The topic intrigued me. It was different and I was always curious. Plus, Kelsey and Lori are great co-workers. So was James, a rather attractive member of security and a good friend of mine. Plus, the job pays well, so the pros seem to outweigh the cons and I figured I'd better stay for a while.
I jumped out of my skin when I felt the table shake from under me. Shit, it was Harry. He settled on the table, leaning his back against the wall as I did. He didn't say a word, didn't even look at me, but deep green eyes were staring out amongst the cafeteria. He had a way of looking at everyone at once, as if he were superior. Not even cocky, really, but almost as if you really were inferior and you knew it.
He pulled out a cigarette and stuck it between his teeth, managing to light it even though he was restrained in handcuffs. Then he took his time to slowly drag on it, a visible path of smoke trailing out of his mouth when he exhaled, making the action far more seductive than it should be.
I just watched him, not saying a word. What did he want?
"Play cards with me." His voice was deep and gravely, making his words seem more like a demand rather than a statement.
"What?" I asked.
"Yeah, come play cards with me." His eyes still weren't meeting mine, not seeming to be in avoidance but rather in lack of interest or indifference.
"Well, as tempted as I am to leave this luxurious seat and accompany a serial killer who physically peeled the skin of three women with his own bare hands in a game of go-fish, I actually have a job to do." I said.
"Right, you seem absolutely bombarded with work," he said, motioning to the absence of activity to occupy my time. He removed the cigarette from his lips so he could wet them with his tongue. "It seems like an exhausting job, really it does."
"Well, I'm really supposed to just stay here and watch over things, not sit and have a chat with you guys," I said, nodding my head towards the crowded tables.
"So you're telling me that you're not supposed to interact with the patients during lunch when your job is to supervise the patients?"
I was stumped with that one, not really knowing what to say. To be honest, I was allowed to do anything I wanted as long as everyone was under control, but I didn't desire to have a chat with a perturbing psychopath over a card game. That's why I had started to make an excuse of it being against my instructions, but Harry had caught on quick and knew I was full of shit. I would have to come up with something more convincing to get me out of the activity. But yet again I was conflicted, because at the same time part of my wanted nothing more than to carry on a conversation with him so I could hear his carefully chosen words, spoken erotically slow and husky with a voice like melting chocolate.
Plus, I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of thinking I was too scared or intimidated by him to play cards. So I accepted.
"Alright, fine. But don't think this is gonna turn into a regular thing," I warned.
"Whatever you say ma'am." His smile became smug and victorious as he shuffled off the table and moved toward the back, expecting me to follow.
I got up and moved through the sea of people, feeling numerous pairs of eyes on me as I trailed behind him. It felt odd, and probably looked odd due to the watchful stares. I felt like a patient when I sat down, making me feel a bit more vulnerable. After a couple seconds everyone's unstable minds went back to thinking unstable thoughts, and they seemed to lose interest.
Harry's tall length minimized as he took a seat and scooted himself up to the round table where a pile of cards already lay. We were sat a little closer than I had liked, but I made no attempt to scoot my chair away. My eyes followed his large hands as they moved to shuffle the deck, the joints and veins in them visible. Somehow even his hands were fascinating, long fingers seeming to add to his masculinity.
At that moment I began to think maybe I too belonged in this institution. I must be going crazy. Wasn't it mere hours ago that I hated him? And now I was being captivated by his hands.
His hands.
It was ridiculous; but I couldn't help it.
"So," he began as he smoothly shuffled the deck. "You know how to play Texas Hold'em?"
"No," I said.
"Neither do I."
I chuckled. "Okay so what, we play go-fish?"
"Guess so." I waited for him to distribute the cards, but he seemed in no hurry. His dark eyes watched me thoughtfully, almost as if he were making his mind up about something. The end of his cigarette blazed as he inhaled the nicotine, then exhaling a breath of coiling smoke, pouting his full lips. "Are you a virgin, Rose?"
His bold question took me by surprise, causing my eyebrows to come together in confusion. "What?"
Harry crossed his arms on the table and leaned in dangerously close, his warm breath felt softly along me neck. "Have you ever been touched before?"
I couldn't believe he was asking me about my sex life with the utmost confidence, not even lowering his voice.
"I bet you haven't, have you?"
He was right. I haven't, but I wasn't about to divulge that information.
"Do you want to be touched, Rose? Do you want someone who can make you feel good?" He asked, hoarse voice lowering to almost a whisper. As he spoke, curious fingers were trailed lightly along the inside of my thigh.
If his goal was to provoke me, it had been more than accomplished. I felt my cheeks heat up and knew they must be bright red as I batted his hand off me and shoved away from him.
Harry chuckled and pulled away knowing he had embarrassed me, sexily holding his tongue between his teeth. I didn't know where he was going with this or what his intentions were, but I knew he wanted to get me flustered, which he had. I wasn't about to let him win and walk away, though. I would stand my ground.
"Deal out the cards, Harry." I grumbled before he could ask any more questions. He remained still, continuing to look at me with intelligent eyes.
"Fine, I'll do it." I snatched up the deck and gave each of us the same amount of cards, which Harry eventually picked up.
"Got any fours?" I asked.
The tall mans usual smirk returned, a dimple popping out at the right corner of his flawless mouth. "Go fish."
I grabbed a card from the pile, trying to match it with one of the others but my mind was elsewhere as I decided it was time for a little provoking of my own.
"So, tell me Harry. Do you feel bad for actually peeling the skin off of three women, knowing that they're families are at home crying in grief because of what you've done? Or how about the fact that there are dozens of protesters outside this place every day that want you dead?"
"We'll to answer you first question, no," he shook his head, replying quicker than I had expected. "I don't feel the least but of regret."
I scoffed in disbelief. "You're sick."
"Am I?" He asked. "Maybe I don't regret it because I never even touched those women. Maybe I'm innocent."
"Are you?" I asked.
"What do you think?"
I eyed him, contemplating my answer. His appearance was that of an angel, but I knew inside he was anything but. "Well, I think you're guilty. You wouldn't be sitting here if you weren't."
Harry nodded, as if he expected that answer. "How about this, I"ll give you one month. You come here, play cards with me and talk to me every day, get to know me better. Then, in a month, you can decide whether or not you think I'm guilty. And if you get it right I'll tell you what really happened to those women."
"Okay, you have a deal. If you promise to stay out of my business and keep your hands to yourself, then I'll consider coming back." I said, even though I already knew what had happened to Harry's victims.
Harry nodded in satisfaction. "Alright, sounds good. But uh, will you do me a favor?"
"Well it depends; what's the favor?" I wondered
He lowered his voice and leaned in, like he was confessing a secret. "Can you tell our stalker over there to stop glaring at me like he wants to rip my head off?" He asked, raising his eyebrows towards the person of which his conversation was pointed.
I spun my head around to see who he was talking about. Although we were getting many strange looks, I knew Harry had been referring to James who was sure enough staring bluntly at us with a displeased expression.
I turned back to Harry so my eyes could meet his. "Well could you blame him?" I asked. "It's not very often that you see an employee sitting down having a friendly chat with a psychopath."
"Wow, so I'm a psychopath now?"
"When weren't you?" I asked.
"Well I knew you thought I was crazy but doesn't psychopath seem a little harsh?"
"No, the term psychopath isn't an insult, its a fact. A psychopath is merely a person suffering from chronic mental disease with abnormal or violent social behavior, like you. So to answer you're question, it does not seem a little harsh."
"Wow, no wonder you're a virgin! You're a nerd!" Harry exclaimed too loudly and with exaggerated excitement, like he had just discovered a cure for cancer and not the reason for my lack of sexual encounters.
"Would you stop?" I asked of his inappropriate comments.
"Oh baby," he said lowly as his full lips tugged up in a smirk. "I'm just getting started."