✖ Chapter 2 ✖
THE CAR RIDE there was about as unbearable as still knowing Rose wasn't with me. Cecilia apparently didn't find use in explaining what the hell we were doing going to an asylum, and we were in the back of a van so asking the driver would be pointless. To say the least, I was a bit anxious, if not nervous, and those are two feelings I utterly despise.
"Rocking around, the Christmas tree at the Christmas party-"
"It's June," Marcus said, giving Daniel a dirty look.
Daniel returned his stare, then continued as if Marcus had said nothing. "At the Christmas party hop. Mistletoe hung where you can see..."
I tuned out after that, resting my elbows on my knees as I hung my head. I was still attempting to wrap my head around the gist of it all, but it seemed practically impossible. Were we being sent here just because Cecilia was tired of dealing with us? It seemed believable enough.
But what did she want with Rose that she didn't want with us?
My thoughts were cut short and for once I was grateful. The van came to a halt and two doors slammed before the back doors were being opened. Daniel was whining about them being easy on his arms since he was fragile, Marcus looked bored, and I was just desperate to get the shackles off. At least from my feet if nothing else.
But the shackles were charmed to keep us from using our magic against our transportation. The Council may be dumb majority of the time, but they are smart enough to forbid us from doing anything they don't want us to do.
Assistants from the asylum waltzed out, two men grabbing either of our arms on either side. Muttering profanities under my breath, I realized the man on my right was giving me wary glances, as if he were terrified. And then I realized I was quite the popular one around these parts.
I smirked, a little triumph coursing through me. Maybe this little sliver of fear can give me a leverage, if there are more in here like him. The more people afraid, the easier to control or escape or something other than sit in this horrid place for six months.
"You know," I said in a low tone so the main guards up front wouldn't hear me. "I've broken these shackles before."
The man muttered a shaky "shut up" and I licked my lips before rolling them together in attempts of suppressing a smile.
Flicking my hair out of my face, I kept my mouth closed as we went through the door and then through the search. All I had to do was lie about being uncomfortable to be naked in front of someone, and the most they stripped me was to my underwear. Daniel, on the other hand, hadn't been as persuasive.
"Hey! Whoa! Why are you touching there! I need a rape whistle over here!"
We were given the asylum jumpsuits to change into, which were basically a dull teal blue. I frowned as I discarded my skinny jeans and button-down, two items I always had around. And of course my boots with the holes in the soles (a/n: didn't mean to rhyme, happens all the time... oops, I'm a poet and didn't know it... so done with myself wow, carry on). But the nurse paid no knowledge as she shoved them in a bag and then into a little compartment.
The shackles were back on as soon as we were done changing, and it seemed like more guards had entered the room. It almost made me feel proud of myself for terrifying so many people, but Marcus was also very well known and very ruthless. I'm still not sure how word had gotten out about the whole necklace battle thing where we were caught, but clearly the Council doesn't mind a little positive publicity on their part.
Walking down the hallways in the direction of what was supposed to be where our cells would be, I took note of how many people we passed and the eerie glances they gave us. One woman looked as if she were speaking to herself, so I checked her off as a possible schizophrenic, but curiosity left me wondering what "criminal act of injustice" she had done to land a spot in here.
Another man totally took off running the other direction when his eyes had met Marcus's, so I made a mental note to ask him later about what Marcus did to him.
Person after person passed, each looking as close to normality as possible. But there were always the little details that stuck out - the people that would be pulling at the roots of their hair, the people speaking to themselves, the people wide-eyed and backed in a corner. And even as deranged as Marcus is, one thing was clear:
None of us belonged in a place like this.
I had mental stability. Tons of it, actually, aside from the emotional views that Rose had left me with. But I was not schizophrenic, I was not bipolar, I was not depressed or suicidal. I was simply a criminal, and yet they had classified me as criminally insane.
Daniel had leaned over to me at one point and whispered, "I don't like it here," and all I could do was nod because I was at a loss of words.
The cells ended up being six by six room with a single cot in the middle and tiny table beside it. The doors were also glass, which was no doubt soundproof to keep the screams of the insane at bay. There were little keypads to the side of the glass doors that slid them open and closed.
"This is clearly where you'll stay majority of the time," a man from up front said. He cleared his throat. "Pardon me, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is William and I am a therapist here who you will speak to at least twice a week."
I rolled my eyes, holding back a groan.
"There will be daily activities for you to participate in," he said. "Arts and crafts, card games, group therapy, and so on. Lunch will be held at noon in the cafeteria and there you are allowed to move freely and mingle with who you wish. But there is no touching allowed, no harsh or violent actions or words, and no enemies."
Daniel raised his hand. "Just out of curiosity, is there baking? A read a book one time and-"
"No," William said with a sad smile. "There was once a baking activity but not everyone knew how to properly use the oven."
Daniel's eyes widened before he slowly put his hand down.
"Any other questions?"
No one moved.
William clapped his hands. "Great, so memorize your cell number. You are required to have a guard escort you everywhere. Lunch is also in a few moments, so how about we all head to the cafeteria? And if any of you need help in the future, you can ask a guard to bring you to me."
A guard roughly shoved my shoulder for me to move and I glared at him, but the shackles prevented my power from working. He snickered and I grumbled obscenities under my breath at the failed attempt. He was two seconds away from choking to death.
"Gentlemen," William said as he faced us outside two double doors. A smile crept upon his lips as he spun to open them while saying, "Welcome to Hawthorne, an institution for the criminally insane."
***
"I'm five seconds away from slitting someone's throat," I grumbled as I dropped the lunch tray onto the table, dropping down into the seat angrily. The food didn't look appetizing at all, but I have been starved for almost five days now.
Daniel took a sip from his milk carton - they were treating us like school children. "It wouldn't be so bad if you weren't short-tempered."
I gaped at him. "I am not short-tempered."
Marcus and Daniel both gave me a look.
Muttering under my breath, I heaved a hand through my hair. "Pardon me for having zero tolerance when it comes to ignorance. A dude literally cut me in the line and gave me the finger when I confronted him about it."
Daniel smirked knowingly. "Rose isn't here to keep that hot head of yours cool. That's the main problem, isn't it?"
"Shut it."
He shrugged and silence engulfed us as we began eating. The food tasted like utter crap, but the clawing in my stomach pushed the thought aside. When I was halfway done with the supposed "chicken" nuggets, I went to throw the paper tray away.
I might not have the charmed shackles on anymore, but there are literally guards lining each wall all the way down. And unless it's just my paranoia, their gazes have been stuck on me since I walked into the room.
"Whoa," a voice said in awe from behind me. "You're the infamous Harry Styles!"
Oh great, I'm famous in a mental institution too.
Turning around, I was faced with a girl and a boy. The girl had light hair that trailed a bit past her shoulders, bright eyes that seemed to have dulled over time, and faint scratch marks across every visible part of her body her clothes weren't hiding. The boy somewhat cowered, ducking his head low but I was able to make out a scar that trailed from the bottom of his eye to just below his bottom lip, his hands fiddling anxiously.
Frowning, I eyed them eye. "Can I help you?"
The girl nodded back to the guy. "That's Aiden. He's a bit depressed and on the verge of schizophrenia. I'm Megan, usually defined as a bitch with low self-esteem problems."
"You're telling me why?" I asked, raising a brow.
"You're badass and you're new," she said. "And when you escape this hellhole, I thought it'd be a great idea to get on your good side so you'd take us too."
I almost laughed. "You seem quite confident in others."
"Hence the word low self-esteem," she reminded me, shaking her head. "Anyways, since you and the other two are new, we'd thought we'd sit with you and give you the basis of this place."
"You're incredibly forward for someone I don't know," I muttered under my breath, shoving my hands in my pockets. "There's no guarantee I even have a good side, though. So good luck."
And when I walked back towards the table, she followed, the boy reluctantly following her.
"I beg to differ," she said as I sat down with a groan, Marcus and Daniel glancing at them curiously. She sat as well, turning to face me. "If the articles are true, you helped a runaway girl who hated life and that boy over there." She pointed at Daniel.
"Look," I said, leaning forward so we were eye to eye. "I don't appreciate random people butting into my business and expecting a pay out for that."
Megan rose an eyebrow. "I'm not expecting anything. But now that you mention it, it sounds rather nice."
I leaned back into the chair, dragging a hand down my face.
She kept speaking. "All I'm saying is that I've watched all the battles. You know, from the perspective of those hidden cameras the Council guards wear and such on their uniforms. And-"
"Hidden cameras?" Marcus butt in, my curiosity also peeked.
Megan nodded slowly, as if talking to little kids. "How else do you think all the battles are miraculously shown on the news?"
"They use it to show victory," Marcus said although he sounded as if he were speaking to himself. "To prove to people that they're still stronger."
"Sure." Megan frowned, turning to me again. "All right. You've probably been sent for some kind of punishment since you escaped the prison three times, so can we at least make a deal?"
"What kind of deal?"
"Just let us be acquaintances with you, at least. Then maybe you can get to know us and decide when you're planning your big escape if we can come or not."
I gave her a long look. "Will you give your mouth a break if I agree?"
She grinned.
Daniel shrugged as he said, "She does seem pretty nice, Harry. And the poor dude with her looks terrified."
My nose scrunching in disgust at how he was on his second tray of food, I shook my head. "How can I trust your judgment when you're eating that?"
"Fair enough."
Marcus folded his hands on the table. "You seem to have a lot of confidence in him."
"Oh God." She groaned. "It's called low self-esteem for a reason, people. I can't rely on myself for anything."
"You seemed confident in convincing me to agree with your whole deal thing," I pointed out.
"Correction," she said, "I annoyed you until you agreed. Doesn't mean I didn't have my doubts."
But I was tired of talking so I didn't say anything else. Daniel had created chatter among with the girl and I was baffled at how friendly someone could possibly be. It's almost sickening how he managed to keep a conversation going when I can hardly speak two words to someone without wanting to punch them in the face.
And then a little voice in my head reminded me it was all about patience, something I've lacked practically my entire life.
Looking over at the boy who was still trying to hide behind Megan - Aiden, I believe - I frowned. His hands were trembling and it didn't seem like there was any reason too. His lips looked to be barely moving, as if he were holding a conversation with someone in secret. The whole schizophrenia thing that Megan said hit me, and yet, there seemed to be deeper troubles in him.
An eruption of laughter caused my eyes to lift and look across the room, only to see a man covered in tattoos, similar people surrounding him. But then I squinted, and it wasn't the people I was examining, but the reason of their laughter and anger coursed through me.
"I'll be right back," I grumbled under my breath, standing and leaving everyone confused.
The closer I got to the group, the clearer the picture gotten and my thoughts were confirmed. It was a boy, couldn't have been any older than fourteen, and he was curled in a ball on the floor. The guards were already talking to the crazed group, but they weren't backing down as they tried to kick at him, leaving me to wonder why the hell a kid was in the same building.
Obvious that the guards were struggling to maintain the outburst of people, I pushed through them until I got to the largest one, the one that wouldn't give up as he continued to aim his foot for the kid. With a loud "hey!" and a rough push of the shoulders, I had him against the wall.
He looked scared for only a brief moment before his eyes ran over my face, recognition seeping in before he busted into a fit of giggles. "Well, damn. They finally locked you up where you belong, huh, Styles?"
And I was never confused, but the harder I stared, the more I recognized him, too. Oscar. He was from my old school, I remembered what he did repetitively every single day of my life - torture me. It didn't matter that he was two years older, in fact, that almost encouraged him and his little friends.
"Nearly twenty two years old and you still pick on little kids?" I laughed humorlessly. "I'm not the one that belongs here, lad."
A guard gripped my arm but I slung him off, accidentally sending him gliding across the floor. "At least you aren't that pathetic little kid anymore," he replied.
My hand tightened around his throat, my eyes narrowing on him and I was so grateful when terror twisted behind his eyes. When he began to gasp to save his own life, to catch a single breath, His hands had closed around mine, but with my force and my power, there was no way he would beat me. For once, for once, I would win a battle between us.
"Hothead, quit it!" Daniel yelled as he grabbed my shoulder, and I listened to him, letting the bully slump to the ground. Daniel gave me a look. "We haven't even been here an hour, Harry."
Ignoring him and noting the guards that were watching in confusion, I brushed past Daniel and knelt down by the shaking kid. Touching his shoulder, he flinched and scurried to sit up, scrambling back against the wall. I pictured myself as that little boy, recalling the memories from those horrible years.
Oscar had used me as an obstacle in targeting practice once, when I didn't even know I had grown into my powers. I remembered vividly the knives they tossed, the arrows they shot, each one whizzing by my head or grazing my neck or ear. I had stopped bandaging the "accidents" when it was obvious they didn't plan to stop.
"I'm not gonna hurt you," I said as I stood, outstretching a hand to him. Hesitantly, he took it and I pulled him to his feet, glaring at the rest of the crowd that had yet to disperse. "What's your name?"
"D-Dustin."
I smiled. "You know what Dustin means, right?"
He shook his head.
I patted his shoulder. "It means 'fighter' or 'warrior'. Keep that in mind should this kind of thing ever happen again."
He nodded slowly, looking as if he were about to smile but I began to walk away before he did. And as soon as I slipped through the crowd, I came face to face with William.
I groaned. "Would it be any better if I said I saved a little boy?"
William looked to be contemplating it. "Makes it not totally awful," he said, then nodded towards the door. "The warden heard news of this and said you should skip today's activity for a counseling session."
"Oh, hooray."
William gave me a look. "Hope you're ready to talk."
"Hope you're ready for an earful."
And then we were walking down the hall towards his office, double the guards following.
(I didn't have time to edit, so sorry for any mistakes! Also, Chris Colfer as Aiden and Emma Roberts as Megan on the side/above! x)