(to clear previous confusion, the last chapter was in present time. Harry is not the "man" Cecilia was talking about. sorry for any confusion that caused. enjoy x)
✖ Chapter 8 ✖
THE DAYS PASSED painfully slow after Cecilia's last visit. It became clear quickly that there's not much to do when you're locked inside a soundproof cell majority of your days. Arts and crafts was Daniel's favorite activity, which was no shocker, and I enjoyed it frankly because I had an option not to do anything - which of course I did, in fact, do nothing.
It'd be a lie if I said I didn't feel exhausted more than usual. It was difficult to sleep on a hard cot, so during arts and crafts, I would simply lay on the floor in the corner and doze off. The instructor's name was Isabella. She was way too perky for her own good, but a decently nice person. Not to mention she let me sleep instead of doing childish things like decorative scissors.
Marcus hadn't spoken to anyone in days. It was odd, but he even stopped sitting at our table. Sometimes he didn't even show up for lunch. Not that I minded too much, but it was eerie to me. To be with us one day and avoided the next.
We were currently at lunch and I was laying on the bench, taking up the entire thing but I didn't care. Not like I enjoyed talking to these people aside from Daniel, and he was buddy-buddy with Aiden and Megan.
Someone poked my shoulder before a gruff voice said, "Can't lay down in here, boy. I suggest you sit up."
"I suggest you remember I don't have those fancy shackles on," I snapped, glaring up at him before laying my head back down. "Have a nice day."
The guard huffed before walking away.
Megan laughed. "That's exactly why we need you to be our leader, Harry."
I rolled my eyes. Her, Daniel, and Aiden (he mainly went along with anything Megan did, still didn't talk much), had this "mastermind club" about routing an escape plan. Of course she still had her hopes high for me to pull through and save the day. The possibility of that was near zero, but she did have Daniel on her side, so I couldn't bash it completely.
"Look," I said with a grunt, sitting up to face them. "I'm not the 'leader' type. And we've been in here for two weeks already and none of you have thought of anything. Just give up." I shrugged. "It's easier."
Daniel gave me a look. "You only gave up because Cecilia has Rose made into some kind of weapon."
I shook my head, rubbing my temples. "I don't care anymore. Just let me die in an asylum full of maniac people."
Megan and Daniel shared a look before Megan sighed. "Love clearly isn't your thing, but you really gave up too easily."
"You try being slung into a cement wall by your girlfriend."
"Sorry, I'm not a lesbian."
I groaned, dropping my head to the table. "All right, then. Humor me. Daniel, what's your brilliant plan of escape?"
He shushed me. "You wanna say that a little louder next time? Sheesh."
"Oh, sorry," I said sarcastically. "I'll make a mental note."
Daniel sighed. "Harry, please. You can't keep moping over this. I told you we were going to get out, find Rose, and everything will be back to normal."
I laughed. "Yeah, believable enough."
"Fine, whatever."
Dragging a hand down my face, I looked up to him. "Sorry, Daniel. It's just a torture session two times a week really drags down any motivation I might have had."
His eyes widened some, worry etching across his features. "Twice a week?"
"Today is the second one this week. So far I've been electrocuted while a knife dug into my back, whipped, whipped again, and now... Gee, I wonder what fun adventure Evelyn has."
"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked, looking a mixture of anxious and angry. "Harry, that should give you more motivation to leave! I'll even let you lash out and severely injure people!"
Rolling my lips together, I shrugged, leaning my chin on my palm, elbow on the table. "Doesn't matter. Evelyn does it for the fun of it. I've only lashed out twice, but she said a regular schedule of her 'activities' would help 'mellow' my attitude."
Daniel shook his head. "Why don't you fight back?"
I snorted. "Oh yeah, and experience more torture methods. Fabulous idea, Daniel. I'll make a mental note of that, too."
He held his hands up in defense. "Well, lucky for you, my plan I've been working on lets you slaughter as many people as you'd like."
And though it was wrong, I rose an eyebrow. "I'm listening."
Megan smirked, Aiden looked away, and Daniel explained. "Okay, so there's a female therapist I've gotten kind of close too. Unfortunately, she's got a boyfriend, but that's not the point. The point is that she knows I don't belong here, and even though she knows everything you've done, Harry, she knows you don't either. So she has a key and-"
And he got cut off by the cafeteria doors opening loudly, causing everyone's heads to turn. In came a group of guards, two in the middle with their hands tight on either side of a buff man. His jaw was clenched, his stubble visible, and his eyes angry. And yet, he still looked a few years older than me if not the same age.
Daniel tilted his head. "Angry looking dude coming into an asylum... This should be interesting."
Eyebrows pulling together, I watched as the man was shoved into a chair off to the side, away from everyone else. His eyes met mine and I rose an eyebrow, only for him to look away and scan the rest of the room.
"And yet he's still scared of Harry," Megan noted, smiling.
Without looking back at them, I said, "I'm going to go talk to him."
"Are you crazy?" Daniel asked, but I was already out of my seat. Lunch would be over in a few minutes, anyways. I needed to be quick.
Sliding into the seat in front of him, I clasped my hands atop the table. A guard gave me a look and I smiled at him mockingly before focusing my gaze on the bulky man in front of me. He spoke before I could.
"I don't want to talk to anyone."
I held my hands up. "Just curious. Apparently the asylum doesn't get new people often. What's your name?"
He still avoided my gaze, but his voice had softened, lowered. "I don't know."
I furrowed my eyebrows. "You don't know?"
He shook his head.
"Where did you come from?"
"I don't know."
"How old are you?"
"I don't know."
Biting the inside of my cheek, confusion ran through me. Either he's an incredibly good actor or he truly has no idea what's going on. He has no memory of his name, age, or anything, and it seemed like he was telling the truth.
Then his eyes met mine, and not only did he look angry, but there was now fear in his gaze. He leaned forward, hushed his voice to a whisper. "I don't know what's wrong with me. I don't remember where I was but I remember guards coming and-and snatching me away. I think..." He touched his head. "I think they did something with my memory."
"Hmm." I sat back in the chair, scratched under my chin. "Do you want a name?"
He bit his bottom lip, nodded slowly.
"How about Gunner?"
He frowned. "What kind of name is that?"
I smirked. "It means 'bold warrior.' If I'm not mistaken, I believe it originated in Germany. I had a thing with name meanings when I was growing up, bored and locked in my room."
He thought for a moment, almost smiled, and nodded. "Okay. Gunner it is."
"So, Gunner," I said and leaned forward again. "Do you remember anything?"
He shook his head. "Nope. I don't remember anything but..."
"But what?"
"It's weird," he said quietly, eyes boring into mine. "There's like this weird anger in the pit of my stomach. I don't know why it's there or what it means... I just feel... angry."
"Sucks because a place like this will only increase that," I told him. "I'm not too good with anger myself, but... Maybe I can mentor you or something. After all, I haven't killed anyone since I've been here." My eyes met a guard's and I added, "yet" and he looked away.
Gunner laughed some. "Yeah, okay. Thanks."
"Lunch time is over," another guard said. "Let's go."
And we were being hauled to our cells once more.
***
I thought a lot about "Gunner" that night after once against going through electroshock therapy. It was weird that he had no memory and even weirder that he was sent to a mental institution with it. He was a lot different than his physical appearance let on. Softer, somehow. Which only made the anger he felt out of place.
Not knowing when I fell asleep, I knew I didn't want to wake up when I heard my cell door open. A guard came in, informing me it was time for the group reading session. So I sighed, didn't bother to argue or bite back with a sadistic remark, and followed him down the hall.
Daniel was already in there, helping the instructor set up and I shook my head at how polite he actually was. These people were holding him captive, against his own will, and he still helped people who worked for them. Maybe because he knows they aren't the ones keeping him here, but I have a bad habit of hating everyone who works for a person that's pissed me off.
It was quiet in the room as everyone began to file in, but then something weird and totally off-the-walls happened.
Carson ran in, looking more terrified than she had the day she told me about Rose. I thought she had been avoiding me since that day, but it was clear she was actually running from someone. Maybe she had gotten punished for sharing the information with me.
"Harry!" she yelled, eyes watery. "Harry, please don't let them take me!"
Everyone's eyes were on her and guard's footsteps were audible, the ones in the room looking confused. So I asked, "What's going on?" and tried to look as composed as possible.
"They know I told you and they've been hurting me but now they want me gone," she rambled, grabbing my shoulders. "Please," she whispered, tears running down her cheeks. "Please oh please don't let them hurt me."
"Carson-"
I was cut off when the guards ran in and she screamed, clutching onto me. I tried to grab onto her, still confused as I looked between them, but it was obvious they meant to actually do away with her. To kill her. And for what? Telling me about her vision?
"Stop running, blondie," a guard said as he grabbed the back of her jumpsuit.
"Hold up," I said firmly. "What's going on?"
He grunted. "This girl has violated more rules in this institution that we can keep track of. The warden wants to talk to her."
Carson was still trying to shriek and kicked away, so I grabbed her and pulled her behind me. I didn't know why, but I wouldn't let them take Carson. Even though she hasn't helped me, she still seemed like a decent person. There was no reason for Evelyn to need to speak to her, rules broken or not.
The guard placed his hands on his hips, snarling at me. "Boy, give us the girl. I'd hate to use force against you."
I didn't have the shackles on, but I also didn't want three torture sessions in one week. So I sighed and turned around, looking Carson in her watery eyes. "I think you should just cooperate," I said quietly, hating myself for being the reason she was in this.
"What?" Her tears came harder. "No, please, no."
A guard pushed me aside, causing me the smack into a bookshelf. I bit back my rage as they grabbed Carson, cuffing her and beginning to drag her out the room. She was screaming bloody murder, making my ears ache and yet I looked away, not being able to watch the scene play out. I could still hear her yelling when they were out the room, but the guard by the door closed it, and most of the sound was cut off.
I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding, letting my shoulders slump with the exhale. Daniel came over and clapped me on the shoulder, but I shrugged him off and took my seat, ignoring everyone's stares.
In Carson's desperate plea for her life, she had come to me for protection. To me to stop the guards from taking her... from killing her. And I had just let her go. Granted I didn't know her well, but what kind of person did that make me? I could've saved her but I didn't for my own selfish reason of not wanting to be prodded at anymore.
Raking a hand through my hair, the weight was suddenly a bit overwhelming. Rose always relied on me to protect her, and I would have if that were her whether torture was afterwards or not. I'm not a do-gooder. I didn't know Carson so I didn't risk myself for her. Why did I hate myself for that?
Because she's going to die at my expense. Because she saw Rose and told me when she wasn't supposed to. She's going to die because of me.
For some reason, that gave me a lot more motivation than I thought it would, and I started plotting an escape plan of my own.