Notable Occasions on the Calendar of Dread

My feet stung against the cold tiled floor when we entered the elevator, Ernie's arm firmly griping my bicep, and I wondered if he could feel my pulse. Or, at least what was left of it. We stood in silence, and I watched the number climb up even, odd, even, odd.

I tried my best to keep up with him after we exited, my small being trying to keep up with his larger one, and his quick movements.

"The monster has returned to her cave," I head Anna's voice sneer. I look over to her to see her smiling, as if the comment brought her some type of sick pleasure.

Anna had been one of the first people I talked to when I was admitted. She was sitting in the main hallway, outside the patient rooms, talking away with another patient. She smiled and made a friendly "hello" towards me, but I ignored her. Too far into my own head to remember my manners; I simply sneered a curse back at her. She got up from her desired spot and forcefully shoved me into the wall, unaware that the nurse I was walking with has kept going forwards without me. That reaction caused my first to introduce itself to her face; colliding with such intense pressure that there was an audible crack and a waterfall of crimson liquid to pour from its vessel. I didn't need much more introduction after that.

Anna was being treated (if you could call it that) for sexual addictions; basically here for her own safety, if she ever decided to stop harassing every male patient or nurse that came through the wooden doors at the end of the hall. Ernie was really the only male nurse that could handle her, mainly because of where else he has been. And most of the male patients, if there were any, stuck together, and that was usually enough to make her cease.

Sometimes, she would harass Adrian, whom was admitted for addiction brought on by mental illness. And his joke of a psychiatrist thought that if they treat the mental illness portion, than the addiction would show its self out. Everyday when I am handed the little paper cup of pills that would make a peaceful scene in a land of trouble, I force them so far down under my tongue, that when the nurse checks, she misses them every time. I stalk back to the recreational room, sit down, and wait for Adrian. I pass my pills through a cough, and he takes mine through a yawn.

Exchanging pills came at a price—I would be released any sooner because there would be no record of any of the medications working, so they would give me a new one, a new one, a new one, and keep up their trial to my error. And Adrian would get whatever new prescription they would try on me, but he claims he's a professional, been at it for years. Adrian was really the only one I liked out of the whole group, our pills exchange was leveled out by having a friends-with-benefits attitude with the condoms his brother snuck in a while ago. I'm ambivalent about it, what sex isn't casual?

When Anna would try to harass him, usually he would just laugh or brush it aside, but her illness makes her think she's that much more desired, causing her to keep pushing, pushing, pushing. Until not only had Adrian had enough, so had everyone else.

I heard the commotion from where I was standing idle by the nurses station, asking for my combat boots that were held in contraband because of their laces. The nurse stopped what she was doing and handed them to me from the locked shelf, asking why I needed them. I told her that Ernie said we might walk outside, so I lace up my boots.

"Enough, Anna, he's said he's had enough," I said in a nice tone, trying to start in a positive direction.
"You don't speak for him!" She said, shoving me aside.
I pushed her back so forcefully that she collided with the table and slumped over it, momentarily stunned. I walk over to her and place my boot under her chin.
"You need the listen to me when I talk to you, or you and I are going to have a very difficult time." I sneered into her face. I pull my boot down and allow her to collect herself before she turns away with her astonished face.
"Go to your room, and do nothing!" I yelled while she left the recreational room.

Notes