Entangled

chapter 3

"Yes, Barry."

Barry closed the door behind him for some privacy.

"You know you're not supposed to do that. We must stay out of each other's rooms."

Barry locked the door.

"What the hell are you doing?" He walked to the door, pushed Barry aside and unlocked it.

"You're even strong when you're not on meth."

"When I'm on meth, my strength is...supernatural, if you will, but when I'm not on it I am just a strong as you are, so I suggest you don't mess with me. I don't care about being kicked out of here for kicking somebody's ass. I know they'll put me on medication and bring me back, and put me on a state where I can't hurt anyone, but boy, that's all they're going to do, so like I said, stay off my case."

"I just came here to talk to you."

"Yeah? Why did you have to lock the door, huh? You know you're on violation? If I beat the shit out of you all they're going to do is send me to the psych ward early, put me on Xanax and bring me back because they know I am seriously mentally ill, but you, what you're doing? You could be kicked out of here and even put away for suspicions of intent of sexual assault. You don't lock my door. You don't even lock your own door. You're not even supposed to be in my room. I told you. When you came here and asked to talk to me I thought you wanted to meet with me in the entertainment or the gathering room. Those are the only areas where we're supposed to talk, not in our rooms. If I make sexual advances toward you, I could also be incarcerated. This is not a whorehouse."

"Man, you better hear me out."

"Ok, then get out of my room and I'm going to go get a nurse. I don't trust you anymore." When Langston was about to get out of the room to get a nurse, Barry pulled his arm, forced him back inside, closed the door and locked it once again. Barry's body was a lot smaller than Langston'. Langston looked like a wrestling superstar in front of him. Still, Langston was scared to death. It was notable that Barry was under the effect of some powerful drug. He'd violated more than one rule. "I am the one who's going to beat the shit out of you because I hate you. You're on the losing streak because I'm high on something, and you're normal. All the effects of the meth are gone. Your blood is clean. That means you're defenseless," he said, walking towards Langston and trapping him onto the wall.

Suddenly, a nurse, as if sent from heaven, knocked on the door, infuriated because Langston violated the no-doors-locked rule. "Langston Ainsworth, open the door right now! I came to give you the first dose of your anti-psychotic! Your psychiatrist just authorized us to treat you here, and there's even a psychiatrist here, man, just in case you need an explanation, because you're always asking questions, driving everyone crazy! Open the damned door!"

Barry whispered, "If you dare to tell him anything, I will kill you. Do you understand?"

Crying, Langston said, "What did I ever do to you to drive you to hurt me, or kill me?" He couldn't help saying this very loud because he was so frightened he wet his pants.

"Langston? What's going on in there? I know you ain't talking to yourself! I ain't stupid! Who's in there with you?"

"Tell him you're talking to yourself," whispered Barry. "Tell him you're hallucinating."

Langston nodded, and then, while Barry hid under his bed, for the first time in his entire life, he broke a promise. As soon as he opened the door for the nurse, he whispered in the nurse's ear, "He said he came in here to beat the shit out of me because he hated me and if I dared to tell you anything, he would kill me. Then he said to tell you I was hallucinating and indeed talking to myself. He's thin framed and considerably smaller than me, but he's under the influence of meth, therefore a lot stronger. Help me."