I wake up in a hospital, and my psychiatrist is there with my older sister. What's going on? I ask. My sister starts to speak, saying, "You don't remember anything? You were in a car accident, Thomas, and after you went and started attacking people shouting something about "they wear human skin." I start to speak, but she interrupts me. "Mrs. Martha here has explained to me that as your closest family member, I'm allowed to decide for you the next move in your care. Together, we've chosen a facility for you. They will give you 24-hour care and medicate you as needed." I started to get frustrated. I told her I'm a grown man. I'm perfectly capable of deciding for myself where I will... She interrupts me again. "Thomas, you should consider yourself lucky this isn't going to court. Your doctors have deemed you incapable of making your own decisions and a danger to yourself and others. That means the choice is mine, and it's been made. You will be transferred to the mental health facility Red Oak in the morning. You will be in the medward until you recover physically from the accident. I can't speak on how long you will be living at the facility. It honestly depends on you and your own mental recovery." I sat there knowing there was nothing I could do. The name Red Oak ate away at me. Something felt wrong about it, but I didn't know why.
Morning came. I didn't sleep last night, I was too scarred of what I might dream. They strapped me to a gurney and loaded me into the back of an ambulance. "OK, Mr. Thomas, let's get you over to Red Oak." One of the nurses said to me.
YOU ARE READING
They Wear Human Skin
Short Storyin this short story, our main character Thomas, after a series of strange dreams causing questionable behavior, is sent to a mental health facility known as Red Oak. What follows this change no one is prepared for.
