I nodded off in the ambulance on the way there due to exhaustion. Once I woke up, we had arrived, and I was more paranoid than ever. I don't want to be here, I said, trying to calm the panic raging through my body. Mrs. Martha, who was riding in the ambulance with me, tried to calm me down saying "it will be alright Thomas, they take good care of their patients here at Red Oak." Red Oak, hearing the name, felt like a dagger into my chest. The dream I had during the trip left the sentence."Don't go to Red Oak it's not what it seems." I told Mrs. Martha of the dream, and she just calmly assured me it was only a dream, probably induced from my own discomfort being told I need to be put in a facility.
Maybe she's right, I thought as I was wheeled through the large ambulance bay door. They strapped me into an empty hospital bed, Mrs. Martha and one of their nurses spoke for a bit about me, then Mrs. Martha said "good bye" to me. The nurse came over her name tag read Veronica she told me she was going to give me a Anti-Psychotic and a mild sedative, she said in a few days I should start feeling better physically, as to the fact the damage from the accident wasn't too bad and by then we would know if the Anti-Psychotic is agreeing with me or if we need to try a different medication.
They hooked me up to some I.Vs and injected some medications. One was a light purple colored serum, and the other was a murky grey, In a few moments, I was out. I awoke in what I somehow knew was a dream. "Don't worry Thomas, you are lucid," said a voice. I asked. "Who are you?" As it echoed out through the empty world, I seemed to float within. The voice spoke again, "Who I am isn't important, I am doing my best to not let the drug they gave effect you. We are lucky as, too. There are more of you than they had expected. They've had to dilute the serum greatly. I've had something to do with that. I kneed you though, you have to fight it. You are not crazy they are coming. Don't let them tell you otherwise." After he finished speaking, symbols began appearing around me. their lines grew in thickness until they started solidifying into a metal like material and formed a hallway. I walked the hallway down to the end the whole time feeling like the walls were going to collapse in on me, return to symbols, and burry me below a pile of scribblings that I didn't understand I reached the end, and it looked like a bunker. Everyone in it wore straight jackets other than some nurses. The nurses were telling everyone, "Stay calm. The storm will pass soon." I looked around. All of the patients were foaming at the mouth they were raving and screaming. I couldn't tell if it was anger or pain, but something was very wrong.
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.
