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Chapter One- Mental Departure

India stepped out of Light Strokes Mental Insitution and pulled her bag up on her shoulder along with her hood over her head. She stuffed her hands into her pockets and made her way down the cold concrete steps. She walked to the front gate and turned to take a final look at the place she had grown familiar with over the last eight years of her life. It wasn't much to look at. It was a big concrete building with barred glass windows and a gigantic heavy wooden front door. The steeple at the top held a huge golden bell that only ever rang once a day signaling "recess" was over. A recess she had never participated in her first few weeks here.

When India had finally been allowed to leave her room, she never did. She had sat in her room and watched the patients congregating through her window; Too afraid to talk to anyone because she was convinced she was trapped in there with the "real crazies," and she'd rather never get vitamin D or socialize with another human being again than risk getting stabbed or something. They couldn't exactly force her to socialize either. As long as she got her exercise and at least an hour of sun, there was nothing they could do. Not yet anyway.

When India had first been acquitted to LSMI, (Light Strokes Mental Institution), a Cognitive Psychologist, Dr. Meiger, had diagnosed her with Paranoid Schizophrenia. The main characteristics of Paranoid Schizophrenia are prominent delusions and, usually auditory, hallucinations. The good doctor had claimed India was delusional and she continously blamed someone else for the murder of both her biological parents and little sister and attempted murder of her recent family because she actually believed it. India couldn't agree more.

Not that she was delusional but that she believed Melody had killed her own family and attempted to kill hers.

Melody Staples, or her real name Melody S. Barker, had come to India's school one day and became instantly popular. She had stolen all of India's friends. Something about Melody just didn't sit right with India. While everyone thought India was just jealous, that wasn't it. Something was seriously off about the girl. India followed her gut and did some research on her and made a blood curdling discovery. At the tender age of fourteen, Melody had some serious conspiracies surrounding her. Not only did the police believe she murdered her own family but there was talk about other murders that seemed somehow suspiciously connected to her.

By the time India had figured this out, Melody was a thousand steps ahead of her. She had forged the original article India had planned to expose her with and burned her house down. All with the help of someone she had come to call her best friend. Luckily, India's entire family was out when the fire started so they were fine when she got to the crime scene. The bad news, she had sent the entire town an article stating she was a child murderer. No one believed her when she cried innocent. Not even her parents. Not that they were her real parents. She was adopted so Melody's plan to frame her was full proof.

During the trials, the judge and jury had little sympathy for the India and she's sure she would be in jail, not LSMI if either had gotten their way.

Not that she thought the Institution was any better. She was forced to take pills she didn't need and when she refused, she was injected instead. She was ushered to group and one-and-one therapy three times a week and the staff was full of stuck up know it alls. They thought they were better then you just because they weren't crazy.

After her nurse, a younge petite blonde, gave her her daily medicine, avoiding direct contact as if crazy was infectious, India started to act just like they wanted her too.

The nurse had just pulled off her gloves and tossed them on the bed. "Throw that away when you're done with it." She turned to leave before India stopped her.

India narrowed her eyes and asked, "And exactly what do you think I'm going to do with it?"

The nurse laughed a dry laugh and turned around. Crossing her arms, she smirked. "I wouldn't know, I'm not a freak like you." She threw her arms down and ran a hand through her hair. "Sniff it or whatever you weirdos do. I just don't wanna see it." She turned to leave again but this time India grabbed her wrist.