PSYCHOTIC

F o u r

Chapter 4:

Once shes set foot into the room again, and the door had shut completely, Lexi takes a moment to contain herself. She inwardly counts to ten and slows down her breathing so its somewhat normal. Maybe this was a bad idea, she thinks to herself. Does she really want to do this?

Caleb remains seated at his desk, drawing something that Lexi isn't quite near enough to see. Her mind wonders back to the picture on the wall she saw the other day. Its still there, though far enough away from her reach. When she first saw the picture, she was puzzled. It was the only picture hung up in the room and it was all crumpled up and partly scratched out, like it hadn't been taken care of properly. She frowned at that. Surely, it must've been important to the guy if he had hung it up on his wall- But why was it in such bad condition?

"Are you just going to stand there looking stupid, or are you going to hurry up and get on with it?" Caleb's voice breaks Lexi's train of thought, not even looking up from whatever he's drawing.

Her eyes widen at his tone.  She wasn't used to getting scolded at. He went from being completely mute during her last visit, to scolding at her today.

She clears her throat and stays standing awkwardly by the door, refusing to sit down on the chair that's placed opposite him, which were obviously meant for visitors. She fumbles with her files, pulling them out and trying to write on them whilst balancing them on one hand and writing with another.

She should've brought a clipboard, she thinks to herself. Caleb laughs at her fumbling, again, without looking up from his drawing. "Do you want me to move, so you can sit here?"

"No, I'm fine here."

He doesn't listen and gets up anyway, Lexi gasping as he does so. She was too jumpy around him, and he notices it as well.

He sets his drawing in the drawer below the desk and makes his way over to the bed, putting a rooms distance between them. That's much better, Lexi thinks. "What do you want to know?"

"Well ac-" she cuts herself off when her voice comes out raspy and realises that her throat is dry. "Actually, Mr Castillo. I need you to sign this first, before I can ask you anything."

She pulls out the same file she had given him yesterday but he refused to sign because he was apparently mute. She walks over to him, cautiously but confidently, handing it to him and he takes it in his hands this time.

He doesn't spare the poor file a glance, hard eyes remain set on her whilst he scowls. "Don't call me Mr Castillo. That was my...fathers name." he spits out, reluctant to say the word 'father'.

She simply nods and stutters a "W-what can I call you?"

"Caleb." He answers removing his stern gaze from her and scanning through the papers. She nods, even though she knows he cant see her and stands there awkwardly as he asseses the file.

"You're going to observe me for six whole months?" he asks, raising an eyebrow at her.

"That's how long it has to be for a legitimate work placement. Otherwise, I don't pass." She explains, biting her lip right after. Is it getting hotter in here?

He sighs in exasperation. "Fine." He skims through it a little more. He seems amused by something he's read and smirks up at her. "I have to follow these rules?"

Lexi simply nods again.

"I'm a psychopath in a mental asylum who has murdered several people viciously. Do you really think I follow rules?"

She gulps at that and thinks that maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all. She tenses her whole body without meaning to and starts to weigh out her options if she were to drop out of college.