chapter three :: behind closed doors

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Silence

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Silence. Something everyone knew, but could never explain. Silence had its own personality -- unique to every individual. Bentley's silence was different from Hana's. And Hana's silence was different from Matthias'. Bentley hated the existence of silence, but didn't want to be the first to speak. Hana loved the silence, it was finally a time she could think about all the thoughts she didn't have time to ponder. Just like the darkness is darkness, Matthias was the silence.

"Are you scared?" Bentley finally said when the silence was just too much for them.

Hana breathed slowly, her breath faltering. She hated the word "scary." The mere definition made her shake beneath her skin. "I am scared."

Matthias stood up from his chair and paced around the room, hands in pockets. His brown eyes looked up and down the solid white walls, studying the texture and lines that proved to be no more special than the next white room. He lifted one of his hands and passed it over the smooth coat of paint. "Freshly painted."

"Does that mean something?" Bentley asked, twisting around in his chair.

"You don't paint over something unless you're trying to cover something up," Matthias replied as he pressed the pad of his thumb against the wall, creating a small dent. Before he could apply further pressure, the door opened and the same man in the pastel blue shirt strolled inside with another stack of papers.

"Write down five words you don't like."

Bentley wanted to ask why, but he fortunately remembered how asking could result in a frightening punishment.

The pages glided across the table to the writers along with different coloured pens. The pages were blank except for a place for them to write their names.

"Write."

Slowly, the students began scribbling out the words in their lives that either made them sick, afraid, or uncomfortable.

BENTLEY SMITH
1. Sever
2. Jelly
3. Decapitated
4. Crawl
5. Moist

MATTHIAS SOLOMON
1. Mirror
2. Shriek
3. Carnival
4. Worm
5. Jagged

HANA TAYLOR
1. Blade
2. Creep
3. Tangy
4. Wet
5. Vibrate

When they had completed, they placed their pens down and looked at the man, waiting for his approval. But he didn't say a word, he just hummed a one note tune and walked out of the room. He clicked the door behind him, leaving an eerie silence between the students.

"That was weird," Bentley said as he started scribbling through the words he had written until there were only five red splotches in their places.

Hana crumpled hers up into a tight ball and placed it in front of her like a prized object.

Matthias just stared at his. Thinking. "We're not going to make it."

Shaking, Hana whispered, "What do you mean?"

"I don't know. But something tells me we're safer in here than wherever he goes."

"Which is where?" At this point, talking was getting surprisingly harder for Hana.

"What do you think? The asylum."

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