A Little Insane: Raising The Dead

Chapter One - The Girl With His Eyes

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   “Riley?”

A minute went by before he realized his name was being called. He sat quietly in his chair, his arms crossed over his chest with a glazed look in his eyes as he found the floor to be quite uninspiring. The constant whispering and awkward coughs made his eyes flicker between the many faces surrounding him in a circle. Everything slowly came back to him, as if someone had turned up the volume on their voices.

“Riley?” Dr. Jody called again, this time with more concern in her tone.

“What a drama queen,” said Genevieve, a short-haired drug addict who was stupid enough to accidentally overdose on some pills. She, too, had her arms crossed over her chest. But for her, it was an attempt at looking like a “bad ass” when in reality she was one of the most cowardly people Riley had the chance of meeting.

And like always, he ignored her. She seemed to cool down and went back to looking around, pretending like everything annoyed her and everyone was against her.

“Riley, I asked you a question,” Dr. Jody told him. Once she knew he was paying attention, she repeated herself, “Do you want to share anything?”

“He never talks, miss Jody. There's no point in even trying,” Riley's roommate, Nicholas, said. “He talks in his sleep, and that's the only time I've ever heard his voice.”

“Does he cry about his mommy?” Genevieve teased, laughing as she shot Riley a look.

“Actually, I've heard him mutter the word mother before, but then he said some words I couldn't understand. Maybe he doesn't even understand English and that's why he never talks, have you thought about that?” Nicholas directed the question at Dr. Jody, who was sitting on her chair looking at them with a spark of interest in her eyes.

“Words like what?” Dr. Jody asked, keeping her eyes on Riley.

“I don't know what he said, it was in a language that I don't know.”

“Nah, he speaks for sure,” said one girl, a friend of Genevieve. “Last year he was at a camping trip with his sister and some friends, my cousin included. He talks, but he keeps to himself, so I'd suggest you all leave him alone. If he doesn't want to talk, then don't make him.”

“I think he's messed up in the head,” Genevieve added, keeping her glare on Riley. “I mean, who else fakes his own kidnap? Who does that? That's messed up if you ask me. And now his sister is gone and nobody knows where she is? I think he killed her.”

Everyone's eyes went to him, as if waiting for a response. His mouth stayed shut as he once again blocked everyone out and went to his little world.

“How did you do it? Where did you put the body?” she continued.

“Genevieve, stop it!” Nicholas told her, his eyes going to the doctor. “Why are you letting this happen? Shouldn't you tell her to stop?”

Dr. Jody shrugged, obviously not caring. Riley was already used to everyone looking at him weird. Rumors spread fast in this town. He apparently pretended to be kidnapped, even faked his own death. Now everyone thought Fiona left town because she couldn't stand being next to her psychotic lunatic of a brother. Him killing Fiona was the new rumor.

They could believe what they wanted, it didn't matter to him. Riley was brave enough to walk himself to the police, was brave enough to agree to be put in a mental hospital, and will be brave enough to survive what was left of his life.