The Wonderland Effect

Chapter Eight

The familiar harsh smell of antibacterial wash attacked his nose. He was confused for a moment before everything came rushing back to him. He had gone to sleep earlier.Alister was back.

"Uh-um yes." He replied shakily, slowly sitting upright.

The nurse's smile turned brighter, something Alister had thought was impossible. She jotted down a few things on her clipboard before helping him up and fixing on his straitjacket. She hummed a small tune as she did this like all was right in the world.

The nurse took him straight to his cell and told him that he would be receiving breakfast soon.

The brightly lit room hurt his eyes. He sank to the padded floor and held his head in his hands as he tried to adapt to the unforgiving light. The images of his dream played in his mind one by one. Was that what it was? A dream? No. It couldn't have. It felt too real to be a dream. But what if it was? He was meant to be crazy right? Maybe being unable to differentiate dreams from reality is what landed him in the asylum in the first place. Maybe it was a dream. Yeah, maybe it was.

He felt a pang in his chest. He didn't want it to be a dream.

The door buzzed and another woman came in. She was a short, plump women with rosy cheeks. Her hair had a few white streaks and was a dull brown that she kept in a hair cap. She wore a warm smile but anyone could see the exhaustion in her brown eyes. She gestured for him to come over and when he did, she untied his straitjacket and handed him a tray of food from her trolley.

"My name's Betty." She told him as she put away the straight jacket.

"Alister," Alister replied as he took the tray. She jumped a little and put a hand on her chest.

"Sorry sweetheart," she said laughing a bit, "I'm not used to hearing a reply. You must the new arrival."

Alister nodded politely.

"Well, I'll just warn you now that until you've earned the privilege to eat with the rest of the patients, your food will be served in your cell and I will be here to supervise you." She informed with a serious face but it wasn't long before a smile crept onto her lips.

"I can never act like those nurses and doctors. They're always so serious." She stated. Betty obviously hasn't met his nurse. He took one look at Betty and decided he liked her.

"You know who you remind me of? My son." Betty said, "His name is Lochie, just turned 24 this year. He has blonde locks just like yours except they're a bit longer. His wife, Tanya keeps telling him to cut it but I don't want him to. I swear to god I don't know why he married that girl. He is so smitten with her. Begged me to death to attend their wedding. I said no at first but I gave in after a while. I never was able to resist those green eyes. They've got a baby on the way. A girl he said. I can't wait, I'm going to be a grandma soon."

As she stood there talking to him he couldn't help but stare. Was his mother like this? Did she get a sparkle in her eye when she prattled on about him to other people? Did she know he wasn't home? Was she sad? Did she love him? Was she the one who sent him here? Surely not. If his mother was anything like Betty, she would even consider the idea. But for all he knew, his mother could've been a wicked witch.

When he was done eating he handed his empty tray over and thanked her.

"Still as pleasant as ever I see." She said wistfully before she froze.

"Betty?" Alister called and she quickly relaxed before rushing out.

Every day since then, he waited to hear the sound of her trolley coming down the hallway. She would sit and tell him stories about her son, her life outside the asylum and adventures she went on. Every day he'd catch her looking at him with a sad glint in her eye. Every day, she would leave him wondering whether she had known him before.