The Psychopath Maker

Chapter Forty-Nine

Three hours and forty-two minutes later, they arrived at the steel gates of Everclear Asylum. Isabeth steered the full SUV into the nearly empty parking lot. She could've arrived there sooner but the tumultuous storm stalled prevented her from speeding the one hundred and seventy-three miles. She parked in front of the gray four-story building sitting in the middle of the backcountry, out of sight.

Isabeth shut off the engine, rain slathered across the windshield. "Ready?" She asked Malachi as he sat motionless on the passenger side.

Malachi didn't answer. He unbuckled his seatbelt, got out the SUV and walked in the pouring rain, not even bothering to block the water from absorbing into his black polo shirt.

Isabeth opened her door.

Troy reached from the back seat and grabbed Isabeth's shoulder, pulling her back. "You're going in there?"

"He needs support," Isabeth replied. She stuck her polka-dot umbrella out the truck and the umbrella flew open supplying a shield from the rain.

"I thought the drive was the support," Troy pushed against Maya's leg as he leaned closer to the driver's seat.

"Move your hand," Isabeth demanded looking down at Troy's appendage gripping her small shoulder.

Troy let his hand drop, hitting his seat. She hopped out of the car and gently closed the door.

Isabeth kicked up rainwater with her orange rain boots as she made way to the concrete building.

Still in the car, Troy groaned watching the blurry image of Isabeth entering the asylum. He pushed open the back door and swung it closed. Faith pushed it back open with her foot and splashed in a puddle. Lucas climbed over the backseat and out of the trunk.

Faith held the door open as Lucas collected himself on the seat.

She watched him retie his shoelace, "Why are you here?" She asked. "You don't like me and you sure as hell don't like Benny." She didn't witness the fight but she heard the gossip.

"I hate 'em. That's true." Lucas fixed his pant leg. "But no one should be in that place." He pointed to the drab building.

"Ya'll can't be serious." Maya clung to her seatbelt like it was a safety blanket. "You can't go in there."

"This rain is picking up." Faith informed feeling the rainfall collecting around her ankles. "I'd rather be in a building than floating to the Gulf of Mexico."

Lucas didn't stop to hear Maya's rebuttal. He ran to the building.

"I'd rather float than walk into terror," Maya stated. She spread her legs on the seat putting the hood of her hoodie over her loosely hanging hair.

"Suit yourself." Faith said before slamming the door, shaking the car.

****

White walls and floors to match, the asylum was the definition of sterile. Malachi rang the bell trying to get the attention of the receptionist that was supposed to be sitting at the front desk. The repeated ringing summoned a rawboned woman wearing a lab coat.

"Don't touch that bell again," She said holding a white clipboard. Malachi drew his hand away. "Visiting hours ended three minutes ago. We're shutting down early because of the storm," She barked as she read the contents on the clipboard.

"I need to see my brother, Benjamin Lemen" Malachi told. "I'm not leaving until I do."

"We promise, Miss, that we'll leave right after he sees him, please?" Isabeth pleaded.

Faith, Troy, and Lucas stood behind them silently shivering in soaked clothes that clung tightly to every curve of their bodies.

The woman looked at them with suspicious eyes and then sighed. "You have thirty minutes before he's medicated and locked in his room like the other patients." The woman commanded holding the clipboard against her flat chest.

"Thank you!" Malachi smiled for the first time in hours.

"Follow me this way." She ordered walking from behind the receptionist station. She walked to a white door that was so identical to the wall they didn't know it was there. She slid a card to the reader and the door's lock popped back, loudly. She opened the door. "Right this way."

The kids passed through the door and she let it slammed behind them. She reclaimed her position in front of them. The white theme was continued down the hall as they followed the lab coat-wearing woman.

Troy elbowed Lucas, "Rec room." He whispered to the boy. "Let's get something to eat, killer." The boys broke off from the group and headed for the room.

Isabeth saw them splinter off and she decided now was the right time. "Miss." Isabeth tapped on the woman's shoulder.

The woman didn't turn around as they passed an elevator and a group counseling room. "Yes." She said walking a little faster.

"We have to pee." Isabeth reached for Faith's hand. "Where's the restroom?"

"Go back where we came." The woman said. "It's down the hallway across from the recreation room."

"Thanks!" Isabeth exclaimed pulling Faith with her.

"I don't have to pee." Faith informed as she watched Malachi and the woman turn down a hallway on the right.

"I don't either." Isabeth pulled Faith a couple of paces down the hallway. She pointed. "Elevator."

Faith pulled her hand away from her. She wrapped her arms around her body. "I don't know.... if I can do this."

Isabeth clung to Faith's shoulders, "Of course. You can't. I couldn't but we...we can. We can do this. We have to do this...for us and for Benny."

"Fine." Faith took a deep breath. "Let's go."

Isabeth pushed the only button on the wall for the elevator, an up arrow. The button lit up and they held hands as they waited for the box to arrive. Faith jumped when the doors opened. They stepped in the elevator, still holding hands as the door closed quickly behind them.

"What now?" Faith asked as the fluorescent light rained over them.

"We...go to the bottom floor. Like Benny said."

"The basement." Faith guessed looking at the selection on the elevator wall.

"No," Isabeth mumbled. "Zero." She leaned forward and pushed the button. The elevator dropped and so did her heart as Faith squeezed her hand like a vice grip. 

Do you think Maya should've gone into the asylum, too?