The Guy from the Insane Asylum

Chapter 9

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY 2k18

"Never feel bad about feeling the way you do. Just don't be a fool and keep feeling something that isn't feeling you." —Unknown.

Chapter 9

Bethany didn't thank her brother for the ride. She just hopped off the car and headed directly for the doors of the Asylum.

"I'll be here at eight P.M. for you!" Joe screamed at her retreating figure.

Beth kept walking until she was inside the building. It was freezing inside. Outdoors the temperature was of about eighty degrees, the second you stepped inside Dared, it was fifty degrees colder.

As she walked to the login room, she waved hello to Bristol. Bethany noticed that she was wearing a jacket.

Huh. She thought. I guess I'm not the only who's cold.

She instantly regretted not bringing a sweater. She changed into ugly gray scrubs and headed to the front desk again. "Bristol?" She called a name. "Why is it so cold in here?"

Bristol rolled her eyes and sighed, annoyed. "Our stupid air conditioner malfunctioned and is now only releasing the coldest air it can muster."

"Does this place by any chance have ugly gray sweaters or jackets?" Bethany chuckled.

"Unfortunately, not for staff. But you could go to the back of the building and grab one of the extra sweaters we have for patients." She grabbed her badge that unlocked most doors and tossed it to Bethany.

She caught the badge and nodded. "Thanks."

As she walked the halls of Dared Asylum, she heard scratching on doors and screams coming from upstairs.

She ran to the basement-like room, and the temperature dropped an additional ten degrees Fahrenheit.

She rummaged through a few boxes before she found a sweater that was totally too big for her. She wore it anyway. She went to tighten the hood of it but found no strings.

She wondered if the strings of hoodies were enough to be able to commit suicide. And if so, how did their natural survival instinct not kick in? What if it did though, how could people resist the urge to allow themselves to breathe again.

"Are your thoughts troubling?" A voice echoed through the room. It was unfamiliar and oddly terrifying. "You shouldn't be in here." The voice warned.

"I was cold." Bethany explained.

"Patients aren't allowed in here." The man stepped out from behind the shadows. He was a guard. And he had just called Bethany a patient.

Had she heard right?

Coming back from a daydream of confusion, she cleared her throat. "No, sir. I'm not a patient here—"

"Mhm. That's what they all say." The tall man grabbed Bethany's wrist and took her out of the storage room. "Where's your room?"

"I don't have a room, sir. I am not a patient." She explained again. "See, I don't have a bracelet." Bethany showed her hands.

"I've seen people find ways to rip those things off. You ain't fooling anyone, kid."

"I'm not a patient here!" Bethany rose her voice.

"Fine, you won't tell me?" The guy with olive toned skin took Bethany by the wrists and forcefully shoved her in the elevator, and took her upstairs two floors higher. "I guess I'll stick you in an empty room until we find out where yours is." And that was exactly what he did.

"What? No—" Bethany tried to set herself free of his grip. "I'm not a patient here!"

The guard shut her inside a random room, locking the door behind him.

Beth realized she was still wearing her scrubs underneath. She could use them to prove she was not a patient. Before the man left, she yelled, "hey! I'm a volunteer here! I'm not a patient." But he never turned back to see her. "HEY!" She yelled as she banged her hands on the door like crazy. She stopped when she realized that her actions weren't really proving her statement true.

She cursed under her breath as she looked around the small room. Her claustrophobia began to kick in the second she realized it only took five steps to get across the room.

Her chest was rising at an unusual rate. Her breathing became ragged. And her temperature was off the charts. She was instantaneously wheezing for air. She leaned against the wall closest to the door and tried to slow her breathing but it was of no use. Her hands reached for the door and began to weakly hit the metal bars at the center of the door to try and get some help. There was no one down the corridor.

~

Zachary thought he heard Bethany scream for help, but he brushed it off. She would've been in the library if she had shown today. And Zach had been in the library for the past two hours, no Bethany.

When he heard Bethany's voice a second time, he began to worry. He stayed still for a few moments and then heard banging on a door, Bethany's voice echoing afterwards. Surely he did not suddenly have super hearing. That even sounded silly being said.

What was it then?

Was he somehow getting contacted by Bethany herself, telepathically?

Third floor. He heard. It was Bethany. It had to be her.

Startled, Zach ran up the two layers of stairs. Patients weren't allowed to use the elevator without supervision. It would take up too much time if he stopped to find somebody to ride the elevator with. Bethany needed help, fast.

He ran down the corridor of the third floor as people ran to the doors of their room to scream and reach out to try and touch his face. People did that in almost all the hallways. The only people in Dared that were partially sane were the ones in the new wing, the psych ward. Those only ever stayed for a couple of days to a few months. Either for substance abuse, self harming or attempting suicide. Half-sane.

Zachary reached the end of the corridor and what he saw next terrified him. It was Bethany behind a metal door holding on to the bars at the center of the door, gasping for air.

"Zach," Bethany gasped.

He noticed her panic attack and tried to help her control her breathing. "Hey," he whispered. "Hey, Bethany, look at me." He reached through the bars and held her chin in such a way that allowed them to face each other. "Breathe. Okay, you're fine. I'm gonna get you out of here."

Bethany was only able to nod. She felt Zach's hand leave her face and she wanted to hyperventilate all over again but she focused on her breathing instead. Four seconds in, four seconds hold, four seconds out, four seconds hold, repeat.

Trying to look for a guard, Zachary ran to the mens bathroom hoping to see a staff member there that had a key. He burst the door open and glanced around the room. No one. Not caring about anything besides getting Bethany out of her room, Zach opened the lady's restroom door and stepped inside. Yes! There was a female guard there, washing her hands.

"Hey, you can't be in here!" She yelled as she threateningly made her way towards Zach.

"Why? Because I'm a guy or because I'm crazy?" He commented, with a smirk on his lips. He walked up to her, his blue eye shining, and all expressions left his pale face, "hand over your keys and stay here." He compelled.

Guard Martinez did as she was told without second guessing, silently, but unknowingly.

A/N:

-XOXO