Paper Hearts

Chapter 4: Tick, Tock

Tick, tock. Tick, tock. Tick, tock.

Aside from the sound of clock hands moving, all I could hear from under my bedsheets, (other than my stomach growling), were fervent discussions by the asylum staff on what to do with me, they couldn't come to a decision. At long last, they gently knocked on my cell door, and I heard the sliding of a tray into my cell and a gentle clicking of the door lock alongside with the jangling of the keys.

"Hey Simon, I am going to leave your food here. Be sure to eat it, okay?" The medical staff sounded out to me, but to no avail. I was still hiding under my temporary solace, unwilling to step out into the unknown wilderness known as Society. However, the smell of the food wafted to me, and in curiosity, I peeked out from under my covers. It was still the same old gunk that they provide us, but only slightly better because of the side of mashed potatoes, or what I thought was mashed potatoes.

Days of resisting hunger finally got to me, and pangs of pain hit my stomach repeatedly. Is this what they call gastric? I slowly crawl out of my temporary solace and grabbed the food tray and the utensils alongside with it. I held the food tray in my hands, careful not to topple the tray over, and sat down on the bed. I used my fork to stab the vegetables on the tray, but it just bounced off. What kind of product quality is this? So, I used my spoon to scoop up the vegetable that somehow looked like broccoli and lettuce fused together, and pushed it into my mouth.

I gagged and stared at another broccoli in disgust and hate as if the entirety of the fault of me refusing to eat lies on the broccoli. I stabbed it repeatedly, in order for me to show my dominance over the broccoli. I stared at the broccoli again and decided to skip onto the rice. It wasn't any better, the rice, that is. It felt as if I was chewing on extremely hard pebbles. I thought, the cooks in this kitchen really need to reevaluate their cooking skills.

Just then, the medical staff came in and rejoiced when she saw me eating the food the institution provided after what seemed like 1 week of refusing food. She came over to me and said, "Simon! I am really glad that you finally decided to eat, or else we would have needed to use an alternative method to force you to eat," She stopped herself, then said, "Ahem. Once again, I am really glad you decided to embrace your primitive desires, (does she really need to phrase it that way? Hunger would do), so we have decided that we will send you to counseling sessions. Come, follow me."

I followed her through a series of hallways, and the range of patients I saw housed in this asylum was...not short of horrifying.

Do you know those horror movies that you frequently watch or hear about? Well, just imagine them in real life.

Aside from the usual slamming of heads against walls, there was also delusional patients whom just hid in the corner of their cells muttering something unintelligible, or patients who used the pencils that were given to them, and frantically drawing on the paper that the staff provided them, causing the paper to rip in half. One of them actually made eye contact with me, and rushed to the cell bars, and shouted, "Do not believe them! You are being deceived in this hellhole! Get OUTTTT!"

I just stared at the patient who shouted. A disheveled appearance, clothed in asylum attire, and with a minimally sharpened pencil in his hand, he does not seem the best person to say that.

I continued walking and following the medical staff all the way until we reached a metal door. Outside there is a slightly teared up signboard that states: Dr. Newton, Professional Councillor. The staff proceeded to knock on the door, and a booming voice echoed out, "Come in." The staff opened the door, and there was a muscular man sitting at the other end of the desk. He was at least 1.8 meters tall and sat with a confident posture and his charisma came out so strongly that I might recoil from it in inferiority.

I sat down at the other end of the desk, facing him. Dr. Newton then looked at the medical staff and said, "You are dismissed, please leave now." To my surprise, the medical staff gave a slight nod and left the room.

What was left in the room, aside from the tables, desks, and chairs, was me and Dr. Newton.

Dr. Newton then leaned forward from his chair, making his body bulge from the white councilor clothing he was wearing, as if it was not Dr. Newton containing the shirt, but the shirt desperately trying to contain him. He stared at me steely, and said, "So, what seems to be the matter here, young man?"

I gouged out every information I could remember. From the start of the relationship with Mary to the part where she falsely admitted me into this hellhole, and to the part where every patient was "out of the ordinary", and until the part where I was brought to meet Dr. Newton.

After he heard all these, he leaned back and started stroking his chin. Then, he leaned forward and said this that made my heart skip a beat,

"Your girlfriend, it was Mary, was it not?"

I nodded my head slowly, not knowing what to expect next.

"Good job keeping your sanity for all this while, it is pretty hard after spending time with all of these patients. From what the record here states, she was an ex-patient at our institution, and from what you have described, I have reason to believe that she is trying to set you up. To become the same as her."

I gaped at the truth he was speaking from his mouth. Is this the truth? I then proceeded to ask him,

"What do we do now?"

He then leaned back into his chair once again, and said,

"This, Simon, is something we have to find out."