6. No Turning Back
1116 Words
Jamie I climbed out my window, after shoving my scribbled letter out the door into the hallway. I knew they wouldn’t come into my room, not as long as they thought I was in there, so I’d made sure to put the letter where they’d find it.
Once outside, I headed into the woods, in the general direction of my destination. I only had about two miles to go, which was easy for me. I didn’t bother pacing myself; if I showed up panting with my eyes rolling back into my head then all the better!
All the way through the woods sounds and images invaded my thoughts. Never be forgiveness...Nice not having… Crunch… Selfish, jealous wretch... Don’t want to see you… Crunch…Twisted necks… Bulging eyes…Crunch... Never...Hate… CRUNCH.
I yelled and punched a tree, ignoring the throbbing pain in my fist as I repeated the action. Why has this happened? Why did things have to be like this? It wasn’t fair! I was just trying to do the right thing!
I looked down at my fist, blood seeping from the gouges on my knuckles. I felt a strange pleasure at seeing how I’d hurt myself, like it was a little bit of justice to what I’d done. I was going to the right place…
I continued walking until I came to a road, then followed the road until I came to a large stone building. The structure seemed to suck all the light out of the world, radiating a dark, dirty vibe. I almost turned around right there, but reminded myself why I was here.
I was here to get back at Ma and Pa. To show them exactly how I felt. To make them come get me and take me home and apologize. And because I belonged here.
I took a deep breath and walked up to the door, and stepped inside the lobby. There were a few rusted chairs, all empty, and a single person by the front desk. The scent of blood saturated the air, stronger than could be healthy for whoever was the source of the blood.
“If you’re here to visit someone, you need to make a reservation.” The receptionist’s voice was bored and unfriendly, definitely not helping this place feel less like the death trap it was.
“No, I’m here to turn myself in. Just stick me in a cell, okay?”
The receptionist looked at me through narrowed eyes. “Is this some kind of joke? Dare? You don’t wanna be here kid, you don’t get to leave.”
“I’m aware of that! I k - I… I deserve to be here!” I couldn’t make myself say it. It made everything feel too real, like I’m having a nightmare but if I say that I won’t wake up. I’ll be stuck.
“Well, what’d you do? You on the news or something?”
“Well, no… But I did, I… Well, I k…” I just couldn’t say it. But if I didn’t, what other way to get in here did I have?
“Look, this isn’t something you wanna do. It’s not funny or cool to have your parents fish you outta here and tell your friends about it. Once you go in a cell, you never leave that cell until you die.”
That’s it. That’s how I get in here… “Right. You guys have to protect your secret. Once I go in, I see what you do to the prisoners, you keep me until I die and if I tell anyone they just think I’m crazy. Because only crazy people come here, right? I know what, who, you have here. You gonna risk me telling everyone? You know, even though nobody will believe me, rumors get around. Teenagers dare each other to see the monsters.”
Her eyes widened in shock and she picked up a walkie talkie. “We have a security issue up here…”
I sat down in one of the rusty chairs, waiting to be taken away. Hoping beyond hope that Ma and Pa might come for me, even though I’d never get out now, just so I’d know they still cared...
⇎
A group of guards hovered outside my cell, staring shamelessly at me. Some looked sorry, some snickered and made faces. I gazed back at them, wary enough to be unwilling to take my eyes off them.
One stepped closer, arrogantly kicking at the bars of my cell. “What’d you do to get in here, spoony?”
“I turned myself in,” I replied quietly.
“We know that much! What’d you do?” His voice rose harshly, violet eyes flashing unnaturally.
“I… I k.. K… Nothing.”
“What, you got a stutter? Go on, keep talking, we all wanna know.”
“No…”
Crunch. Twisted neck, eyes bulging, screaming… Blood dripping from a mouth, crunch, what did you do? Wretched... Selfish… Ratbag… Should’ve never made you one of us…
I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to block out the images, pushing my palms against my ears to banish the mocking laughs. Even so, the scent of dirt and blood kept the memory of what I’d done fresh in my mind.
“You crazy, bud? What’d you do? Tell us, or you’re gonna get hurt…” Laughter followed his words, “You a mollycoddle or what?”
“Stop.” Words and colors invaded my mind, slurring with the insults being thrown at me.
“Oh, stop? Didn’t like that, huh? White-livered mollycoddle, how’s that? What’d you do, or are you too dumb to say?”
“I… I’m not talking to you.” The words were strained, further betraying my distress.
The insults kept coming, taunts and even kicks flooding through the bars. The only escape was sleep, and sleep was too vulnerable. They kept coming, especially the one with the purple eyes… As if the rest of their job wasn’t enough, they kept me up and triggered the memories.
I almost regretted coming.
- Writer
