Where Spirits Roam

Chapter Nineteen It Was You

Eviee’s body betrayed her the movement luring the man who had caused all her problems into her room.

Ellsworth slung the curtains away the mid-afternoon sun casting its bright rays of light onto Eviee’s face.

The girl’s face scrunches at the sudden appearance after being in the dark, the brightness harsh and unrelenting to her naked eyes.

“I know you're awake,” the man spoke placing his hands behind his back and walking to stand by her bedside.

“I would have been awake hours ago had you not had me drugged,” Eviee snarkily replies, countering his remark in a fashion very unlike herself.

“The others seem to have rubbed off on you already,” he tsks.

Leaning down Ellsworth traces a finger along Eviee’s jaw down to her chin and his breath brushes her lips. Her eyes snap open meeting his beady brown orbs and she jerks away.

“Or maybe I’m just tired of living a lie, you should know something about that,” her eyes drift back to his face. Forcing herself to remain emotionless, her expression remains blank.

“I do, so why don’t you tell me what you’re hiding so we can both get this weight off our chests,” his words hold no real emotion.

The void of warmth in his deep brown eyes reminds Eviee of Dr. Fulton and she suppresses a shudder threatening to take over her delicate frame. Fear clenches her heart in its cold grasp and the words that dance on the top of her tongue fade as he continues to look at her. The need to be unseen, unnoticeable, presses down on her tenfold. She knew how dangerous this man could be. She knew better than to anger him and yet, those words she wanted to scream in his face resurface. They wish to be said and Eviee swallows them down faining a bravado she doesn't feel.

“The doctor at my asylum always shared along with us. I might feel more inclined to open up if you went first,” Eviee’s eyes trailed downwards as she spoke flickering up to look through her lashes as she stopped talking.

“Poor, broken Eviee,” Ellsworth said in a mocking tone.

His eyes hold a thinly veiled interest behind them. Though he mocks her current and past mental state he is intrigued by the strength she can still muster.

“I should be broken, but I'm not,” Eviee tells him. “I have survived and being here, being able to care for the other girls, it's shown me how unbroken I am.”

The spark of curiosity in Ellsworth’s eyes grows and he has to ask “How do you figure that?”

“Because,” she says innocently, “only broken people seek to break others.”

The jab though said in a sweet manner hit its mark. Ellsworth’s vicious sneer is proof of that.

‘You insolent brat,’ he thinks.

Ellsworth straightens his features fighting the urge to wrap his hand around her slender throat and choke the life out of her.

“That is exactly what I saved you from. Is it not?” he asks his fingers brushing Eviee’s throat.

Eviee opts not to respond. None of them were here to be saved.

“This measure,” Ellsworth continues, gesturing to her bonds “is for your safety, we wouldn't want you hurting yourself or anyone else during an ‘episode’ now would we?”

He sounded like the nuns and Dr. Fulton. Somehow, he also held the air of her bullies. She felt small beneath him.

“Nothing to say Eviee?” he questions. “You seemed to have so much to say only minutes ago. You should know better than anyone how your delusions can harm others. I'm trying to prevent that here. What would've happened of my men hadn't found you girls and brought you home? These woods aren't safe.” The more he talked the more he tried to make. When feel crazy for trying to escape.

She isn't delusional. She knew the evil Ellsworth is capable of. Staying here under the pretense of it being safe is a delusion.

“The only harm that came to any of us came from you,” Eviee whispers while rolling her aching wrists to get the blood to flow through her fingertips.

“Tell me, Eviee, what voice told you to leave here?” His breath felt hot against her cheek as he leaned closer.

Did he know?

He assumes she is the one who convinced the others to run away.

Is it possible he knows about the visit from her mother?

Her mother, who is dead by his hand.

“You are the voice. You are using us for your own gain,” Eviee replies.

“Child, that is simply not true. As I told you before I am here to help you. Like you helped my mother?’ she thinks swallowing the words.

“Saying it doesn't make it true.”

Ellsworth’s fingers make their way to her forehead pulling at a bandage she hadn't felt. “We should probably clean this again. You received a nasty cut when you fell.”

Eviee didn't remember hitting her head so how had it really got there?

His hand pulls away and bright red blood glistens on his fingertips. Ellsworth rubs them on his thumb spreading the sticky red liquid along his skin.

The sight is familiar.

Her body was lifted onto a rickety gurney and quickly strapped down upon removal from the tranquilizing chair. Eviee’s body still ached from the hours in the chair and she wasn't through yet if the way people filled the room with anticipation in their eyes was any cue.

Dr. Fulton had expected her to break. Awaited it even however like the result of many other treatments she hadn't.

“Okay, team gather around,” Fulton spoke and waved the group closer. “As many of you know I have been studying our father of psychiatry, Benjamin Rush. Thus, today we will move onto depletion therapy.” A smile plastered itself on his face and he was determined to practice the lost treatment.

From his readings, and new advancements he knew he could perform the lost art much more precisely than even its originator.

“We will start with purging our patient. Nurse Joyce please administer the jalap and calomel.”

The nurse did as instructed and an orderly proved Eviee’s mouth open giving the woman easier access. The dosage was ten times more than the needed amount the same as Rush had used years ago. Eviee felt the pain within minutes as her stomach contracted. Each new wave of pain brought nausea and the need to release her bowels. Her body broke out in sweats and she shook like a leaf in the wind. Soon, she could no longer hold it in, and vomit wormed its way up her throat as her bowels excreted themselves.The smell was almost unbearable and a few of the attending gagged.

“Turn her on her side so she doesn't choke,” Dr. Fulton called out while scribbling some notes onto the pad he carried.

Eviee felt the restraints weaken and she was roughly turned onto her side allowing her vomit to hit the floor and splatter outward. When she had nothing left to vomit up Dr. Fulton approached. He pried her eyelids open and a bright light entered Eviee’s eyes making her see spots. Body drained, but eyes responsive, Fulton decided to proceed.

“Nurse Joyce prepare the lancet,” He ordered.

“Yes sir.”

The lancet was placed into Dr, Fulton’s hand and he set his notepad aside. He uncovered Eviee’s arm and she tried to pull it closer to her body. Dr. Fulton wasted no time in finding the medial cubital vein.

“I need the bucket placed here,” he snapped at an orderly.

The second the bucket was sat at his feet the lancet pierced the vein. Fulton was sure the girl could lose at least a third of a gallon of blood without harming her permanently. Though, he knew it made no difference. No one ever asked how he treated her aside from the prescribed medications. Deep red blood flowed freely filling the bucket like a miny waterfall. Fulton watched on feeling a sublime joy at being able to experience bloodletting in this way.

“Close the vein,” he told Nurse Joyce removing the lancet.

Bucket half full he kneeled dipping his fingers into Eviee’s blood. Eviee squinted through the dizzy ness watching her shimmering blood drip from his fingertips.

A ting of pain brings Eviee back and an alcohol wipe is pulled away before being replaced with a new bandage.

Eviee had been so lost in the past she didn't know when he got the medical supplies.

“All done,” Ellsworth says admiring his handy work.