Shelbyville

Chapter 1

James had advised strongly against me going to Shelbyville, and as I stood before the dilapidated building, I was second guessing my own rash decision. The weather that morning was unusually warm for March, or at least that's what the meteorologist had commented on the news just hours ago. Personally, I wouldn't know, it was my first time in the state of Washington.

The cheerful disposition of the day gave me a false sense of security as a I reluctantly approached the building; I knew if I put off my entrance any longer, I would be late. I hoped the facility was nicer than the exterior let on, but so far, the hospital had not made the best impression. It all began with these scrubs I thought bitterly as I scowled down at my hunter green uniform. It was the first hospital I had ever heard of that made the nursing staff wear such a strange color. Like you're so experienced with your three years of nursing experience I scolded myself. I flicked my eyes around the outside of my new place of employment hoping to satisfy my thoughts with curiosity instead of self-doubt.

The structure was enormous, but outdated, which measured up to what my nursing recruiter Nikki had told me when she initially had pitched me this assignment. According to the brief history lesson she told me when I accepted the assignment, Shelbyville was built in the 1890s. It has been a psychiatric facility for its over 100 years of operation. The place was infamous for its history of grisly, experimental, and controversial treatments. It had been shut down for several years in the 70's as a result of its unsafe and unsanitary conditions. After some major "updating" the place re-opened still operating as a psychiatric facility, but the monstrous building was renovated to serve two different populations.

The east wing was to take long-term psychiatric patients that were too sick to remain independent out in society. Most of these patients were harmless, they just were unable to function on their own without assistance. These were the patients that would not eat if they were reminded, and would go weeks without showering and play in their own feces if left on their own.

The west wing housed the criminally insane, the patients that nightmares were made of. These were the worst of the worst, the people (if you could even call them that) that committed heinous acts that many could never imagine. Unlike popular dramatized crime shows, a plea of insanity was a defense that was rarely granted in a court of law. It was nearly impossible to prove that a criminal was insane beyond their demonic impulses. Why would anyone willingly work here? I asked myself as I climbed the crumbled steps to the entrance. Money, I reminded myself an outrageous sign-on bonus.

I didn't expect the building to be locked, but I also wasn't surprised. How else could such a rundown building assure society that they were safe from their dangerous inhabitants? I rang the doorbell, but heard no sound in response to my action. I hesitated wondering if it even worked, should I ring it again? Was this a sign that it wasn't too late to turn back? Should I not accept this assignment? A plump middle-aged man hurried and opened the door as if reading my thoughts.

"Good morning?" He asked expectantly. It was a question not a greeting. He had sweat beading on his receding hairline and his eyes darted around nervously. It seemed odd to me that someone as anxious as he worked at a job such as this, at least I presumed that he worked here. He wore a uniform as well, but his resembled one that a security guard would adore, much more professional looking than my ludicrous colored scrubs. I hope the other security guards are much better qualified for the position than he is I thought as I observed that we were equal in height.

"Hello, good morning," I stammered tearing myself away from my thoughts feeling foolish when I realized he was waiting for a response. "My name is Katie, I am one of the agency nurses, today is my first day." He looked at me baffled, a blank expression settling into his pudgy cheeks.