Madhouse || Park Jimin

1

[TRAILER]

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The sun shines brightly through the windows, warming my skin. I watch as the birds fly through the beautiful blue sky and I can't help but wish I was as free as those birds. I sigh, resting my chin on my hand as I get lost looking outside the window.

"Ms. ___," my teacher calls me.

At the mention of my name I look back in front of me, realizing my teacher is standing right in front of my desk with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Do you think birds are more interesting than my class?" she asks.

Yes, but I don't want any problems, so I apologize. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be disrespectful in anyway."

She nods, still not looking very happy but turns and walks back to her desk.

You might think this is a normal college but this place is far from normal. This is a psychiatric that has, in its majority, young patients that suffer from psychological disorders. We live here until we're well enough to leave and live our normal lives again.

The three levels of this building are categorized by levels of disorder. Starting from light, medium to severe disorders.

The first level patients, like me, can attend a few normal classes to prevent us from falling behind academically and to make us think we're normal.

But the truth is, everyone here is a little insane. Everyone has their own madness; one they have to live with and learn how to control. So instead of a psychiatric, I call this place... a madhouse.

I didn't even know a place like this existed until my grandparents proposed I come here last month.

Why? Because my parents are no longer here. They were violently murdered two months ago. Just thinking about it causes me nausea. I was there when it happened, but I can't remember clearly that horrible night. Everything is blurry and confusing in my mind.

I just remember screams, blood and the hideous sight of my parents lying dead in our living room. After that, I woke up at the police station.

The murderer killed everyone except me and the police told me the he was a serial killer who'd already killed four families before mine and that they were trying so hard to find him. They said I was very lucky to be the only one who survived, but I don't feel fortunate at all.

After that, my grandparents decided to send me here. I don't think they were ready to deal with an eighteen year old diagnosed with a traumatic stress disorder, depression, panic attacks and suicidal tendencies. They feared for my life and I'm sure I constantly reminded them of my parents. I understood their pain.

"___?" a soft voice whispers behind me and I turn around slightly. It's Jihye, the only friend I've made until now.

No one can pronounce my name correctly here. Their Korean accent is reallyy strong when they pronounce my English name but I find it cute.

"I need your help with English. I have a test tomorrow," she whispers.

"How do you know I'm fluent in English?" I ask.

English is my first language as I grew up in a small city in the U.S. My family and I lived there until my father made some enemies at work. He was a lawyer who sent some criminals to prison that probably searched for revenge, so he decided it was better to move back to South Korea where we're originally from. We bought a beautiful house in the mountains, but only 6 months later, that monstrous killer ended their lives.

"Well, you have an English name and you have a little accent when speaking Korean," she says.

"That's true. Okay, I'll see what I can do to help you. I'll see you after class." I fake a smile. I've completely forgotten how to truly smile.

When class finishes, the teacher calls me to her desk, so I walk up to her.

"Is something wrong?" I ask.

"I've been informed that you didn't attend your appointment with the psychologist yesterday and you also didn't attend the group therapy," she says.

"With all my respect, I really don't think I need that," I answer her.

"I'm afraid that decision is not yours to make. You've been though a lot and we need to make sure you're getting over that horrible event. If you don't keep the appointments, you'll be transferred to the second floor. Do you want that?"

"No." I let out a sigh. "Okay, I'll attend the next session."

It's not worth arguing, I won't be here for the next session anyway.

"Good. You can leave now," my teacher says and I leave the classroom and walk along the long corridor full of girls. This part of the building is only for girls as boys and girls stay separately.

I walk to the dorms corridor and enter my room, close the door behind me and walk up to the mirror. I stare at myself, my eyes staring back at me with so much sadness, and I wonder where the happy girl I once was has gone.

The day has arrived. I'm sitting down on my bed. I just need to wait for it to be night time.

And after a few hours the sky turns dark. I look at the clock beside my bed marking 7:10 pm and open the door, looking at both sides of the corridor before stepping out. I walk up the stairs until I get out to the rooftop, the cold wind making my hair fly back.

I press my jacket against my body as I step closer to the edge, the forest around the building looking a bit scary and the city lights very far away.

Life has no meaning for me anymore. I have no reason to keep living. I know I'm a coward but I can't go on. I made my decision the first day I woke up knowing that my family was murdered and I couldn't do anything to save them.

During the time I've been here, I tried to find a new reason to live, but nothing has worked. I tried everything. Medication, therapy, but nothing erased the fact that every time I close my eyes, I see so much blood. Oh, and the nightmares I have every night. Don't blame me for not wanting to keep living like this.

I try to stay calm, but my whole body shakes as I climb on the parapet. Standing right at the edge of the building, I look down. It's so high.

I feel my eyes filling with tears.

"I'm sorry Mom, Dad. I tried, I really tried," I say as I let out a shaky breath and tears start falling down my cheeks. I just need to let myself fall and everything will end.

"Jump."