Scarecrow's Secret

Caralyn's Second Session

It had been a week since Alex, Ethan, Jason and I had been locked up into Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane. My doctor wasn't my dad as they said it would probably be a little uncomfortable for a father to treat his daughter. We didn't object to this because he wouldn't treat me. It was Dr Penelope Young who had talked to Dr Jeremiah Arkham to have Dr Stephen Kellerman assigned to me. Alex never got Harley either for the same reason. Instead, Alex got Dr Young, Jason got Dr Arkham and Ethan got my dad. We were sitting in the library, having some free time because they obviously can't keep us in our cells forever. Alex was off somewhere else, Jason was still in his cell and Ethan was on the upstairs grounds of the library with some other inmates. I heard a crashing sound quite near me and glanced up from the psychology book I was reading - yes, psychology book in an asylum - to see some innocent looking inmate with their eyes widened. She looked about a year or two younger than myself. She said a quiet 'oops' which I found rather cute but I wasn't going to show that. I slammed the book down and pushed the bookcase up to let a few more books hit me on the face, shoulder and head.

"Thank you. Sorry about that, too," said the inmate. Her voice was bell-like. I wasn't much taller than her.

"Hm, it's okay," I reassured before walking back to the table to get my book. The inmate picked up the books. I looked over at her before feeling complied to help her. I sighed at myself and then threw my book back down before going over to help her.

"Thank you," she whispered quietly. I just smiled at her. We had only been fixing out the books for a minute before she spoke again.

"Sarah," she said, I looked at her while putting away a book.

"What?" I asked.

"My name, it's Sarah,"

"Oh, Caralyn," I introduced. We shook hands.

***

Returning to a cell was less than depressing, even with a book. When they opened up the glass window to my cell and pushed me back in, I sighed. I sat down on the bed and slid my legs over it to lie down. I the one infront of me open and opened one eye to see Alex being shoved back in her cell and Ethan being shoved back into the one next her. There was a good thing about glass cells. I looked over to see Jason asleep. I lay on my side and played with the pillow before falling asleep.

Morning came quicker than expected and I made my way to the hall for breakfast with Alex. The food they had here was disgusting, I didn't even eat it. I caught myself in the mirror or in the glass a few times. I was paler, the tint of green in my eyes was darker and the blue had nearly gone black. I was also thinner and weaker. I sighed. I got led back to my cell before my session with Dr Kellerman. I dug out the psychology book and started reading it. I was finished it in a few minutes, and there was nothing else to do. I sighed and flopped down on the bed, doing my impression of a horse. I closed my eyes and rested them for a while before my cell door flew open and guards cuffed me and led me to the patient interrogation room. They threw me in and ordered I sit down. I rolled my eyes skywards.

"I already know procedure, you don't need to repeat yourself every time," I growled. The guard raised a hand to slap me but I caught it tripped him up. He almost fell over but his friend caught him, I sat smirking. Dr Kellerman walked in to the room. He waved the guards off and they shuffled rather awkwardly out of the room as Guard #2 was still holding to Guard #1. I watched with furrowed brows before letting out a small laugh. Dr Kellerman sat down and I looked at his tape recorder when he sat it down. I sighed and sat back.

"Patient Interview number 2. Patients name Caralyn Elizabeth Evalyn Crane. In our last session, Caralyn seemed rather calm. She answered questions quite quickly and calmly. Good morning, Caralyn. How are you today?" asked Dr Kellerman. I blew my cheeks out before replying.

"Bored," I replied in a voice that sounded like a sigh. "Bored, hungry, tired, bored,"

"Why hungry? We supply you with food everyday," he enquired, rather stupidly. I sighed a rather big sigh whilst rolling my eyes skyward.

"Doc, the food you supply is horrible. It looks like a squirrel had threw up in it and it makes me want to throw up in it, even just looking at it," I explained. He wrote something down while I sat back in the chair.

"Okay, Caralyn. Let's talk about your family," he ordered.

"Fine. My brother's an incompetent idiot with no future, my dad's completely competent and works here, my aunt Allysen's a bitch, my aunt Barbara I hardly see, same with my uncle Kyle, my grandpa Jim's a cop and my mom's dead. Next question," I babbled but he seemed to understand.

"How did your mom's death affect you?" he questioned. I inhaled then exhaled slowly through my nose.

"We'll, it wasn't great. I'll tell you that much. I was only eight when it happened. Did you know it was one of your own? My dad told me about it," I answered, the answer was a little longer than he expected as he swallowed.

"Dr Tristan, I know, Caralyn. She was under an influence of some sort of toxin," he explained. His stupidity amazed me. Did he really think that was comforting? Oh, your mum has died but the person who killed her was under some sort of toxin so she didn't mean to kill her, sorry. I just stared at him.

"Do you really think I care?!" I asked, shouting, "my mother is dead, that doesn't help. I don't care if she was under some influence of toxin. She's dead and she killed her! I don't care, Dr Kellerman, if she murdered my mum by accident, you incompetent fool," I was stopped by two guards dragging me out of the room. I saw Dr Kellerman stopping the recording and writing something down before they threw me back in my cell. I caught myself in the glass again. I was almost ivory, my eyes were on the verge of black and the green tint in them had gone. My hair was much darker from the lack of sunlight and I was skinnier. I sighed and wished my dad would hurry up with his plans to get us out of here.