The Devil Walks Among Us; Book l - Completed 4/21/22

Prison Montage

Tuesday, October 2nd, 2018

"This is so funny..." John, who was referred to as Big John by his younger sister, chuckled from the doorframe of Mia's bathroom. 

"What's funny? My new patient is the same one whose house you're remodeling?" Mia arched her brow at her older brother. 

"Something like that," He nodded. "We should have the house completely done by next week." 

"Well, you and John have done a good job on it, but it's just so weird how small of a world this is. I'm just not looking forward to the drive, though." 

"How far away was it again?" Big John furrowed his brow, tilting his head. 

"Right at a hundred and fifty miles. I'll be staying in a hotel for the night and I'll come back sometime tomorrow afternoon. I'm supposed to have a session with him once a week for two weeks, then I'll be seeing him for three days while his primary doctor has him for the rest of the week." She explained, combing her fingers through her hair. 

"Ah, it's too bad Little John won't be able to see you before you leave." He chuckled, referring to his partner whom was also staying temporarily with her in her small townhouse in Haddonfield. 

"I know, but tell him I love him and I'll see you two tomorrow. I don't know when I'll leave, but I'll text you and maybe we can catch lunch?" 

"Sounds good. Be careful, Sissy." 

Starting her two-hour drive to Smith's Grove, she put the directions into her GPS to ensure an accurate arrival time to tell Dr. Sartain as she was due to start her new session at noon the same day.

"Ms. Harris, so nice to see you!" Dr. Sartain greeted as he had been waiting for her arrival at the security guard's shack. 

"Likewise, Dr. Sartain. Where should I park?" 

"Go straight ahead and take a left. That's employee parking. I'll meet you in my office." 

"Sounds good." 

Taking a few calming breaths, she felt intimidated for the first time in a long time. She felt goosebumps erect on her forearms after forcing herself to browse through Michael's file, stopping at the second page as she wanted to meet him and examine him blindly, hoping to fill in the cracks later on through her studies on him by reading his file. 

COMPLETELY MUTE; RESTRAINTS 24/7

EXTREMELY DANGEROUS; AUTHORIZED PERSONELL REQUIRED

Closing his file, she forced the folder into her bag, refusing to look into his file further. To her understanding, the less she knew, the better the outcome. Stepping out from her car, she took her time walking towards the sanitarium. Meeting Dr. Sartain in his office, she chose to leave her blank notebook and bag in his office, choosing to take an alternate route towards her new patient. "Are you nervous?" He asked her as they were slowly approaching the heavy iron door that enclosed Michael himself. 

"No," She shook her head, glancing briefly at the short train of inmates being led to the lunch hall, each of them bound at their ankles and wrists, each of them treated like prisoners instead of patients, most of them mumbling their own vocabulary only they could understand. 'I haven't even been here an hour and I feel like I'm going crazy...' She thought. "It's just a lot to take in." 

"I understand. Do you mind if I accompany you for your first visit? I don't want anything to happen." 

"Sure," She sighed lowly. "I doubt anything will happen." 

"Don't be so sure, Ms. Michael is very smart." Dr. Sartain warned. 

"Exactly. If he's smart, he wouldn't do anything to land him more trouble." 

Nodding his head hesitantly at her answer, he fidgeted with his keys briefly before finding the one to unlock Michael's cell door. Instantly, the room smelled of ivory soap and glue. 'Glue?' 

White walls enclosed the now-old man, only seeing his backside as he continued to stare into his own world outside his window as the walls around him were decorated in hand-made masks. 'That explains the glue smell...' 

"Michael?" Dr. Sartain cooed, sounding like a father awakening his child in the early morning to dress for school. "Michael? You have someone here to see you that I'd like you to meet." 

Michael turned his head slightly to the right, looking over his shoulder to acknowledge the invading space in his cell. In his perspective, Mia was something new to him. He hadn't been within a ten-foot distance with a female in forty-years, since his last killing spree in nineteen seventy-eight. Naturally to Michael, Mia's presence was arousing to him, but not in a sexual sense. He had lacked the natural comfort and mother-like acts from a female and almost immediately, just for a split second, he wanted her. Just her. 

Either to kill her.

Or to become attached.

Forcing the thought from his mind, he returned to his animal-like instinct of wanting nothing but rage, thriving from the chase of the kill.

"Michael? This is Mia. She will be seeing you once a week for a little bit. Are you okay with that?" 

"I think I got this, thank you." Mia nodded, asking him to leave with her eyes.

Without a word further, Mia established her own boundary within herself, which is to not push her limits, especially with Michael.