Hospital For Souls

Chapter Five

When I wake up the next day, there's another girl in my room. She's staring at me on her bed, her dark hair covering one eye. The other is wide and green. Feeling nervous, I sit up and stare back at her, unsure what she's going to do.

She suddenly turns away from me and leans against her pillow. Frowning, I watch her a bit longer before getting up to find a bathroom. Absently, I scratch at my bandage on my left arm as I walk. The nurse sees me as I approach.

"Hi Jessica. What can we do for you?" Nurse Jones asks me. I get momentarily distracted by the silvery glint of his nose ring and forget why I was there. I stare at him for several seconds.

"Jessica? Can I help you with something?" He asks again and I startle back to reality. I nod numbly and bite my lip.

"Bathroom..." I voice softly, slightly embarrassed. I can feel my cheeks flame and I look down. Nurse Jones gets up and I hear him grab the key for the girls' bathroom. He hands it to me and starts walking towards the bathrooms behind the nurses' station. I follow him silently and head in.

Once I'm done, I hand him the key back and shuffle back to my room. The girl is curled up on her bed with her back to the door. I assume she's asleep and sit at my desk. There's now a pencil with no eraser next to my booklet. I pick it up and start working on the assignments that the nurses had highlighted, a nightlight the only thing to see by.

Based on the fact that everyone else was still asleep and it was dark in the hallway still, I'd guess it was probably before six am. I knew I should have been sleeping, but I couldn't. I couldn't stay relaxed long enough. Not to mention the nightmares that I kept having. I can't remember any of them, but I always wake with a panic and more tired than when I fell asleep.

*******************************************************************************************

Eleven Months Ago

"Jess! Hurry up, we'll be late for the dance!" Dustin's voice echoed up the stairs to me from his living room. I quickly finish pulling on my gloves. I give myself a final once-over before nodding at my reflection.

I was in a short black dress that flowed out slightly at my waist. Three cuts were on the chest, showing my skin. If my boobs were bigger, they would have been slightly visible. But, being an A-cup, I was fairly certain they'd pass the school's regulations for Homecoming.

To match the dress, I had a pair of black fingerless gloves on that covered the entirety of my forearms. I'd worn them to hide my arms, but also they looked awesome and alt with the silver buckles on them. Pair those with some heeled black boots, black makeup, and my brown hair done up in a ponytail, and I looked like a goth girl on a date. I could even admit I didn't look too bad. Not out loud of course.

"J!! Hurry up!!" He shouts again. I roll my hazel eyes at him, currently more of a grey-green and popping because of the amount of black I'm wearing.

"I'm coming, jeez," I shout back, grabbing a small, black, leather purse and slinging it over my shoulder. There was silver sharpie all over it, lyrics from songs I liked. I'd written them on there myself to give it personality and uniqueness. Dustin had almost lost his shit when he'd seen it the first time, something about ruining a good leather item. Whatever dude.

I rush down the stairs and stop next to him. He looks me up and down, nods approval, then indicates the door.

"Maria is waiting on us." He seems annoyed with me, but he can get over it.

I follow him out to the car. He opens the door for me and I hop in, smirking at him.

"Aw, thanks. You're such a gentleman," I tell him sarcastically. He rolls his eyes at me and slams the door shut. I turn to look at our driver and smile.

Maria, a heavyset woman with dark hair beginning to grey, and warm brown eyes. She had adopted Dustin three years ago, joining a family that already had two sons. But she had apparently gotten lonely when they had grown up and moved out, hence Dustin. Though she was an amazing woman, Dustin had never fully warmed up to calling her mom, and instead called her by her first name. It was strange to me, but then again, I only had ever had my dad to compare life to, and he wasn't much to compare to. I frown slightly, just as Dustin hops in.

"We ready, Mijo?" I see Maria raise an eyebrow at him in the rearview. He nods and she starts driving to the school.

**************************************************************************************

I hear the breakfast cart being pushed down the hallway. I set the pencil down and turn to stand up. I shriek in surprise instead and nearly fall out of my seat.

The new girl is standing directly next to me. I hadn't heard her get up and move next to me. She was staring at the page I'd just been working on. Honestly, I don't even know what it was. I guess some sort of introduction page?

I stare at New Girl, who is now staring at me with a wide-eyed look of fear. I sigh and close my eyes, looking at the floor.

"Jesus, girl, you scared me. You can't just sneak up on someone like that." I look up at her and she backs up.

"I-I'm s-s-sorry..." She whispers out. Her voice sounds rough, as if from disuse. I shake my head and wave her off.

"It's okay. Just gave me a heart attack is all." When she doesn't react I try to reassure her again. "Seriously, it's fine. Just lemme know when you're gonna lurk next to me, okay? I'd thought you were sleeping."

I go to try and continue to make her feel better, but a movement in the hallway catches my eye. I look past her to see what it was. Narrowing my eyes, I get up and head towards the door.

There's no way in hell I just saw who I thought I saw. Is there? There's no way.

Slowly, I peek around the doorway, trying to see the person. Unfortunately, the nurse and the other person move into a room before I can see them, the hospital gown disappearing around the corner. Frowning, I sink to my knees in the doorway and stare, waiting for the nurse and the kid to come back out of the room down the hall.

Several minutes pass and the nurse leaves the room. She walks past me, waving at me. She heads towards the breakfast cart. Ignoring her, I turn back to look at the room, waiting for the person to come out, hoping to god it wasn't him.

What was likely only a minute felt like twenty, and the door finally opens. I stand up and wait for him to come out of the room. He looks up at me as he leaves and freezes, staring at me. I stare back at him, my mouth open in shock.

No. No. Is he in here because of me? Am I dreaming? This can't be real. He can't be here. If he is, it'll be my fault....

"Jess?" He asks, his voice hesitant. "Are... Are you okay?" He keeps looking around now, avoiding my eyes. He holds his arm against himself with his other hand, though it does nothing to hide the many angry red lines up and down it.

It takes a bit for my brain to get around my shock. By that point, it's caught up with the fact that he shouldn't be here.

"Dustin, what the hell are you doing here?"