Your Mind // 001

002 - Hiding

I opened the door to see an Orderly: a middle-aged man with a small stache.

"Ms. Brenner?"

"Uhm.. yes?"

"Your father has ordered me to let you know that lights out will be earlier tonight, and to not get out of your room until further notice. All of these requirements have been applied to the other Orderlies as well."

What was going on?

I nod and close the door to glance at the clock. It's only 6 pm. Something was clearly wrong. I pace back and forth in my room, not sure what to do.

I should probably get some more rest.

I go back to my bed, still deep in thought. Maybe we just have to get up early tomorrow. Yes. That's probably it. I try to get some sleep.

I wonder what Peter was doing. No. I need to get him out of my head.

I shut my eyes and try to concentrate on something else. Going through an item's memory has always helped me loosen up. I look around the room and try to find something that I haven't looked through yet. The gown I was wearing. I fixate my eyes on the edges of the fabric, letting myself become a part of it.

I see a factory, full of sewing machines and women all in white. A blonde haired girl was working on mine. She was pretty, but also young, not any older than 16. She looked worn out, her eyes someplace else. Suddenly her finger was bleeding; her hands had gone too close to the machine. The worker yelled at her as she cried. Then I see another memory- an Orderly stacking the gowns inside a wardrobe. And then I see me, wearing it.

I drift off into sleep, having worn my mind out too much.

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It wasn't long before I wake again, my head spinning. The blaring red lights of the alarm clock read "0:20", meaning it was midnight. Footsteps passed my door as I heard a man bark orders from a distance. What was going on this late at night? I rose from my bed to put my ear to the door. The footsteps faded and curiosity got to the better of me.

I opened the door to see a dark and empty hallway. I crept out, following the paths of where the voice was. My feet crept along the cold, tile floor as the hard plaster stung my toes. The distant noice of the vents further brought me to an edge, as if it were a reminder that I was in a place I knew I didn't belong. I didn't care if I wasn't supposed to be out here, I had to know what was happening. My feet kept making turns, looking for a source.

A small shadow danced across the end of the hall, blocking a moving light source for half a second. Flashlights. Why were there flashlights needed when you could simply turn on the lights all the way? I crept quickly towards the source, making sure that the pads of my feet barely made a sound. As I walked on, I heard footsteps cascade from behind, drawing nearer and louder by the second. I began to walk fast as the steps mocked mine at the same pace.

Suddenly a hand grabbed my wrist behind me, and I turned and swung my other arm, punching whoever's hand it was. I hear a familiar grunt and a thud against the wall. I quinted my eyes through the darkness to make out the same piercing cerulean blue eyes. His hand grasped his cheek and grimaced as is other hand leaned against the wall.

"Peter?" I realized that I wasn't supposed to know his name, but he didn't even question it as he spoke urgently.

"You're not supposed to be out here. If they find you-"

"What's going on? And why are you out here, I thought all orderlies were to stay-" I'm interrupted as I hear running at a distance.

"I need you to stay quiet, do you understand?"