1. Night Shadow

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SYDNEY WILSON

Grey.

The floors are grey, the walls are grey, the bars of the cells are grey, even the metalic doors and their handles are grey. Doesn't this sound draining? I've been working in Vendable Asylum For The Criminally Insane for about 2 years now. My other colleagues still consider me new, which I understand, given the fact that most of them are way much older and way more experienced than me. But I can't help not to feel like I've been here for more than a decade. Every day is the same. Monotone. The patients are all the same people, seeing someone unfamiliar could even be considered a rare experience around here. The food is the same, plain but enough. The schedule is the same, repetitive but challanging. The atmosphere is the same, tensioned but interesting. It feels like time had stopped since I got here, no wonder why some patients turn even crazier after being locked up in this grey place.

I don't particularly fancy this specific asylum, but I could say that I enjoy my job. Some would wonder who would be into a job that's basically all about talking to mentally insane people, who could be extremely dangerous, 8 hours a day. I see things differently, I suppose. I find the human brain fascinating and most diseases curable if sane people actually contributed accordingly. Neglecting mental illness could only lead to more self destruction of not only the people affected by it, buy the human race, as it can lead to criminal insanity, and yet that's what all most people do. Even workers in specialized asylums, doctors, scientists- people with the reputation of protection and evolution. I've sensed that lack of interest in some of the employees who work here too. Some of them are only in for the big amount of money, since the job is hardly ever searched for.

That type of people don't want these patients cured or better, not in the slightest, they want the money that their ilness carry on their backs to fall in their dirty hands. And this is more of an observation based on facts, something hard to ignore if you actually care.

But they fear the patients.

Obviously people fear what they can't control.

And it baffles me that, in that case, just imagine how the patients must feel when they can't even have control over their own minds, then someone mistreats them just because of that same feeling of fear. The illness may be dangerous, yes, but they're just puppets. And the puppeteer is someone hidden deep in their minds whom they cannot reach.

But of course, sometimes patients are just absolutely insane and would destroy everything that crosses their path, this is an asylum for the criminally insane after all, I can't defend all crazy people, that would make me crazier.

I'm just really into the complex mechanism that the human brain opperates with.

Or a psychology dork, as my brother would describe me.

I'd correct him with psychiatry, but I'm not sure he fully understands the difference.

"Syd, come here!" Emma snaps me out of my thoughts.

Emma is my best friend, she's literally my blonde twin. I've met her through this job and she's done everything for me to have it way easier in this place. She's an exceptionally good friend, always there through thick and thin, and also since I don't really have many others, she's my best one. I'm that type of person who needs one friend but a good one and she's find her way in my life through this hard job and I couldn't be happier about it.

"What is it?" I ask, putting my phone down.

"Apparently they're bringing Night Shadow in." She says in surprise, which immediately makes me I widen my eyes at stare at her with surprise as she's looking out the window with her jaw on the floor.

"The police found him?!" I exclaim. "No way.", I get closer to the widow and take a look at what is going on down, right in front of the asylum.

Night Shadow is, of course, just a nickname, most people don't know the name of the guy or how he looks. Me included. But what we all know is that he's murdered 8 people in a summer camp called SummerHood Camp. A real tragedy, it really marked our country with a black spot. They were all young people whose lives were stolen by this guy for no reason at all, or at least no reason that we know of. He stabbed each one of them 4 times in the heart in the shape of a star, leaving his personal mark with that. He made sure all of them ended up the exact same way. Almost everyone knows about this infamous serial killer, he's made it big on the news and as everyone else can see, probably on tv or in person, he's being locked up in Vendable Asylum as we speak. Which means the main cause of his crimes was that he's actually mentally insane. It has always been such a mystery to everyone what really happened in that camp and this gives out another part of the story.

Me and Emma go downstairs in the main hallway of the asylum, where two tall men are bringing Night Shadow in. We start whispering things to each other. They're holding him tightly by the upper arms, even though he's handcuffed, but the guy doesn't seem to protest. Outside, people are taking pictures of him, reporters are all over the place like he's some sort of celebrity. It's so unfair to treat criminals like famous figures, especially for the family of the victims. I hate seeing this happen, but it's always been this way, it's not like my hatred on the subject can change it.

He's been looking down since he set foot in here, I can't even get a glimpse of his face. I wonder how he looks like.

Just as I was about to tell Emma my thoughts on the situation, he looks up at us on the staircase for the first time. We're in front of him, from where he's standing, which makes it easier for him to glance us up and down quickly.

A chill goes down my spine.

He appears angry, revengeful. His jawline is clenched in frustration, he's frowning at all of us, watching us with what looks like disgust. He doesn't look how I expected him to look, he's much younger, taller. He's brunette with mid wavy hair, light blue or green eyes, I can't really tell from over here, heart-shaped plumped lips and rosey cheeks, but that might only be from the adrenaline. He looks tauntingly intimidating, his eyes can make me fear him without him moving a finger, not to mention that I also know what he's done but that doesn't make me as terrified as his eyes do.

Suddenly, he locks his terrifying gaze with mine.

I quickly look away.

He's probably one of the most dangerous patients we have here and now I've just realized that I don't enjoy my job anymore. Hate it. Change of mind, change of heart and all of that. The air has thickened way too much for my liking, someone get me out of here.

"Syd, he was not supposed to be so... pretty." Emma whispers to my ear.

Oh God, no.

"Em, shut up. He's a murder." I shake my head in dissapointment.

"I know, I just expected a middle-aged bald man, don't blame me for saying what everyone in this room thinks."

"I know. Me too. But still, stop."

"Fine." She rolls her eyes playfully.

I mean, she's right, he is very beautiful, but it's hard to admit it since pretty faces are hard to hate and that man should absolutely be hated for what he's done.

The two men who are holding him by the arms start carrying him to the cells section. When they walk past me and Emma, Night Shadow glances at us and once again, I feel chills go down my spine and my hair raise on my hands. I rarely feel like this.

His eyes are a combination of blue and green, one of them having a different predominant color. Just a small heterochromia, something I've never seen before in person.

I wonder what his real name is.

I'll find out anyway sooner or later.

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