On The Verge

Chapter 13- A Visit of Whispers

———————Chloe———————

⠀⠀The following morning, instead of catching the bus like I usually did, I found myself outside the sanitarium.

⠀⠀"If my parents find out I ditched..." Kendall muttered angrily under her breath, bringing a smile to my face. Kendall was not one to break the rules.

⠀⠀"Ready?" Nia asked, worry creasing her face. My small smile dripped off my lips as the task at hand consumed my thoughts. We wordlessly entered the doors of the sanitarium, finding ourselves face to face with the receptionist, coincidentally the same woman who had been working the night Paige died. I silently prayed she wouldn't remember speaking to Kendall.

⠀⠀"We're here for visiting hours." Maddie said perkily, masking her unease.

⠀⠀The lady behind the front desk slowly looked us over. Her eyes scanning over us until they landed on Kendall. "Have you been here before?" She asked cautiously, suspicion creeping into her voice.

⠀⠀"No. I haven't." Kendall easily lied. The woman narrowed her eyes, contemplating our legitimacy for a moment before hesitantly allowing us to pass.

⠀⠀The woman led us to the common room where we had originally spoken to Paige. The bland room was now filled with an assortment of patients at different levels of insanity. Some patients looked relatively sane; besides their darting eyes and the constant ringing of their hands, they could almost pass as ordinary. Other patients were rocking back and forth in various states of awareness. These patients were muttering to themselves as their eyes incomprehensibly shifted in unsystematic directions.

⠀⠀"Where do we start?" Kendall asked, taking a calming deep breath.

⠀⠀"Talk to people, someone must know something." I suggested, shrugging. I was about to add a remark, when Nia suddenly became tense beside me. She drew in a sharp intake of breath as her eyes widened in inexplicable terror.

⠀⠀Nia, who now held our full attention, held a shaky finger to her lips and signalled for us to listen.

⠀⠀"Murderer..."

⠀⠀The word was wispered, laced in with the silent air that swirled around us.

⠀⠀"Murderer."

⠀⠀It was said louder this time, draining the colour from my face. An elbow suddenly lightly jutted into my stomach as Maddie caught my attention and turned it to the corner, where a girl our age sat hunched, staring at us.

⠀⠀She was whispering the eerily applicable word.

⠀⠀The girl had blond hair that sat atop her head, tangled and matted. Her electric green eyes were wild, seeming to scream although no sound was produced. Worried glances were exchanged as we fearfully advanced towards the girl.

⠀⠀"Can we help you?" I asked her politely, an edge to my voice that cut like knifes.

⠀⠀"Murderer." She repeated, her voice gradually raising in volume. Her jaw clenched as she uttered the last syllable.

⠀⠀"Excuse me?" I questioned narrowly, my eyes finding hers as we tested each other's bravery through intense glares of eye contact.

⠀⠀"Murderer!" She yelled it this time, her eyes flashing angrily.

⠀⠀"I don't know what you're talking about." Maddie stated smugly, flashing a warning smile. Our politeness, bathed in deceit to and warning was a transparent attempt to hide our fear and retain our mask of innocence.

⠀⠀"MURDERER!" The girl screamed as she leapt up from her spot on the floor. She stood for a concise moment, rocking slightly on her unbalanced pale legs before launching herself at Maddie. Maddie was petrified in fear. Her gaze caught mine as the girl's weight forced Maddie to the floor where she was now pinned beneath the figure of her spasmodic attacker. The girl was now repetitively screaming the only word we had known her to say as she clawed at Maddie, who's spindly arms desperately sought out her face in an attempt at protection. Shock had delayed my reaction, and before I could move to Maddie's assistance, nurses were pulling the strange girl off of Maddie's small frame.

⠀⠀"Liza, calm down. It's alright." The nurses assured the shrieking girl, who's name must be Liza.

⠀⠀I helped a shaking Maddie to her feet as we were whisked from the common room by an army of nurses. Our visit was quick lived, but certainly not unrewarding.

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