The Day The World Went Orange

The Day the World Went Orange: A Darwin's Children Short Story

by

Natasha Larry

All rights reserved. No part of this short story may be used or reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system without written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

COPYRIGHT © 2012 by Natasha Larry

Cover Art by Kris Wagner

Edited by Rainy Kaye and Natasha Larry

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.

"I just felt like there was no one." Meghan Snow's voice trembled, her eyes locked on the two vertical scars on her forearms. "I felt suffocated. Like-like there was a sack over my head, keeping out all hope." Shetucked her bleached blonde hair behind her ear and chewed on her slender lower lip. "Then, I reached for the knife. When I woke up in the ER-"

A low chuckle interrupted the trust circle. Meghan's eyes widened, while the twelve other patients at Maplewood Mental Hospital turned their heads toward the laughter.

"Why do you allow this nutcase in group?" the patient beside Meghan groused.

The laughter infused with hiccupping and echoed off the walls. Dr. Filmore leaned into the circle and fixed Brianna Miller with a glare.

"Brianna. Do you feel it's appropriate to laugh at a suicide attempt?"

Brianna crossed one leg over the other and sucked in a breath. "Sounds like you have rich people problems," she noted, ignoring Dr. Filmore's question andspeaking directly to Meghan.

Meghan gasped. "Excuse me?"

Brianna tilted her head. "It. Sounds. Like. You. Have. Rich. People. Problems."

Well, at least she doesn't hear voices.

"Shut it!" Brianna warned, poking a finger at her own temple.

"I tried to kill myself!" Meghan cried, turning to Dr. Filmore for help. Tears fell down her pale cheeks.

Good job, you made her cry. Real nice. Well, forget purgatory. Pack for we're-going-straight-to-hell weather!

Yeah, jerk! Now, we'll never make friends.

"Hey!" Brianna protested. "We... I have lots of friends!"

Wait! Who taught us about purgatory?

"Crazy bitch." Meghan pointed an angry finger at Brianna. "She doesn't even belong here!"

"Brianna..."Dr. Filmore stood and waved his hands toward the nurse's station.

Crap! He's gonna shock us!

Be cool! Be cool!

"Okay! I'm cool," Brianna shouted at the doctor. She turned to Meghan and smiled. "What I meant to say was, sorry you failed to kill yourself?"

No!

Epic fail...

"Wait! No, sorry you..."

"Alright, Brianna. This isn't productive."

"No! She doesn't have richpeople problems!" Brianna shouted, jumping to her feet.

Dr. Filmore sighed. "Nurse!"