Ink Me Insane (Book One)

Eight

Rene rested her head on her hand annoyed. She was back in Miss Rachel's office for her scheduled one on one. She had already been here for fifteen minutes and Miss Rachel had yet to acknowledge her. She just keep writing away with one of those stupid feathery pens of hers on yet another screwball's file. Rene couldn't tell if she was ignoring her to provoke her or just being Miss Rachel's normal annoying high and mighty self. Either way Rene was pissed off. She wanted to rip the pen right out of Miss Rachel's hands and snap it herself this time. A small smile quirked at her lips at the thought. It would definitely be more satisfying than just making Miss Rachel snap it out of anger. Though, on the other hand it would definitely prove counter productive to her whole faking improvement thing. If the frigid witch would just look up at her they could get this over with. Rene huffed and let her eyes travel around the frilly room. The small room was one of the few with actual natural light coming through a large window behind Miss Rachel's head. Depending on when she had to meet with Miss Rachel the light would give Rene spots from having to stare at it. Even with Rene obviously squinting and blinking rapidly to avoid tearing up, Miss Rachel never closed her bright pink curtains. The room was decorate with lace and frills in various shades of pinks and yellows. The faint scent of lilacs was always in the air, Rene had always hated that smell. She wasn't sure if the room was supposed to be welcoming or what. It more just felt like someone had vomited spring in here. Even the overly bright yellow paint on the cement walls, just made her feel sick. She had been staring at these walls for five years and they had hardly changed. Except of course for the motivational posters. Every couple months or so Miss Rachel would get new ones. The current means of inspiring patients preached challenge, vision, and teamwork. If only it were that easy to get out of here.

Rene had always preferred to look at walls, ceilings, floors, basically anything that meant she didn't need to meet eyes with people for extended periods of time.  The old saying, "eyes are windows to the souls", had made her edgy about it. She was always afraid people could see her madness from the depth of her eyes. That they would see the pain. Rene had decided when she first arrive that in order to survive this place she need to at least have an air of strength and defiance. Hence, why she has been labeled a trouble maker in the asylum. But that seemed to be over now. If she kept playing the game the way she had been there was no doubt she would lose. The rules were changing and with a new player determined to join, things only became more complicated. Rene strummed her fingers against one of the chair's armrest playing things over in her head. Each piece needed to be examined from all angles to see the best course of action. When she closed her eyes could could see the game. Each person and their part, each path to be chosen, and of course the  tattoos even they had a part to play. She spun the pieces individually 360 degrees. She had always imagined things like a high tech computer. Pieces could be rotated, enlarged, shrunk, changed with a thought. Floating 3D holograms for manipulation to find the best possible path. Information was meant for processing. It was often why she wouldn't react to situations and the reason she had been deemed the ice queen. Rene would simply take in the information and store it for later viewing. She was an internal person a majority of the time exception being when her anger got the best of her. Unfortunately that seemed to be happening more often these days. Her emotions always seemed to be nothing or release of the flood gates when it came to reacting. She sighed opening her eyes to look at Miss Rachel who had still yet to stop her scribbling. And Rene was supposed to be the queen of ice? If that was so Miss Rachel must be the empress of cold.

Rene suppressed a growl. New rules, new player, new complications, it was basically a brand new game which meant like it or not she needed a new strategy. Rene folded her arms defensively in front of herself. She had never  been one to sit back. It had always been a strong offense was a strong defense. Perhaps it was time to change that. Go a defensive route and then gain ground slowly. Guerrilla warfare anyone? Rene smiled carefully, she could do this. It would be difficult but her choices were limited and the asylum didn't wait for slow evolution. It was survival of the fittest extreme edition meaning you adapt now or you disappear into your own mind. Wouldn't Darwin be proud?