Ink Me Insane (Book One)

Eleven

The cold floor was waiting to greet her like an old friend as Rene was manhandled into the pit. "Wait til Miss Rachel hears about this. Better starting praying to whatever god you believe in girlie, your days are numbered." The guard's harsh laugh bounced around the small room.

Rene bit her lip stopping any retort. It wasn't worth it at this point. The small show of bravo and wittiness would just send her to meet her end quicker. The door sealed her fate. The only thing that would be waiting on the other side of those doors would be pain and destruction. Her so called fight with Kristy should have already reached Miss Rachel, gossip travels faster than light here after all.  Which meant they were no doubt getting the chair nice and warm for her, how thoughtful. Rene shuddered involuntarily. She tried to pull herself together, grasping at the falling pieces of her mind before they slipped into oblivion. Would anyone even care when she was gone? There would be no spark left in her anymore. What if people liked it better that way? She knew that Miss Rachel would, but what about her friends. Would they prefer the husk of a girl that returns? Rene was aware that she could be eccentric at times to say the least. Okay, she was a mad girl failing the test of sanity worse than a drunk doing a line test at the moment. She wavered back and forth, stumbling with every step. Apparently effort doesn't count for much.

Rene held her head in her hands, curling in on herself. When had she become so weak? Had it all been a facade? The game, the jokes, her friends? Could she even know if any of it was real? Someone, anyone please save her. She was wrong. She was no knight. She was a damsel, a broken one at that. She squeezed her eyes shut. The darkness was everywhere. Surrounding her, engulfing her, swallowing her whole, there was no escape. Help me. 

A single tear dripped down her face cutting a path through the grime and blood from the altercation before hitting the floor. It's fall caused a small pattering noise, a release of a rainstorm all with one tear. The only sound within the otherwise deadened room causing something to awaken inside of her. Rene furiously rubbed her face with the back of her arm. No, it would not end this way she refused to let that happen. She was Rene Sparks, the freaking bane of everyone at the asylum. She made her own rules and she always won the game no matter the cost. She made a promise to herself to never be the victim again. She had been carved up, down to the bone, by her own mother compared to that a little electricity was nothing. She felt her hands curl into fists angry at herself. Yes, in the grand scheme of things, she was weak and insignificant but that didn't mean she didn't have a place in this world. Even if it was just to keep being a thorn in the sides of those running the asylum. Hey someone had to do it right and Rene seemed to be unhinged enough for the job.

Rene forced herself to sit up gingerly to avoid the pain in her stomach from Kristy's kick. She moved until she found her way to a wall and leaned against it. She stared at where the ceiling must be, not that she could actually confirm it in the pitch black, still up seemed a logical leap. She squinted her eyes. The human pupil is supposed to adjust to light, expanding and contracting to let more or less in, something she remembered learning in school before. However, she supposed it wasn't exactly helpful when their wasn't anything to see. The four walls, floor, and ceiling all blended together and looked the same in the darkness. It played tricks with your mind the pit. The small room could crush a person. She squeezed her eyes shut. The pressure caused swirls of color to dance across her eyelids. Anything was better than the darkness, well perhaps not anything.

Her mind drifted to that day so many years ago. She couldn't stop the onslaught of memories now that she was alone. There was nothing left to think about. She had been running from it for to long and with her mother becoming free there was no where left to go. It was time to face it whether she was ready or not.

"Mom! Guess what day it is?!"  the small girl paused at the top of the stairs to sing, "It's my birthday!"

"I know honey that's why I'm cooking your favorite breakfast, waffles and bacon." her mother hummed back from in the kitchen.