Cotard Curse (#Wattys2016)

Chapter 1

"I'm not going to hire you." 

Nichole's heart sunk at the news and her shoulders slumped. She closed her eyes and sighed, about to reply when the low voice continued on the line. 

"...But what I will do is recruit you as an intern. At the ward, we don't have a need for any new help, especially from someone in your age group. However, your intelligence is too high to let go. Would it interest you to come in every so often as an intern to gain experience and we'll go from there?"  The man asked. 

Nichole's face brightened and she nodded. "That sounds amazing, thank you so much. I mean, making some money would have been a plus, obviously, but I guess-"

"You're not busy at the moment are you?" he asked, interrupting her abruptly. "How about you come down to the ward now and I'll give you a tour of the place where you can learn the ropes?" 

"Alright, that sounds good. I will be there in a few minutes. Before I go though, what was your name again?" Nichole asked, wincing. She'd already asked two times before. 

"I'm Dr Benson, but like I said, you can call me Jared. See you soon Nichole." He exclaimed before ending the call. Nichole slowly took the phone away from her ear, grinning. 

"Yes!" She laughed, punching her fists in the air as she bounded up the stairs. Throwing her mum's bedroom door open, she opened her mouth before closing it again. The room was dimly lit and she watched as the lump of blankets on the bed rose and fell in an even pattern. Nichole sighed, back-tracking out of the room before closing the door behind her softly. 

She dashed back downstairs and through the front door, cutting across her neighbour's neatly-cut lawn and to her red Honda that she always parked at the end of the street. Turning her keys in the ignition, she heard the low rumble of the engine and kicked it into drive. 

As Nichole turned out of her street, a knot tightened in her stomach and she squirmed in her chair. "Last minute jitters are a good thing. Keeps you on your feet,"She mumbled to herself. 

***

As soon as she pulled into the parking lot, Nichole felt like she was about to burst with anticipation. She quickly jumped out the car and pulled her handbag out behind her, not taking her eyes off the tall, grey building that loomed over the parking lot. The dull bricks wrapped their way around the structure and were only complemented with box windows that were placed in scatters on the top floor. 

The windows only made the building look more confined. It looked more like a prison than a mental institution. Nichole prayed that this wasn't the case on the inside too. 

She stepped through the automatic doors and found herself in a small, brightly-lit lobby. The lady behind the front desk looked up and smiled at Nichole. "Are you the new intern?"

Nichole smiled back and nodded. "I'm looking for..." She paused. Shit, not again, she thought.

"Jared?" The lady finished for her, chuckling in amusement. Nichole felt her ears go hot as she nodded. "He'll be with you in one moment, take a seat." 

Nichole didn't get time to sit down before the elevator dinged and shuddered open, groaning in strain. A sophisticated middle-aged woman and a small boy with similar features started walking out, their voices filling the room. 

"Do you think she'll be coming home any time soon?" The boy asked, a gleam in his eyes. 

The woman smiled at him sadly. "She'll be out before you know it." The words faded away as the doors closed behind them and Nichole watched them walk off, giving the desk lady a sympathetic look. However, she didn't seem to be affected.