The Henry Bennett Centre - A short story for school.

"Hey," Kayla said sitting down next to me. I just stared at her before turning my head back towards the window of my new home. The Henry Bennett Centre: My home town’s mental health facility.

"I know you're new here and everything but you don't need to be a snob," she said.

"Dude, didn't you hear? She's like, mute or something," some other girl whisper-yelled at her. At this she turned away from me and started singing under her breath. "Sucker love, a box I choose. No other box I chose to use. Another love I would abuse, no circumstances could excuse..."

It took me a while to recognize the song she was singing it was 'Every You and Every Me' by Placebo. Suddenly, all I could think about was what had happened only a couple days ago.

I was walking home after work when I heard someone running towards me. I turned around to see who it was and before I knew it I'd been hit in the head with a hard, blunt object and instantly blacked out.

I woke up in a daze, my head pounding. I could hear music coming from somewhere, ‘Every you and every me’ by Placebo was playing. I blinked a couple of times before glancing around me; it was dark so I had to wait a while before eyes adjusted to the dimness. After being able to get a better look I came to the conclusion I was in someone’s basement. I began to panic, my breathing quickened, coming out in quick, short breaths. I felt tears start to roll down my face as fear set in. Where was I?

“HELP! PLEASE ANYONE, HELP!” I screamed until my throat was raw. No one answered. I sat there in silence tears continuously pouring out of my eyes. Before I knew it a man I’d never seen before walked in wielding a knife.

“If you don’t shut up I will cut off each of your fingers,” he threatened before violently stabbing the knife into a wooden table as a threat and walking back out of the basement. Shortly after, I heard someone else screaming, as if being tortured. She continued on for at least an hour while I had to just sit there listening, knowing that soon that will be me.

After a while the screaming stopped which, I suppose, scared me more. What was going to happen now? Was she dead? Was I next? No. I wouldn’t let that happen. I was NOT going to give up without a fight. Adrenaline rushed through my veins as I struggled to loosen the knots on the ropes and slowly the let out enough to let my hand through. I bent over and quickly undid the rope around my feet before running and grabbing the knife he’d let sitting on the table. I then ran back to the chair I’d been sitting in so that when he walked in he wouldn’t get suspicious. This was my only chance. I had to be careful. I adjusted the ropes so that it still looked as if I was bound to the chair but I was still able to get up quickly when I needed to.

He walked in just as I finished adjusting everything. A smug smile on his blood splattered face. I had to force myself to stay still so that I didn’t jump up and try to attack him now. I had to wait for the right moment, the right opening, or it would be for nothing. He walked over to me and grabbed my face with one of his hands.

“I see you stopped crying, that won't do,” he snarled his putrid breath made me want to gag. This was my moment. I was now or never. A big smile of my own stretched across my face. He started to take a step back, worried. But before he could I grabbed the hand that had been holding my face and with the knife in my other hand, I plunged it into his neck. He stumbled back, blood pouring out from the wound. I ripped it out before stabbing him in the heart and then he fell to the ground.

Just then the police burst in. By now shock had set in and I just was standing there, utterly still, a bloody knife in my hands. One of them slowly walked over to me gun raised ready for any sudden movement. I could see their lips moving, so I knew they must have been saying something but all sound was lost to me. The knife slipped from my fingers and the police rushed towards me, being careful of the dead body lying motionless on the floor. As soon as one of them touched me I started screaming uncontrollably. My knees gave out and I collapsed on the ground.

“Ana, Ana,” I heard someone repeating my name as if from somewhere far away. I realised that someone was also shaking me. I blinked and looked around me. I wasn’t in that basement anymore I was back at The Henry Bennett Centre. Safe.

“You’re alright Ana, you’re not there anymore,” one of the nurses said. I just nodded, fear consuming me.

The End.