Deleted Sanity

Chapter 2

I am in the bathroom, the water sloshing over my hands, an attendant in that hideous white uniform standing in the corner, watching me. You can't have a patient go drowning themselves in the sink can we?

I stare at my reflection in the mirror and I grip the sides of the sink so hard my fingers turn white. My long chocolate brown hair hanging down to my waist, slightly greasy from not having washed it in two days. Purplish circles under my green eyes from lack of sleep and my pink lips are chapped.

I look horrible.

I don't care.

I dry my hands and let myself out, heading to the dining room hall. The dining room is the only place in the sanitarium that they tried to make look lavish. The room is furnished in dark mahogany with thick Persian rugs overlapping on the floor and antique chandeliers hang from the ceiling. It looks like it should belong in a posh private school and not a lunchroom for the crazies.

I see Isaac wildly waving his hands from across the room, making the attendants send him weary looks. He's sitting next to our group as usual. I guess you could say were friends, we kind of just came together because we were the only kids of our age.

"Hey guys." I greeted as I sat down, the tray I had picked from the food line, heavy with mushed peas, freezer burned Salisbury steak, and a carton of milk.

"Hi Dylan." Said Elliot, grinning. He always struck me as the type of boy you would find living next door, the one you'd marry and have three kids with. With his dimples and slightly messy hair and warm hazel eyes.

"Are you taking art this afternoon?" asks Payton, her purple hair now in a braid.

"Yeah, it's better than gym with Brunner." I said annoyed, I really hated Brunner. He was our exercise instructor, letting out endorphins was supposed to keep our brains happy and less focused on trying to escape. He hates me, he always makes me run more laps for no reason.

"Good, I want to sketch you, your face is easy to draw." She says, taking a bite of her mushy peas, before wincing and spitting it back out.

The food here sucks. Bleh!

"Thanks, I guess." I said smirking.

"Dylan, I heard there is a new kid coming in." Isaac says eagerly, excitement bouncing off of his bright blue eyes.

"Oh yeah? Where did you hear that?" I asked, I see Mya lean in too, pausing from biting her nails.

"Officer Joe was talking to Nurse James about this new kid they're bringing in that did some crazy stuff." Isaac said, practically bouncing in his seat.

"What type of crazy stuff?" Asks Mya, a slight blush comes across her face, as it always does when she talks to Isaac.

"Like triple homicide crazy stuff!" He practically yells before Elliot has the sense to slap a hand over Isaac's mouth.

"Quiet down won't you!" I whisper yell and he nods meekly and Elliot removes his hand.

"Do you think he'll be like Drew?" Payton asks and the five of us all turn slightly and stare at Drew who is silently crying while gulping down some milk.

"Who knows? I hope not, no one should go through what Drew does." I said quietly and everyone nods their head in agreement.

Just then a loud sound came from the doors, and attendants pushed a boy around our age harshly inside the dining hall.

The boy looks angry, his dark messy hair falling into his eyes. Dressed in his white clothes provided by the sanatorium, he somehow radiated darkness. He looked around the room, his eyes settling on me. His eyes, what the heck?

They were the most disturbing shade of violet.

I wasn't the only one who noticed, because I heard Payton gasp next to me. I watched as he slowly took steps toward our table, his eyes calculating and intimidating, until he stood in front of me.

"Hello, Dylan." He says, his voice slightly huskier and deeper than I had imagined.

"Who the heck are you?" I ask, bewildered that he knew my name, a smirk crawling onto his face.

"River, have you forgotten me so easily?" He says, his smirk growing if even possible.

"I have no idea who you are, so leave me alone." I said annoyed, and turned back to eating my food.

"Hmm, maybe it's better that you don't remember, let's start on a clean slate." He says, smirking, and holding out his hand.

I looked at him, wondering what he was up to, before taking his hand.

He smiled, before asking Isaac to scoot over so he could sit down.

"So how did you get in here?" Isaac asked bluntly.

"Stuff you don't need to know." River said, crossing his arms.

Elliot reached his hand over, "Hey man, name's Elliot." He says, smiling.

"River." He says, returning the handshake, before settling his gaze on me again.

"What?" I ask annoyed, "Is there something on my face?"

He shakes his head, "No, you just look really good." He said smiling.

I scowled at him, a slight blush rising to my cheeks, "Shut up, if you're gonna sit here you need to stop being weird."

He just shrugged, a smirk on his face once again, "Whatever."

After lunch, we had to head back to our rooms. The rooms were all the same, white walls, , a singular metal bed bolted to the floor, and a one drawer nightstand also bolted into the floor. The only thing that made my room difference were the books, stacked on top of each other, in a corner. Nurse Nancy brings me books from discount sales, there are all kinds, non-fiction, fiction, dictionaries. Sometimes I bring one out of my room and read to Isaac in the lounge. Me settled on a white couch and him with his head in my lap. According to Isaac I have a soothing voice, so he almost always ends up falling asleep.

Today I pick up a yellow book, the words almost completely faded but still clear enough to read. I flop onto my bed, stomach down, the metal legs creaking. I absorb the book, like it's the only thing keeping me alive, which ironically it is. If Nurse Nancy hadn't started bringing me books, I would have been long ago. These white walls drive me crazy, I hate the routine, I hate the solitary. A memory surfaces, and I cringe as the feelings wash over me.

"Dylan! Dylan wake up!" A voice screams as a hand grabs my arm harshly.

My eyes open and I find myself in a dark room, sitting in a small cot. I look around and see

the source of the voice, an older woman, she had the same hair and eyes as I do, but right

now her eyes looked frantic and shined with fear. "Get up! Get up! They're coming!" She

says, grabbing my arm and yanking me out of the cot. The door bursts open and a group of

men enter wearing white clothes. She grabs me by the shoulders and looks into my eyes

"Dylan you're going to be scared, I am so sorry sweetie, but you have to be brave. You will

be alone, but remember that is how you become stronger! Remember who you are!" She

yells, the last words becoming strangled as she is dragged away.

I blink away the tears, and turn on to my back. I'm being strong mom, I just don't know for how much longer.