The Darkness Below

Chapter Forty Seven - 1970

John arrived at the secure mental hospital at the address given to him by Robbie. Looking up at the imposing colonnades of the main building John was reminded of photos he'd seen of the original Bedlam, a former mental hospital long since closed down after all the horror stories that it generated in the last century.

The patients at the mental hospital would be better described as inmates as the security was comparable to a prison with high walls, barbed wire and prison bar style doors which were kept locked.

After giving his false name John was buzzed through the first door by the Receptionist and then had to wait in an ante room before he was buzzed through by a guard in the visitor's waiting room. Eventually John and a group of other visitors were shown down a corridor and then into a large room which smelt faintly of rubber and obviously doubled as a gymnasium. The room was filled with folding tables and chairs and John checked the list by the door and he was assigned table ten. The room was empty of people bar the guards who were patrolling the room.

John was nervous to meet Crazy George but also nervous due to his surroundings, it was intimidating to be inside a secure mental hospital especially as he was here under a false name.

To settle his nerves John sat down then asked a passing guard in a friendly tone 'why is there assigned seating, why not sit at any table?'

'Some of the patients hate each other so we seat them at opposite ends of the meeting room. If they get riled it can unsettle some of the other patients and start a riot.' The guard responded gravely but also with a slight smirk of enjoyment at frightening John.

This information didn't help calm John and he started to worry now about what sort of person he was about to meet. The name Crazy George wasn't a great start and John hoped he wasn't prone to violent outburst. John decided to call him George for fear of offending him by calling him crazy!

After a short wait men started to file in to the room and they were all wearing identical outfits which made it clear they were patients. A man approached the table who was clearly very powerful with a muscular upper body despite being in his mid to late 50's, John guessed. The man sat at John's table and stared at John with a mix of curiosity and fury.

John had a moment of panic...how did he know that this man was Crazy George?

The man continued to stare intently at John and he feared that maybe the man was on such strong medication that he wasn't compos mentis. John shifted awkwardly in his seat unsure how best to respond to the man staring at him and then finally the man spoke.

'Are you Robbie's friend?'

'Yes and you are?' responded John coolly.

'You tell me!' the stern faced man responded.

"Cr....George, right?" John said nearly calling him crazy!

'What was that?' the man responded giving no indication as to whether he was in fact George.

'I'm sorry I misspoke. I was told to meet George here and that he was going to help me with some questions I have.' John responded trying to be conciliatory but not submissive, trying to maintain some control over the situation.

'Crazy George, that's what you were going to say weren't you?' responded the man with an increasingly angry tone.

John was a little startled he didn't expect the conversation to go like this. How crazy was Crazy George, was he violent? John pondered the question for a moment and decided honesty was the best policy.

'Yes I'm sorry Robbie told me you were called Crazy George but I didn't want to be rude so thought it best I call you George.' John responded. The man across him maintained his stern gaze and appeared to be becoming increasingly angry.