Arbatian Mental Institution

Ch.18 Heart And Soul

Dr.Arbatian leans back against his desk, he smoothly rubs his hand against the bleached skull. He puffs dark clouds and stands up. Beginning to circle the table with Kiel, he begins to talk.

"I grew up in a family of psychotics. I had an older brother named Darren. He was in prison for a while, couldn't act right around kids. See he commit suicide in some shit town called Mooncrest. Found him laying in a puddle of cold blood, alone. Poor bastard. My mother, well she left shortly after me and my brothers were born. Last I heard she was working in some circus. Our dad, he was a pathetic excuse for a human. Used to lock us outside because he believed we were something in human skin after him. Was glad when we came home to find him hanging in his room. But you see it was things like that, that made me want to make a home for sick people. I bought this land, bribed the right people for permits and made ARBATIAN MENTAL INSTITUTION. You listening to me boy?", he narrows his eyes at Kiel. Kiel nods his head. There was no point in fighting the restraints.

"Good, so where was I? Oh yes it took some years but this place was built. And wouldn't you know it on the grand day of it opening I had a heart attack. Woke up in the hospital, doctors told me I got a bum ticker. The odds of that. I stayed in that hospital and grew angrier by the day. I didn't want to help anyone anymore. I wanted to live, I became greedy. Death came for me, yes he did. I made a deal with him, let me live and I'll send him more company. So as long as I keep sending him passengers, I get to ride the train my boy. In agreement he gave me two guards to help maintain things around me, my beauties hanging on the doors of the entrance. Aren't they cute?", Dr.Arbatian giggles and relights his cigar.

"Now I'm sure you're thinking I'm full of shit. But you met my lovely assistant Mrs.Cranston? Well that my boy is my keeper so to speak. I'm more dust and ash held together by the reapers blessing. I needed a vessel to keep me going. So I chose her. She eats hearts and I stay alive. It's a relationship, if she dies I die. So with that being said...oh wait. You're probably wondering about Lenny?"

Kiel begins to pull on the straps gripping his fists. He clenches down on the gag until his jaw starts to crack in tension.

"Calm down boy that'll do you no good. I promise you'll see your precious one again. But back to Lenny, my son. Yeah he's a good kid. Just a little troubled. His mother died some years back. When he was just a kid. I met her here, she was a staff. We had a fling and after seeing how things ran she tried to leave me. So she had an 'accident'. But I kept Lenny. After he was old enough I let him come work for me. But enough about me let's talk about the guest of honor! You Kiel will be something to made an example of. See I told you you'd see her again, but I can't promise you'll remember her. Ever heard of a lobotomy boy?"

Dr.Arbatian turns to the red velvet box and opens it up revealing a set of silver tools. He turns smiling, "This is gonna hurt kid."

It had been a week since Lola seen Kiel. She was starting to fear the worst until one day at dinner she walked in and saw Kiel in a wheelchair staring out the window. She rushed over past other clients and hugged him.

"Kiel I thought I lost you!", she reaches back and sees him zoning out looking around. A glazed look in his eyes, he had drool escaping the corner of his mouth.

"Kiel? Kiel talk to me baby. It's Lola.", she places her hands on his shoulders. He looks at her and smiles before putting his head down. Lola begins to choke on tears as she caresses his cheek.

"Baby....Kiel?"

"He's gone you dumb broad.", Lenny interrupts. Lola clenches her fist as her teeth grind. She jumps up and walks past Lenny.

"Bitch you walk out you don't eat!", he yells from behind.

Lola walks into her room and flips her mattress. The other side in the corner is a small slit barely noticeable. She pulls back the fabric as papers litter the floor. A significant amount of drawings spill out, monsters and creatures.

"They had to take everything I've ever cared for or loved. They want me to give up well fuck it I'm done living. They wanna start a war I'll fucking give them one!", Lola yells in anger. She collects all the drawings in a stack and begins to rip them apart.

A crooked circle in the ground splits around the building. Demons of all sorts crawl out slamming their claws into the dirt pulling themselves up. They surround the building and roar in an earsplitting echo. The sound wave makes the windows explode in the recreation room. The demons all begin to run towards the institute.