Paradigm

Chapter 2: Cigarettes

CHAPTER 2

"There is nothing more that I want than a cigarette and your love."

- A

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"My name is L- Lux," I say to Niall. He smirks at me, making me nervous. Something about him seems a bit.. off.

"Don't be scared princess, I'm not here to hurt you," Niall says, his accent thick. I try to swallow the lump in my throat but it stays stuck, making it unable for me to talk.

"You gonna say somethin'?" Again, no words come out. I've never really been afraid of a patient before, he's the first. Maybe it's the fact that he was put in Room 13. Or maybe it's the fact that Niall could be a criminal. Whatever it may be, I just want to get the hell out.

"Wh- why did you want to see me?" I ask. He laughs a deep, throaty laugh.

"Seen you around, took some interest. You seem like a nice girl Lux. Why are you here?" His question catches me off guard. "Excuse me?" His smirk returns, making me uneasy.

"Why are you working here? This isn't really a place for a girl like you," Niall explains. Who is he to tell me where to work? That's none of his business!

"For your information, I work here because I believe that I can make a change in someone's life and prove that there aren't mentally insane people." He nods his head slowly at me.

"Besides, I should be asking you the same question. Why are you here?" I ask. Niall chuckles, shaking his head softly. He gets up from the bed and walks towards me. It is now that I can get a full view of him. He has bleached blonde hair with brown roots and multiple tattoos, all strung across his arms and maybe one on his chest. He stands a good four inches above me. In all honesty, Niall is quite attractive; there's a soft yet bad boy look to him. He gets very close to me, so that our chests are almost touching. I can feel my heart racing and soon it becomes hard to breathe.

"Oh sweetheart, you of all people should know why I'm here," he whispers. I shake my head softly, unable to do anything else. Niall takes a step back, leaning against the nightstand.

"Well if you must know, I'm in here for committing a crime. I shot my father, my mother, and my little sister. And then I slit their throats." At this, I back away- far away. I feel my breath hitching and becoming irregular. I'm standing in a room with a killer? Okay, I'm officially leaving.

"Wow... Well, nice knowing you! Bye!" I say, running to the door.

"So you're just like everyone else? Running away from me cause you're scared?" Niall yells, as I get my hands on the doorknob. His words stop me. Everyone else? Who's everyone else?

"What do you mean?" I ask, my body still facing the door.

"I mean-" I jump at his voice and the proximity between us. How did he get here so fast? His body is a few feet from mine, making me afraid to turn around and look at him.

"I mean, you said so yourself. You don't believe in the mentally insane. But you're going to listen to those people who believe that I am insane?"

"I don't believe in the mentally insane. But you don't have to be mental to be a killer," I state, slowly turning around- facing him. There is a cigarette in his mouth.

"But still, you believe them?" Niall takes a long drag, the smoke getting in my face, making me uncomfortable.

"You haven't given me a reason not to," I say, slightly coughing from the smoke. This makes Niall smirk. "Not comfortable princess?" Before I get a chance to answer, he talks again.