Asylum For Aisling

Chapter 3

I was awake, but to the world, I was still in the hold of unconsciousness. I kept my breathing deep and even. My body was pressed up against a wall, sagging and still. To pass the time, I counted my breaths and dreamed about being free.

I have been in this asylum for a few years now. When I first arrived, I was open-minded to how this institution would be. Maybe I could really get help, maybe there are people here worse than me who could help me get my head on straight, or maybe not.

I was the most-known patient here - reputation both good and bad.

I was the hardest worker when it came to Movement. I always pushed my aching muscles and sore body to go harder. Five more push-ups, ten more squats, one more mile. I had to be in the best physical shape for this place, otherwise I would be chewed up and spit out.

Movement was my time to relieve the pent up emotions that swirled around and consumed my every waking thought. The soreness and throbbing pain that I felt after a work-out was what I needed to get by. I could actually feel something. Physically, I could feel the pain and I loved it.

I walked by people in the halls - head held high, confident smirk plastered onto my face, swaying my hips as I went - but nobody really knew how empty I was. I was so void of emotion, a dark abyss that nobody wanted to venture down in fear of losing themselves too.

That's why I would lash out, in hope of feeling remorse or regret for doing so, but it never comes. There was a small spark for Doc though. He was the only person that had faith in me, telling me that I would get better, that I am a good person. He spoke these things, but I'm not sure he really believed them, but they made me have some optimism.

Groaning, my eyes fluttered open, to only squeeze shut immediately.

"What the actual fuck are you doing here?" I sighed. My eyelids reopened to zero in on Harry sitting only feet away from me. His bright green orbs were locked onto my small frame.

"I'm here for the same reason you are. Staying out too late, talking to a pretty lady apparently gets you in trouble here." His lips curled up into a smirk as he spoke, highly amused by the situation.

"That's a shame. Why didn't you fuck Barbara? She would have let you off the hook easily." I sneered. His presence was annoying me already.

"She's not the one I want to fuck, love." I didn't think it could have been possible for his grin to widen more than it already had, but man was I wrong. He was practically beaming.

Grimacing, I pushed myself into an upright position with ease. I brought my knees up to my chest and wrapped my arms around them. Disgust clouded my features as I replied, "Sorry to be the one to inform you love , but I don't think you are Rylie's type."

That slapped his overly cocky expression right off his face.

The new expression that he wore was astonishment and surprise. He really needed to learn his place in here, and that was below me. I wasn't about to let him walk around like he was the shit, I was going to make sure he felt like shit.

He edged closer to me until our knees were touching. "You think you run this place, don't you?" It was more of a statement rather than a question.

"Nope." I made sure to pop the 'p' at the end just to irritate him.

His head tilted the side and he looked truly perplexed. It might have been by how easily I responded, it might have been my response, or it might have been the unwavering smug look on my face that confused him.

I leaned forward until our noses were almost touching before I explained, "I know I run this place."

And with that, I rested my back on the wall and watched the conflicting emotions run across his face. After a few moments, the lucky emotion chosen to be shown was interest. His gaze traveled the entire length of my curled up body and strayed a little too long on my chest.