Alicia sat in the corner of a white room with soft walls and no windows. There was a white bed that hangs from the wall that was the same dismal white as the rest of the room. Her eyes darted around the lonely white room with soft padded walls. Alicia's breath quickened and she began to hum. It was a sad old tune that no one seemed to know but her. Gently she rocked back and forth, swaying to the music of the tune that drowned her thoughts. Down the hall I heard the eerie song. I, Abigail Newthorn, was the new nurse at Saint Anthony's mental clinic. Earlier that day I had heard tales of a young woman that was held up in room 363. Ms. Alicia Wilson, I was told, had auditory hallucinations and was also told, supposedly, by these voices to kill her own daughter, Cassandra Wilson.
I shrugged off these silly tales. Ms. Wilson was just another soul that needed help just like all the rest. Slowly I approached room 363. I knocked softly on the door and fumbled with the keys in my pocket, searching for the one that opened the door. After a struggle the key was in and I entered the room. The eerie song that I had heard earlier was much louder in the room. Alicia was curled into the fetal position, facing a corner, and seemed to be rocking herself to sleep. Hesitantly, I took a step forward and whispered softly to Ms. Wilson. With a jolt Wilson shot upright and looked me in the eyes, “Cassandra... I am sorry.” At first her tone was sharp and almost scolding, and then it broke into a desperate plea.
I, being ever polite, looked at Alicia was sad eyes and replied, “I am not Cassandra.”
“You are not her but you are her,” said Ms. Wilson with distant eyes.
I looked at Alicia with kind eyes, “What ever do you mean?”
“You are Cassandra, but you are not. You are sad, but you do not say… You came to apologize to your dear mother…” Alicia trailed off. It had seemed that for a moment Wilson was in her right mind, and then she slipped back into that black hole of delusions that haunted her.
“Why does Cassandra need apologize, Ms. Wilson?” I asked the deranged woman.
“She is here you know? Cassandra is here. I can hear her,” Ms. Wilson froze in place, listening to the sounds of nothing, but she alone could hear something. “Do you hear what I hear?”
“There is nothing here, Ms. Wilson,” I insisted.
“No, there is. Just listen, my dear,” Wilson said. I was about to object when I heard a noise.
It was quiet at first; I had to strain to hear it. Then it grew louder, and it was obvious it was a little girl laughing. I stood frozen in shock. The last thing grew louder until it was a shrieking howl, ringing in my ears. Desperately, I looked around, trying to find the source of the insane laughter. It was not Ms. Wilson like I had originally expected. She was sitting in the same corner watching me with knowing eyes.
“You hear it then. That is my Cassandra. She is taunting me, laughing,” Wilson said perfectly calm.
I looked at Wilson incredulously. How on Earth could that woman look so calm in this racket? Then out of the corner of my eye, I saw a ghostly figure. It was the vague outline of a young girl about 10 years old. The figure had dark hair, piercing eyes, and was wearing a pale yellow the dress. I stood there spun complete shock once more. I noticed figure was laughing hysterically. Amazingly, the figure started moving towards me, still laughing. It came to about three inches from my face. The girl stopped laughing, and that crazy shrieking echo and she smiled. It was not a friendly smile, not the slightest; it was an evil, crazy smile. “Get back, you foul child!” yelled Ms. Wilson to the apparition. The figure spun around and glared at Ms. Wilson. “You have come for me, no one else!” I was amazed by the courage that Ms. Wilson was showing. The operation been headed towards Ms. Wilson waist and evil gleam in her eyes. The figure was going to harm Ms. Wilson!
With a cry of anger I jumped in front of the woman that I had once thought delusional to protect her from a figure that had appeared, against all logic, in front of my very eyes. The figure gave a menacing growl; at least it seemed it was from the figure. All noises that I assumed came from this thing seemed to echo and rain throughout the padded walls of the white room. It lunged and it went through me! It had slipped past me as if I was the ghost and landed solidly on Ms. Wilson. I stared in disbelief as the figure wrapped its translucent hands around the woman’s neck. “I shall never apologize. It was you that made me the way I am!” the figure shrieked. I stood, thunderstruck, at the bizarre scene. As the life drained out of Ms. Wilson’s face she slowly went from obviously there to a mere ghost. Then, she was nothing. There was no one there. With a gasp, I fainted, and the world went black.
When my eyes open once more, I was wrapped snugly in a straight jacket and my hair was mussed up and my hip hurt like I had been given a large needle to the rump. Bill room was plain white and there was a small plain bed on one end. I shook my head, this cannot be happening. This was Alicia’s room. Why am I here? Why am I in a straight jacket went crazy person? My train of thought that was interrupted when there was a soft knock at the door, and a woman that looked oddly familiar walked in.
I found myself humming a tune that was familiar, but not. The familiar lady reached me and whispered to get my attention. My attention snapped to the woman and recognition filled me, “Cassandra… I am sorry.” At first my tone was sharp and almost scolding, and then it broke into a soft, desperate plea.
Then there’s looked at me with sad eyes and replied, “I am not Cassandra.”
“You are not her, but you are her,” I said with a distant eyes.
She looked at me with kind eyes, “What ever do you mean?”
“You are Cassandra, but you’re not. You are sad, but you do not say… You came to apologize two your dear mother…” I trailed off.
“Why does Cassandra need to apologize?” she asked me.
“She is here, you know? Cassandra is here. I could hear her,” I froze in place, listening. Mother… It was your fault, all your fault. You made me the way I am. “Do you hear what I hear?”
“There is nothing here, Ms. Newthorn,” she insisted.
“No, there is. Just listen, my dear,” I said. He, he, he. I sat in the same corner watching her with knowing eyes.
“You hear it then. That is my Cassandra. She is taunting me, laughing,” I said, perfectly calm.
She looked at me incredulously. Cassandra began to form in front of me. Her ghostly outlined a foggy image of what she once was. Cassandra was laughing hysterically. Cassandra started moving towards her, still laughing. It came about three inches from her face. Cassandra stopped laughing and the crazy shrieking ago ended and she smiled. It was not a friendly smile, not in the slightest; it was an evil, crazy smile. “Get back, you foul child!” I yelled. It clicked then. Cassandra was going to make her like me. I had to stop this insane cycle. Cassandra spun around and glared at me. “You have come for me, no one else!” I yelled hoping to deter the evil spirit. Cassandra then headed towards me with an evil gleam in her of eyes.
With a cry of anger the nurse jumped in front of me to protect me from Cassandra. I gave the nurse a warning look, but she did not see it. Cassandra gave a menacing growl. The evil spirit lunged and it went through her. It had slipped past her as if she was the ghost and landed solidly on me. She stared in disbelief as Cassandra wrapped her translucent hands around my neck. “I shall never apologize. It was you that made me the way I am!” Cassandra shrieked. I struggled in her grasp and fought against the feeling of nothingness. If I did not stop this, who knows how all this will go on? I gave one good final jerk and amazingly was free.
I knew I did not have much time so I looked at Cassandra been said with tears in my eyes, “I am sorry. Please forgive me.” Suddenly, the whole room seemed brighter. The feeling of something ominous was gone. Cassandra had disappeared and the nurse stared at me in disbelief.
“I think I can get you released now, either that or I need to be admitted,” she mumbled the last part and left shaking her head.
