Psycho

Chapter Eight: Lamb Slaughter

The huge red digit clock at the end of the hallway had '02:34am' on it, I sighed and walked back to my shitty man made bed. I couldn't sleep. It was freezing and a lot of patients yell in their sleep -- plus Luke's loud snoring.

By the time morning came, the sun shined through the window from out in the corridor, lighting up the place. I sat patiently by the gate, looking at anything and everything that moved, attracting my interest and gaze.

I genuinely don't know how people can live here, in the same damned cell with nothing to do. No fresh air, no restaurants, no parties.. no nothing. To be honest I couldn't do have of those, only if I pull a fake illness so I could stay off, I done that a lot, the job is exhausting.

Daniel had even called in sick one time for me, so it sounded more realistic instead of me putting on a sicky voice and coughing in between every word I said.

The janitor, who was also the locksmith, came in the door, whistling as he spun the key's ring around his index finger, making his way over to Luke's cell, where I was literally trapped.

"Morning Miss Rose," he smiled, Jim? I think that's his name.

He was dressed in a dark blue jumpsuit with sand coloured Timberland boots. A thick grey moustache laid upon his top lip, with a slight stubble and grey combed-back hair.

"Morning," I replied, leaving out his name.

"How was last night then? I realize it's a dangerous situation.." he said, doing something to the lock and trying to fix it.

"It was ok, the ground is so uncomfortable, my neck and back are killing me, I never got a good sleep last night," I sighed "-so in other words, it was hell."

"Just like this place," Luke mumbled deeply from behind me, he was still half asleep, curled up on the bed with his eyes still shut.

"Do you need sedated again, boy?" Jim spat.

"Nah, I'm ok thanks" he sassed, I shot him a warning look, but he never seen since his eyes were closed.

Jim sighed angrily, "damn, how'd this happen?" he said, referring to the lock.

"I don't know, I was trying to unlock it and it just.. snapped"

"That's weird, you must of put some pressure on it? Doesn't matter anyway, these keys are ancient and rusty, I'm not actually surprised.

10 minutes later, Jim successfully got the gate open and replaced the lock and gave me a new key. I grabbed my belongings and left the cell, mumbling a 'thank you' to Jim and headed towards the break room, where hopefully and sneakily, I could get a little nap.

Once I got into the break room, there were a few nurses and doctors there, socializing with one another and drinking from their coffee cups. They must of just got here, like I should of done, but no, I was trapped in a cell with a crazy person.

I walked over to the coffee machine, grabbing a white mug and placing it under the nozzle, watching in fascination at the brown liquid pouring out.

"You better have gum or your breath will stink," Tommy, the new guy, joked.

"Don't worry, I do" I laughed.

"By the way, Dr Cartridge wants to talk to you"

"Oh ok, where is he?"

"His office I think" he shrugged.

"Ok thanks" I sighed taking my coffee and walked out the door and making my way to Dr Cartridge's office.

When I arrived at the door to his office, I knocked lightly three times, I had never been in his office before, no one apart from him or people he was firing or whatever. I made myself grow uneasy about this situation.

I heard a faint 'come in' and twisted the door knob and walked in. You would of never guessed this office was located in a mental asylum, you'd think it was an office placed in New York and it was an interior design company, the office was beautiful. Big black leather seats, huge conference table in the middle, a desk for his own work in the corner, a big as expensive Mac computer, fancy plants and expensive looking paintings on the walls.

"Ah, Scarlet! Just the person I've been looking for," he said, looking up at me from his desk with a smile on his face.

I smiled back, "here I am."

He outstretched his arm and pointed to the seat in front of his desk - across from him - "Sit, this won't take long"

I nodded and sat down in front of him, crossing my left leg over my right.

"The nurses are taking a survey about Riversfield, how it can be improved and so on, just like you all do every year" he said, fixing his tie as I sipped my coffee "so here is your survey and there are pens in the pen holder to the left there," he smiled.

I took the clipboard and borrowed a pencil, flipping over the paper to start the survey;

1. On a scale of 1-10, how clean are the conditions here at Riversfield?

7/8

2. Does this bother you?

Not really, no

3. On a scale of 1-10, how edible does the food in the canteen look?

8/9

4. Are the workers here dependable?

Yes, very.

5. Do you get on with the patients? If not, state who and why.

I get on well with all the patients I work with.

6. Do you like the uniform you are inquired to wear?

They are a bit dull, but they don't bother me.

"Done," I smiled and handed him back the clipboard and pencil.

"Thank you Miss Rose, you may leave now,"

I waved goodbye and left his office and headed back towards the psychotic ward, I used to absolutely despise this place, but now since I've been in it often, it doesn't bother me that much anymore, the patients are harmless-

"Oh my God! Somebody call am ambulance or a.. a doctor please!" I heard a woman scream bloody murder.

I ran into the direction where the screaming was coming from. A huge crowd of doctors and nurses were huddled around something or someone on the ground. A couple of people where walking away with their eyes closed and their hand over their mouth with tears streaming down their cheeks.

"What happened?" I asked a James who was talking to another doctor, both of them were pale as chalk.

"Tommy.. someone uhh.. killed him with some sort of hammer or some sort of workers tool that belonged to him.. " James breathed, he was shaking and panicky.

I turned around and pushed my way through the crowd and indeed, Tommy was laid dead on the ground, his own blood pooled at his head with a huge gash in the side of his face. My breath hitched in my throat.

There was a white folded piece of paper hanging out of his lab coat. I slowly grabbed it, hoping it wasn't one of they scary zombie movies that when you touch the dead guy he magically comes back to life, grabs you and eats the living day lights out of you.

I unfolded the paper, that made my heart stop.

'Do not talk to her, do not touch her, do not look at her.

She is my flower. My Rose.

-LAMB'

"Luke," I growled under my breath so no one heard me.

I'm sorry I always leave it at cliffhangers, but it gets more intense if I do:)

In the letter Luke wrote, when he said 'my Rose' he is talking about Scarlet (her last name is Rose, just incase you forgot)

Can't believe I met the voting goal in under an hour wow! I asked for 50 and I get 100+ in 12 hours!! (which is good for me haha)

ANYWAY, let's see if we can all get 70 Votes and 20 comments for chapter nine ;)

Twitter: @KisslandLuke