Mental State

Chapter 3

The next morning, I woke up in a panic. My surroundings seemed foreign to me at first, but then I remembered yesterday's events. I thought it would all just be a nightmare, but I guess not...

Rolling over to my side, I find Addi's bed to be empty. The covers will pulled up & done neatly, leaving no trace that she was ever there. Confused & hungry, I got up to explore the building & find the dining hall.

I cautiously opened the door, not sure as to if I'm supposed to be leaving the room unattended or not. Once I decided that the hallway was clear, I quickly & quietly exited my room & closed the door behind me.

Following the way I had came the day prior, I eventually found the dining hall without running into any employees or patients at the hospital.

Once I stepped inside, I became overwhelmed by the bustling of a wide array of people. Some were dressed in normal summer months attire, with shorts & t shirts, while others were cloaked with hospital gowns that were merely held together with a simple string. One wrong move, & everything would be... well, exposed I guess you could say.

I took notice to a dark complected girl only a few years older than me who was watching a tv on one of the walls. Deciding she seemed nice enough, so I decided to approach her.

"Hey there, I'm Avery. I'm sort of new here." I said timidly, but the girl didn't didn't seem to take notice.

I clear my throat to catch her attention, but nothing. Looking over to the TV, I found there to only be a black screen. That's really strange...

I nervous feeling began to grow in my stomach. I went to wave my hand in front of her face, but the girl still didn't seem to notice that I was standing there. In fact, she hardly even moved since I first saw her...

As I was about to reach out & grab the girl's shoulder to shake it, a voice behind me sounded, stopping me in my tracks.

"Hey there doll face, what do you think you're doing invading the residents' personal space?"

I froze in place, panic slowly growing larger in my chest & stomach. I never liked getting in trouble or having confrontation. Not to mention the girl also freaked me out...

But when I turned around, I was very surprised with who I saw. Behind me was a brunette boy around my age with golden brown eyes. He only appeared to be around 5 feet & 10 inches, but he had the face of a male model. I'm assuming most girls would swoon at the sight of him, but my heart & mind felt like it belonged elsewhere. Mason...

I stood there staring at him while trying to hold back the tears threatening to spill over. Why does it have to be so difficult for me to talk to people?

The boys goofy grin fell into a look of concern once he realized I was upset.

"Oh no, love, did I say something that upset you? Oh cucumbers, I'm so sorry. Can I get you anything? Please don't cry." The guy pleaded, not knowing what to do.

I shook my head while biting the inside of my mouth, trying hard to suppress my emotions. I had always found that trick effective whenever I felt myself starting to cry.

"I-I'm fine. I'm just not good w-with people," I stumbled out.

The boy grabbed my hand, taking me by surprise, & making my heart race even more. "Well why don't we sit down. Maybe I could get you something to eat?"

I nodded my head, not having the courage to object his offer.

Mr. No-Name lead me over to a small table right next to a window looking out to the entrance of the property. He sat me down & quickly left, leaving me time to calm myself down.