The Traveller

 

          I couldn’t believe after all these years, my own girlfriend, Veronica, is sending me off to this horrible place. All I wanted to do was to break the windows of this car and run away. A radio began chattering in the officers pocket. He briefly checked the screen and returned to watching me. Ideas of escaping swam through my mind as if they were racing each other. 

          The car came to a stop in a parking lot of a huge old business building. I shuddered as I surveyed the darkened windows. The building looked as if it had been vacant for a hundred years. I was definitely not comfortable looking at it, let alone going inside. An officer knocked on the police car window and motioned me to get out. His badge glistened in the sun proudly on his uniform. I wondered if he was carrying a gun that I could use to escape. 

          “You’re not going anywhere, but here.” the officer said harshly as if he were reading my mind. “That was some stunt you pulled out there, with the knife and all.” His eyes were tearing through my soul. I looked down and recalled earlier today when I tried to run away from Veronica’s house using a knife.

          I was standing beside the officer as he was filling out the reports. I looked over in the waiting room and saw the words ‘Psych Ward of Ontario’ in big black letters above an old man sleeping in his chair. The last place I wanted to be was in the loony bin. The officer took the handcuffs off my hands and gave me to the nurse. She wore a white dress with her hair up in a bun.

          “Hello, I am Betty, but please call me Nurse Betty.” she said politely as I nodded. “Come right this way.” she motioned for me to follow her down the corridor. I looked back at the officers behind me and they were laughing amongst themselves. I turned around and followed Betty into an unoccupied room with a bed and a mirror. I heard the door slam behind me and looked back to ask her what I should do with my muddy clothes but Nurse Betty had already left. 

          The next morning I was awoken by Nurse Betty yelling at me to get up. “Time for breakfast, you should meet the other residents.” She said.  

          “Residents?” I questioned. “Don’t you mean crazy people?” I bravely said. Nurse Betty looked at me as if I had just disowned her entire family. 

          “We…” she said haltingly, “…don’t use the C word around here.” she looked at me, her eyes filled with hate. 

           I walked into the dining hall with my breakfast and saw rows upon rows of endless residents. There was an empty space next to a teenaged boy. I raced to the seat hoping no one would take it before me and sat down causing my tray to clatter loudly against the table. Everyone at the table looked at me for a moment and returned to eating. 

          “Hi.” I heard a chipper voice say. “My name is Bruno.”. Startled, I looked at the boy who was holding out his hand as a friendly gesture. I couldn’t shake his hand, not because I was trying to be rude but because I wanted to avoid all human contact. I stared at his hand not knowing what to do. He examined my face and pulled his hand away. I ignored him and picked up my plastic spoon. 

          “How am I supposed to eat eggs with a spoon?” I mumbled to myself. Bruno over heard me and explained to me forks were considered a hazard. 

          “What’s your name?” he asked. I wanted to keep to myself so I used the name from my favourite childhood book. 

         “Traveller.” I said quietly. Bruno looked at me surprised but didn’t question it. 

          “Why are you here?” Bruno blurted. I couldn’t believe how nosy this kid was. 

          “Why are you here?” I said returning the question.