Walking Straight

Chapter 12

RHETT'S POV: 

Today Taylor had to give up. An employee from the facility she would be treated in came to pick her up at seven in the morning, so she could be settled in her one-month-home by noon.

I couldn't be there to watch her get taken away to a place I knew she would only be miserable. I stayed home trying to distract myself, working out, doing homework, anything that would get my mind off of the unsettling silence.

All silence would do for me is allow my mind to wander to Taylor's cries, the ones she pulled from her past, the ones that were haunting and empty, but still so full of struggle. 

My phone buzzes from the other side of the room, making me jump. I relax and pick it up, seeing a text from Mom, asking me to run errands for her. I grab my keys and take the 45 minute drive to the nearest Target. 

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The trunk of my car was full of plastic bags, all tethered with elastic ties. I undo the ties and carry the many bags into the kitchen for Mom to deal with when she came home. 

As I enter the secluded attic floor, I notice my bedroom door ajar. I listen for footsteps in the room, and push open the door, stepping back. 

I suck in a breath, taking in the state of my room. My stomach flips, my back tenses. Photos are scattered all over my room, many ripped to shreds, and many crinkled. Few photos are left dangling by one corner on my walls. I walk through the carpet of torn photo paper, being careful not to step on the saveable ones. I look to my bed. A single black and white photo lies on my pillow, marooned from the rest of the pictures. My throat tightens. I recognize it immediately.

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TAYLOR'S POV:

I get four things when I arrive. A faded green t-shirt, matching pants, white slippers, and an identification wristband. My room also has four things. A bed, a  bathroom, a mirror, a cabinet, and a plastic protector over the mirror to prevent shattering. Seems like four is my lucky number today. 

My roommate doesn't look like she belongs here, unlike me. Her name is Addie. She has medium length platinum blonde hair, delicate pink lips, and electric blue eyes holding emotion and life. She speaks with a soft tone, always sincere. I hate her  already. 

She babbles about the different rules in the ward. Curfew is 9pm, wake up time is 7am, breakfast at 8am, activities until 12pm, then lunch at 12:15, then more of "activities", dinner at 6pm, then "loose leash" until 9am. 

"Loose leash time is so great, tonight maybe you can meet new people, or.. or make friends maybe?" she continues," I made friends on my first day, but I didn't have as long of a loose leash as we do now." She frowns, as if remembering her first days here.

"Okay, great. See you later." I beging to push the door open, then hear a small cry. I freeze. Addie holds a hand out, stretching out her frail fingers. 

"We're not allowed to go outside unless an attendent accompanies us out." She says like she is reading from a pyscho ward handbook.

"It's fine, what are they going to do anyways?" I assure and continue, hearing Addie yelp. Freak. I stare down the hallway, the grey walls shrinking in on me. A patient wearing the same outfit as me pokes her head out of the doorway, stringy hair hanging down her shoulders. She makes eye contact with me and resorts back to her dark room, looking scared. I wander down the hall until I come to a staircase, hearing echoes of muffled whispers bounce off the bland walls.