Campbells Mental Asylum

Chapter 2 Day 2:New Arrivals

This is a story of bad happenings.
A story for which my son is not safe to read until I die.

October 6,1986

I start my shift at the usual time for the weekends. I'll have to pick David up at 4 and drop him off at Mom's for the night.

The clock strikes 5 and I check in.
The children were chatting amongst themselves. Most we're in straight jackets and others we're shaking or just being children.
Daniel, however, is sitting in the corner drawing.
I walk over to Daniel and kneel next to him. "Whatcha drawin? " I ask.
He looks up at me and shows me a picture of a black figure. He has 2 big white eyes and a smile not meant for a child to see. He smiles and points to a figure in front of the being and says
"He likes you a lot. He told me to draw you"
I smile and sit down next to him.
"What his name? " I ask in curiosity.
"His name is Lucifer but I call him Lucy"
I'm an atheist so I don't believe in stuff like that. "Cool! I like his smile. "
Daniel smiles and gets up sitting by the door. "They're here. "
I look up at the door and see a few new kids walk in. One had the brightest green hair tied up in two pig tails being held back in a straight jacket. Another had black fluffy hair and looked like he hadn't slept in days. One had brown hair and was held in a straight jacket as well, but the taller child was in a black straightjacket with a muzzle.
A black straight jacket has extra restraint and are classified as dangerous. She looked to be 14 years old with the lightest blonde hair and the bluest of blue eyes.
Daniel immediately took a liking to her for they would talk.
They wouldn't do anything but talk.
Talk, talk, talk just talking. They would only talk about one thing.
That was so called"Lucifer".

The new arrivals we're a routey bunch. When the 2 didn't have their straight jackets on they'd play with the kid with the black hair.
I never knew their names because I wasn't allowed to ask their caretakers and nurses.
That same night the clocks stopped at 3:10AM.
This night was different.
The children are sleeping softly and safely.
I go to check on them every hour to make sure none of them are awake. This hour was different.
The horrible smell of rotting flesh or meat came into the room. It just lingered around the hallway and it was awful.
I open the window at the end of the hallway to waft it out but, the smell would just stay.
That same moment I turned around Daniel was breathing heavily; covered in dust and dirt. He started laughing and talking gibberish. "TIME FOR FUN, Time FOR play, play for fun, fun to play, HE LURKS IN THE SHADOWS AND RESTS UNDER BEDS, he sleeps with you, YOU, YOU YOU! " he continued to scream and lash around. I couldn't help but run in fear;scared he would attack but once I ran he stopped. He looks at me and says
"The darkness within never leaves.... "

I was terrified at this point but I couldn't just leave him there and being the idiot I was I went back. He was sobbing and several bruises we're starting to appear on his body. He kept screaming in pain and I couldn't help him. He just stood there like he was being held down. It hurt me to see him like this. I just wanted to take him home and keep him away from what was attacking the poor child. I couldn't. The only thing I could do was take him to the infirmary where the doctor sleeps on Sundays. Daniel was extremely cold and his skin turned deathly pale.
Once I made it to the infirmary, the doctor was awake cleaning things up from giving some of the kids their shots. I knocked on the door and his eyes widened pulling Daniel in.
I'm supposed to come back this Tuesday since I get Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays off but, this kid made me want to stay.
It like he had a grip on my soul.
He looked like my Davey a little bit but not too much. His grip wouldn't let go.It scared me to leave him like this.
That's when David came to mind.
I looked into the room not to see Daniel, but my baby David.
My heart started to race seeing his red hair and his face bloody. The adrenaline in my veins wouldn't stop flowing as I tried to open the door.
I couldn't help but call his name.
"DAVID, DAVID" I couldn't help but scream. I wanted my boy out of that room. I wanted to hold him.
I was at the point to ripping the door off but, it was titanium. If I tried I wouldn't avail.
I started banging on the door wanting inside. Then it hit me.
That's not David.
That's not nature kid.
That's something else;not someone something.
I ran to the phone to call my mom.
I was at the point of praying he was okay.
I was an atheist but when this happened I couldn't help but feel like there was a God. Once she picked up I panicked. "Mom is David okay?!?! " I yelled. She responds with "he's asleep,  why? ".
I explained to her what happened and she told me to calm down and he was okay. I sighed in relief and we exchanged goodbyes.
That's when I got to thinking.
" Am I going insane? "
That was all I asked.
I wanted  to go home.
I wanted out of this place.
I wanted my baby.
That's when I came to the conclusion it was the lack of sleep and I continued working. Cleaning up the mess in the living place and taking care of the kids that woke up during Daniels tantrum.
I couldn't believe I thought it was a tantrum. This boy was the death of this asylum but, I didn't think of that at the time.
He was already the beginning of something terrible and I was blind to see that.
David will be okay, right?