Diet / Why Don't We

29%

"Don't get to close
It's dark inside
It's where my demons hide"
- Demons

Jack

"Jack?" The nurses aid said the sad boy sitting in front of her.

Jack had been in the institution for three weeks. He was fine, he was getting better. He tried cooperating everyday, holding onto his life.

He was fine, he always said he was fine. It was until a week after he was admitted that he began to get quiet again. Even with his visits with the boys and his family, he began falling back down into a hole, he couldn't get climb out.

He sat in his room, staring out the window. Almost longing for the feeling of fresh air kissing his skin. He missed the feeling of the sun on his pale face. He missed began able to do anything he pleased, he missed the taste of alcohol, and the taste of good food.

"Jack?" She said once again once she realized he wasn't looking at her, he was looking at he boring white wall that was behind her. "You need to start talking bud, with this behavior, you're not going to leave anytime soon." The nurse said getting angry with Jack.

She slammed the trey of food down on his trey stand. She angrily got up and looked at him, "you have to want to get better to be able to get out of here. Sitting here, ignoring everyone won't help" she said and walked out of his room.

The nurses angry actions didn't faze him. It happened before and before that. That's how she was, she was angry at jack for falling back down. She wasn't the only one angry with him, his other nurse aid, this one male, was angry with him.

Jack couldn't take the abuse of the institution anymore. They didn't care enough to help him, they just wanted money.

His skinny figure sat still on his bed. He didn't move, his eyes didn't flicker. He felt how sore his face and body was. The rough pushes he'd get from other inmates, the bruises over his arms from his male nurse getting angry that he wasn't cooperating.

But who could he tell? No one would believe him. He'd just be told that he was crazy, wanted attention. Jack wished he wasn't treated like a psychotic person, but he was.

That was his reality.

-

"Jack, you have a visitor?" A lady said softly knocking on his wooden door. He slightly nodded, turning his head to see Zach and Corbyn.

Zach's eyes watered as he looked at Jack's fragile state. He sat down in a chair near his bed. Corbyn sat down next to Zach, pulling his chair closer to Jack.

"Hey, buddy. How are you feeling?" Corbyn asked, looking at the sad jack before him.

Corbyn took this time to observe Jack. Jacks hair fell loosely onto his forehead, his brown eyes now dark. His once full life face now dull and full of sadness.

"Jack, you have to say something." Zach said getting impatient with the older boy. Zach felt sad deep inside because he couldn't help Jack. He didn't know what Jack was thinking about in his head.

"What should I even say?" Jack mumbled. Jack looked up from his lightly bruised wrists and stared into Zach's eyes. "What do you want me to say?" Jack said once again.

Both boys noticed the bruises on Jack's wrists. They gave each other a concerned looked and wanted to know more.

"Jack, what happened to your wrists?" Corbyn asked softly, not wanting to shake Jack. "Nothing" Jack stuttered out as he turned his attention back to the wall.

"Just tell us the truth. Is someone in here hurting you?" Corbyn asked, getting closer to Jack.

Jack shook his head. He scooted away. "I was told to not tell anyone" Jack bluntly said. "What I've learned since you guys put me in here was no ones going to believe you once you're a mental patient." Jack said quickly turning his attention towards Corbyn and Zach.

"Everyone expects you to get better in here. I was, trust me. I did get better for a week, maybe more, but after that I couldn't. They didn't let me. I tried opening up to them, I really did. They couldn't believe me.

They wouldn't believe me. They told me they couldn't believe my 'false' stories of abuse in here. I can't help you guys with what you want. Just leave, I'll end up hurting you guys more than I hurt myself" Jack spoke and began to stare at the wall again, upset at his outburst at the people he knew cared for him.

>| hi
>| this is bad, I'm sorry.
>| not gonna lie though, this made me a little emotional. It's hard being stuck at this point