Our Minds

Chapter Five

None of them dared to look at the book anymore. At the same time, they were all just as anxious to figure out what they were put in for. Gwin shivers in fear; she had a slight idea as to why she was put in. From the incident in the room a few minutes ago with the razor. There was a section in the book beside the person's name. A whole other column with a description of what the person was put in for. The brown eyes of the young girl scan the mildewed paper. "Gwin McCord," she reads aloud, "room 1B. Submitted for..." she pauses and the others shiver in anticipation. She knew it, she knew it! "Severe Depression." No emotion is shown in the answer. Miyo pulls her away from the table. Her blue hair is as blue as her emotion. A dark mood floats over the children. "Shall we read more?" Ethan suggests.

"Might as fucking well." Gwin curses, Miyo squeezes her arm. Gwin removes her warm hands away from her. She isolates herself from the group. "Gwin," Miyo's voice flows in her ears; she secretly loved the noise. "Gwin, that book isn't right. It's some bullshit prank." While the two girls bicker back and forth Clive walks up to the book. He finds his name and like Gwin, reads it out loud, "Clive Dyer, room 2A, the cause of placement... " the football player stops mid-sentence. His heart hasn't beat this hard since running and weightlifting; pre-football season. His lips quiver as he reads, "Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. PTSD." The green eyes reminisce the thoughts of his mother. Clive shakes his head, this can't be true, he doesn't want it to be true. The thoughts that were starting to surround him said otherwise. "Here Ethan, you go." Clive gestures towards the hell forsaken book, he wanted to agree with Miyo; that it was bullshit, but his gut wasn't agreeing.

Ethan wipes off his glasses and slides them back on. He clears his throat, ready for whatever crap he was going to get. His plump lips mumble, "room 2C submitted for", Ethan shakes his head, not understanding why he was submitted for this. "What is it, Ethan?" Clive wonders. The concern in the jock's voice warms Ethan's heart, just a bit. He turns around and meets the green eyes, "Panic Disorder." He bites his lips, calculating why the hell he'd have a panic disorder; he never panicked. Just like the girls, Clive tries comforting his ex-victim. The current situation makes Clive feel like an asshole for bullying Ethan in the first place. "I'm sorry," is all that comes out of the lineman's mouth.

"Guess I'm next." Jake leaves Lillie on the cold floor. She watches his every step. He cracks his knuckles and goes right into it, "Jake Keen, room 2B, schizophrenia? The hell." He staggers backward from the book and stays as far away as possible. "Jake, could you read mine?" Lillie is now standing and has a look of exhaustion on her dark face. He'd do anything for her right now. She was still freaked out about her name, along with the others, being in the book. Jake steps up once again, "Lillie, you were put in for..." Jake trails off, trying to pronounce the word. Lillie gives up and steps up herself, "monophobia."

"What's that?" The redhead questions. It doesn't surprise Lillie that he doesn't know what it is. He couldn't even say it.

"It's when someone is afraid of being alone," Lillie explains.

"Don't worry, I'll always be with you," Jake winks a brown eye. He's got that "Asian persuasion". Only in his own mind though. Lillie rolls her eyes and sighs; she would leave if she could.

"Well, guess I better go," Miyo uncomfortably states. She sticks her hands into her signature leather jacket and reads aloud just as everyone else, "Hmm, room 1C, thrown in for", the ocean blue eyes reread the book. A kooky laugh escapes the half Asian girl, she got both of those things from each of her dads... she suddenly missed the laugh of her one father and the smiling face of the other.

"What is it Miyo? Why are you laughing?" Lillie steps up beside her. Miyo's laughing stops with a frown, but she laughs again afterward. These actions scare the other kids. "Dissociative Identity Disorder. Can you believe that?" She laughs again.

"Isn't that like multi-personality disorder?" Questions Lillie. Miyo nods and rolls her eyes, "Hope you all know that this is bullshit." She points towards the book. "Ya know what?!" Her mood goes dark. The pale hands grab the book and throw it. Pages fly everywhere in the lobby. Everyone is quiet except for the delirious Miyo. Her obnoxious laughter is quieted by a huge breeze. "Oh no." Ethan's "disorder" may be kicking in. He steps further and further away from the chandelier, which is where they put the book. Clive notices the look of horror on his face, he was overthinking it. It was merely a breeze, but then again, not a single window or door is broken in the building. "What the hell was that?" Clive steps back with Ethan. Miyo is still standing in the middle of the room; only a few feet from the book she threw. The wind comes again, this time harder and with a dark mumble. "We aren't alone," Ethan states, terror thick through his voice. A wicked laugh triggers the wind to move even harder. Miyo's ponytail flops around violently; she can't breathe. The wind was sucking the breath out of her. Gwin sprints into the little tornado. The wind stops as soon as the blue-haired girl reaches it. Miyo collapses, but Gwin caresses her. "Breathe. C'mon Miyo. Breathe." The soothing voice assists Miyo. Everyone else walks over to check their friend. Everyone but Jake, he stands in the same spot he's been in. He sees a silhouette of a female behind Miyo. It's the most terrifying thing the redhead as ever seen. The "ghost" gets closer to the teenage boy. As she inches nearer, Jake starts to spaz out. "JAKE!" Lillie yells his name, but he can't hear her over the voice talking in his head. "You can't escape. The only way you can is to die!" The shape of the woman is now a black blob, that Jake realizes no one else can see; it's his schizophrenia. Lillie's voice is muffled over the woman's voice. Without any warning, the blob is sucked into Jake and he goes unconscious.