Our Minds

Chapter Ten

“This is terrible,” Ethan whispers quietly. The boys make their way to the nursery. Something in Ethan’s gut is telling him something it here. Why would his gut do that? Considering he now has a panic disorder. “It is. I can’t believe they kept children in here.” Clive is devastated just thinking about all the children who died in here. He runs his hand against a rusty crib. “These children didn’t have parents.” Clive says aloud while staring down at one of the cribs. Ethan stops wandering and looks at him. He’s making a connection to himself. “Clive?” Ethan’s voice snaps Clive out of his trance, “Yeah?” Ethan thinks carefully about what he’s going to ask next. “What caused your flashback when we were on the second floor?” The younger boy anxiously waits for an answer, or a reaction. Clive looks up at Ethan, “I feel a connection with you, and I regret ever bullying you, Ethan. If I answer that question, you have to answer one of mine.” Only three cribs were between the two. Ethan nods, “Deal.” He pushes up his glasses and easily gets onto one of the cribs. He sits criss-cross like a child waiting for a story. Clive does the same, but dangles his legs off the side of the crib. The bars on the sides weren’t really tall, so he was able to push it down and sit on it.

He clears his throat and starts his terrible story. “When I was three years old, I figured out my father was beating my mom.” Clive waits for Ethan to absorb what he is saying. “I’m sorry Clive. Is she okay now?”

“No,” Clive sobs. Ethan hops off his bed and over to his friend. “I’m so sorry Clive. It’s okay now.”

“She’s dead Ethan. My father killed her when I was in 7th grade. He stabbed her to death and then he went to jail. So I live with my grandparents on my mom’s side. There’s not a day that goes by when I don’t think of her. I miss her Ethan.” Ethan hugs Clive and lets the football player sob on his shoulders. “I’m sorry. I really am.” The two embrace for a while until Clive clears up his tears. “What’s my question?” Ethan tries changing the subject. Clive laughs and wipes off another tear from his red cheek. He looks right into the eyes of the smaller boy. Through the dark frames of the glasses the sky blue eyes. “Why did you keep your lips on mine after you woke up?” Ethan melts, and his ears turn a bright red. “Well,” he trails off, not knowing what to say or how to explain himself. “I feel a connection with you Clive. It’s so weird that we merely became friends a few hours ago… and I felt something…” he trails off once again. He takes his glasses off and really looks at Clive, “What I’m trying to say is, if I were trapped in an asylum with anyone, I’d want it to be you.” A warm rush of something hits Clive. He watches Ethan look away from him in embarrassment. Clive could hear his mother in the back of his mind, “You know, when you pick on someone that usually means you like them.” That’s why Clive bullied Ethan. It is a sad excuse, but it’s true. “Ethan,” the name now floats on Clive’s tongue like a magic spell. His father would kick his ass if he would see what he was about to do. Clive inhales Ethan’s smell as they inch closer. Clive grabs the collar of the sweater on the other boy and pulls him into his lips. Ethan pushes away, his cheeks now red. Clive feels embarrassed as well. Before Clive can awkwardly walk away Ethan grabs his face and kisses him hard on the lips. The two stay there for a while, oblivious to the little boy now wandering around the third floor.

The other kids make it onto the third floor, Lillie still leading the group, “Okay, we should split up and find the guys and any extra supplies we can find. “I’ll go to the nursery. They could be there, and there may be some good stuff in there,” Miyo states and starts down the hallway. “I’ll go with her!” Gwin shouts and jogs down the hallway toward her.

“Welp, guess we’re together,” Jake states and lightly chuckles. The two search throughout the hallway. Lillie tags along with Jake into the one room. He turns around to her, “We can look in separate rooms Lillie.” She sighs, “We can, but I can’t. Remember?” It takes Jake a bit to realize why Lillie can’t be separated from anyway. “How do we know if you actually have it? You haven’t shown any signs of any disease,” Jake questions. “I get these feelings,” she explains.

“Are feelings enough? What if it’s just you getting into your mind?” Lillie snaps at Jake, “That’s exactly it! It’s in my mind Jake! That’s the problem!” Jake staggers back, “Maybe we should try-”

“No!” Lillie throws her arm away from Jake, “I don’t want to!” Jake reaches out for her, “Lillie I’m sorry, but-”

“But nothing! Don’t leave me Jake! Don’t!” Tears start streaming down Lillie’s face. Jake’s heart breaks in half.

“Baby.”

“Little girl!”

“Just kill her! She’s weak!”

Multiple voices fill Jakes mind. He tries his best to ignore them and he hugs Lillie. She rests her head on his chest and the voices burn away from his head. They need each other to stay sane, maybe everyone needs each other to stay sane. Is was like a very sick dating game. Very sick.

Gwin and Miyo finally reach the nursery and spot two boys locked like Legos. Miyo gasps, but before she can say anything Gwin throws her hand over her lips. “Shush!” The shorter girl commands and the taller listens. Miyo’s urge to shout “gay” disappears. The hands belonging to the blue haired girl are removed from Miyo’s face. She watches the boys make out, Gwin notices and elbows her, “Stop it!”

“Stop what?” Miyo asks with a smug look on her face. Gwin rolls her eyes, “Stop gawking at them like it’s a free show.”

“It kinda is,” Miyo points out and shrugs, “are you jealous? Wish you had a show like that?” Gwin blushes at the sudden change in Miyo’s mood. “Uh, I mean, no-” Miyo steps closer to Gwin, “Are you sure? Why don’t we all have a make out session? Hm? Lillie and Jake are probably going at it! Let’s make out in a fucking asylum Gwin!” Miyo is having another mood swing. Gwin thinks, but it was only two different personas, not multiple. Before Gwin can calm down Miyo, a yell is heard from the nursery. The girls whip their heads towards the direction of the noise. Ethan and Clive run toward them, horror across their faces. “What’s wrong?” Gwin asks while holding onto Ethan’s forearm. He’s out of breath, but can still explain, “There’s a fucking child in here.”

“Yeah, us,” Miyo says and throws her hands. Clive violently shakes his head, “No! There’s a tiny child running around the nursery.” Gwin stares at him, “Is it another ghost?”

“Hello, have you seen my mommy?”

“This is some Doctor Who shit.” Ethan’s voice is shaking. He grabs onto Clive’s hand. Miyo notices this and smiles. “Why the hell are you smiling? We need to check out this kid,” Gwin states, but instantly regrets it. She should be quiet more often. She should have grabbed that razor in that other room on the first floor as well. “I’m sorry,” Gwin apologizes. “You’re right,” Miyo confesses, but her friend ignores it. The little boy wanders closer toward the teenagers. Gwin has the guts to walk toward the kid. Miyo goes behind Gwin, just in case the kid turns into some monster like the nurse. Gwin reaches out for the child. He inches toward her and grabs onto her wrist. She holds back the gasp from the coldness of his skin. “Hello,” his says with a shy smile. Gwin smiles back, “Hi, are you lost?”

“Yes, I can’t find my mommy.”

“Well where did you see her last?”

“Well she was at home and I was at the schoolhouse and then these people came.”

Gwin’s heart breaks in half, along with the three others standing behind her. “Maybe she’s still at home. Do you know where that is?” The little boy starts to answer Gwin, but is stopped by Jake, “Shouldn’t you be in bed?!” He shouts at the top of his lungs. The little ghost staggers backward, “Y-yes, but my mom-”

“You don’t have a mother anymore!” Jake shouts. Gwin stands up and slaps Jake across the face. The jaws of the other teenagers’ drop. Jake stares at Gwin and then he looks at the child, “I’m so sorry little guy, I-I…”

“I think you should go back with Lillie,” Gwin orders while pointing down the hallway from where Jake came. Jake turns to leave, but the little boy grabs his hand and enters him, just like the nurse. “What the fuck?” Miyo fills the silence. Jake stares at them, sadness filling his eyes, “I need to explain a few things to you guys.”