The Crooked Man

Chapter 2

I arrived at the hospital and going to my Mom's hospital room. As I entered the room I walked slowly towards my Mom.

"Mom... It's been a while. Are you doing okay?"

"...Oh, my... If it isn't little Timmy! You've certainly grown..." My Mom replied.

"...Good, you look healthy. Sorry I can't see you very much... I've been busy with work. But I took a few days off... So I moved to this great room with furniture and everything! It's near your favorite cake shop, too!... So when you get better, we can live there together..."

"My... That's wonderful... Get along with Linda, will you? All that fighting you do worries me so... Maybe I can come visit you sometime?... You like apple pie, don't you? I'll make the best I know how..." My Mom said.

"...Mom, I'm not Timmy... I'm your son, David! Remember...?"

My Mom has a sickness of amnesia which is the reason why she's saying these nonsense things.

"Oh yes, they opened a bakery the other day! It smells so wonderful! Maybe I should buy from there..." Mom said.

"...Mom..."

"...Oh? Who would you be...? Why are you here...? How did you get in? This is my room... Do you have the wrong room...?... W-Who ARE you?! Say something will you?!" Mom said angrily.

My mom's condition was getting really worse.

"...M-Mo..."

"GET OUT!! I'LL HAVE YOU THROWN OUT!! Somebody!! SOMEBODYYY!! There's a strange man in my room!! Get rid of him, NOW!!" My Mom screamed.

Two nurses came inside the room.

"Mrs. Hoover!" Mrs. Hoover, don't strain yourself... Please, go to sleep, okay?" The nurse said.

"Who are YOU?! Don't touch me!! GET AWAY!!" Mom said angrily.

"Now, calm down, miss... Let's get you into bed..." The other nurse said.

"I'm sorry, David. Leave your mother to us... You'll have to leave for today." The nurse told me.

"... Understood. Take good care of her..."

As I was about to leave the room, my Mom finally got back to her senses and called me.

"... Davey? Is that my Davey boy? Where are you going? Why are you leaving me...?" Mom said.

"Mom!..."

" ...Your flight school exams are coming up... You want to be a pilot, don't you? Your mother always has your back... Please, don't leave me alone... I don't want to be alone here... Davey... Please..." Mom said.

"...Mom!! It's me! Remember?! Mom!!"

" David, please leave! She's very confused right now..." The nurse said.

" B-But she said my..."

"I said leave!" The nurse said.

They kicked me out of the room and I heard my mother screamed loud.

"Mrs. Hoover, please calm down!" The nurse said.

"Bring the sedatives!!" The other nurse said.

I was about to leave the hospital then I saw my Mom's doctor.

"Hello, David. Did you see your mother?" The doctor said.

"... Yeah... Though I guess she still doesn't know me..."

"Yes... She's forgotten many things, and she's having trouble controlling her emotions. I ask you to be patient. She may well get better, so you can live with her again." The doctor said.

"Thanks... I hope you can help her."

I got back home to my apartment. As I entered the room, I think I heard something move, like a chair or something. I went inside the room with the computer and the chair was placed away from the computer like two yards.

...Did I move that chair?...Hm? There's something in the drawer...

I got a leaflet for a school. Looks pretty old... Hm, these LL.M courses are circled. Was somebody shooting to be a lawyer? I guess this must be the former tenant's... He sure forgot a bunch of stuff. Maybe no furniture is better after all, huh?

The phone rang. I picked it up and it was Marion.

"Hello?"

"Hey, David. How are you doing?" Marion said.

"Haha, you saw me just yesterday! I'm doing fine, thanks."

"Good, good! Call if you're ever lonely, okay?" Marion said.

"...By the way. I got a call from Shirley yesterday. We didn't really talk, but..."

"... Sorry, I told her your number... She said she was so worried about you..." Marion said.

"...It's okay. Tell her I don't need her to worry. She should just look out for herself."

"Alright... Well, I'll hang up now." Marion said.

"Alright, see you."

...

I went reading books for a few hours...

...I'm tired of reading... I should got to bed.

As soon as I lay on my bed, the TV turned on... All I can hear is static.

I went to the TV and checked it.

"...W-Why did it turn on by itself?! Is it broken?"

Then four letters came up on the screen with the text colored red... It says "SINK".

"GAH!!" I was surprised.

W-What... This is creepy... Did it say "sink"...? What was that?

My guts told me I should go to the sink. Then I found something underneath the sink

...Hm? There's a scrap of paper under here...

There was a poem written on the paper...

-"There was a Crooked Man"-

"There was a crooked man, and he walked a crooked mile.

He found a crooked sixpence against a crooked stile.

He bought a crooked cat, which caught a crooked mouse...

And they all lived together in a little crooked house."

...Isn't this a Mother Goose rhyme? Why is this here under the sink? I guess the previous tenant...?

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