Mind Or Matter

Chapter Thirteen

Ellie

I had slept for so long, I could've sworn I was dead. I had seen only black for at least a few days. The doctors said I didn't dream because of my mental illness, but I find that hard to believe.

I'm not crazy, I'm trapped.

The door opened. Doctor Karis stepped into my cell. I was curled up into a ball on my cot, hugging my knees. My dirty blonde hair, which hadn't been brushed in years, hung over me, tangled in knots that would never be brushed out.

Peeking out between strands of my hair, I felt my stomach flip when Doctor Karis stopped directly in front of me

"It's time you know the truth," she said in a serious, hushed voice. When I didn't reply, not even moving, she shook grabbed me by my shoulders until I fell out of the ball into an awkward sitting position on the floor.

"What, that you hate me?" I asked, frowning. My eyes were tired and heavy, which usually happened to me when I was little early in the morning. By my guess, it was six o'clock or so.

Doctor Karis slipped out, "obviously, but there's more. Ellie, I want you to know that you're diagnosed with Schizophrenia."

I tilted me head a little. "What's that," I asked, my voice so dull you could hardly tell I was questioning her.

Doctor Karis cleared her throat. "Schizophrenia is a mental illness where you have hard times with memory and reality. We knew this information about you before you came in. I'm not going to waste time explaining this to you." She smiled, grinning strangely, like a wild animal does when they are about to feast on their prey. "But that's not why you're here, Ellie."

Suddenly, my cell door swung open. Doctor Hamm was being held by two doctors. One was the man from the operating room, the old guy who was talking to Doctor Karis. And the other was a middle aged woman with brown hair tucked into a neat, slick bun.

Doctor Karis grabbed my arms, taking a step or two forward. "You're the only one here, Ellie. The only one who knows."

All of the sudden, Doctor Karis's eyes turned a dark shade of red, like blood. This happened to every doctor in the room, including Doctor Hamm.

"Please," Doctor Hamm begged. "Run, Ellie! We're not who you think we are!"

Suddenly, the male doctor covered Doctor's Hamm's mouth with his free hand. Grabbing her head, he twisted her neck, a large cracking sound filling the air.

I screamed out, crawling onto my cot, backing up against the window. All of the doctors were coming at me like zombies, staggering with red eyes.

Doctor Karis tilted her head. "Do you know what day it is?"

All of the sudden, they all said in unison, "it's your birthday," in horrifying, dark voices.

I turned around to face the window. The tree was burning, the flames spelling out the number 16.

I turned back around, seeing small glitches in what I was seeing, like I was watching a really old film such the one they showed us that taught us about mental illnesses when I was first brought here.

Small glitches, small world. Small hopes, small dreams.

Small lives.

What if we don't live? What if it's all just... nothing.

No, the real world is real.

The only thing that's nothing...

Is me...

Doctor Karis smiled at me. "This isn't real," she rasped, laughing. "It's all in your head."

The male doctor added, "we're all wishing you a happy birthday..." He wondered off, just a yard away from me.

With all of the doctors surrounding me, whether it was real or not, I knew this was the end.

I spoke my last words in a quiet voice, yet it was powerful.

"Happy birthday, bitches."