Population: 1245...And then Some

Chapter Eighteen

I was in a dark hallway. The only light came from the endless rows of locked rooms. The light seeped from the doors giving me enough light to only see only a couple of feet ahead of me. I gulped. I took a couple of steps and winced at the cold tile on my bare feet. I looked down and I found myself wearing a simple white nightgown.

I don't have a nightgown.

I walked slowly, taking one step at a time. I was terrified a guy with a chainsaw might pop out of one of the doors and murder me.

I heard rustling and a little cry coming from one of the rooms. I walked up to it. I hesitated before I touched the knob. What if this is a trap? What if it's really Hunter or a patient trying to kill me? What if it's someone who's in trouble like yourself?

I took a deep breath and I grabbed the cold metal knob and turned it. I swung the door open and froze.

It was me in the room.

Only it was an older version of me. She had a small knife in her front pocket. Her clothes were all tattered and dirty. Her hair was black and gross. Her skin was all dirty and she didn't have any shoes on like me. Her feet were black. I looked at her arms and I felt my eyes go misty. Her arms were covered with endless upon endless cutting scars.

I looked around the room and I wanted to vomit. There was blood smudges along the bare white walls. The word "KILL" was scratched into the walls over and over again. It was painted on with what I'm assuming blood on the wooden floor.

I gulped as I looked in her eyes. Her eyes wasn't filled with happiness, or hopefulness. Instead it was occupied with depression and anger.

"This is what my future holds?" I croaked. I don't want my future to be filled with pain. I don't want to be like this! Why can't I just be normal?

"If you go through with it, yes," she whispered.

"Go through what?" I asked. I stepped into the room. I felt the hard dirty wood on my feet. I shivered.

"That's for you to find out and for you to decide," she answered vaguely.

"What is the decision I have to make?!" I asked growing angrier and angrier. She gave a shrill harsh laugh. I started to panic. If I don't figure out what the decision is I'll end up like her, depressed, psychotic and most likely a murderer.

"Was I always so stubborn?" she replied with sarcasm. I glared at her.

"Tell me, NOW!" I yelled as I walked over and shoved her.

"Wow, I was also a real bitch too!" 

I felt something snap as I balled my hand into a fist. I punched her in the face, so hard that I heard a crunch, and she fell over.

"Tell. Me." I stated, she looked at me from her lying position and laughed. She put her hand on her nose to try and stop the bleeding, but the blood kept pouring out.

"Sorry, honey you can only figure out what it is, and what you're going to do."

I really hate my future self, she's such a bitch. Who does she think she is?! I rolled my eyes. I heard a little whimper of fright from behind me and I whipped around.

It was me as a little girl.

She was hiding behind the wall. She had on a cute little blue sundress, and she held Mr. Snuggles, our stuffed purple elephant. She looked at me with sad scared little eyes. I took a step closer to her, but she hide behind Mr. Snuggles even more.

"Hey Kathryn, what's wrong..." I asked in a motherly tone. She was silent. "Come on, want to tell me what's wrong?" I asked again. I crouched down to her level.