Hallucinatory Tribulation Vol. 1 [Anthology]

It was a Mistake

"NO!!!"

My screams could be heard echoing through the corridors of the hospital as the attendants at my sides tried desperately to console me. But how could they expect me to stay calm? The monsters were everywhere! They were taking control of the soft-spoken nurses even now.

"Let me go! They're going to get me. You don't understand! You're all in danger!"

I wailed uncontrollably, feeling my end was near. Surely the beasts would take control, consuming what last bit of sanity I had. They could feed on the utter chaos my body would wreak after I'd been rendered incapable of restraining myself and keeping the bad thoughts in check. I had tried to warn them, tried to warn my mom. She was the one who took me to the hospital.

The woman had been worried about my behavior for some time. I knew because she kept making comments, asking if I was alright. I didn't mean to keep yelling, withdrawing myself from others, but I didn't know how else to make sure they stayed safe. I was a ticking bomb. It was a guessing game as to when I'd blow and I couldn't risk doing so around anyone else. When I finally told her about the demons, about the feelings I was having, she convinced me to come here. They immediately got worse.

"Calm down, sweetie. It's going to be ok."

"Here's something to make you feel better."

Squirming and writhing where they had my small body pressed against the bed in the observation room, I watched helplessly while they injected me with their poison. My head fell backward onto the pillow, aptly sinking through its soft feathers and onto the mattress. Eyes caught sight of the camera nestled above the door; the one meant to lay watch over me so that I wouldn't hurt myself again. How though, was I supposed to have the chance when they were the ones pinning me down, forcing their hands and their medicine on me?

As my sight clouded, a blackness appeared. A dark face with a long beak like a bird and white eyes that bore into my soul like daggers. It's a mistake, the voice said the moment I disappeared from consciousness.

It's a mistake...

When I awoke, my mind was far from me. Everything felt foggy. I imagined it was what a bad hangover felt like. Groggily, I forced my sight to open and rolled my head back and forth. I could barely make out the whiteness of a strangely barren hospital room before I heard footsteps.

"You awake, hun?"

"Unh..." I moaned, "Where?"

"Do you not know where you are?"

My vision began to clear. The man beside the bed where I lay wore blue scrubs. It was hard to tell if he was a nurse or doctor or something else. There was no stethoscope around his neck or tablet in his hand. His demeanor didn't speak one way or other.

"Hospital," I replied lazily, still trying to become aware of my body and surroundings.

"That's right. How are you feeling?"

"T-tired," dry lips smacked as I talked, "Thirsty."

"Well, let's see if we can't get you some water then, alright? A nurse will be in shortly."

The (apparently) doctor smiled and nodded, leaving the room quickly through the door below the camera. It was on my other side though. This wasn't the same room I fell asleep in... I continued fighting to feel my body, finding gradual success. Although by the time I could move my arms, the presence of belts was revealed.

I was tied down?

Even having no prior personal experience with psychiatric care, I knew what I had seen on TV was an exaggeration. That being said, I didn't expect such treatment. The medicine made sense now that my head was clear enough to think about it. Probably why I was so heavy now was antipsychotics or something of the sort having been pumped into my system. I heard they could make you fatigued, especially when first being on them.