Room 303

Chapter 24

                                  Rachel

  She had finally began to feel better after the horrendous ECT session. She still couldn't remember most of what had happened to her. She thought of Kevin and the way he didn't side with her. Her heart ached. The one person she trusted the most and knew would read through her, failed to do so. The effect of the ECT must had been so strong that it blind-sided him. It had made him miss the signs she was trying to show him. She wasn't fine and he couldn't notice that. Then she thought of Stella and how she helped her. Was there something she needed in return, or was it just an act of kindness? She must have pitied Rachel after seeing her in such a devastating state. After all, Rachel pitied herself too. She had hit rock bottom. She had never been that desperate for help hanging on a thin thread between life and death.

  The fresh air was relaxing. Every breathe she took in, revitalised her brain cells and eased her muscles. She watched her surrounding embracing the beauty of mother nature. Her vision fell on a janitor entering the main power room. All the electrical stuff on the inside must be managed by some professional because he seemed lost trying to fix something. Rachel smiled at the thought. She knew she had found the perfect idea. She had found her route to freedom. Her escape ticket. She just needed to get to it in the right time at the right moment. The janitor looked frustrated. He shut the door leaving it unlocked. Rachel stood up and moved her stiff body slowly unwinding every tangled muscle in her body. The trip to the power room was long. It might not have been that long, but it seemed miles away for Rachel.

  "Where are you going to?" Asked Maria. "You should be heading in that direction," she pointed towards the main building's entrance. Rachel stopped in her tracks. She stood there helpless for few seconds. She thought she had it right, but she was wrong. Her sight fell on Patrick who must have been watching her all the time. His knowing look proved to her that he had been watching all along. She turned around and made her way into the building.

  Her mattress felt cold. As cold as it felt the day she woke up in her new room. The day all the nightmare began. She tried to think of the moment that turned her life around. The moment that made her end up in this asylum, but her mind was blank. She couldn't make up anything of the random memories that crawled into her mind. One memory drew a smile on her pale face. It was of one hot summer on the beach when all she worried about were people and things outside the prison she was in. Kevin was away for work, so that meant it was girls time out. The sun was so strong. Rachel could feel her skin flush every now and then. Kelly was happily laughing as she ran up and down the shore, wetting her legs in the water and chasing her beach ball.

  Rachel loved moments like that. She loved lying down on a sunbed, drinking down cold mixed berries smoothie and reading a book. She loved the peace she had away from work on weekends every now and then.
  "Kelly be careful honey, don't go too close to the water."
  "Okay mummy."

  Although Kelly was very good at swimming, Rachel was always concerned. She loved her daughter so much and was scared of something happening to her. She feared the unknown. New things scared her especially when they involved her daughter. Even though she played a bigger role than Kevin in teaching Kelly how to swim, she still worried a lot about Kelly being near the water. Who would blame her? A mother should always fear for her children no matter what.

  "Mummy can you help me build a castle?"
  "If I help you build it, will you let me live in it?"
  "I'll think about it."
  Rachel chased Kelly, caught her, and they both dropped on the sand rolling and laughing.
  Rachel sat up resting her back on the wall. Her bones ached and her head was still heavy. She hated the sound of the door as it opened. This meant that there was a presence of a human, which was something she disliked lately. She wished she could be alone the whole time. Doctor Steven entered the room marching slowly towards her.

  "Hello Rachel. How are you doing today?"
  Rachel remained silent. She had no interest in talking to him. Not after what he did to her.
  "Alright then," he presented a file to Rachel.
  "What is this?" She asked.
  "Open it."

  Rachel hesitated before stretching to grab it.
She flipped through the papers not understanding the big medical terms and the numerical results on the papers.

  "What are these?" She asked.
  "Results for the tests we did for you. I wanted you to see for yourself. See that I wasn't messing around with you. You hadn't recovered yet, and I'm afraid with the slow progress we are achieving, you are going to be with us for a long time."
Rachel tossed the papers in doctor Steven's direction.

  "This is bullshit. You have no right!" She snapped struggling to get on her feet.
  "Easy now Rachel, you wouldn't want to upset me remember? You need me on your side if you need to get out of here. That is, if you ever get out of here."

  He threw his head backwards laughing hysterically. This was the first time Rachel had seen him this way. His eyes dark, his laughter sinister, and his white teeth beaming with mockery at her.

  "Let me out of here. I need to get out."
  "Oh no no my dear Rachel. There is no going out of here. This is now your home, and it is going to be this way for a long time, if you know what I mean."

  Rachel was frightened. The dark look on his face alarmed her. She looked around for help, but this time he was alone with her in the room. There was no one else to help her. He could do anything to her, and there wouldn't be anyone present to stop him. She decided to calm things down. If she needed him to leave, she had to play by his cards.

  "Please, let me go," she pleaded with a broken soft tone.
  "See, you don't understand Rachel. I have been waiting for this time my whole life. I had been through a lot, and finally I am going to get what I always wanted. I want to thrive, I want the world to know who I am and what I am capable of, and you are going to be my route to 
success."
  "I don't understand. What do I have to do with this?"

  He took away the file and held it up in his hand. "This is what is going to help me."
  "How are my results going to help you?"
  "Never mind, you will find out soon." He smoothened his coat with his bare hands. "Until we meet again my sweet Rachel," he stepped out of the room leaving a shaky Rachel horrified on the edge of her mattress.