The Birdcage

Breakfast Call

Nyx woke the next morning to the wake up call; at first feeling annoyed at being pulled from her restful sleep against her will, then bewildered as the events from last night flooded back into recent memory.

What had happened? In the light of day, it was hard to believe it had been as strange as it seemed. The explanations could easily be something simple, exacerbated and exaggerated by the dark. Old pipes perhaps, making the sounds; or Heck, even one of the other residents acting out. Could be any number of things, really.

Slowly sitting herself up, she looked around the room; nothing seemed out of place. Except no, something was off, she realised, looking down at herself in the bed- the bed sheets. She fully remembered the previous night ripping them off and throwing them around in an episode of frustration; but now, they were back on the bed, iron-crisp and tucked in around her, not a thread out of place.

Kicking them off, she leapt to her feet; staring at the offending bedclothes.

Had someone been in the room whilst she was asleep?!

Scooting closer, she examined the bedsheets warily; eyeing the faint pattern she noticed embroidered around the edge.

Warlock mental hospital; self-making beds ... Maybe?

Getting dressed and getting out of this room suddenly seemed like a brilliant idea.

***

"Okay, scrambled egg should not taste this salty." Ronnie grimaced, forcing down a mouthful of breakfast. "So wrong."

"I'll stick to the sausages then." Nyx said, carefully separating the food items out on her plate. They were sitting in the canteen together, facing each other over the table top; basking in a stream of warm sunlight from the high windows as they ate with their plastic cutlery.

"So..." Nyx started, after taking an experimental bite of her breakfast. "What's with all the funky noises here at night?"

"Funky noises?" Ronnie questioned, her fork paused half-way to her lips. "Why, do you often hear 'funky' noises?"

"No, I'm not in here because I 'hear' things." Nyx scowled. "It was like, banging on the floor above-"

"Above the bedrooms? That's solitary, I believe."

"Solitary?" Nyx commented. "Makes it sound like we're in prison."

"Oh, are we not? I hadn't guessed." Ronnie joked. "Though your situations gotta be real bad if you end up there."

"How bad?"

"Well, when I asked you if you'd killed someone, I was only partly joking- and you're in with the general population. It's that bad."

Nyx swallowed nervously. "Right... And someone was running around freely up there, slamming doors?"

"Yup. Pretty much sums this place up, really."

"Oh, lucky us." Nyx groaned. "And the whispering? Same explanation?"

"Whispering?" Ronnie paused, slightly slack-jawed, fixing the other girl with an evaluating look. Nyx could practically see the cogs turning in her brain. "... You'll probably be fine." She said at last, much to Nyx's surprise; the change of tone in the conversation was jarring. But not as jarring as what she said next. "It was probably just checking out what's new in its territory."

"... It?"

"Yeah. It. The Whisperer. I told you this. Whispering... The Whisperer..." She gestured for Nyx to catch her drift.

"So... You're saying there's something in the hospital?"

"Yeah!" Ronnie nodded. "But don't worry, it probably won't come after you. Just stay positive, get through it; keep smiling."

"This is a grimace."

Ronnie patted her cheek. "And a pretty one it is too! Come on, drink your milk."

"Yes, mum." Nyx snarked, sticking the straw in her carton and taking a sip. "So... What actually is The Whisperer?"

Ronnie shrugged. "I don't know; I don't think anyone does. We just know the stories; and what we witness ourselves. Even if some people like to pretend otherwise." That was accompanied by a pointed look at a pair of girls across the room, who Nyx recognised from Art the previous day.

Ronnie sighed."They say it likes the sadness; the despair. Three guesses why it's sticking around here then." She smiled sardonically. "So you can't give in to it- the sadness- or else it'll come for you. Then you'll be in real trouble."

Silence hung heavy in the air between them.

Ronnie broke it first. "Well, now I've successfully killed the mood... What have you got next?"

"Meeting with one of the therapists." Nyx gripes, rolling her eyes.

Ronnie chuckled. "Shoot. Who've you got?"

Suddenly got inspired, so yay, two updates in one week! It's good actually, cause I'm not aiming to drag this story out too long, even though I'm thoroughly enjoying it. :) Hope you are too!