The Birdcage

Lost and Found

"So, the creep's headed to solitary." Perry grinned, plopping down next to Nyx on the couch. "After he comes out of the medical wing, that is. Katherine will get a warning of course; but once again, she's used the loophole of reacting rather than acting. Not that I think you'll mind her getting away with it this time."

"That was fucking scary, not gonna lie." Nyx breathed. "Doctor Montgomery excused me for the day because of it."

Perry put a comforting hand on her arm. "Hey, you'll be alright."

"Perry." Nyx said in a quiet voice, staring ahead with unblinking, glassy eyes. "I don't want them to see me cry."

Perry glanced around the common area; at the few people filtering in and out. "I'm on it." Taking her hand and pulling her up off the couch, Perry quickly lead her away through the halls. Dodging around the corridors and avoiding the orderlies, Perry took her to a deserted part of the building.

At the end of the hallway there was a door, made of grey steel. "Locks broken." Perry said, gesturing to the keyhole printed in the metal as they slid open the sliding bolts at the top and bottom of the door. "Shh, don't tell anyone."

The door opened to an abandoned place; a small hallway with a series of rooms leading off from it, each filled with strange medical equipment. Dust layered almost every surface, decorated with silken spiderwebs that glistened in the weak light from the windows. In one of the rooms the glass was broken; letting in a soft, cleansing breeze from outside. A stray pigeon had wandered in, and now nested atop a cabinet in the far corner of the room, cooing softly. An old metal gurney rested against the far wall of the corridor.
It should have been spooky; but the atmosphere here was more one of sadness and and having been forgotten.

Perry chuckled as Nyx looked around curiously. "It's my secret hideout. I often come here when it all... gets too much." Perry said, gesturing to their face in reference to their synaesthesia.

"Thank you." Nyx smiled weakly, tears trickling slowly down her cheeks.

"You're welcome." Perry said. "You can come here whenever you like now, I don't mind. Just don't start inviting random people here, or we're going to fall out."

"What even is this place?" Nyx sniffed, scrubbing at her eyes with her sleeves.

"A disused wing of the hospital." Perry said. "It's left over from when they used to do electroshock therapy."

Suddenly, the place felt quite a bit creepier.

"But they don't do that anymore." Perry reassured her. "So the place is all ours. It's quite cool actually; there's all sorts of stuff stored in the cupboards. Including..." Perry grinned, hopping up onto one of the side tables to open the cupboard above and reach inside to draw out, of all things, a packet of wine gums. "... These, which I hid here. Want some?"

Nyx smiled, her fears beginning to ebb away. "Yes, please."

***

Pulling her bedroom door shut behind her, Nyx turned into her room; and that's when she saw it.

Drifting through the air, unnaturally slow; slower than even gravity; she couldn't even see where it was falling from, as it drifted down to rest on her pillow...

A single, red rose petal.

Sorry the updates a bit later than expected; I know I don't have a set timetable for updates on this book, but preferably I like to keep chapters coming quickly. It took me a while to get some inspiration, and some free time. XD

Hope you like!