Colors

Six

Hours later, I woke in the van. Felix was leaning against the window, asleep. Grace was leaning on Alec's shoulder, they were sleeping too. I looked out the window to see that it was dark outside. We were driving through fields and pastures. I guess we're in the countryside ?

I stared out the window for a while until my head started hurting. I closed my eyes and gripped the seat. The voices came like each time. Except for this time, there were more than one.
"Where am I?"
"Who are you?"
"Help me!"
"Please! Anybody!?"
"...haha...this is fun..."

I gasped and opened my eyes. Nothing was in the van except us. Everyone asleep except for the driver. I started to breathe heavily as I looked out the window. They kept repeating themselves. Over and over and over again. I gritted my teeth, trying not to wake anyone.
"...haha this is fun...haha," a dark voice laughed.
I gasped louder this time and someone moved. A blurb formed and I noticed something was sitting in front of me. Once it had formed, it was just dark, and evil looking. The thing smiled and then laughed maniacally. It's shoulders shook and he threw back his head. Now I was shaking and my breathing was loud and jagged. Suddenly the thing was gone and there was a ringing in my ears.
"What's wrong with her!?" the man driving hissed.
"I don't know," Felix said to the man.
"Adeline, you need to calm down," the man said sternly.

Then I was brought back. I was sitting in the van and the man was now standing in the open doors looking in on us. He was staring at me. Felix had his hand gripping my shoulder.
"Adeline...are you okay?" the man asked.
"...uh...yeah..." I said quietly, looking down at my shirt.
"Okay...one of you calm her down, we gotta get goin'," the man grumbled.

I held my head in my hands. Tears welled in my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. I refused to cry in front of people I don't know.
"Hey...Adeline, you wanna talk about what just happened?" Felix asked.
I cleared my throat and said, "I, uh, saw this thing. It was laughing and taunting me. I don't, um, don't know what it was..."
"That's why your here isn't it?" Grace asked from behind me.
"Yeah...I'm sorry you guys had to see it," I sighed, biting my lip so I wouldn't cry.
"Hey, it's okay. I mean I know it isn't but it's okay," Felix said, I felt his hand rub my back.

It was like a dam collapsed. Tears poured down my face. Everyone was silent except for me. I was sobbing now. Felix wrapped his arm around me and pulled me to him. The tears wouldn't stop falling and I felt them drop onto Felix's shirt. Well, I make great first impressions, I thought.
"It's okay..." Felix said soothingly.

I nodded and the tears slowed a little. Even though the tears slowed and my breathing was less jagged, I was still shaking. There's just something different about this one than the lasts. It felt more real and nightmarish than fake. That thing looked like it had crawled out of hell and into the van. The worst part is, I can't do anything to stop them. I can't not see them and not hear them.
"Addy," I said quietly.
"What?" Felix asked, rubbing my back.
"It's just Addy, not Adeline," I said a little louder.

--------*-----------

We pulled up next to the large iron gate. The man punched in a code and the gates swung open. He drove through them and up the drive. Once we were at the front door. There were guards standing out front and a few patients roaming around.
"Alright, everyone out," the man said, opening our door in the back.

I got out of the van and waited for everyone else. Once we were all outside, the man got our bags and handed them to us. I grabbed mine and stood next to Grace. She was holding Alec's hand tightly. The man then led us inside. We walked in and over to a door titled "Office". The man opened the door and a woman was sitting in a chair.
"Welcome to the Institution! I know none of you are happy to be here but it is what it is. So the four of you are rooming together, because you all suffer from almost the same things. Mr. Coleman will escort you to your rooms. Tests will start tomorrow so no eating tonight," the woman said with a forced smile.
"Tests?" Grace asked warily.
"Yes, to diagnose your problem and blood type. Things like that," the woman said sweetly.
"Mrs. Woods, they should rest up," Mr. Coleman said.
"Oh alright. Send them to bed," Mrs. Woods said.

Mr. Coleman waved for us to follow him. He led us out of the office and into the main entrance. People were staring at us. They looked at us strange. Like we were innocent people in a guilty place. In a way we were.

He led us up stairs and down hallways. Until Mr. Coleman stopped in front of a door. 625. He opened the door and motioned for us to go in. Once we were all in, he shut and locked the door. Grace flipped on a light switch and a light in the corner turned on. Alec walked over to a door and opened it.
"Bathrooms over here," Alec said, closing the door behind him.

There was one window with bars over it. Grace took her bag and walked over to a bed against a wall. I grabbed my bag and walked over to the bed closest to the bathroom. Felix walked over to the bed next to mine and laid down. While everyone settled in, I opened my bag and got out my picture of Ben. I took it out of the frame and put my bag back on the floor. With the picture in my hand, I laid down on my bed and held up the picture.

Ben was 14. This was a month before mom sent him here. He looked happy. Ben was laughing and had icing on his finger. I had cake on my nose and was laughing. This was my favorite party. Only because this was before Ben told anyone what was going on. After this party, they were all bad. Ben just seemed dull and sad. Not like he used to be. And it made me sad just thinking about it.