Pandemonium

Chapter 2

I didn't know for how long I slept. All I knew was I had to get out of here. But before I could get up, a hand touched my shoulder, "You shouldn't get up that fast. You might hurt yourself."

She had the same creepy voice, poised and controlled expressions on her face, not a single hair out of place. Too perfect, she was too perfect. Her name tag read Dr. Susan. Something about her made me scoot to the opposite edge of the bed. Her face went blank as she caught my movement.

"Do you know where you are, Ms Renda?" It sounded practiced, as if that was what she said to every patient.

"No, and why does everyone keep calling me Renda?" I asked trying to get a read on her.

"You are at Whisperwood Sanatorium, psychiatric institution. Your name is Renda Aswel. Do you remember anything at all?"

"Yes! My name is not Renda!" I nearly shouted at her.

"If not Renda, is it Arden? Perhaps, Arden Wales more specifically?"

"How...how do you k-know that?"

"The doctors at the place you were previously admitted mentioned in your file that you tend to call people by their name's anagram."

I scoffed, "That is absolutely ridiculous. I call you Susan! That's your name, isn't it?"

She pitied me; I could see it in her eyes as she replied, "No dear, my name is Nussa. It is your brain that perceived its anagram-Susan."

"B-but your name tag says Susan." I didn't believe this woman at all. What she was saying was insane.

"Axel? Can you please come in here and read my name tag aloud letter by letter for Ms. Renda?" The door opened and Axel walked in. Both of them, with brown hair, grey eyes and perfect and practiced expressions on their faces. It wasn't hard to guess that they were siblings. They looked almost the same age, might be twins.

"Yes. N-U-S-S-A", my hope dissolved; letter by letter, I found it difficult to see through my blurry eyes. I wanted to cry. I wanted to destroy everything in the room. But if I did that, it would only prove that I was crazy and I didn't want that. Not at all.

"Can you spell out your name for me?" my voice shook as I spoke to him.

"A-L-E-X", I closed my eyes.

"You thought I called him Axel, didn't you Renda?" she asked with sympathy in her voice.

I didn't want her goddamn sympathy. I didn't want to see her stupid face.

"Can you leave me alone for some time?"

"Alright"

Both of them left the room as tears dripped down my face. Was my sister's name Sierra? Or was it again a stupid anagram that my mind had created?

Did I belong here? Was I really crazy? And why couldn't I remember how I got here? All I saw were flashes in my dreams. Were they dreams or were they memories?