Killing Chris

First Encounter's Pt 1

The part of the story that comes next must be paid attention to in crucial detail. If you pay attention to all of the things I write about each one of my group members maybe you can do a better job identifying the killer than I did.  When I was admitted to the hospital so many years ago my focus was on the killer's next move, I was always adapting to the situation I was thrown into next. In the hospital, however, the gears shifted and I was more focused on the identity of the killer than the why part.

How's that saying go about first impressions... You never get a second chance at a first impression. This statement is both true and important in this story. In this entry, I'm gonna describe my first encounter with all seven of my other group members. Pay close attention, If I had been, I would've known the killer was living in the same building as me. If it feels like this is a happy part of the story let me be the first to warn you... It is not.

Like all roads in this story, they all end with death. The mental hospital is no different. Only the death happens later...much later than the day I first met my roommate. At the red branch psychiatric hospital it was protocol too but the nonviolent nut cases together, and the violent nutcases in the other wing. Unfortunately for me, I was with the violent patients. 

The first member of the group was also my roommate at the hospital, his name was Rhys. Rhys was a five-eight twenty-year-old kid who was in for a bank robbery. I guess the leader of the heist manipulated him and caused him emotional distress which allowed him to be sent to a loony bin instead of a prison. Rhys was brilliant but lacked a basic capacity of emotions. He had dark blond hair and brown eyes. I first met him the first day I was admitted to our room. I walked into the room and he was laying on his bed, he looked at me but didn't get up.

"Hi I'm Chris, I guess I'm your new roommate," I said greeting him

"You know what happened to my old one?" He asked

"No, why?" I replied nervously

"Good, we have a group in ten I'd like some peace and quiet till then," He remarked laying on his bed reading a book.

I turned to my bed and placed my hands on the bed testing the comfort level. Well, it was better than the concrete floor at the station but let me tell you, it was no cloud. I laid face down on the bed and shortly thereafter a bell rang and Rhys told me it was time for the group.

Rhys opened the door but stood in the doorway turning his head back looking at me oddly. "Why you in here anyway?"

"A psycho killer made me kill my friend and he pinned it on me, the cops thought I was mentally covering my actions so I plead mentally ill to come here instead of prison," I said 

"So whoever told you a mental hospital would be better than prison," He said smiling at me. 

As he led us to the group room I examined the building, long corridors with giant open rooms periodically. The cafeteria had high vaulted ceilings and high school cafeteria tables. there was a place to use a public phone but the calls were monitored so most people stayed away. We passed rooms and rooms filled with people doing different things, music, swimming, pottery. It seemed like a pretty decent place at first.

When we got to the room it was as you'd expect, a circle of nine chairs sat in the middle of a big square room. When Rhys and I arrived at the meeting there were two people already there. The group leader/psychiatrist and one of the patients. The patient's name was Cayetana, she was tall with black hair, it looked like she cut her bangs herself which made her look like she belonged here. She took one look at me and stood up approaching me 

"Hey handsome," she said winking at me "I'm Cayetana... Ca-yet-ah-na" She pronounced which clearly meant people often got it wrong. 

"Hey, I'm Chris... C-hris" I said chuckling

She looked at me blankly then all the sudden burst out laughing in a super delayed reaction. 

"I'm twenty-three and I'm in here for stabbing a bitch named Rachel cause she stole her cat back from me" She smiled as if it were a joke only I knew it wasn't.

I had always imagined that the killer was a guy, I don't know why but I should've also considered the possibility it was a girl. I certainly didn't do a very good job at screening for potential killers by implicitly cutting half the population out of my pool of suspects.

Cayetana stared smiling at me for a second then made a gun with her fingers and held it to her head. She moved her thumb pulling the finger guns trigger and fell on the floor pretending to die.

"Excuse Cayeteana before this she was an actress, now she's just desperate for attention," Rhys said with his legs crossed sitting down on one of the chairs.

Cayetana sat up and bit the air pretending she was biting his head off. Just then the doors flung open and the next group member walked in with a man by her side. Cayetana jumped up and stood right behind me so close I could feel her body heat on my back. 

She whispered in my ear " That girl is Moe and the guy she's with is her personal escort because she always skips the meetings"

Cayetana walked and sat down followed by Moe. I stood there in the middle of the room and just looked. The counselor, Dr. Green looked up at me and asked

"Are you gonna join us, Chris?"

I Followed the rest of the group and I sat down in the middle of Rhys and Cayetana with one seat in between us. Cayetana moved the seat in between us and sat right next to me. 

"Alright let's get started today," Dr. Green said

"Wait where is the rest of the group?" Cayetana asked

"When a new member is added group we break the meetings in half so they don't have to share in front of eight strangers." Dr. Green replied

Cayetana rolled her eyes and looked at me mouthing thanks.

"So why don't we all introduce ourselves, Cayetana why don't you start," Dr. Green said

"Nah I don't think I will, we've already met" Cayetana stated smirking 

"I echo that" Rhys added

"Fine... How about you Moe" Dr. Green asked

"Hello Chris, I'm Moe, I am nineteen years old and I'm in here because no one believes me that I'm being chased by a demon that kills people by looking them in their eyes." 

"That's medusa honey" Cayetana chimed in

Dr. Green motioned her to be quiet and she sat back in her seat. Moe was a frail-looking girl. Who looked scared to breathe. She was a normal height, her hair was brown and long and she had a nose ring. She had a slight southern accent but almost so small you couldn't notice.

"Death follows you too huh?... I can tell" Moe added looking at me.

The rest of group that day was filled by me telling my story. Cayetana, Moe, and Rhys listened to my story as if it was the most interesting thing they've heard in a long time. Occasionally Cayetana interrupted with a short comment but it felt good to tell someone the whole story. The first day of group felt like a breakthrough for me.

Either I was able to tell the story without crying because of the meds I was on or I finally started to heal. Whichever one it was I was happy regardless. The next group meeting is when it starts to get chaotic. I met the final four members of the group at the second meeting. At the end of the second meeting, you'll have met all seven of the crazies and will be able to decide for yourself who is the most guilty. Rhys, the mastermind who lacks emotion.Cayetana, the crazed sociopath who is clearly a ticking time bomb waiting to explode. Or Moe, the girl who runs from demons. A fair cover story for a ticket into the madhouse.