Killing Chris

First Encounter's Pt 2

Most of the time I spent in the mental hospital was some of the most peaceful moments of my life. Up until I found out the killer was in there with me I felt completely safe from him. The group seemed as misunderstood as I felt and the meds took the pain of loss from me. What more could I ask for? This was my new normal and instead of fighting it I just accepted that it would be that way for a little while.

I met the fifth member of the group two days after our first group meeting. Group meetings were twice a week, Mondays and Friday. I Got admitted on Monday and had the first group and today is Thursday. Thursday was my swim therapy day which was basically just our exercise day. That's when I met Vaun. Vaun was a muscular eighteen-year-old, I heard from Rhys that he was in here for breaking a kid's skull in with his fist.

Vaun had a slight limp and a scar running down the side of his face that ran from the top of his forehead to his cheekbone on the left side of his face. He had curly brown hair and a slit in his eyebrow. He looked familiar to me but I had never met him. At the beginning of swimming, we started with a group of twelve people. We started the day with floating exercises. Then moved into lap swimming which I enjoyed.

As I swam I kept to myself making sure to not cause trouble with any of the other patients. While I was swimming someone grabbed my foot and pulled me under. It was unexpected so I hadn't taken a breathe before I went under so I was already short on air. A hand wrapped around my throat and I was pushed down into the water. I flailed my legs and kicked at the person hard but they didn't budge.

Suddenly the hands released my throat and I shot out of the water onto the side of the pool. I coughed up water and gasped for air. When my eyes felt like they weren't popping out of socket I jerked my head at the culprit.

"What the fuck was that for!" I asked in between deep breaths

"My name is Vaun, and if you ever swim into my lane again ill be the last person you see"

After that, I was done with swimming for awhile. When I got back to our room Rhys explained that Vaun was actually pretty chill when he wasn't in the pool. He said the pool was like Vauns battleground and to avoid him at all costs. After I changed and cleaned up It was time to go eat in the cafeteria.

the cafeteria on Thursday is where I met number six. I got my plate of food and sat down at a table by myself. I planned to eat and then go back to my room and read a comic provided by the hospital. Unfortunately, I had a run-in with another member of the group. A mid-forties man sat down at the table across from me and looked at me. One of his eyes was white..or maybe gray which I knew meant he was blind in one eye.

"Cayetana says your the new member of our group," He said to me

"Ya that's me, I'm Chris," I replied

"Sup Chris, my names Diego but call me Dieg." he said taking a bit of his food.

When he talked to me he looked up and to the right of my face. Not like right above my face like obviously above my face. Dieg explained that he was in here because he was an alcoholic. I know what your thinking...why didn't he just go to rehab then.

I wondered the same thing, I guess it because when you're trapped in an area with other alcoholics it just makes you wanna drink more. But when you are trapped with a bunch of crazy people who don't have a default coping method of getting drunk off their ass it's easier to stay sober. So to get his ticket into the madhouse Dieg smashed vodka bottles over random people's heads on the sidewalk and claimed it was his alter ego.

"Well nice to meet you Diego," I said politely

His eyes widened and he stood up grabbing me by the collar. He pulled me close to his face and smashed his head into mine. Instantly I tasted blood he started at me as blood ran from his head and said in anger

"I said to call me Dieg"

He let go of my shirt and knelt on the ground putting his hands behind his head. The guards came and took him away and I laid on my back in the cafeteria blood pouring from my nose. I spent the night in the infirmary so the nurse could make sure I didn't die from a concussion. Unfortunately, I did not and I woke up the next day to Rhys fetching me for a group session.

As Rhys led me to the group room I felt my nose which was both hot and swollen. I had never been headbutted before that and let me tell you I never wanted to ever again. When we got to the room everyone else was already there. Moe the demon victim, Cayetana the actor, Vaun the pool psycho, Diego the headbutter, Rhys the cinic, and two people I didn't know.

Dr. Green started "As a group I want everyone to welcome our three new members...When I say your name please introduce yourselves... Chris you first.

So I introduced myself

"Okay next," he said point at the guy across from me

"Hello my names Derek," he said looking up at me

"I am twenty-one years old and I admitted myself because I can't handle reality anymore" he added.

Derek... It wasn't the Derek I knew but it sure brought up memories I wanted to forget.

"Okay and last but not least," Dr. Green said

"Hey everyone my name is Clarke and I'm twenty-five, I'm in here becasue I'm a compulsive stalker with a slight obsession disorder." Clarke smiled and looked at me

Clarke was a girl who had many secrets I could tell by looking at her that she too has had many run-ins with death. Half of her head was shaven and had a tattoo on her scalp of vines. The half of her head that had hair was covered by long blonde hair that ran to about her mid-back.

In the hospital, I had developed a routine that I had learned to respect. group meeting, sports, swim, chill day, group meeting, visitor day, t.v. day. Rinse and repeat. Every day I woke to a nurse who was feeding medicine I was happy to take. Every day that went by I felt more at home here.

But about a week and a half into treatment my mind switched over. I had an obligation to the people I've lost to get justice. Justice really works itself out. So I knew that I had only had one option if I wanted my revenge...escape. But the planning of my escape was halted when the body of a nurse was found in the group room. I had been in the psychiatric hospital for less than two weeks and a dead body was already found.

My counseling group was summoned into a small meeting room that I had never been in before. A guard stood at the door with a gun in his holster and Dr. Green sat at the table. He asked us all to sit down and we all did.

"It has been brought to my attention that one of the members of this group has taken the life of one of the nurses here at the facility. The judge decided whichever one of you did this is being transferred to prison unless you confess in the next ten seconds."

Dr. Green looked at his watch and began the countdown. I searched the room for a guilty face. Cayetana looked normal not worried at all and ready to make a joke out of this in ten seconds. Rhys looked bored with his arms crossed staring at the ceiling. Vaun was also searching the room and when we made eye contact he looked away. Dieg was staring at Dr. Green like he wanted to say something but couldn't. Moe was crying for reasons no one could explain. Clarke was biting her nails kicking her feet.

The death if the nurse got me thinking that this may be linked to me. I started to play detective myself. No one was ruled out, not Clarke, not Rhys, and not even...me.

Chris logged off