De Pride Isle Sanatorium

Chapter 3: Breakfast

As I arrive into the kitchen, I can hear lots of chatter. I scan my eyes around the cafeteria, looking at all the different people at each table. I was surprised to see such nice tables. I always assumed asylums had ugly, cheap, plastic tables; but these tables were beautiful. The chairs were a dark metal with a deep red cushion and the tables were glass in the middle with metal trim. It looked very nice. I look for an empty seat and make my way towards it. I sit down just to wait for my food. I look at the people at my table, who are now staring at me for some reason.

"Hello." One of them says. "I am Jaxton. What's your name?" The guy named Jaxton, was a red-headed, young man with blue eyes. No freckles though. Weird. I thought all red-heads had freckles. "Why are you introducing yourself to him? He could be one of them already." A girl says sternly. This girl had very kinky, curly, dark brown hair that reached her shoulders. Her skin was beautifully dark. She looked at Jaxton with worry and anger. Jaxton only laughed in her face. "Really? Look. His arm and head aren't twitching. Calm down. He probably just got here." He says.

"Actually, I did just get here." I say. "Well, welcome." Jaxton said with a smile. "Don't get too comfortable in this asylum. It's not all what you think it is. People come in, mesmerized by how clean and put together the asylum is, only to find out its dark secret."

Dark secret...? "What do you mean?" I ask. Jaxton was about to say something but then a loud voice is heard, echoing throughout the cafeteria. "Ah! Good morning my darling patients! Today we are going to have some delicious tilapia and mango! So yummy! Please make sure you are seated and in uniform! Thank you!"

I look over as a door inside the cafeteria opens. I assume it's the kitchen door. Nurses start to walk out of the door with trays of food. They begin to hand them out to patients, one by one. They then make their way to our table. I can't help but to notice how tall these nurses are. I wonder if it's the heels? I wonder why they're wearing heels in the first place. Isn't it uncomfortable to work in heels? A nurse places down a plate of food in front of me. I look down at it and I'm surprised with how good it looks. I thought it was going to be shitty cafeteria food like how I used to eat when I was in middle school, but no. It looks absolutely delicious.

Fried tilapia and fresh, cut mangoes. I begin to dig in use the plastic silverware they gave us. I then heard a loud ting as if someone dropped their plate. I look behind me. "STOP! WHY DID YOU DO THAT?" A patient screamed at another. "IT'S POISON! CAN'T YOU SEE? THIS IS WHY WE TURN! THE NURSES ARE POISONING US! I AM TRYING TO SAVE YOU!"

"You IDIOT! We still have blurs even if we DON'T EAT THE FOOD! LET ME EAT! I HAVEN'T EATEN A PROPER MEAL IN SIX WEEKS BECAUSE OF YOU! I HAVE TO EAT MELONS IN THE GARDEN BECAUSE YOU WON'T LET ME EAT!"

Everyone is now staring at the commotion. A nurse approaches the two. "Dear, please stop doing that. You do that every time. I'm about to start separating you two during meal hours. The next time you knock his food out of his hands, you're going straight to isolation." She says. She sounds stern, but kind.

"YOU'RE TRYING TO KILL US! SHUT THE FUCK UP!" The patient screams into her face. "Warning one. Disrespect." She looks so calm....it's kinda scary. "Warning one my ASS. You're trying to turn us into one of THEM! I won't take it anymore! You evil witch! Stop poisoning these people!"

"Warning two. Stop this nonsense. We aren't poisoning y'all. We are feeding y'all. You need to eat or you will not get the nutrients you need."

"LIAR! LYING BITCH!" The nurse reaches for the long holster on her belt. "Last chance. Either you sit back down and eat your food and let Sam eat his, or I will send you to isolation."

The screaming patient stares at her hand that is hovering above the holster. He sits back down but doesn't eat his food. The nurse smiles. "Good. I'll bring you another plate, Sam." She says as she makes her way to the kitchen.

"What the hell was that?" I ask, turning to the people at my table. "Ignore it next time. He always does this. Him and Sam are brothers. I think Sam's brother is schizophrenic because he always claims that the nurses are poisoning us. We all know it's not true." Jaxton says. Another voice is heard. "Ah! Disregard what you saw in the cafeteria and please throw away what's left of your food in the trash and stack the plates on a table close to the kitchen door before leaving the cafeteria! We do not want roaches! Yucky!" Everyone stands up and begins to head near the trash cans that are located close to the cafeteria door.

I wonder what that guy meant when he said blurs. What are these blurs he is talking about...?