De Pride Isle Sanatorium

Chapter 4: Activity

We all stood on a carpet, surrounding the balcony that is in the middle of the sanatorium. I stare at the six nurses who are standing on the balcony just praying. I notice Sister Amelia. I wonder if I should talk to her? I look behind them and see a giant, gold statue. I never noticed it before. The statue had red lips and one of its arms would move after every minute. I assume it was a giant clock. I look around to find Jaxton talking amongst the people we sat with during breakfast. I walked over to him. "Hey, what was all that about? What did he mean by 'blurs'?" I ask him. Jaxton looked at me with surprise. "Wait, have you not gotten one yet?" he asked. "Gotten what?" I ask.

"A blur."

"I don't know what that is."

"A blur is when your vision gets really foggy, and well, blurry. You become really dizzy and you hear ringing."

"Ringing..? Why does that even happen?"

"Nobody knows, but if you get too many-"

He was interrupted by one of the nurses talking into her megaphone. "Look at the time! It is time for a holy activity! How about some melon picking? Line up at the front gates! Do not go outside. I will explain the rules later." Everyone starts to split up and head down the grand stairs. We all make our way towards the front gates and line up. The nurse puts the megaphone close to her lips and says, "Ah! Such a holy line! Now, the rules are simple. You all have exactly one minute to grab a melon from outside and outside only! You must grab a melon before the timer goes out. Ready?" The nurse pulls out a pocket watch. "Set.... go!" She presses a button on the watch. The nurse right next to her shoves a key into a keyhole and turns the key. The giant, iron doors begin to open and everyone starts running out.

I wonder why everyone is so excited just to get a melon? I run outside too and began to search for a melon. I walk along the edge of the cliff that holds the sanatorium. I find a melon, hanging on a small branch on the side of the cliff. I kneel down and begin to reach for it. I grab it, get up, and begin to make my way back to the sanatorium.

I'm quite shocked they are letting asylum patients run freely outside. I guess they trust that we won't escape. As I enter the asylum, I show one of the nurses I got a melon. "Oh my! Good job, dear! Here you go!" She reaches into a bag that is right next to her and hands me...a cross? "Oh, thanks..." I pause, trying to hint that I do not know her name. She is quite tall and has short, brown hair that reaches her shoulders. She has brown eyes and freckles. "Sister Phoebe." She smiles. "Thank you, Sister Phoebe." I hold the cross in my hands and just stare at it while I walk upstairs. "Time's up!" I hear a voice echo. "Apologies to whoever didn't get a holy cross. Maybe next time!"

I hear a symphony of groans of disappointment. Sucks for them, haha.