XIV | Someone Screamed
❦
It’s my first night
alone,
and I spend it
thinking
about what
‘there must be eight patients’
means.
But like always,
I blink
and it’s morning.
It’s the medicine,
I mutter
and it sounds familiar,
like I’ve figured this out
before.
I decided to wear long pants last night
and they’ve rolled up in the night
so I’m rolling them down now
when I hear the scream.
It’s earsplitting,
even through the door
the sound
scratches
Metal on metal,
sliding like a needle
grating
my spine.
I cringe,
too stunned
to cover my ears.
It lasts
a full minute,
that high-pitched,
blood-curdling,
fear-tinged,
scream.
No other sounds.
Just one scream.
Then,
it’s silent again.
I can hear
myself breathing.
No other sound.
Just silence.
The asylum
sleeps through this
as though
nothing happened.
Should I open the door?
I decide not to.
The first person
I think about
(after myself)
is Tammie.
Was it her screaming?
Is she okay?
Should I open the door
to find out?
I open the door.
A small crack.
Enough to see into the upper floor landing.
No one.
It’s only been five minutes
since the scream.
There are footsteps,
voices,
now that I’ve opened the door.
But no movement so far.
A doorknob.
The door of Krishna’s room
opens a crack,
then wider, to let a dark head with grey hair out.
Another voice
from inside her room?
A different room?
It’s hard to tell
with my head pressed against wood,
the sound of my breathing
everywhere.
The head turns,
knowing exactly
where to look.
Her eyes meet mine
and she smiles knowingly.
Suddenly,
another door opens
and she disappears,
easing her door close
with unexpected ease.
She’s probably
been here
for a very long time.
The door
that opened
is labelled ELLIOT.
I’ve never talked to him.
Probably
won’t recognise him.
But anyway,
the one
coming out
of his room,
clad in white,
is a nurse.
❦
Moonlight Sonata plays
like nothing’s wrong.
Life goes on,
even in hell.
My feet move
before I tell them to
and I’m walking down to the main hall
with other patients
trailing behind.
Tammie catches up to me
on the stairs,
and a familiar foul stench that overwhelms me,
hypnotic.
Nothing’s wrong. Nothing’s unusual. Nothing’s wrong. Nothing’s unusual. Nothing’s wrong. Nothing’s unusual. Nothing’s wrong. Nothing’s unusual. Nothing’s wrong. Nothing’s unusual. Nothing’s wrong. Nothing’s unusual. Nothing’s wrong. Nothing’s unusual. Nothing’s wrong. Nothing’s unusual. Nothing’s wrong. Nothing’s unusual. Nothing’s wrong. Nothing’s unusual.
She smiles
that familiar smile.
Did you count?
Tammie tells me enigmatically.
I nod,
thinking she’s talking about
the pills.
But I find myself
counting everything.
The nurses.
Four.
Two male. Two unknown.
The pills.
Twelve.
A dozen.
There should be less, right?
The masked nurse on the left
gestures for me to take my medicine.
I do as instructed.
I’m led back
into the hall where the walls sing Moonlight Sonata.
Tammie smiles at me
from her armchair.
Did you count?
I’m puzzled
as I sit down
in my armchair,
as two nurses
accompany a man
I haven’t met before
to an armchair.
That’s Elliot,
I guess.
Hey Fifi,
did you count?
❦
