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Casey Jones · (10-16-2013)

OOC: This is as dark as I've ever been before

Two weeks ago

The mini-bus screeched to a halt, sending mud flying and leaving tyre tracks permanently etched onto the dirty, natural floor. The five people inside the bus leapt out as soon as the vehicle ceased motion, and looked around at each other eagerly. There was a sense of undeniable excitement, albeit mixed with raw nervousness, in the air as the five met the glances of each other. In their minds, this was just as daring as any bank robbery could ever be. They needed this. No one before had ever performed anything as daring as what they were about to do. There was no way the professor couldn’t give them all As for the semester once he received the results of this. It was infallible.

“Is everybody ready? Outfits sorted?” the driver asked. There was a quake of excitement in his voice like would be expected of a child during an intense game of hide and seek. Each member of the party nodded in the affirmative. Three were dressed in a bright orange jumpsuit.

“It’s time” said another member, smiling a gold-toothed grin. He was the youngest of the group. They were all second years, he was first. The others, normally so quick to mock each other, were too excited to laugh at his clichéd response.

The five took a look up at the building. For a place that was the birth of as many horror stories as this was, it looked like a normal hospital. The feelings within the five were just as you would experience if you walked into a hospital. There were no chills, no sweeping winds, no tingles down their spines. It just appeared to be normal. They glanced across at the sign as they walked. It read ‘Sunnymoor Psychiatric Hospital’.

“Let’s go” came the instruction from the driver, and immediately he and his brother, dressed in a grey blazer, grabbed the wrists of the other members of the party and ran forwards, leading them towards the facility. “You know what to do. I’ll be back on Monday to get you”

The three in the jumpsuit muttered their understanding and allowed themselves to be frogmarched to the facility.

“Hey” shouted the driver’s brother. “Gimme some help over here”

Immediately three heavily built guards in protective armour ran over. They looked at the group suspiciously, before noticing the bright orange jumpsuits they wore. Both men, as if programmed, reached for the radio on the collars of the shirts that protruded from their navy blue body armour.

“Perfect” the driver muttered under his breath.

---

Casey Jones sat in the leather padded chair in large, spacious office. He watched the three jumpsuit-clad people in front of him look around suspiciously. They were displaying signs of classic schizophrenia. Jones reached for the pad in front of him and made a note.

“They were found walking down the freeway” the security guard said. “They were cut off before they could go too far”

Jones nodded his understanding of the situation, his piercing blue eyes still studying the group in front of him carefully, intently. The jumpsuited trio, to their credit, avoided the eyes of the doctor. Their extensive psychology studies had left them incredibly understanding of the symptoms of schizophrenia. They could act out the persona of a severely schizophrenic person better than any actor could. This doctor would have no idea of their fully fit mental state until they had got what they needed. The plan was perfect.

“I see” Dr Jones said calmly. “Well this is a problem, isn’t it?”

Silence fell upon the room. The acoustics of the office caused Jones’ words to reverberate slightly, and the noise was magnified a moment later, when the door of the office opened loudly. A man with an almost feral-looking face entered the room and looked at Jones, desperately trying to get his attention.

“Well you know what to do, Trevor. Please escort our….eager…friends to the rooms” Jones finally said, breaking the silence cleanly. As the two security guards grabbed the students and led them out of the room, the feral-looking man rushed up to Jones.

“Doctor….those people….they aren’t what they seem. I’ve seen CCTV…”

“Daxter. I know exactly who those people are” Jones said, to the surprise of his companion. “They have been taking recreational trips to our humble facilities over these past weeks, watching carefully for the way we operate.”

“But…”

“They are all psychology students at Stanford, them and the two ‘members of the public’ that turned them in. They are in a class taught by Doctor Rufus Thomas, and they have been set an assignment to research the thoughts of the mentally afflicted. I know, Daxter. It’s my job”

Silence fell among the two men again.

“Shouldn’t we get them out?” asked Dax, unsure of the pattern of thought that the doctor was following. Jones, in response, just contemplated in silence. He thought for a minute, before taking the glasses that rested on his nose off, and placing them on the table.

“Friedrich Nietzsche once said that ‘if you gaze long enough into the abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.” Jones finally said to the puzzlement of Dax. “Perhaps it isn’t our place to intervene in our friends’ study of the abyss. Maybe we should just let them conduct their experiment. They might just be surprised at what they see.”

---

Day one

It worked. We’re in. At first I’d thought we’d blown it. The way that that doctor looked at us….it just creeped me out. Looks like even he wasn’t smart enough to see through our disguises though. James was right, those extra classes worked a treat. Dr Thomas will be interested to learn that the patients at this facility do not like to communicate much with others. They seem to keep to themselves, as if they’re being scared silent. It’s really quite odd.

The meals at this place are delicious. The meat that they serve is more tender and nutritious than anything I’ve ever tasted before. It has a slight sweetness to it, but it isn’t enough to take away from the beautiful salted sauce. It might be that this little adventure of ours has been worth it just for the meals!

One thing that struck me as odd is that they immediately separated me, Lizzie and Maxi when we arrived. I suppose they just didn’t want us trying to escape again, ha ha!

This is certainly a peculiar place, but, despite everything I’ve been told, and with the distinct exception of clearly incompetent doctors, it doesn’t seem too bad. Day one has been a success!

Yours,

(Future Dr) Ross Cooper

---

Day two

The oddest thing happened to me today. Between my second and third daily psychiatry session, I met up with one of the patients that I had seen around my block. I wanted to see if I could gain anything comprehendible from him, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that the language that he spoke was almost entirely intelligible! I asked him for a while about the set-up of the hospital and the experiences that he had had, but, irritatingly, he seemed to be fairly non-committal about the whole ordeal. He didn’t specify what exact disorder he suffered from, and despite my expanding knowledge I could not quite put my finger on it either. He certainly came out with some peculiar things, the most memorable being “beware the man in the black jacket”. I could perfectly understand if he had warned me to beware the man in a white coat, but the black jacket just seems odd, ha ha!

I saw Lizzie today. When I was fully sure that no one was looking, I snuck her a cheeky smile. To my surprise, however, she didn’t respond, and avoided my eyes, looking around the room as if in a paranoid state. That’s the thing about Lizzie, she’s always committed to her role, a consummate professional! Still no sign of Maxi though. I guess he’s just been taken to a different wing. Oh well, we’ll all be comparing notes by Monday, so I don’t think it really makes a difference.

Dinner tonight is a broth made out of the delicious meal I had yesterday, which, I was informed, was made out of the rare delicacy that is Namuh meat. When this experiment ends on Monday, I must ask whether Dr Jones would be willing to share the recipe.

Yours,

Ross.

---

Day three

Something absolutely terrible has happened. I am of the concern that Maxi is in a severe state of ill-health. I was being escorted to my psychiatric session today when I heard one doctor say to another that ‘Patient Number Two Zero Five has succumbed’. This is Maxi’s number. I searched around for him in the block in the exercise time we are permitted, but I couldn’t for the life of me find him anywhere. I searched around for ambulances or notices of death, but thankfully none bearing Maxi’s name were to be found. I am hoping, desperately that I misheard, that my friend is still among the living, but there is always a nagging doubt that tugs at my inner emotional state.

I searched for Lizzie today to inform her, but as part of the hospital’s attack-prevention plans the male and female patients are separated from one another completely. I managed to see her briefly, but she must have been watched as she was muttering incoherently to herself when I came across her. I hope to speak to her soon about this, and I hope that our good friend is okay.

Yours,

R.C.

---

Day 5

I can’t ignore it. I CAN’T IGNORE IT. The voices…they’re so loud…….

I saw Lizzie yesterday. She was crying. I asked ‘why are you crying Lizzie?’. She didn’t respond, she just sobbed harder. She pointed to mirror. I looked at mirror. She had written meat name. Namuh. Then I realised. Then I knew. Then I saw. I saw it backwards. I knew what it was.

I ran out, tried to escape. They pulled me back. They were too strong. Far too strong.

I couldn’t fight. They tied my arms back. Wrenched my mouth open. Brought in today’s meal. I looked down and couldn’t stop myself. I wailed and I cried but they wouldn’t listen. They forced the meal into my mouth. I tried to fight, I really did. TELL THE VOICES THAT I TRIED TO FIGHT.

I knocked it everywhere, please…… Johnny….come get me out….

I want to go home….

---

The man walked confidently through the double doors to the hospital. He smiled to himself before running up to the desk, the water splashed on his face before entrance creating the perfect mock-perspiration effect.

“Please….where’s Doctor Jones….I made a terrible mistake….I NEED TO SPEAK TO HIM” the man shouted at the receptionist, who ran off to find the doctor. After about two minutes, the doctor made his appearance.

“Ah, hello again my friend” Jones said, beaming a bright smile. “What can I do for you today?”

“I made a mistake” the man said frantically. “The three I dropped off were just actors, they weren’t really mental patients!”

A confused look appeared on the face of Jones.

“Whatever are you talking about? One of the patients that you dropped off is in that room right there. I am sure you will agree, he is in major need of my assistance…”

As soon as the words had left Jones’ mouth, the door opened, and the man was carted out, screaming hysterically. A strong-looking orderly injected something into the arm of the screaming man, and suddenly his insane ramblings turned into soft mutterings as he fell into a deep sleep. The driver’s face fell into a state of pure shock, more than any acting could ever hide, as he saw the mess in the room, the food that had been splattered everywhere. The one thing that drew his eye more than anything was the solitary gold tooth that lay decoratively on the plate.

“Is there anything else I can do for you?” Jones asked politely, turning to beam at the man beside him.

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