Chapter 3: Crazy

I suppose it's rather hard to clean a room where the floor and walls are made out of mattresses. But I don't think that dumping soapy water everywhere is the solution. Or maybe it is, what do I know of cleaning?

I do know a lot about the survival of the alfalfa leafcutter bee in Southern Europe, but somehow nobody ever talks about that.

'Hey, you there! Stop!' yelled someone. I don't know exactly who they were talking to as there are not many people walking the halls at this hour. But I'm sure they'll figure it out eventually.

When the nice woman said that I had to 'get out' because 'it fucking stinks here' and she needed to 'make sure I didn't get an infection ', I was quite surprised. I don't often get out of the cuddle room, as I like to call it. Usually for washing up three times a week. Or when the inspectors come and the nurses want to make sure I don't tell them too many horrifying things.

They started preparing me for their visits after I told one of the inspectors about the wires that grow out of the ceiling and want to steal my teeth. I don't actually believe that that's true though, with the wires and all that. I just wanted to scare them a little bit. Otherwise, they might want to sleep in my room themselves, and I would've been kicked out!

Like, let's be serious here. Who doesn't want to sleep in a room with pillows everywhere? And if you're wearing a tie, you seem to be able to get away with a lot in this facility. So why not steal someone's room, too?

Rooms are practically holy here. Every time a patient is moved, they scream and yell and kick. I never got so attached to my room, but the mattresses are pretty nice. You can sleep anywhere!

A hand grabs my arm and I freeze. I'm in the laboratory again. I feel the needles pricking my skin. I want to break free, but two men in lab coats are restraining me. My arms are on fire, my skin feels like it's peeling off. I can't be here, not again. I need to break free, I have to.

'Miss? What are you doing out here so late in the evening?' The man looks at me, but it wasn't concern that I saw in his eyes. He let his eyes wander over my body, giving me chills.

You're okay. You're not there, you're okay. They're far away now.

'Let go of my arm.' My voice is almost too soft to hear, but I'm sure he heard me. Yet, he doesn't release my arm.

He tries to drag me along, towards my room.

'The cleaning lady is busy with my room. I can't go back.'

'The cleaning lady? It's three o'clock at night, there are no cleaning ladies right now. Let's go back to your room,' he said. 'Don't act so difficult.'

There was no cleaning lady? That couldn't be true, I saw her. A sweet old lady with her grey hair in a ponytail. Maybe she was one of those hallucinations that the doctor was talking about... But I was so sure I saw her.

'Let go of me,' I say, almost begging. Not quite, because since I killed those men, I promised to never bow to anyone ever again. Except to the queen, I guess. She's crazy powerful, she might have my head on a platter if I don't show respect.

I try to break my arm free, but the man is determined to pull me to my room, whatever it takes. It starts to hurt. He goes on, despite me putting my feet down. I guess I don't pose that much of an obstacle, as I'm not wearing shoes and the floor is made of slippery linoleum.

But I couldn't go back. Not with him. Not again.

I struggle more. He stops, and I think it's done. I think I've won. But I couldn't be further from the truth.

'You want to do this here?'

'Let me go.'

I never thought my guardian angel would take the form of a tall man that looked straight out of Men in Black.

'Listen to her.'