Chapter One meeting Emma Lynn Petrova
Emma paced the confines of her room, her arms folded. She tapped her hand against her upper arm. Beeps occasionally sounded in the hallway.
"Hey, Em." A girl with bleach blonde hair peaked into the room, half hiding behind a wooden door, "Are you okay, you have been up here for hours."
"Yeah, I am just." Emma stopped pacing, "Just... Thinking."
"Okay, but I will need you to be down in ten for your nighttime meds." The Bleach blonde closed the door and left.
As footsteps faded down the hall, Emma took this moment to put her hair into a bun. Looking into the mirror all Emma could focus on was her eyes and hair, the things that made her unique to everyone else. Emma had eyes that many people avoided her for, they were a deep shining blue with black scattered about. Emma's hair, maroon in color, hung as long as her lower back with bangs in the front. Emma Spent her days and nights in this place; a home for unwanted people society cannot handle, a she called it her first year here, or assisted living for the Insane. She was abandoned her when she was ten by her mother because she spoke of angels and giant "space whales" and when confronted by the reality that they don't exist by her mother Andrea she went in to a catatonic state. In fear her mother left her and didn't return. Emma never spoke of them again after she was abandoned, she only dreamed. She dreamed of whales roaming free on a faraway planet, Angels living in a harmonious society.
Emma started down the stairs, the murmur on conversation growing louder every step. People argued with each other, mostly patients and nurses.
"I won't take it!" Phil, another patient, screamed, "I am already dead."
"You are not dead, Phil." A nurse spoke to the man in a calm but annoyed voice. "Now take the pills or I will get an orderly."
"Hello Mrs. Petrova." , the head psychiatrist spoke to Emma. His hair caught Emma's eye, he had recently dyed it to make his age unapparent to others. "I would like you to meet someone."
"Hello." A lanky man held out his hand to Emma. He had short spiky hair and childish brown eyes. "I am the doctor." He extended his hand out to Emma.
"Another doctor," Emma took his hand and smiled, "Fantastic."
"The doctor will be watching some of my sessions with my patients and has requested to be designated a patient to follow around." turned around and smiled warmly. "And since you are the least violent here, I think you shall do finely.
"But it shall only be for the next two days, as I discussed with the doctor in my office. Though just for tonight you will accompany the doctor in the downstairs lounge to discuss your treatment."
Emma opened her mouth to ask for the real name of "the Doctor", but snapped her teeth shut making a loud clicking noise. "Um-that will be fine." Emma looked down to her feet. "May I be excused for a few minutes; I just remember that I left a book on the veranda."
"I'll go with you." The doctor stepped forward hands in his pockets, "It is dangerous to go outside alone at night, a small girl like you."
"Well I feel you two will get along just dandy." spun on his heels and headed back to his office. The Doctor smiled at Emma again and she looked at him questioningly.
The Doctor looked down at her, she wasn't very tall but she was curvy. Her eyes always narrowed as if she was examining everything, her jaw locked with unspoken words.
"Shall we." The doctor held his arm towards the door. Emma walked self-consciously in front of the doctor afraid to turn around, for reasons unknown to her.
The moon shown bright, glittering the dew gathered on the ground. There was a strong chill in the air, but Emma seemed unfazed by the cold. The Doctor noted that Emma had marks on both of her wrists parallel to each other.
Emma walked onto the veranda steps and grabbed her book, The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli. She hadn't been reading it long but she did love the way he expressed his views.
~Later in the night at the lounge~
"Emma, have you noticed anything strange here?" The doctor sat on the coffee table his elbows on his knees and hands on his chin. "Missing people? Talking objects? Robots?"
"Are you asking me if I hear voices and hallucinate?" Emma tilted her head to the side. "I am not schizophrenic."
"I am being serious." His voice cracked. "Anything you might not tell the others."
"You come to an Asylum and ask if the patients have ever seen anything weird?" Emma paused. "Are you insane?"
"No and, I don't think, you are either." The doctor's voice became very serious.
"Consider becoming a patient yourself." Emma stood up. "Any other questions, I am getting very tired."
"You don't have to go." he stood up and put his hands in his pockets. "Unless you have to." The doctor looked down at Emma. "But I would prefer it if you didn't leave. Now have you seen anything odd here?"
"Why do you speak as if you are a prepubescent boy?" Emma crossed her arms.
"I don't." Emma walked across the room as he continued to talk. "Emma please answers my question."
"No I haven't seen anything odd going about these days." Emma looked out a window. "May I leave now?"
"Yes, goodnight, Mrs. Petrova." The doctor smiled to her as she turned and ran up the stairs, to her room.
Emma's room is dull, everything cream colored. No windows, no lamps, no pictures. The only thing she has is her books, great in number hidden under her bed. This has been her life for years, the only one she has ever known. And as she lies in bed thinking of all the things she could do, could have done, she hears footsteps in the hallway and a low groaning sound.
The sound makes Emma sigh. "Why does everything have to be so dull?"