Chapter 2

The Asylum

The voice started to come towards me so I could finally see him. I sat there stunned by what I was seeing with my eyes. A beautiful man stood there with a very muscular body. He was very tall, close to six foot if not more. He was very pale and jet black hair but the next thing I saw was his eyes. They were black like charcoal, but it could be due to the room being so dark. He looked like the man I saw in shadows at my sister's accident but not. That's when he smiled at me, which showed his white teeth and dimples. He chuckled at me for staring at him. I realized that my mouth was wide open so I snapped it shut and looked down. That was when I noticed I had a white coat on and it was making me hug myself.

My voice was shaking when I yelled out, "What is this? What is going on here? Where is my family? Is my sister okay?" The tall man walked a little closer, with his hands raised as a peace offering. "Calm down! Calm down!" His sweet voice came out. "Your family is fine. Your sister is doing great. She is still in the hospital but they are saying that she can go home in a few more days."

I sat there staring at him. His voice was like velvet. It sounded so much like a song and I tried to get myself back on track. I shook my head to get back on track and asked in a furious voice, "What is this around me?" He just smiled at me with those dimples again, "You really don't remember, do you?" He said as he stepped a little closer to me. I could smell him at this point. He smelled like a sunny day out in an old wild flower field, like at my grandparents' home. I closed my eyes and took a deep breathe then sighed. The man stepped back a few steps. I looked up and he had a disapproving look on his face. The smile was still there but it wasn't the same. I wondered if I did something wrong? I opened my mouth to say something but nothing would come out. His eyes caught mine again, and he's gorgeous smile returned.

"You must be hungry." He said with a very soft tone. "I'll send one of the orderlies in to help you eat, or do you think you could behave so I can take that coat off? What do you say Ms. Brandon?" He smiled hugely with those dimples and it took my breath away. I told myself breathe, take a breath. I did as my head told me and responded to what annoyed me. "Please, don't call me Ms. Brandon. Why do I have this coat on in the first place?"

The dark haired man just stood there with that huge smile. "What would you like me to call you? Alice?" I caught his smell again and my breath got taken away from me. I just nodded as I looked down at the floor. He chuckled and then answered my question. "You really don't remember?" I shook my head again to let him know I didn't remember. "Well, you were kicking, hitting, and screaming at my staff so I had to take extra precautions with you." I looked up at him and looked right into those black eyes. I attacked his stuff, which was not like me. I was trying to think back, to remember what would cause me to do this. I remember my sister's accident and then I remember the stranger that was standing in the tree line. He had the loveliest smile and those eyes. Those garnet colored eyes they were just like that stones, red, so red. Why couldn't I remember anything between and after my stranger? I probably looked really funny to the dark haired man.

The orderly came in and helped me stand up. It was good to be on my legs. He then unlocked the coat which I was so happy about; I could finally move my arms. "Now as long as you behave Alice, I'll keep that coat off you," said the dark haired man. He smiled at me and then turned to walk out of the room. I yelled at him, "Wait," as I stumbled forward. I guess that I didn't have my legs back like I thought. He turned to look at me over his shoulder, and that's when I realized how close I was to him. I could smell him and if I wanted to, could touch him but at what consequence.

As I stared into his eyes, "What is your name, sir?" I asked in my sheepish voice. He smiled that breath taking smile, "My name is Dr. Alexander but you can call me Gavin." Was he giving me permission to call him by his first name? Why? I noticed that I was staring at his face. He's perfect lips, his beautiful skin which was flawless. I got to his eyes again and then heard him snicker. My heart was racing and I then gasped for air. Was I holding my breath? When did I start doing that? I had to keep talking to him. I didn't want him to leave. I don't know if he saw my eyes looking for a reason to keep him here. He stepped back towards the hallway.

"Please eat Alice. Don't leave this room. Just eat. Once you are done, tell Ben here and he will bring you to my office. Okay?" I just nodded to him and went back to the bed and sat while Ben brought my tray in. Gavin smiled one last time at me, "I'll see you in a bit." I nodded again.

While I was finishing up eating, Ben sat there and talked to me. He was only one year older than me. He had these huge blue eyes with short blonde hair. He was already married and had a little daughter that they named Maria. I started to talk to him about the day I came in. He said that he was one of the staff that I hit. I apologized to him and he just laughed. "Oh Miss Brandon, don't worry about it. You didn't hurt me. I knew that it wasn't really you doing it anyway". I looked at him puzzled and then asked what he meant by that. "Well, you were out of it, like you were on drugs or something." I sat there and stared into the distance. Drugged, was I drugged and then brought in here? Would Dr. Smith do that to me? Ben snapped his fingers in front of me and then like one of my visions a flash from the past came to me. I remember Dr. Smith saying "I'm sorry Mary Alice," then everything went black. I gasped. I looked at Ben and said, "Ben, I need to see Dr. Alexander."

Ben took me down the hall to Dr. Alexander's office. I was looking around me and saw the other people that were in this facility. People that were talking to themselves and the ones that were saying the world was coming to an end. As we got to the end of the hallway I turned to look back and the name on the wall said "The Hole". I wondered where they got that name from and why was I there?As we reached Dr. Alexander's office I saw that he had gold writing on the door. Ben knocked and then we heard his magical voice say, "Come in!" When we walked in the room the first thing I noticed was how warm the room is. I looked around for fans to circulate the air but there was nothing. How could he sit in here?

"Dr. Alexander, Alice would like to speak to you. Oh sorry, I mean Miss Brandon." I looked at Ben and smiled, "its okay Ben, you can call me Alice." He smiled at me and then left the room with the closing of the door. "Please Alice, come and sit down with me," Gavin said sitting behind his huge desk while motioning to the chairs in front of him. I moved to sit down in front of him and said "Dr. Alexander…" which he then stopped me with his hand. "Please Alice, call me Gavin."

"I really don't feel comfortable calling you by your first name," I said sheepishly while looking at my feet. He stood up and come around the front of the desk and sat in the chair to the left of me. I looked over at him and there was that breath taking smile on his face. His black eyes caught mine, as I stared at them I started to feel my heart race so I looked away from their gaze. He was so beautiful and I felt the urge to touch his face just like I did a few hours before but I knew better.

"So Alice, what do you remember?" As he looked at my hands which were fiddling with the outfits that they have you were there. I found my voice and answered him, "How do you know if I remembered?" I looked up at him and he was smiling but watching my hands at work. I inhaled deeply taking in as much as his smell that I could. "I remember,…the accident. Cynthia is okay right?" He nodded still not looking at me. So I continued, "After I got my papa and mama, I don't remember anything. Everything went black." He looked up at me because there had been silence for a while. Yet again, his eyes hit mine and I stopped thinking, stopped breathing. His dimples came back on his face and he broke the stare which I then gasped for air. I thought that I heard a low chuckle but that's when I had this flash of the stranger. The man, that was at the harbor and in the tree line at my sister's accident. I remember that beautiful smile and those eyes, the garnet colored eyes staring at me. I gasped again.

Before I could think twice I said, "There was a man. He was there at the accident. He smiled and winked at me." I snapped my mouth shut. What was I doing? He is going to think I'm a crazy and throw me back in the room and leave me there. Gavin looked at me encouragingly, "Go on. Just tell me what you do remember, and the rest will follow," Gavin smiled. "Well, I don't remember much after that." I whispered. I looked at Gavin and he stood up and walked around the room. He didn't look angry just trying to figure out what could help me, or at least I thought. He finally made his way back to the desk and seat on the corner of the desk right in front of me. "Do you remember what the man looked like?"

He was so close to me I couldn't think straight. What is the deal? I have been close to men before and I have never felt like this before. Those eyes caught me again when I looked up. Next I knew he moved so fast that I didn't notice that he was behind his desk. I took another deep breath. Did I quit breathing again?

"Alice, please do you remember anything about the man," as he tried to push me forward. I closed my eyes and tried to fall into the past. Think back. It was like I was on fast-forward. I watched my sister's accident, and then there was a black spot. I gasped when I saw myself turn and look at Dr. Smith when he injected me. It all went black again. I heard in the dark Dr. Smith saying "Sorry Mary Alice." I gasped again when I saw the stranger staring at me again. His beauty was so stunning. That's when I opened my eyes. I didn't see Gavin behind the desk so I moved my eyes around. There he was right beside me, down on his knee holding my hand. His hands were ice cold, but they felt so good since it was so hot in this room. I must have scared him when I gasped.

"Sorry if I scared you," I looked at him and said it in my soft petite voice. Gavin just looked at me. He pulled his hand away which I didn't want. I tried to grab his hand to bring it back but he was to fast for me. "Alice, what did you see?" Gavin asked again but with a little more force this time. He didn't look at me; he just looked out the window. It was business now and then it clicked; oh he thought that I had a vision.

"It wasn't a vision if that is what you are looking for. I don't have them anymore." He turned and glared at me, I just continued on. " I saw that Dr. Smith drugged me and then everything went black. I saw the stranger in the shadows at the harbor and the tree line. He was absolutely beautiful. He had garnet eyes, pale skin. He was so beautiful, and he looked a lot like you…in a way." I was surprised at myself for letting that slip out. Maybe he wouldn't notice. I looked up and caught that smile with the dimples. Of course he would catch that.

"I'm so sorry Dr. Alexander. I mean Gavin. I shouldn't have said that." I looked down at my feet again. I never noticed that I had these slippers on my feet. I sighed. I saw Gavin white uniform pants go by so I knew he was standing in front of me. I inhaled again, just wanted to take in his smell when I could. I started to think about his face and how I wanted to look into those eyes, but he snapped me out of the little day dream. "But you have seen visions. You saw your sister's accident. The good Dr. Smith has told me about your previous history."

I still didn't look up and I was on the verge of crying. What were they going to do to me? I had heard the stories that Dr. Smith told my father and mother. There is electrical therapy, locking people up forever for seeing, and hearing things. I waited to hear my punishment. It was so silent I didn't know if he left or anything. I finally decided to look up but he wasn't in front of me. He was by the window again. He must be waiting for me to confirm if he was right or not.

"I don't know what you want me to say." He was now glaring out the window. He was deep in thought it looked like. He looked angry. Did I do this? "Gavin?" I looked at him with worried eyes. It was if, he forgot I was there for a moment. "So sorry Alice, our time is up for the day but I have one more question." I sat there staring at him. "The stranger that you saw, you said he was pale with garnet eyes and long blonde hair correct? Was there anything else?" I thought back to what I said. Did I tell him the color and length of the stranger's hair? I must have, as I started to remember back. "Oh," I squeaked. "He was wearing clothes that a steelworker would wear. Well that was what he was wearing the second time I saw him. The first time he was wearing a business suit." I looked up at Gavin and he looked like he was about to lose control. Like he was either going to throw something or scream.

"BEN!" He shouted. I was still sitting there confused. Ben came running through the door looking for danger. "Ben, please take Alice back to her room. We are done for today. We made a lot of progress." Then he winked at me, "oh and Ben?" Ben stopped and looked at Gavin, "I'll be leaving for a while. I'll be back a little later." Ben nodded to him but I yelled, "Gavin, you okay?" Gavin just smiled at me and winked again, then looked at Ben, "Please take Alice to her room."

I didn't understand what was going on. Why did Gavin have to leave? I wondered where he was going. Why was he so upset when I left his office? As Ben walked me to my room I looked up in his big blue eyes and said, "Ben, what is going on?" He looked at me and grinned sheepishly, "I don't know Miss Brandon. I mean Alice. I don't know." He got me to my dark cell and closed the door.

I must have fallen asleep on this bed, or what they call a bed. I sat up and stretched. I was going to go to the door and see if Ben was close by. Maybe he could get me something to eat. I got up and started walking to the door when all of a sudden a vision came. I saw Gavin with the stranger. They were fighting but not the typical throw punches fighting. They were growling and snapping at each other. I gasped and then I heard a noise in my cell.

"Who's there?" I demanded. "It's just me, Alice." I let out a sigh of relief it was Gavin. "Oh Gavin," I said in shock, "What are you doing in my room?" He came out of the shadow, I could finally see him. He came over and grabbed both of my hands and placed them inside of his. They were so cold, I looked up at him. He whispered, "I needed to talk to you. There is something very important that I need to tell you and you need to listen." I stood there staring at him. He was having a hard time with words. This was not normal doctor to patient relationship. We had something more. I don't know what it was. I wasn't in love with him. I was just fascinated with him. I looked into his eyes. "What do you need me to do? I'll do anything," I whispered back at him. He smiled but not his deep smile. It didn't reach his eyes and there were no dimples. "Whatever you do, don't tell the other doctor about your visions. I have to go away for a few days. If you say anything to them, they will do horrible things to you. Just stay calm and don't say a word. I'll be back."

I was trying to figure out the why, why now, why this? "Why?" I asked in a shaky whisper. Gavin reached up and grabbed both sides of my face with his cold hands. "Don't worry. I'll be back to take care of you, and protect you. I have to take care of this first, okay?" Gavin reached down and grabbed my right hand and kissed it like a gentlemen. "Be good," and then he was gone and out the door.

A few days had gone by and still no sign of Gavin. The doctor that was his replacement was not as nice. Dr. Jones, was what he liked to be called, had pulled me into the exam room three or sometime four times a day.

"I know you see things, Miss Brandon. I have read your file. I just wish that you would tell me about them." Dr. Jones looked at me with these puppy dog eyes. I ignored him. I did as Gavin told me, not saying a word. Dr. Jones glared at me, threatened me and I just sat there. I was thinking, what could be worse. Gavin is not here, my family was gone, and my life was gone. What else could you take from me?

I was being so good at not saying anything, people started thinking I was mute. Ben would come to my cell at night and we would laugh about how much I made Dr. Jones mad. My visions were still coming but it was the same vision that I had before Gavin left. Well, until one day when I went to one of my sessions. I had just seat down and was being doing my usual, not talking when then vision came. I started to scream. I was seeing the strangers garnet eyes coming at me. He was taunting me and was pushing me into a corner. I saw him jump at me, and then I saw him ripping my throat. I was screaming even harder, it was pure horror. Of course I was, in a split second, surrounded by a room full of nurses and orderlies. I had at least 10 people on me, including Ben. I was looking at him and screaming, "He's going to kill me. He's going to kill me."

The next thing I knew, Dr. Jones had the orderlies take me to a procedure room. They dragged me, kicking and screaming, and they laid me down on a cold bed. I looked at Ben and whispered, "Please Ben, don't let them do this. He is going to kill me." Dr. Jones heard the end of my statement and ordered the orderlies to go. Then all of a sudden I felt pain from head to toes. After a couple of times of this sensation, I realized what they were doing. It was the electrical shock therapy. It could have been 5 minutes or an hour long of this, but eventually I blacked out.

This continued on for at least three to four times a day. I didn't know what day it was or actually how many times they really did the therapy to me. I was a just limp and lifeless. I didn't speak and I didn't move. I remember someone coming in my room at night and putting cold wash cloth on my head and they would sigh. I never knew who it was.

The last session that I had I do remember a few things. I remember Ben carrying me to the room for the procedure. I laid there as I felt them strap me down to the table and they started the shocking. Anymore I just laid there, no whimpering, no crying. Just lifeless but this time I heard a commotion outside. Then the door flew open and I heard more scribbling and yelling. I heard a voice, this voice sounded so familiar. The ripping of the straps that kept me to the table. I heard the voice yelling, no it was screaming, at someone or something in the room. The next thing I knew that voice, that beautiful voice was by my ear, it whispered, "I'm here Alice."

"Gavin," I managed to moan out of my mouth. I was so weak and so tired. He picked me up with no help and carried me to his office. He was so gently with me I didn't even notice that I was laying on his couch. "Gavin," I whispered again. "I'm so sorry Alice. I tried to hurry back. Are you okay?" As I felt his cold hand, touch my forehead. His voice was like music to my ears. I tried to open my eyes to see him but I couldn't. I just whispered again, "I can't remember." Gavin let out a big sigh and then both of his cold hands grabbed my right hand and I felt him get comfortable on the floor beside me.