Note: Hey, ya'll! For those who read the last chapter, which I believe you did, is that the reason I gave the main character got two diagnoses (She was diagnosed with clinical depression) is because bipolar and schizophrenia have similar symptoms and I can't separate the two, even when I looked it up on Google. So...I gave her two since they sound the same to me.
Disclaimer: I feel like this chapter is going to be boring. And I hope it won't.
Remember: When you see the words Status Complete is in the summary/description, that'll let you readers know that the story is finished so you people can review it by the time it is done.
Also, I'm thinking about doing a fanfic based on Goosebumps The Game that's on my 3DS, which will be more harder to do a rewrite of, and I'm going to use a new character for that fanfic, before Hazel came around. I did write hints in this story. If you hadn't spot them, read the Horrorland chapters again. And I'll put more hints later in the story.
Plus, I'll do more short/side stories as well that'll rely on Goosebumps. Keep an eye out for those, too. And keep on enjoying my fanfic!
Chapter 17: A Long Drive
"What?" I gave Dr. Richard a disbelief look. "A Mental Hospital?" I then gave him a paranoid look. "Are you…" I looked down at the floor with my eyes before sending staggering eyes right back at him. "Are you saying that I am CRAZY!?" I fumed, not liking the idea at all. "All I did was cut myself," I told him. "I don't need to go to a hospital that has insane people, alright?"
"People there are not crazy..." Dr. Richard tried to tell me, but I scoffed, turning away and crossed my arms like a stubborn child. "And I believe it'll help with your illnesses, too. Maybe they have strong enough medications for you." I looked back at him, the disbelief look not leaving my face. "I'm not saying that they do have it," he informed me. He smiled. "Besides, you'll end meeting people such as your age with the same problem that you have." He winked his eye. "Maybe a relationship will help."
"Please, no boy ever wanted to date me," I rebuked. "None of the boys back in kindergarten never liked me." I looked at Stine. "And I'm not going to Mental Hospital," I refused through gritted teeth.
"It's for your own good, Hazel," Stine said sternly. "I don't want to see you like this anymore. However, I don't think it's that bad," he added.
I just replied back with an eye roll and breathed out of my nose, calming myself down a little. "Okay..." I sighed, agreeing with both of them. "I'll go," I said defeated. "Do I need to bring anything? And how long will I be there?" I asked my therapist.
"It depends on your health issue," he returned his answer. "Some people get better faster while others are slow," he explained to me.
"So I just have to wait and see?" I questioned loudly, my mood switching back to anger. "Great, just great. I'm going to be in that hospital for the rest of my life!" I cried out. I got up from my seat. "I'll be in the car." With that, I stormed out of the room, heading to the car.
Once I got to the car, I got in and slammed the door shut. I wanted to cry, except I couldn't. I was too fed up to start crying now.
A Mental Hospital? Seriously?! Why can't I be normal for once? Oh wait, I can't. Because my life is going down the drain, that's why! I'll never feel better, at all. And if they do have a strong enough medication for me, I'll highly doubt it'll work, just like the last medications I took.
Also, what did my therapist mean by 'it depends on my health issue'? Will I be in that hospital for...like...forever. And I doubt that I'll meet people my age with the same problem that I have. Not even in a relationship! I mean, what boy would like me? "You're pathetic," I told myself in a shameful voice. My anger switched to guilt to depression, and any mood swing that swung by on me. Ugh! I'm tired of being this way, and I hate it!
Just as I was about to cry, Stine came into the car. "I have to take you there right away," he told me as we drove back to his house. "I'll help you pack up and after I drop you off at the place you need to be, I'll inform everyone else. Okay?" He waited for an answer, so I just nodded. "Are you crying...?" he wondered slowly.
"No, I'm not!" But a tear escaped out of my eye. "I'm not crying," I cracked. "You know, I believe I'm going to be in that 'mental hospital' for the rest of my life," I grumbled, sliding on my seat. "And I doubt having strong medication would work nor will I find people my age with the problem that I have." I stared out the window, rolling it down to get some fresh air since it's starting to get a little stuffy in the car. "And you're keeping your promise about me doing online schooling?" I remembered. "Since I'm too traumatized to go to real school." I looked back at him, waiting for his answer.
Stine stopped at a red light and answered. "It depends what my boss says," he responded, tapping his finger on the wheel. "If he says no and that you have to do real school, I'll ask him to put you in classes that Hannah, Zach, and Champ are in. And if you do real school, you might make some new friends, just like you did with Taylor," he grinned.
"Likewise," I rolled my eyes.
Stine sighed. "Too bad the last medications stopped working. All of us were happy when we saw you smile..." he told me sadly.
"I know..." I murmured. "And tell everyone that I'm sorry I snapped," I requested. "Especially Hannah."
"I will," Stine promised, driving again once the red light turned green. "And Hannah knows that you didn't mean to shove her onto the floor and yell at her."
I leaned my head on the seat, not looking at him. "I wish it never happened..." Another tear slipped out of my eye. Stine reached into the compartment and handed me a tissue, but I shook my head and declined, not taking it. He set it between us just in case I need it.
On the way back to the house, my mind replayed that dream I had again. I know I recognized that older boy, who looks like in his early twenties.. His appearance... I know that I'd seen it before... and I still remember asking him who he was, only for him to ignore them and asked me questions.
Who was he? I feel like that dream that I had wasn't...a dream. It felt too real to be a dream. Inside my head, I gasped. What if it comes back again? I asked inside my mind. If it does...will it be the same like the last one? Those questions swam around in my head while I tried to come up with my own answers.
While I did that, half of my mind thought about that devil doll. What if Stine has this stupid idea to free Slappy out of the new manuscript? Nah, he wouldn't do that. Slappy's evil, really evil. More evil than the other monsters he'd released, getting them to destroy Madison. But... I have to make sure.
"Stine? You're still not letting that demon doll, are you?" I saw the look on his face. "Well?" I continued to question him. "Are you?"
"I don't know..." he returned in a shallow voice.
"What do you mean that you don't know?" My eyes narrowed. "What? You're going to free him?" I contorted, giving him an attitude, my mood switching like a light bulb on the ceiling. "If you do, I'll be very upset," I warned.
"Okay...I'll not release him. But what if I just want to apologize to him?"
I snorted. "That dummy doesn't need an apology after what he had done to me." I slumped in my seat even lower. "Besides, why did you create him anyway?" I asked, wanting to know.
Stine let out a heavy breath. "I was lonely... Things were doing great. When I first wrote him, he kept me company and just like the rest of the monsters, he kept me safe from those bullies that torture me everyday. But...one day...he did something… horrible..." He paused, afraid to continue.
"Go on." I motioned my hand for him to keep going, but he shook his head.
"I don't really feel like it..." I looked away from the window, my eyes widening when I saw tears from him, surprising me. He noticed and quickly dried them away. "Anyway, let's get your stuff packed up so I can drop you off at the hospital," he switched, changing the subject.
"Okay..." I agreed. "Since you don't want to tell me why you locked him up in the first manuscript, why does he call you 'papa'?" I continued asking.
"...I'm not sure..." he answered in all honesty. "I guess it's because I created him," he believed, thinking about it. "But did you know that in the Night Of The Living Dummy Slappy was barely in the book?" he said.
I nodded. "Yeah... I remembered reading it when I was like...ten. And that's when I was living on my own until now. Why did he came out of the book instead of that other dummy who is basically the main protagonist?"
"I wish I knew. I believe I only trapped Slappy back in his book since he came out of it and didn't notice his brother in that mall back in Chicago until he came over to my house."
"He had a brother?" I was shocked at this. "I didn't know that. I wish I knew. What was his name?"
He clicked his tongue before he answered. "Wally Wood," he mentioned solemnly, making a right turn. "However, he's locked up in a different book because he wanted his younger brother to die because of how much he hated him because he was written in a totally different book," he explained. "Remember, Slappy came out from the Night Of The Living Dummy manuscript while his older brother was released from different- Oh, forget it. I don't think you'll understand," he gave up explaining.
"It's fine. I know what you are telling me," I assured him. "Sounds like Wally is much more evil than Slappy from my guess." I then gave Stine a serious look. "And that doesn't mean you're releasing Slappy from the new one," I added, pointing my finger at him. "Even if you ask permission from me, I'm still gonna say no," I confirmed. I noticed he wasn't paying attention to me. "Hello? Did you hear what I said?"
"Hm?" He snapped out of his thoughts and turned to and back at the road. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm listening. Don't let Slappy out of the new manuscript," he stated. He sighed again. "I still want to apologize to him... for locking him up in a book for all those years before putting him in the new one that I written." He tilted his head to the side a little. "What is he doing in that new manuscript anyway?" he wondered, mainly to himself.
"Probably wanting to get revenge on you or something," I answered his question for him.
"Maybe..." he shrugged. "Or maybe I can just talk to him about his behavior..."
"No, you're not," I snapped. "Anyway, why are we talking about that evil ventriloquist dummy that has a serious Napoleonic complex?"
"You brought him up," he argued.
I looked at the car floor with my eyes. "...oh," I realized, knowing what he meant. So I changed the subject. "How long will I be at this 'hospital'?" I asked.
"Well just like your therapist said, it depends how long you'll get better. Some people get better faster than others," he repeated Dr. Richard's words.
I glared at him. "So you're saying I have to be there for the rest of my LIFE!?" The paranoid feeling returned to me. "Why can't you give me real answers?!" I yelled.
"That is the real answer, Hazel," he said, trying not to make sure his face doesn't turn an angry red. "It depends on how long you'll be there," he explained.
I rolled my eyes and didn't reply back, staring back out the window as my hair fluttered in the wind as I stared at the blue sky. But the paranoid feeling never left me. And I guess he's right… I do need to get better. I want to try and smile again... Except, I still don't think strong medication would work even if they have any. I believe I'm crazy in the head. I don't believe people have the same problems than I do.
By the time we got back to the house, Stine instructed me to stay in the car. That made me angry that I punched his seat by the time he got out of the car to pack up. He didn't tell me that he's going to do it for me!
I continued to punch his seat until all my anger lifted off of me. The next thing I knew, I started tearing up, but wasn't full on crying.
Looking around a bit, I found the lever to lean the front seat back, which I did. After, I took off my seatbelt, facing away from the driver's side of the car. My face began to get wet as more water ran down out of my eyes uncontrollably.
I began hating myself on the way I was acting. Back when I was little, Jeff would tell me to shut up and deal with the pain that I'll get everyday. Only.. I'm not getting beaten anymore, so...why are tears running out of my eyes?
Oh, now I know why. It's because I'll be in a special hospital, I answered my own question. With a sad and soft sigh, I shut my eyes, feeling tired.
I heard the driver's side open up and I opened my eyes, but didn't bother to turn around as I heard Stine set something in the back seat before closing the door and started driving. I bet he thought I was asleep from the fit I had. He didn't blame me, at least.
Another teardrop left my eye and I shut my eyes, resting them, waiting until we get to this 'hospital' I have been forced to go to, wondering how long I'll be there, when another question came into my head.
Is there not too bad just like Stine told me?
I just have to wait and see.
I found myself looking up at a sold house that someone had bought, standing in front of it. I know I'm dreaming, but I can't get out of it as my feet forced me towards the door. I had no choice but to knock on it.
After I did, the door opened slowly, and I gasped when I saw the familiar person standing in front of me, the sudden chills going down my body as I stared at him as he smirked at me. That smirk that I remembered back in my childhood. That same smirk he always given me...
I backed away from him, only for him to step forward out of the door, eyeing intently at me. I wanted to speak, but my mouth couldn't form words. I wanted to run, but my legs felt like rubber bands.
I began sweating, trembling all over, the fear getting the better of me. I know this person... except the name wouldn't slip out, getting stuck inside of me. However, I had to make sure...in case I'm wrong.
"Who are you?!" I forced out the question. "Tell me your name!" I demanded, getting a bit bolder. "Who are you?!" I continued to cry out.
The smirk grew on his face and he spoke. "Why did you do it?" Just like in the dream the other night, he ignored my questions. "Why did you run away like that?" My back hit the fence and he stopped in front of me. "How come you ran away from home...? Why...?"
"Please...just tell me who you are," I begged, feeling the tears leaking out of my eyes.
"Don't you recognize me?" he ignored my plea. He put his hands on my shoulders and flinched at the feeling of being touched, making him chuckle in amusement, keeping me in place so I wouldn't go anywhere. "You're so stupid, Hazel," he snickered.
"How...?" I swallowed. "How do you know my name...?" I whispered.
"Don't you recognize me?" he repeated, not answering me.
"Yes, I do." I was getting freaked out by this point. "Just tell me your name!" I commanded in a tiny voice.
"You're so dumb and stupid, Hazel," he spoke in a chilling tone. "But I will give you a hint..."
But before he can even do that, I felt someone shaking me and a different voice talking.
"Hazel... Hazel..."
I woke up, sitting up way too fast that I ended up hitting my head on the car roof. I put my hands on the spot where I bumped it. "Ohh!" I groaned, rubbing it. "What?" I turn to see a worry Stine looking at me. "Why are you staring at me like that...?" I asked.
"Sweetheart..." he started. "You were mumbling and crying in your sleep," he reported with concern. My eyes widen when he said that. "Does that happen often?" he asked me.
I laid down on the seat. "I do cry in my sleep," I admitted. "I never mumbled in my sleep..." My face turned red with bashfulness. "What did I say...?"
"Nothing too important," he informed me. "You just mumbled 'who are you' and other things that I can't make out." He saw my expression on my face. "It's nothing to be shameful about," he assured me. "A lot of people talk in their sleep. However..." He handed me a tissue and I took it to dry my eyes. "...I never heard of people crying in their sleep before." He watched me once my tears are gone and asked me something. "Was it the same dream?"
"Yes, and it was a bit different, too," I answered, throwing the tissue in a small trash bag that was near me. "It was that same person that I know. I asked him who he was because how familiar he looked from that smirk of his. He was about to give me a hint until you woke me up." I sighed. "Although... I do know who he is..." I said softly.
"Oh? Then tell me," he requested.
I didn't answer right away for a long while. "...I think it was my god brother... Except, I'm not entirely sure."
"You mean Travis? Hannah told me about him," Stine informed me. "The way she talked to me about him is that... he sounds like a complete jerk. Just like your god parents."
"He is..." I muttered, then saw a Mcdonald's bag right next to me, not taking it.
"That's yours," Stine said, as if he was reading my thoughts. "I decided to get you something to eat since it's gonna be another hour or two until we get to that place," he told me.
"What do you mean another hour or two?" I took out a box of French fries. They're a little cold but I didn't care as I put one my mouth and chewed while Stine answered my question.
"The place that I'm taking you is not near Madison..." I almost choked on my fry, spitting it out, having it land on my lap. "...but it is in Delaware," he continued to answer as I threw my spit up fry in the trash and took out a new one, placing it in my mouth. "So I've been driving for a few hours."
"Few? How many is a few?" I questioned, swallowing.
"Well..." He began to think of another answer. "Since I was driving while you were asleep, we've been on the road I say about… ten hours."
"What?!" I almost dropped the box of French fries, only spilling few of them onto the car floor. "Ten hours?" I exclaimed in reaction. "What time did we leave the house? Not counting the therapy building," I pointed out.
"We left the house at seven-thirty. It's now four-thirty in the morning," he responded to my reaction.
"Does Hannah know?" I replied in shock.
He nodded. "She knows. I already told her that she doesn't have to worry if I don't get home on the same day, which was Monday. It's now Tuesday. So we might not get there until six or seven o'clock."
I stared at my fries, putting them back in the bag and laid down again, still in shock that we've been on the road for that many hours. I can't believe what I was informed by this news.
Well... at least it's still in Delaware... "So...I've been asleep for ten hours?" I said.
"Looks like it," he nodded his head. "You can go back to sleep if you want to," he allowed. "Just try not mumble again while you sleep as well," he joked. I didn't laugh, thinking it wasn't as funny as I heard him chuckle. He then stopped when I gave him bored eyes. "Oh, well, we better get going then." He started the car and drove out of the parking lot. I guess he wanted to catch some sleep, too, so he doesn't risk us having a car accident. Which is a good idea in his defense.
While we drove, I tried going back to sleep, but it won't come to me. Probably because Stine woke me up with worry since I was crying and mumbling in my sleep. I know I do cry in my sleep because every morning I'll feel wetness on my face, but I never mumbled in my sleep before. Man... that was so embarrassing. Stine said it's nothing to worry about since some people talk in their sleep.
After a few tries to go back to sleep, I gave up and put the seat upright again. "I can't fall asleep," I announced, feeling frustrated about it.
"Don't worry about it," he returned, patting my shoulder and I flinched. "Sorry," he apologized. I merely shrugged my shoulders. "You're still mad at me, are you?"
"No, I'm not," I snarked back sarcastically. "Of course I'm still mad for being taken into an insane asylum!" I changed the tone of my voice and yelled.
"Mental Hospital," he corrected.
"Whatever." I rolled my eyes and let out a scoff. "Plus, I'm still wondering how long I'll be there."
Stine shrugged, wondering the same thing. "I'm not so sure, either, Hazel. I wish I knew." It was then quiet for a few seconds, until he spoke again. "You know... when me and the boys were searching for you and Hannah at Horrorland, for some reason I keep thinking you as my other daughter, and I don't know why, though."
"I believe it's because you worry about me all the time," I theorized. "You kept me safe from that devil dummy. Even though you did that after I got slightly kidnapped by Dr. Maniac and Purple Rage in order to bring me to that...dummy..." I shivered. "And I can't believe he hates being called that word, too."
"Yeah, I know what you're talking about." Stine shrugged his shoulders. "I still feel bad for locking him up in his manuscript... and in the new one." He looked at me for a quick second before looking back at the road. "I know you don't like the idea of me having that feeling...but you have to understand, me and him used to get along before I had Hannah around. I'm like a father to him...well, he does call me papa. I just wish I can talk to him and get him to understand why I did that to him." He stopped the car, letting other car go by him before he continued driving. "To me...it wasn't right for me to do that to him. Before I rewrote my daughter back into existence, I tried doing the same with him. Only with no success because different dummies will come out of their books like Rocky and Dennis. And when I think about it, they never did a good job of scaring my bullies away because they were...too nice to them so I had to lock them up so nothing happens to them. And there was Wally. Although...instead of scaring those bullies away...he tries to kill them. Another reason why he had to be lock up in his manuscript along with hating his younger brother. Plus there were other dolls and puppets and another ventriloquist dummy that I don't feel like mentioning."
"Mm." I nodded. "Wait..." I looked at Stine with a raised brow. "Rocky and Dennis? What to you mean they were 'too nice to your bullies'?"
"It's the way I wrote them," he explained shortly. "Like I said, they never did a good job of defending me," he sighed with disappointment, tapping the wheel. "Not even the other dolls and the puppets nor that other dummy would keep me safe. One doll keeps calling me Robbie which I hate. And if I do say her name, it gives me...well... goosebumps," he punned.
I looked at Stine, noticing a worried look. "What?"
"Huh?" Stine turned his head towards me then back on the road again.
"You look concerned..." I noted his odd behavior.
"Oh...um... I'm just concerned about you, that's all." I can tell that you are lying, Stine... I know you're worried about something else other than me... "So...yeah, that's all I'm worried about," he confirmed.
"Uh huh," I simply replied. "Although..." I brought up. "You are worried about something else..."
"I'm not worried about anything else, Hazel," he stated, trying to hide the look on his face. The look of concern. "You should try to go back to sleep," he suggested me.
"Can't," I answered, looking out the window. "When someone wakes me up, it's hard for me to fall back asleep," I told him.
"...I see." He nodded his head.
"Yep." Then after a bit of silence, I spoke again. "Tell me about how you brought Hannah back," I said, bringing up the subject. "How did you rewrote her into existence?" I asked.
"Well..." Stine gripped the wheel. "After we defeated the monsters, I took a school job as an English teacher, and Zach is one of my students." He chuckled. "It's pretty strange, too, since I'm his neighbor..." I raised a brow, finding no humor about it at all. "Anyway..." he continued. "When I see Zach everyday at school, he would not smile...he would have this frown planted on his face every time I saw him. I know he missed Hannah, and that's when I had the idea of rewriting her back into existence." He then paused and kept talking. "To be honest... I wasn't sure if it'll work...just like how I try to rewrite Slappy...thinking it'll be a different ghost...or one of the monsters other than my daughter. So after a few weeks of writing one more book..."
"She came back?" I finished. He smiled and nodded. "Wow," I breathed out. "That's...amazing. And I really mean it, even if I'm not smiling," I insisted, shifting in my seat. "Plus, I wish I knew how long I'll be in that place because saying that it depends doesn't answer my question at all."
"You just have to wait and see…" was all Stine can say back, along with a sigh.
"I hate when you say that, too!" I spat out angrily, again my mood turning around at an instant. "I hate it when people don't give me a real answer!" I glared at him. "What? Do I have to figure it out on my own?" I yelled, raising my voice.
"Hazel..."
"Why can't you give me real answers, huh?! I know, how about you don't take me there to that 'mental hospital' that's for crazy people and just turn around and bring me home," I stated. "Because I don't think they're gonna be any people my age with-"
"Hazel!" I flinched when he raised his voice. "You have to understand," he reasoned with me, lowering his voice. "You. Need. Help."
I wanted to argue, but I knew that arguing with him won't help. "You're right..."
"I'm not taking no for an answer- what?" he replied. "Did you just say 'I'm right'?" he questioned, thinking that he was hearing things.
"Yes," I repeated, "you're right. I do need help. I don't want to feel this way anymore." I buried my face into my hands, hiding the tears that are trying to escape my eyes. "The only problem is...what if it never helps, Stine? I mean, if they have strong medication. What if they don't work? What if being in that crazy hospital never works?" I already feel my anger going to anxiety mode. "And another thing… I don't want to end up killing myself," I whispered, more likely mouthing the words. "And I know I wanted you to give me real answers...like...twice...just...just forget about it, okay? Just- hic -forget about it," I hiccuped a sob. I can feel Stine looking at me and I know he wanted to say something, but I continued to speak. "To me...I'm a horrible person...and I know that I shouldn't think of myself that way..." I would keep on going if the tears hadn't won that I just gave up, got the seat to lean all the way back, and layed on my side, hiding my watering eyes, waiting until we get to that one building that I have to go, still wondering how long I'll be there.