CHAPTER 1:
The air was hot today, hotter than normal. Well, it was August, it's supposed to be hot, right? My parents and I walked slowly up to what my parents called "The Hospital." I guess they didn't want me to know what it really was, even though I already knew. We were walking into a funny farm, a mental institution, if you will. I already knew why they were taking me here, I just didn't know how soon.
Today is the interview. Some rating system to tell my parents how crazy I am, or something like that.
We walked through the rotating doors, and stepped onto a checkerboard tiled floor. We walked up to the receptionist as she was watching something on a mini television. She pulled her earphones out of her ears. "This is Jack, right? Jack Murdoch?" That's my name, don't wear it out.
"Yes, we have an appointmentment with Mr. Arrowitz." My mom replied.
"Right this way." The receptionist led us through another set of doors, then onto an elevator. We were going to the third floor, which was odd, because the place didn't look that big on the outside.
When we got to Mr. Arrowitz's office, it looked exactly like the principal's office at my high school. There, in front of the office, another receptionist was scribbling down notes on a legal pad. She looked up at us. "Are you the Murdochs?"
"Yes."
"You can sit down here, it might be a while." Oh great!, I thought to myself.
We waited for what seemed like hours. I read all of an old Time magazine and part of People. How trilling...But finally the big door opened, and a man stood in its place.
"Mr. and Mrs. Murdoch?" My parents nodded their heads.
"Please come with me, and leave your son behind." Oh crap!, I thought. Now I had to wait even longer while this guy tells my parents if I'm crazy or not! I sat back down and picked up an Entertainment Weekly.
"So...how old are you?" The receptionist asked. For some reason I hated people that talk to you that you don't know.
"Sixteen." I told her.
"Really? That's interesting..."
But I knew it wasn't interesting from the way she was slowly wrapping her hair around her fingers. Suddenly, she got up, and walked into another room. This was my perfect chance to hear what was going on in that room. I got up and held my ear to the doorway.
"...has been showing signs of ADD, but we don't think he actually has it." It was Mr. Arrowitz talking. Do I have ADD? I asked myself. I can't have it, if I did, I would surely know it, right? I continued listening.
"How long do you think he will have to spend here?" My dad questioned.
"Oh, I'd say only about, well, probably a minimum of six months." I slowly backed my ear away from the door. I couldn't believe what I'd just heard...
"Jack..." JEEZ! I wheeled around. Someone had just whispered my name. At first I thought it was the receptionist, but she was nowhere to be found. I looked toward a janitor's closet in which the door was only about an inch open. I slowly walked toward it. I reached for the doorknob and yanked it open. The closet was still too dark to see anything, so I felt around for a lightswitch. I found one and flipped it upward.
I nearly jumped out of my skin when I saw him. He was curled up in the corner, crying. His hair was bleach white. He was wearing all black, and was looking to the floor. His head turned up to look at me. His eyes were the deepest blue I'd ever seen. He didn't say anything, he just stared. Finally I asked "Who are you...?"
He just looked at me for a little bit, then replied "The end of the world."
The air was hot today, hotter than normal. Well, it was August, it's supposed to be hot, right? My parents and I walked slowly up to what my parents called "The Hospital." I guess they didn't want me to know what it really was, even though I already knew. We were walking into a funny farm, a mental institution, if you will. I already knew why they were taking me here, I just didn't know how soon.
Today is the interview. Some rating system to tell my parents how crazy I am, or something like that.
We walked through the rotating doors, and stepped onto a checkerboard tiled floor. We walked up to the receptionist as she was watching something on a mini television. She pulled her earphones out of her ears. "This is Jack, right? Jack Murdoch?" That's my name, don't wear it out.
"Yes, we have an appointmentment with Mr. Arrowitz." My mom replied.
"Right this way." The receptionist led us through another set of doors, then onto an elevator. We were going to the third floor, which was odd, because the place didn't look that big on the outside.
When we got to Mr. Arrowitz's office, it looked exactly like the principal's office at my high school. There, in front of the office, another receptionist was scribbling down notes on a legal pad. She looked up at us. "Are you the Murdochs?"
"Yes."
"You can sit down here, it might be a while." Oh great!, I thought to myself.
We waited for what seemed like hours. I read all of an old Time magazine and part of People. How trilling...But finally the big door opened, and a man stood in its place.
"Mr. and Mrs. Murdoch?" My parents nodded their heads.
"Please come with me, and leave your son behind." Oh crap!, I thought. Now I had to wait even longer while this guy tells my parents if I'm crazy or not! I sat back down and picked up an Entertainment Weekly.
"So...how old are you?" The receptionist asked. For some reason I hated people that talk to you that you don't know.
"Sixteen." I told her.
"Really? That's interesting..."
But I knew it wasn't interesting from the way she was slowly wrapping her hair around her fingers. Suddenly, she got up, and walked into another room. This was my perfect chance to hear what was going on in that room. I got up and held my ear to the doorway.
"...has been showing signs of ADD, but we don't think he actually has it." It was Mr. Arrowitz talking. Do I have ADD? I asked myself. I can't have it, if I did, I would surely know it, right? I continued listening.
"How long do you think he will have to spend here?" My dad questioned.
"Oh, I'd say only about, well, probably a minimum of six months." I slowly backed my ear away from the door. I couldn't believe what I'd just heard...
"Jack..." JEEZ! I wheeled around. Someone had just whispered my name. At first I thought it was the receptionist, but she was nowhere to be found. I looked toward a janitor's closet in which the door was only about an inch open. I slowly walked toward it. I reached for the doorknob and yanked it open. The closet was still too dark to see anything, so I felt around for a lightswitch. I found one and flipped it upward.
I nearly jumped out of my skin when I saw him. He was curled up in the corner, crying. His hair was bleach white. He was wearing all black, and was looking to the floor. His head turned up to look at me. His eyes were the deepest blue I'd ever seen. He didn't say anything, he just stared. Finally I asked "Who are you...?"
He just looked at me for a little bit, then replied "The end of the world."