CHAPTER 2
System #2
The man shifted uncomfortably in his wrinkled bed once more, fighting
much-needed sleep. Usually, the Darkness was what he feared most. There were
times he thought the Darkness of the room would smother him, and, in an attempt
to disguise his fright, he would loudly demand that the Darkness stop playing Its
tricks on him. Sometimes It listened to him, though most of the time, It ignored
even his most heartfelt pleas for mercy, and continued to slowly, silently strangle
him. On a particularly bad night, It would threaten him so much that he panicked,
and then the doctors, not realizing that the danger he was in, would strap him down
to his bed. Fools--that's what they were. It was pure luck that the Darkness hadn't
already gotten him.
But, tonight, the Darkness was not the reason why the man was still awake.
Holding his breath, he listened to the ominous clack of high-heels on tile echoing
through the corridors outside.
Clack-clack, clack-clack, clack-clack . . . and silence.
Cautious to avoid attracting the attention of the Darkness, he got out of his bed,
nervously ran a hand through his brown hair, and put his ear to the door.
He heard a few mumbled words and the scribble of pen on paper.
Clack-clack, clack-clack, clack-clack . . .
She was getting closer.
As the ominous clacking grew louder, the man managed to haul himself back in his
bed, and he pretended to sleep. He held his breath, waiting for that door to swing
open . . .
Clack-clack, clack-clack, clack-clack . . .
Sure enough, there was a soft click-click as a guard unlocked the door. Then, there
came a small squeak as the door swung open.
Clack-clack, clack-clack, clack-clack . . .
"Get up," she demanded.
Wincing from the light that invaded his room through the open door, he responded
only with a little grunt of acknowledgment.
"Get up. Now."
The man climbed out of his bed and shakily got to his feet. His eyes started
adjusting to the flood of light; he could see her painfully white lab coat and icy blue
eyes glaring at him more clearly now.
She walked over to the clipboard hanging from a tack in the wall to look at his
charts. She brushed a rogue strand of her short auburn hair behind her ear.
"Dr. Sukani says you've been making a lot of noise lately, so I imagine you've been
hallucinating again."
The man remained silent.
"Answer me."
"No," he croaked.
Her eyebrows shot up.
"No?" she mocked. "Would you mind telling me about this famous 'Darkness' that
tries to kill you, then?"
"It isn't a hallucination," the man insisted. "Nobody seems to understand; the
Darkness likes to smother people. I'm only one of many who--"
"Uh-huh . . . Have you been experiencing any pain in your head, neck, or chest
areas recently?" she interrupted.
"No."
"Any feeling of constriction in your windpipe?"
"No . . . Not really."
"Nausea?"
"A little."
"Interesting," she murmured to herself. She scribbled something on a notepad, and
attached it to the clipboard. "Anything else, other than the usual?"
"No."
She hung the clipboard back on the tack. "If you experience any of the symptoms
I've mentioned today, ask for me. I've been assigned to you again for the next
month," she droned.
She was starting to leave when the man addressed her.
"What's your name?"
"My name?" she asked, those cold eyes already dissecting his demeanor to
determine his motive.
"If I need to ask for you, I need to know your name." He was careful not to smile
at his own craftiness; there was no way she could nab him over this seemingly
innocent question.
She regarded him carefully. "Yes, I suppose you're right. It's Scully."
"Dr. Scully?" the man asked.
"That's right."
And with that, she left, closing the door with another squeak. The guard outside
locked it, and Dr. Scully's subject, Fox Mulder, was once more left alone to fight the
Darkness.
**********************************************************************
Gettin' scared yet? Or do you think I need to stick to parodies? Either way, please let me know
what you think by . . . you guessed it! Reviewing! (I do a happy dance every time I
get a review!) LOL . . . Thank you! :)
System #2
The man shifted uncomfortably in his wrinkled bed once more, fighting
much-needed sleep. Usually, the Darkness was what he feared most. There were
times he thought the Darkness of the room would smother him, and, in an attempt
to disguise his fright, he would loudly demand that the Darkness stop playing Its
tricks on him. Sometimes It listened to him, though most of the time, It ignored
even his most heartfelt pleas for mercy, and continued to slowly, silently strangle
him. On a particularly bad night, It would threaten him so much that he panicked,
and then the doctors, not realizing that the danger he was in, would strap him down
to his bed. Fools--that's what they were. It was pure luck that the Darkness hadn't
already gotten him.
But, tonight, the Darkness was not the reason why the man was still awake.
Holding his breath, he listened to the ominous clack of high-heels on tile echoing
through the corridors outside.
Clack-clack, clack-clack, clack-clack . . . and silence.
Cautious to avoid attracting the attention of the Darkness, he got out of his bed,
nervously ran a hand through his brown hair, and put his ear to the door.
He heard a few mumbled words and the scribble of pen on paper.
Clack-clack, clack-clack, clack-clack . . .
She was getting closer.
As the ominous clacking grew louder, the man managed to haul himself back in his
bed, and he pretended to sleep. He held his breath, waiting for that door to swing
open . . .
Clack-clack, clack-clack, clack-clack . . .
Sure enough, there was a soft click-click as a guard unlocked the door. Then, there
came a small squeak as the door swung open.
Clack-clack, clack-clack, clack-clack . . .
"Get up," she demanded.
Wincing from the light that invaded his room through the open door, he responded
only with a little grunt of acknowledgment.
"Get up. Now."
The man climbed out of his bed and shakily got to his feet. His eyes started
adjusting to the flood of light; he could see her painfully white lab coat and icy blue
eyes glaring at him more clearly now.
She walked over to the clipboard hanging from a tack in the wall to look at his
charts. She brushed a rogue strand of her short auburn hair behind her ear.
"Dr. Sukani says you've been making a lot of noise lately, so I imagine you've been
hallucinating again."
The man remained silent.
"Answer me."
"No," he croaked.
Her eyebrows shot up.
"No?" she mocked. "Would you mind telling me about this famous 'Darkness' that
tries to kill you, then?"
"It isn't a hallucination," the man insisted. "Nobody seems to understand; the
Darkness likes to smother people. I'm only one of many who--"
"Uh-huh . . . Have you been experiencing any pain in your head, neck, or chest
areas recently?" she interrupted.
"No."
"Any feeling of constriction in your windpipe?"
"No . . . Not really."
"Nausea?"
"A little."
"Interesting," she murmured to herself. She scribbled something on a notepad, and
attached it to the clipboard. "Anything else, other than the usual?"
"No."
She hung the clipboard back on the tack. "If you experience any of the symptoms
I've mentioned today, ask for me. I've been assigned to you again for the next
month," she droned.
She was starting to leave when the man addressed her.
"What's your name?"
"My name?" she asked, those cold eyes already dissecting his demeanor to
determine his motive.
"If I need to ask for you, I need to know your name." He was careful not to smile
at his own craftiness; there was no way she could nab him over this seemingly
innocent question.
She regarded him carefully. "Yes, I suppose you're right. It's Scully."
"Dr. Scully?" the man asked.
"That's right."
And with that, she left, closing the door with another squeak. The guard outside
locked it, and Dr. Scully's subject, Fox Mulder, was once more left alone to fight the
Darkness.
**********************************************************************
Gettin' scared yet? Or do you think I need to stick to parodies? Either way, please let me know
what you think by . . . you guessed it! Reviewing! (I do a happy dance every time I
get a review!) LOL . . . Thank you! :)
