Chapter 3

A little girl in a nightgown pads silently down a hallway of the institution. It's the middle of the night and the hallways are only dimly lit, but she still finds the room she's looking for. Clutching her teddy bear in one hand, she reaches up with the other and opens the door. She slips in quietly, closing the door just as a nurse turns the corner.

The little girl turns from the door. Bright moonlight shines through the window and onto a boy lying in bed. He and the girl seem to be around the same age.

He's not sleeping, the little girl thinks to herself. She smiles. He never sleeps when I come to see him. She moves closer to the bed and switches on the light. The boy's eyes open slowly.

"Hi Michael," the little girl whispers.

The boy says nothing, but she's used to that. She sits on the edge of the bed and begins humming softly. "My mommy used to sing that to me when I couldn't sleep." Michael still doesn't say anything. He just closes his eyes and lets out a heavy sigh.

"Rosalyn!" The little girl jumps at the sound of her name. She looks up and sees an angry nurse at the door.

"Uh-oh." She hops off the bed, hanging her head, and shuts the light off. Before she leaves she whispers, "Goodnight Michael. I'll be back tomorrow."

"You've got to stop this, young lady. Rules are rules and they're there for a reason," the nurse scolds as she leads Rosalyn back to her own room. "Don't make us put a lock on your door again."

"Why can't I visit Michael?"

"You can, just not in the middle of the night!" The nurse laughs as they reach Rosalyn's door.

Rosalyn pouts. "They won't let me see him in the daytime either." She looks up at the nurse. "Why can't he come outside and play with us?"

The nurse hesitates. "Well- Michael did something very bad, and he has to stay in his room until his mommy says he can come out."

Rosalyn crawled back into bed. "I think his mommy is mean."

~*~

Jostled awake by the alarm clock, Rosalyn yawned. A faint memory of her dream made her smile. Another treat from her subconscious- memories from when she herself had been a patient at the Smith Grove Sanitarium.

She hadn't been crazy- not really. Doctors, nurses, and even her own parents felt the need to reassure her of this often. Perhaps in her parents' case it was more to reassure themselves. But if she wasn't crazy, then why had she grown up in an institution? The doctor's answer to this was that her problem was chronic and if she ever wanted to get out of there she had to start working with the staff. She hadn't liked the staff. They were pushy and domineering and had kept her from her friends.

Especially Michael, she thought bitterly.

She'd been intrigued by Michael ever since he was first brought to Smith's Grove. He never spoke to anyone or played with the other boys and girls. He barely ever left his room. Rosalyn first thought he was just shy and made a point to visit him often. But soon she realized that he was not shy. He seemed disinterested at the most. And there was something about him- just a feeling when you were with him. It was impossible to explain- almost electric.

Rosalyn grew accustomed to his silence and usually just chattered on about her day and what was going on in the outside world. Her doctor had thought it was great therapy for the both of them since Rosalyn had never been so open with anyone.

Michael's doctor thought different. He'd always frightened Rosalyn with his ravings about monsters and evil. He ordered that Michael have no visitors unless he himself was present.

So, Rosalyn snuck out to see him at night. Even when they were teenagers she continued to see him almost every night up until he broke out.

She would never forget that night.

She remembered being gently shaken awake, and the shock when she recognized the intense black eyes looking down on her. When he saw she was awake, Michael straightened and started for the door. Rosalyn followed, perplexed as to why he would be active after so long.

She watched him herd the other patients out of their rooms, setting them free into the night. When they got outside, Rosalyn shivered as she breathed in the chilly October air.

Michael was already on the move and Rosalyn hurried to catch up with him. When she reached him, she took his hand. Michael stopped short. He sat motionless for a second, then looked down at their hands. He looked back up.

She searched his face, trying to understand- to read his impossibly expressionless features. Finally it dawned on her and her heart sank. She couldn't go with him. A tear ran down her cheek as she let go of his hand. Michael turned his head a bit to one side as she brushed it away. Then, suddenly he seemed to snap out of it. Rosalyn watched him as he reached the chain-link fence and scaled it. She ran to the fence and watched him slip silently into the shadows.

That was the last time she'd been close to him. Now the closest she got was her stories, continued research, and Tommy.

But Tommy has all the answers, Rosalyn thought as she slipped into the shower. She smiled to herself, recalling her last conversation with Tom at the cafe. She finally knew how to help Michael. Now all she had to do was find him.

TO BE CONTINUED...

~*~