Asylum
Two more follows and four favs! I'm glad people are liking the story. I've been informed that my dialogue is a little iffy and from what I understand, kind of bland/emotionless. I take no offense to this and will try harder!
"""""""""""""""""""""
It was weird being at the asylum to visit someone other than his mother. The red head gazed around at the all too familiar white walls of the reception area and walked over to the front desk, peering over it an down at the petite woman there chattering over the phone. He had to wait a few minutes before she decided to put her friend on hold and turn her attention onto him.
"Hey sweetheart. Coming to visit your mom again?"
"I just want to know if she's alright…I'm visiting a different patient today."
The woman blinked before turning to look at the computer she was at. He waited patiently as she read through whatever she needed before she looked back to him.
"Your mother is fine. No lessening or worsening of her condition now...who are you coming to visit doll?"
"Uh. Stein. Franken Stein..."
She seemed surprised, raising a brow and giving him a skeptical look before she nodded slowly, picking up a pen and then scrawling something across a notepad laying on the desk. She stood and walked over to a phone, pressing a single number before holding the receiver up to her ear. The conversation was brief and soon a dark skinned girl was coming from down the hall and had stopped a few feet away Spirit.
"Just sign where you usually do, darling."
The red head nodded and picked up a nearby pen before signing his name on the visitation paper. He turned to look at the woman who had turned to look at the boy behind her. Stein was staring at a wall unblinkingly, his white outfit hanging loosely from his body.
"Hiya Stein," Spirit greeted, raising his hand.
Said boy blinked before turning his attention over to Spirit, "Oh. You came."
"It is Saturday, you know?"
"I see. I don't quite recall Friday."
"Bummer. Friday is always the best day of the week," he responded, leading the boy over to the table and chairs set up for visitors and patients.
They got comfortable before Spirit noticed the lingering escort. He rose a brow, studying the petite woman. Actually, now that he was actually looking at her, he could tell the woman was probably just an older teenager. Maybe sixteen, seventeen.
"Hey, you gonna stare at us or sit down?"
The elder blinked, looking over in Spirit's direction and then to Stein. She seemed to consider the offer before she made his way over, picking up a chair and sitting it next to them, plopping down in it and crossing her legs.
"Spirit Albarn," he introduced, "and that's weirdo Franken Stein."
"Hannah Blare." She smiled at them, "nice to meet ya."
Spirit returned the smile tenfold, "Right back at cha Hannah."
Stein looked at them from the corner of his eye, his elbow resting on the armrest and his chin in the palm of the same arm. He had wanted to talk to Spirit but the boys charming nature had apparently lured the girl into a talkative trap of some kind. He sighed quietly as to not get their attention, gazing out the window.
It was dreary outside as usual, the sun not shining and the clouds dark and ominous. Always looking like it was on the brink of a storm but it never came. It was unusual really since it seemed the rest of the city was perfectly lit. Sometimes, whenever he did get a glimpse of the sun or the moon, he could swear it was laughing. It had a face, odd and bleeding from its clenched teeth. It didn't bother him much anymore as it did when he had first been confined to his room.
"Stein? Can you hear me?"
His head snapped in the direction of the voice, blinking once to focus on the boy staring curiously at him. The red head had his head tilted to the side and for the first time, Stein noticed his hair was down so it fell into his face at this angle. He was wearing blue clothes this time instead of black.
"Yes?"
"You clocked out man. Hannah went to the bathroom and I've just been a talking," he informed, leaning back in his seat.
A glance at the girls spot did indeed prove that the girl had left the area. Stein turned back to look at Spirit, tilting his head to the side. He hadn't expected him to come back to visit him.
"I didn't expect you to come back," he blurted, blinking once he realized what he was saying.
Spirit flashed him a smile and his eyes twinkled in barely concealed amusement, "I didn't think I would come back either…you kind of scare me," he admitted sheepishly.
Stein found himself smirking, narrowing his eyes, "I scare you, do I? That's some intriguing information."
The blue eyed boy flinched and glanced away, flushing in an irritated way, "Oh shut up."
"It's amusing how you're so easily provoked."
Spirit huffed and decided staring at the wall would prove much more company than the boy not far from him. He briefly wondered how they went from talking calmly to him being embarrassed and Stein acting mischievous. This was screwed up and he had to say a little unnerving really. He glanced back when he heard the chair screech across the floor.
Stein had pushed his chair back and was standing now, head tilted downward just enough to whereas his eyes were hidden beneath the light bangs.
"Spirit?"
"Uh," he gulped, the standing figure all of a sudden very intimidating, face scrunching up in confusion, "sup?"
"Can I ask you something?" He took a step closer.
There was something absolutely wrong here but Spirit found himself allowing the boy his question. He noticed Stein had gone slack, his arms swaying slightly, steps sluggish as he stepped a little closer.
"Do you still like it?"
He was confused, really confused, "L-like what?"
A tilt of the head and a greenish/yellowish eye shone through the strands of hair. It was frightening to say the least, especially when Stein begun to smile. It wasn't a smile really. It was a grin, a face splitting grin as it spread until it seemed his lips were bleeding.
"The touches of course. You always like them."
"S-Stein! I don't know what you're talking about," he breathed, eyes wide as he tried to sink into his chair. Where the fuck was security when you needed them.
Then, he lunged. Spirit screamed as Stein sunk his fingernails into his clothed shoulders, knees slamming painfully on his arms to restrain them as he set on his chest as the chair fell back. He was cackling, positively leering at the boy restrained under him. Spirit screamed for help as Stein bit his cheek and then ran his lounge across the bleeding wound to sooth it. The piercing pain of his fingernails digging deeper, somehow working their way through the cloth and straight into his skin.
The pressure was suddenly gone and a laughing Stein was being held by two strong arms above him. Hannah was suddenly beside him and helping Spirit up off the chair, cradling the ultimately terrified boy to her chest.
"Do you still like it, Spirit?! Do you still enjoy it!?" his cry was shrill. "The little special touches?! The ones I heard you moan to! You whore! You whore!" he screamed as he was drug off.
Spirit watched, eyes wide and tears brimming at the corner. He didn't understand. What had just happened? Why had Stein snapped like that at him? He reminded himself the boy was in an asylum for a reason, no?
He gulped and looked over to Hannah who looked just as horrified, "I'm a volunteer...I don't even get paid for this shit.." he heard her mutter.
He cleared his throat and broke away from her embrace, standing shakily and pulling the chair up with him. His shoulders stung and his cheek was still moist but he couldn't bring himself to do anything about the wounds. He sighed, squeezing his eyes shut and simply breathing for a few moments before opening them and looking back over to Hannah, giving her the largest smile he could muster.
"It was nice meeting you, Hannah. Bye."
He broke out into a brisk walk and made his way outside, taking a deep breath of the crisp, clean air. It wasn't as sterile as the air inside. It was fresh and it made him feel alive despite the sinking feeling in his stomach and the lump in his throat.
What had he done?