Chapter 2: Ground Zero
A bus hissed to a stop and a young man of age 17 stepped out of the vehicle, muttering a forced thanks to the driver. He looked around and gasped at the creepy sight that was beheld. A stone castle towered above him, positioned onto a massive hill surrounded by rotting willows and long-dead trees that flanked each side excluding the gravel walkway leading to the front gate.
Sora clicked his tongue and sighed. Man, how cliché is this place?
Deciding he's had enough of the scenery, the brunette began the trek up the steep hill, dense gravel crunching under his abnormally large feet. Upon further inspection, the gravel path actually had rose bushes that led up to the gates, contrasting the dark vibes given from the rest of the greenery. Even closer to the gate still was a door surrounded by flowers of different shapes, sizes, and colors.
Humph. So they're not completely into the whole "Gothic" theme.
Sora hesitantly walked up to the massive wooden door and noticed a modern buzzer on the side. Before he could press a button, the screen flickered to life and a middle aged woman with piercing emerald eyes and long brown hair faded in. "Ah, you must be Mr. Nomura. Please, come in," she greeted with a friendly tone, as the door slid open.
Sora simply shrugged off the creepy automatic door and walked inside.
As soon as the door shut, a massive golden short-haired dog bounded across the foyer and slammed Sora to the ground.
"Oof! What the hell?" Sora grunted as the dog began furiously licking his face. "Nasty! Dog slobber! Get off me mutt!" Sora pushed the short haired dog off of him and dusted off his pants. Suddenly he noticed giggling erupting from behind and he whirled around in a flash. The very same woman seen from the door buzzer was laughing behind a large mahogany desk. Sora shot her a dark look, and she stopped immediately and cleared her throat.
"Mr. Nomura, pleasure to finally meet you in person. I'm Aerith Gainsborough, institution secretary. I see you've become... acquainted with Mr. Esuom's dog, Pluto," she greeted while suppressing a giggle. Sora simply rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, he reeks. Where is this Mr. Esuom I've been hearing so much about?" Aerith's smile didn't falter even as he demanded the owner's presence. She must be used to the wacko's.
"Ah yes, straight to business I see. He's expecting you, just follow the red carpet to the end of the hallway. His office has the large double doors," she instructed. Sora simply nodded and continued to the red carpet. Torches lined the slimy brick walls as flickering red light and dancing shadows dotted the hallway. At last, Sora reached the end and rapped sharply on the obnoxiously large double doors.
"Yes, come in," a small voice answered from within. The brunette pushed open the doors and marveled at the size of the room. It appeared to be an old throne room, the throne sat in the center of the room with a solitary desk piled high with paper and utensils. The wall at the edge of the room was lined with large ovular windows with a balcony settled between them. The boss sat silent, donned in a red robe. He had a considerably small frame; a comical contrast to the large throne he sat in. The small man gave a warm smile as Sora returned his gaze.
"Welcome to my institution, Mr. Nomura. Please, take a seat," he offered, gesturing to the wooden chair in front of his desk. Sora nodded and sank into the chair noisily.
"Call me Sora. I'm sick of hearing the formalities," Sora interjected rudely. Mr. Esuom simply chuckled.
"Ah, Aerith warned me beforehand of your straight-to-the-point attitude. Very well, call me Mick. I'm quite surprised a person like you would volunteer," Sora narrowed his eyes at this, "Would you care to enlighten me as to why you are volunteering?" Sora leaned back in his chair folding his hands behind his head.
"I tagged up the school and they offered me the choice of community service or detention. I think you can guess which one I picked. As for my choice in service, my friend mentioned this place and it seemed easy," he answered truthfully. Mick simply nodded his head.
"I see. Sora, this kind of work is anything but easy. Before you begin signing forms," GROAN, "I'd like to ask a few more questions. Have you any siblings?"
"Yes, my brother Roxas."
"Interesting. And how old is he?"
"Same age as me, we're twins, both 17."
"How would you describe your relationship with Roxas?" At this point, Sora was starting to get a little uneasy.
"What's with the questions about Roxas? I thought this job concerns me."
"Ah, but that's the beauty of it, it completely concerns you. Now, answer the question." Mick pleaded.
"Hmm... Roxas is all I have left who I truly care about, everyone else can stick a thumb up their ass. Roxas and I understand each other without any form of communication other than simply looking at each other. Is that good enough for you?"
"More than good. I think that's enough Sora. But let me give you a fair warning. Working here can be dangerous. It may even change you or your whole lifestyle. Knowing my patients is a double edged keyblade, both blessing and curse. Attach yourself to them and you won't regret it, but may come to a price. There's also the chance a patient could physically and/or emotionally harm you. As long as you're weary of these terms, do you still wish to volunteer?" the small owner questioned. By now, Sora's interest was completely peaked. A job that invoked harm was a job he was willing to take.
The young man sat down at his desk at home with a handful of folders and documents. Sora sighed as he sifted through each manila folder lazily, looking at the names of the patients.
Namine Kyōfu
Known illnesses: Bipolar Disorder, Anxiety Disorder, Claustrophobia, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, and Social Phobia
Notes: No hostility, but will be extremely cautious around new faces, even ones she's known for years.
Axel Kasai
Known illnesses: Anorexia nervosa, cocaine dependence, and Pyromania
Notes: Extremely friendly, keep flammable objects away.
Saix Ikari
Known illnesses: Antisocial Personality Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, Insomnia, and Sadomasochism
Notes: Approach with caution and only while under supervision. Can be very dangerous.
This is so lame.
"Why do I have to go through every stupid patient? Screw it," Sora thought aloud, shoving the folders and documents back together, but one file slipped out of the pile. Scowling, Sora picked up the page and read the name.
"Kairi Doji"