Chapter 10

Lynn POV

The way time passes in a place like Smith's Grove was strange, a week could feel like two or three easily, while a month could feel like only a day or two had passed. I guess that was a side effect of having no real consequence of passage of time really, beyond appointment times and group therapy meetings and sessions with a tutor. I could track whether it was Tuesday or Friday, but beyond looking out the window or stepping into the courtyard when allowed, the passage of dates…weeks and months, was really beyond me.

Within the blink of an eye, but also in a lifetime, two years had passed. I didn't take much stock in it through the days on the calendar but how the time has changed Michael, Andromeda, and even myself.

Michael was much taller than before, his jaw much more defined. Frankly, I found him downright handsome. His body had filled out as well, he was fairly muscular for a patient who was said to never move…which, was a lie for sure. I wasn't sure how, but he was an expert at getting out of his room, and sneaking into mine, even when the doors were locked. It certainly helped that the candy striper from years ago, Kari, had been hired on as a resident student nurse.

She still flirted with Andromeda and would try to make sure she was scheduled on our ward, which meant during her evening shifts, she spent more time focused on Andromeda than much else. His sweet talking her into letting some things slide, like a few room keys that must have been 'misplaced' certainly helped as well.

Andromeda had changed the least out of all of us, likely because he was older to begin with. His eyes and jaw were still a bit sharper, he had the shadow of facial hair usually, elated he could use it as an excuse to get extra attention from his nurse-girlfriend.

I hadn't gotten all that much taller, still fairly small, standing at barely five-foot-three. My face was slimmer, my hair was longer, and my body had certainly changed, filling out in such a way that at fifteen years old, I no longer resembled a child, but a young woman. I often caught Michael staring at me with an unreadable expression in the nights he would sneak into my room, or the rare occasion Dr. Loomis couldn't oh-so-conveniently schedule his sessions to ensure we weren't able to see each other during free hours. It was soft, sometimes there was even a faint smile, and he would often call me his.

Much more of my lessons became less school-focused, and a lot of my sessions had begun to mention more about an appeals process, how my progress meant the possibility of leaving the hospital…something about 'technicalities on time served'…I never paid much mind. I was torn, my brother was always so happy talking about these things, excited to 'bring me home'. And as much as I wanted my brother, to be whatever kind of family we could again…I don't think I'd be able to bear being away from Michael…so I chose to avoid the subject as much as I could.

I was allowed to walk back from a late session on my own, something about being a low-risk in an already minimum security ward…I passed Michael's room to notice the door open and the room empty. I felt my heart start to pound in my ears. That wasn't right….there weren't any other sessions running this late….they wouldn't let him wander on his own, either.

I glanced in the room, not only was it empty, it had been stripped– the masks Michael had always made and hung on the walls were gone, the bed was stripped of the blankets, there wasn't anything at all.

Suddenly, a rough hand grabbed the upper part of my arm and yanked me against it's owner, the other hand clamping over my mouth before I could make a sound.

"Looking for someone?" That voice….it was faintly familiar. It was sinister. "Don't worry, I'll take you to his new digs."

I tried to whirl around, but his grip was too strong, he was in a pair of Smith's Grove coveralls, the kind the janitors wore. He was flanked by another man who looked like an orderly. This wasn't good.

"Guess whose official, sweetheart."

Before I could do anything, he was roughly pulling me down the hallway, dragging me along as I tried to kick free, when we passed a nurse the orderly with him put his hands on me as well and assured her 'everything was under control'

And I realized it seemed that way. After all, I was the mental patient, it wasn't uncommon to see orderlies having to restrain patients who got physical…

They dragged me through a few more hallways into a ward with heavier doors ..this must be the higher security ward…

"Are you–" the orderly-dressed one spoke up, but coveralls cut him off.

"Do it!" He ordered. The orderly dressed man pulled a slat on the door to reveal a little window as Aaron shoved me roughly against the door.

"Lookie here Myers, aren't gonna be so quiet now, are you?" He taunted. "We heard about your little secret…you're not fooling us the way you fooled all the nurses…we know you'll come out and play if we push your buttons enough. We even brought a toy..."

There was no response.

No…Michael couldn't be in there…could he? Was he really thought to be dangerous enough for the high security ward?How had I have missed this? Had anything been said?!

"Guess you're not too bothered if we have alittle fun then" they chided at the lack of response, I tried to move, but their full weight was pressing me up against the door. I felt their hands at the hem of my shirt, I gave a muffled yelp into their hands, managing finally to bite the hand holding my mouth

Coveralls responded with a backhanded slap, shoving me hard against the adjacent wall.

"Feisty, are we?" his hands went further…but then I heard the door scraping against the floor as the heavy steel door was forced open.

Michael stepped swiftly out and tossed the orderly to the side like he was nothing, grabbing hold of Coveralls by the neck and tearing him off of me, slamming his body up against the wall next to me before I scrambled away.

Michael didn't stop there, coveralls kicked and struggled but Michael was too strong….almost…inhumanly strong as he held the other man inches off the ground and slammed him up against the concrete wall again and again. I could hear a gross squishing sound along with the crunching of bones breaking, and his groans of pain before they gave way to nothing but gurgles when Michael dropped him to the ground like a ragdoll, he was bloody all over, his face looked caved in in places and unrecognizable, his one shoulder was pointed in a weird angle. He didn't move, and it clicked somewhere in my brain that I was staring at a dead man.

The orderly rushed at Michael in attempt to restrain him, but Michael caught him by the neck, choking him until he went limp. Muchess bloody, but dead all the same.

Michael turned to me briefly, just staring. He was wearing one of his paper mache masks, it was speckled in blood, so was the front of his shirt.

I froze.

Michael glanced around, noting the lack of orderlies and nurses at the moment, while it was unusual, he didn't seem bothered. He dragged each body one at a time and dragged them off down the hall somewhere I didn't dare look, when he was finished, he took a step toward me.

I knew I ought to be afraid.

I was shaking…but not from watching Michael kill two men in front of me…but because of the fact they'd laid hands on me before that…the fact Michael had hurt them…didn't phase me. I knew he wouldn't hurt me, even after that– it was Michael.

"You know I don't like the masks when you're talking to me" I said softly.

He obliged, taking the mask off. His dark eyes softened the slightest bit.

"Michael." I said quietly…. I felt his hands, nothing but gentle, guide me into his room while his eyes looked over me.

"They…" his voice was so hoarse from lack of use.

"You stopped then before anything happened" I assured him, tears threatening to spill over, I was still trembling.

"Are you….afraid?" He asked, realizing I'd watched what he had done.

I shook my head. There was a darkness in his eyes, not malicious…but possessive. I should be afraid. Very afraid.

But I wasn't. I closed the distance between us, letting him wrap his arms around me and hold me.

"Mine." He rasped.