His skin looked smooth and perfect, endless eyelids that made me envious. He gave me a closed-mouth smile as a greeting; he looked cautious, almost annoyed. I swallowed. “Thanks for coming.” He said nothing. The tension built, those dark eyes on me, assessing, searching. I pulled the sheet of paper with the questions out of my pocket, my hand shaking a little, and I mentally slapped myself. Come on, Anaís, get a grip. "How are you?" I had no idea why I asked that; anything was better than silence. Adam tilted his head. "Get to the point; I know you have a lot of questions." Why so cold? I let it go. “Can you tell me about that night? How you got home and… all that?” Adam sighed. "I hadn't been able to sleep all night, so I went out to the balcony to get some fresh air. It was almost dawn; I knew something was wrong. I thought I heard a scream in the distance coming from the forest that separated our houses. At first, I thought it was my imagination, but that didn't calm the f
Home... That feeling of having a safe place, where you can always go, where you are safe, where that bed is that you adapt perfectly to after years of use. That place no longer exists for me. I no longer felt part of anything, as if all my ties and connections had vanished that night and I was left to wander, floating without anything to hold me down to earth. My only solace had been Jasmine, my grandparents, and the only people I had met here, but now I had to doubt those small relationships I had created. Because there was a murderer among them. A wolf in sheep's clothing. How was that fair? After losing everything, I should be able to enjoy these new relationships without having to doubt everyone. What kind of life was this? I felt the need to confront the killer and ask him: What more do you want from me? You've taken everything, you've left me broken; isn't that enough? Maybe it wouldn't be enough for him until I was dead. My mind kept analyzing them all over and over a
The sun reigned dominant in the sky. I watched as a gentle breeze brushed the branches of a tall tree, its leaves falling and then blowing away in the wind. I wished to be like those leaves. Even though there was a window separating me from the outside, I could almost smell nature and feel the wind on my skin. I sighed, resting my chin on my two hands as I continued to stare out the window. Miss Garnier The mention of my last name caught my attention, and at that moment I noticed that Professor Taylor was standing next to me, very close to my chair, with her arms crossed over her chest. A perfect high ponytail held her brown hair; she was a very elegant woman. Her hazel eyes were filled with annoyance; she did not look happy. She raised one of her eyebrows and asked: Do you think that tree is more interesting than my class? -Actually, yes, but I would never say it out loud; I didn't want any trouble. I apologize, Mrs. Taylor; I did not mean to disrespect you in any way, I replied
After a few hours, darkness began to flow through my room, and I glanced at the clock: 8:10 p.m. I carefully stepped out, looking in both directions down the hallway. I walked slowly toward the stairs; I knew the guard for the girls' wing wasn't there because I had memorized her routine. That was guard changing time; I had five minutes before the night guard arrived. The first floor didn't have as much security as the second and third. The regular stairs were heavily guarded starting from the second and third floors. But the outside emergency stairs couldn't be blocked by law, and as the guard changed, I had a few seconds to reach them and climb up to the roof. As soon as I reached the rooftop, the wind blew my hair back violently. The night was deadly cold, as usual. I pulled my jacket tighter around my body, trying to protect myself from the breeze that chilled my skin.The sight of the dark forest surrounding the mental hospital building was a little scary, along with the light of
The sun was warming my skin, and it felt so good. I was sitting on the grass with my head held high, with my mother by my side. She giggled, getting my attention. “What?” I asked, curious, looking at her. Her blonde hair was in a high ponytail, her features and blue eyes exposed. We were always told how much we looked alike. “You really love the sun, don't you? You got that from me," she smiled sweetly. I heard laughter and saw Elise—my younger sister running toward us. Her curly brown hair fell over her small shoulders, and she had a sparkle in her eyes that was unmatched. “Mom! I have a sunflower! Look!” She opened her hands and showed me her new acquisition. “It's beautiful, Elise! Where did you find it?” my mom asked, grabbing the flower. “It was there,” Elise pointed behind us. I smiled widely, admiring my little sister; she was always so happy. Suddenly, darkness began to flow around us. The sun disappeared, and a cold breeze brushed against my skin, sending shivers down
“At 5:00 a.m.?” the girl exclaimed in disbelief. “People do that sometimes, you know,” I said, showing him my towel and soap. “Strange people do that,” the girl replied, shaking her head. “I’m Lyra.” She extended her hand toward me. She was going to say my name, but I knew she’d never pronounce it correctly. “Anna.” I shook her hand. “What's with your accent?” the boy frowned. “Leave her alone, Flynn.” Lyra smiled at me before focusing on him again. “Before he—” Lyra pulled him by the hair and kissed him passionately. I looked away uncomfortably. A few seconds later, Flynn was climbing out the window. He took one last look at us and blew a kiss to Lyra. “See you tomorrow at the bonfire,” Flynn whispered and disappeared into the shadows. “Bonfire?” I asked. Lyra looked at me for a second as if she were hesitant to tell me. “Yes, it's a secret celebration. You know boys and girls can't mix in this crazy place, so we have a midnight bonfire once a month where boys and girls can
A few hours later, I was in class, resting my chin on my hands again. I chose the chair near the window so I could look out whenever I wanted. It was my escape. “Anna,” Emilie whispered behind me. “Yeah…” “You didn't help me with my French yesterday; my evaluation is this afternoon.” “I'm sorry I forgot.” “Can you explain at least some things to me over lunch?” “Okay…” “Thank you! Thank you! You are a sweetheart.” Professor Ryan continued talking about the different religions that exist in the world while I looked at a tree in the garden. “Cowards will not enter the kingdom of heaven…” I remembered the hooded man's words from the night before. Who was he? I was sure he was a patient here, but what was he doing on the roof of the girls' wing? An image came to my mind: his grey eyes and those thick lips. That was all I could see of him. I sighed; I had to stop thinking about this stranger. The rest of the day was the usual routine; more classes. I had a little fun teaching Emi
“Lyra, wait!” I exclaimed as I followed her through the dark hallways of the mental institution. She was walking fast. We were heading for the bonfire, but at that moment I regretted my decision. If we got caught, I doubted I would come out of this unscathed. But the adrenaline was flowing through my veins, and it felt good. The clock was almost striking midnight. “Just hurry up,” Lyra whispered as she continued on her way. I stared at her back as I silently followed her; Lyra had a nice body, I must admit. She was wearing tight jeans and a white long-sleeved t-shirt. She had a small waist and rounded hips. Her black hair was in a ponytail. She looked really good, which made me evaluate my outfit once again. I was wearing baggy pants and a loose purple shirt with a pair of purple Converse. I sighed; looking attractive had never been my thing anyway. “Anna?” “Hey?” “You can see the guard over there.” She pointed ahead; there was a young woman sitting in front of a metal gate. “She