Hollow Souls

You're the first we don't have to restrain, you know.”

I didn't answer. Anything I said could and would be used against me. The look on my guard told me she didn’t appreciate my silence.

“Very well.” She said. “Right this way.”

I paused after a few steps to take a look at the rusted welcome sign, which made her tense up. She relaxed when I continued moving after reading the name. My face remained unemotional, but internally I chuckled. "The Woodsworth Mental Hospital." What a shitty name. The most secure asylum in the world, and they named it after the founder. Come on! Give it some spice!

The guard opened the door, and immediately what I could only assume to be a man shot out from the darkness. Not that he got very far, since my guard hit him square in the chest with enough force to send him sprawling to the ground. As if nothing had happened, she motioned me to enter, and closed the door behind us and locked it. They let people this close to the main entrance? And this was meant to be secure? Pathetic.

“Follow me.” She calmly ordered, as if that was not a staged event to intimidate me. “Welcome, to your new eternal home.” She grandly stated. I'd heard that one before. I just rolled my eyes and gestured for her to get moving. “We're fancy here — you'll have your own wing to yourself. Isn't that nice?” She frowned when I remained silent. “Not a talker, eh? That's fine. I'll yap for the both of us. This institute just recently adopted this new mechanism, top of the market…”

I zoned out. I'd been promised pen and paper at this place. My mind was already racing to the possibilities of !!!! my next novel. Maybe this one would actually get published. I might need to censor it a bit from what I normally do, though. 

“... And that's how I ended up working as a guard here.” She turned to face me. “You weren't listening, were you?” My face remained impassive. “Come on! Lighten up! It's not that bad in here!”

“You’re mistaken. I mean not to escape. I find this place... entertaining.” I said.

“He speaks! Incredible. Ok then, Batman.” I ignored the jibe at my soft, deep voice. Her slight chuckle after saying it suggested there was fear behind it anyway. “Everyone regrets coming here. Everyone.”

“Everyone's a pussy. Try me.”

“Okay, I'll enjoy seeing you eat your words.” She smiled.

Finally, we entered what seemed to be a reception area, where a man and a woman awaited us.

“Greetings, Elijah Hollow. I am Amanda Wright and this is my associate and head psychaiatrist, Dr. Martyn Feder. You may address us as Ms. Wright and Dr. Feder. I control this sanitarium. You defer to me, understood?” The response she expected of me never came, which made her frown. I hadn’t said no, though, so she moved on. “Now, we need you to sort out some paperwork.” She said in a monotone voice. I found it interesting how they had had the highest ranking individuals come greet me rather than some lowly receptionist.

“We did tell you you'd have pen and paper, didn't we?” Feder chuckled. Wright’s sharp features remained impassive. A stack about two fingers thick of paper was placed in front of me. Wright stepped back and motioned me forward, her arm extended as she handed me a pen. I took it, then grabbed the first paper and began reading. 

“Oh, no need to read all of that text, Elijah. I assure you you won’t find anything amiss.” She said. I didn’t listen, instead continuing to rapidly scan through the pages. The number of things I was forfeiting my right to was… a lot. If I’d had them to begin with, I might’ve been concerned. Wright’s face became increasingly concerned the more I read. Not so cold now, are you? I thought. About half way through, Wright made a movement, as if going to stop me, then desisted.

“Alright, everything looks in order. I’ve signed, take me to my abode.” I stated once I’d finished. The shock on their faces would leave anyone on the floor laughing. I just raised an eyebrow and gestured for them to guide me. Feder was the first to recover.

“Certainly. Follow me, I’ll show you the way.”

I followed Feder through a long maze of tunnels and hallways, making sure to remember the way, in case it was necessary. The smell of bleach and old paint filled the air, as if reminding me I didn’t belong here. We passed many doors on each side of the halls. I couldn’t guess where they led to, given we were in the area next to reception. The place was easy to get lost in with how big it was, but eventually, we reached a door with big, painted letters on it. ‘BLOCK C’.

“And this will be your wing: Solitary confinement. The finest you’ll find. It’s not complete isolation, of course. You’ll still join sessions under staff eyes. But otherwise, this wing’s all yours.” Feder said with a smile. I nodded in approval.

“Tell me where I can leave my belongings.” I stated.

“B-belongings?” The stutter showed not even he had any certainty when dealing with me. No surprise there. I calmly took out a cereal bar from my leather jacket. Surprisingly, I'd been allowed to come in here with my own clothes, so I brought a snack.

“I need to give myself some energy if you clowns decide not to, don’t I?”

Feder visibly relaxed when he realized it was simple grub and not a knife, or worse.

“Yes… well… right down that hall are a few rooms. You’ll find them to suit your needs, I believe.” I nodded once more, and calmly made my way there. Bunch of fools, the lot of them. Was there no place with people with some nerve?

I entered the first cell. Small, just a cot, shithole and a wall. I’d entered near nighttime, so I tried my best to get as comfortable as I could in what couldn’t even be described as a “bed”, and went to sleep.

I awoke to the sound of sirens.

“What in the seven nations?” I asked myself, readily awake and out of bed. I exited the cell through the oxidized door to find a woman with the likes of a doctor coming towards me. 

“Mr. Hollow. Excuse the rude wake up, it's protocol.” 

“Protocol? You've got to be fucking kidding me.” A groan escaped my lips.

“Our apologies, sir. It's what's necessary for the as- mental hospital.” 

“Okay, and why are you here?” I asked her in a dry tone.

“Oh... eh... I was bringing you some items. Mainly breakfast, and your schedule.” She quickly handed me a few protein bars and raw carrots, and a piece of paper with a table printed on it, rapidly vacating the premises afterward.

“Medication, ethics class,” Fantastic. I thought sarcastically. “Recreation... Group therapy? Ha!” This must be a joke. They put me in solitary to then put me in group therapy? Seriously?

I grabbed a protein bar and bit into it. Dry, flavorless. Figures. They probably thought keeping the food bland would somehow make us easier to control. A loud buzzing sound echoed through the halls, followed by the familiar click of the front door’s lock disengaging. A voice crackled over the intercom: 

“All residents of Block C, prepare for morning check-in. Failure to comply will result in corrective action.”

All residents? What, like there’s more than one?. I stepped into the hall just as a pair of guards approached. Not the same ones as last night. These ones were bulkier, their hands resting near their batons, eyes watching me like I was about to snap.

“Hands where we can see them, Hollow.” One of them barked.

I held up my hands lazily.

“Relax, I just woke up. At least buy me breakfast before you get all grabby.”

Neither of them looked amused. Tough crowd.

“Move.” A guard ordered, jerking his head toward the hallway.

I considered making a comment, but I let it slide. For now. The hall the door led to was the same as all others; sterile white walls, and nothing else. Just walls. I followed them into the mess hall, which had bolted-down tables, the same fluorescent lights, and a dozen or so other inmates standing in a silent row. Some looked sedated, their movements sluggish. Others had the hollow-eyed stare of people who had been here too long. And then there were the ones like me. The ones who were watching.

A man near the front met my gaze. Tall, lean, dark hair cropped short. His expression was unreadable, but there was a flicker of something there. Amusement? Recognition? Interesting. Of course, I’m talking about Feder, who stood near the entrance, clipboard in hand, nodding at the guards as they filed inmates into their assigned spots. When he spotted me, he smiled.

“Ah, Mr. Hollow. I’ve been expecting you. Follow me.” He waved the guards away, and ushered me back the way we’d come, though we soon took a different turn and I was eventually led into an office-looking room.

“And where might we be?” I asked, though I already knew the answer.

“My study. Here, I give my star inmates prizes, and the troublemakers a beating. Metaphorically, obviously” Feder chuckled. “Today, however, I just wanted to greet you properly, and tell you a couple things about this place. First, no one leaves. Period. Second, you listen. To me, to the nurses, to the guards — even to the walls if they happen to speak. This place stays orderly because everyone here understands their role. Fail to understand yours, and… well.” He tapped his pen on the desk. “Consequences follow.” 

“Never said I wouldn’t, Martyn. Let’s get this over with.”

“That’s Dr. Feder to you. Now, you’ve been assigned… woah, fifteen pills daily?”

“Weren’t you the head doctor?” I asked, bored of his antics. “Shouldn’t you know what I’ve been assigned?”

“Yes… well… I don’t always review what my specialists have done. In this case, it seems they deem you… unique.” He let out a dry laugh.

“Just give me the damn pills.” I didn’t quite understand the ‘unique’ thing, but at that point I couldn’t care less.

“Yes, here.” No punishment for such an outburst? They must really be intimidated by me. Well, made my life a whole lot easier. He gave me a bottle with my name labeled on it. “Take them all now, please.”

I opened the receptacle, chugged all the pills, and tossed it to Feder. “So now what? Grub?”

“Haven’t you received your breakfast already?” Feder asked, slightly shaken.

“Yes, at my cell block.” I answered lazily. Pretending I hadn’t forgotten, I made up an excuse. “What’s the canteen for then? Why bring me here?”

“Other meals, and to group you up. Now run along. You’ve got recreation to get to.”

I rolled my eyes. Turning around, my thoughts lingered on his face. Pale, with bloated cheeks, he looked slightly odd. I’d have to figure that out in the future. In the meantime, recreation, fantastic. What was that, gym class for inmates? Fuck’s sake.