If I close my eyes, the world is no longer real. If I can't see you, I'm no longer alive.
...
It all seemed so simple until now! I was right, he was right, everyone else was wrong.
Now I think they're all right and I'm only a mistake.
It's been a week since I last wrote, and one day since I've eaten. I think it's my punishment... Or maybe that's just wishful thinking.
Five days ago, Seio took me outside for the first time in my life. Beside the asylum, there's a small courtyard with a vegetable garden in it. I'd heard that one of the other doctors maintained it for the few times patients were allowed out.
Everything looked amazing. The sky looked as if it was part of some artist's giant canvas. Each of the clouds looked specifically placed and painted, as if the world had been planned, just like they were. Green leaves, brown wood, pink flowers... I took it in all at once, and it hurt my eyes. Everything looked so delicate, so bright. I was scared it was a dream, and Seio seemed to understand. He let me cling to his arm as I went through the garden, smelling, touching, hearing what I'd only imagined.
The courtyard was small, and I must've gone through it at least fifteen times before I'd gotten tired. Seio asked me if I wanted to go back inside, and I'd stared at him as if he was crazy. We sat on a bench instead.
While we were resting, I took my time looking at the sky by tilting my head back as Seio talked. We chatted about pointless things, but I didn't care. I was too happy. However, one unexpected topic nearly changed that.
"Remember when I said I'd get you out of here?" Seio had asked me, and I'd nodded yes.
Giving me a soft smile, he took my hand and gently pulled me to my feet. I found myself walking beside him as he directed me to a door in the corner of the courtyard. Seio pulled a ring of keys from his pocket and began to unlock the many different sorts of locks by it's handle. Soon, it was open, and we were on the other side.
I hadn't known what to expect, but this wasn't anything I'd imagine. The door lead directly past the outer asylum wall. About fifteen metres away was the electric fence that surrounded the building's perimeter. Many different cameras were stationed to observe various areas, including one pointed directly at us. I froze.
"Relax, relax..." Seio had whispered in my ear. "Chance is on security."
Chance was the only person besides Seio I'd ever trusted. They'd been a couple at one point, but had split because of various reasons, including the fact that they would be schooled on different continents. When they met again at this asylum, many of those differences had been changed, but they saw no reason to start another relationship. Seio had introduced her to me shortly after we'd met. Though we didn't speak too often, we'd formed a bond.
Exhaling slowly, I grasped his hand just a little bit tighter. He pointed to a gate further down the fenceline. Past it, there was a driveway that lead to a road, which was surrounded by cornfields. "See that?" Seio asked, and checked his watch. "Any minute now, a truck will come through to deliver food. When it does, you run for it."
I wanted to tell him it wouldn't work, wanted to tell him I was afraid. I should've expected that him letting me go without any food or water was a bit suspicious. But freedom was too close.
The truck did come. I did run. But I never made it to the gate. "Freeze!" a voice behind me yelled. Before I realized what was happening, I was forced to my knees. My hands were pulled behind my back as metal cuffs were slid onto my wrists. I glanced around, panicking, and realized I'd been caught. How?
Holding a walkie talkie, looking smug, was my doctor. A man stood beside him, praising him, and I nearly cried as reality hit me. Seio, my mentor, my caregiver, my only friend...
Something was pressed to my back, and I heard a small click as a shock travelled up my spine and through my limbs. A small feeling of paralyzation struck me, before unconsciousness took my thoughts away. |
Submission Name: Asylum Boy, Entry 5
