1952

• Zahara Goodall-Cayley , Grade 9
• Short Story
• 2022

A rotting oak door creaks as it opens. The hinges hang on for dear life and battle for the last drop of oil. An echo of advancing, pounding footsteps pierce the eardrum of a sick, disoriented girl. The girl dashes through the halls, unknown of her location, the "1952 insane asylum" or as the staff call it the "loony bin". A spike-like sensation travels down her spine as the sense of being followed afflicts upon her. The flicker of light seeping through the broken bulbs stab her pupils causing her to lose her footing, scraping her knees. She picks herself up and starts to limp as a waterfall of blood gushes down leaving a trail. A janitor’s closet is within reach when she feels a hand lash onto her shoulder and pull her aggressively away. Her screech could be heard through the double bricked walls. The mysterious figure roars at the girl, "NEVER DO THAT AGAIN!"
Panicked, the girl turns to face the figure and notices that it is a woman dressed in a hospital uniform. From the alarming sight, she questions, “Why am I here? Am I ill?”
“You picked the lock, you filthy child!”
“I did?”
“You're going back to your room at once and will have no dinner tonight!”
The girl although confused, does not resist the nurse's hand squeezing tight around her wrist, pulling her to the room. When at their destination, the girl was immediately pushed to ground. She could hear keys jangling as the woman slams the door and locks her back in the room. The girl pours out her sorrow onto her scratchy pillow. Her tears sink deeper and deeper with each drop. She weeps until there is an immense tie die pattern on her bed from her blood and tears. She then closes her eyes unsure of why she was crying and bleeding. The bare room falls to a complete silence and her dreams awaken, allowing her to escape the chaos in her mind.