Boratic Psychiatric Asylum. [whole]

Waking up with the bright shining fluorescent lights in her eyes, from the high ceilings above Madeline moaned and tried to move her restrained wrists. They had experimented on her again. When would this stop? How many more test would it take for these in their blood stained white coats to realise she had nothing to hide?1

There were three girls sitting together on the other bed, looking over staring intently into her pained face with worry. They were also lab rats, Madeline could remember that, those damn tests always sent her back with less memories. What were they doing when she was unconscious in that room?2

The straps across her chest, wrapped around her wrists and strapped to her ankles restrained Madeline from movement. When she felt it would be okay to speak, Madeline asked the oldest of the three girls to untie her. It had to be the oldest, the younger girls were either incapable or were afraid of her. 3

‘Thank you…Sadie?’ Madeline took a stab at the name, she cursed herself for not remembering, how much longer until she didn’t recognize them at all, or even know her own name. Sitting up she winced, needle holes still bleeding slightly in the crook of her arms. 4

‘That’s my name,’ Sadie smiled understanding Madeline’s condition. ‘Do you know what they did this time?’ She asked looking down at shivering hands; they were pale and red in some places, where the stained coats had experimented on her before. 5

‘No I have no idea, they just shoot me up and take me in, by then I am well and truly in la la la land.’ Lying back when the pain got too much in her stomach Madeline sighed, when the other two girls realised it was safe they made their way over to the bed folding themselves into Madeline’s arms with Sadie. 6

‘We will get out here wont we Madeline, one day?’ All Madeline could do was nod, too afraid that if she spoke the wrong words would come out. In truth Madeline had no idea if they would get out; plenty of girls had gotten out before, just not in the walking sense, more like in a blue plastic bag big enough for a body. 7

‘Leave them alone, don’t touch them no!’ Madeline screamed at the orderly he was well built and buff, his own white shirt and pants stained with un-removable blood, his strong hands were wrapped around the small forearms of the youngest girls. ‘Get away from them, they were scared!’ Madeline kicked him, her foot throbbing when it connected with his hard shins. 8

‘You know contact with each other is forbidden now get back to bed little girl.’ The orderly shouted in anger, backhanding Madeline across the room, grabbing the two girls in his arms he slammed them down on beds pulling syringes from his pocket. ‘Now stay still and this just may not hurt.’9

Getting up as quickly as she could Madeline stumbled towards the orderly, jumping on his back as he was bent over one of the girls, she started to chop at his neck. ‘I said leave them alone!’ Madeline screamed as she pounded the sides of her hands into the thick of his neck, red welts forming every time her hands slammed down. ‘Get off them.’ Madeline grunted.10

‘I need back up in here.’ The orderly shouted as she stood straight, Madeline felt like she jus grew two feet as her feet left the ground and she wrapped her hands instead around the orderly’s neck. ‘Now would be nice!’ He grunted as he pulled the tops if the syringes off and plunged them at his back.11

Seeing the syringes coming Madeline let go of him, slipping to the ground and landing her on bottom. The three girls ran over, cowering in her arms. They were all under the age or ten, she was sixteen and that made her in charge of them, she couldn’t let them get hurt. 12

‘Let’s go.’ Madeline whispered to them, taking their hands as the orderly slumped to his knees. ‘He won’t be moving for a long time now that was a double dose of benzodiazepines, he uses that on me.’ Making sure she had all three girls following her Madeline headed for the door.13

‘Were will we go?’ Sadie asked in worry, looking back at the orderly drooling on the floor. ‘Madeline Im scared.’ She cried, tears welling in her bloodshot eyes. ‘What about all our tablets we need to take with lunch and tea, don’t we need them?’14

‘No Sadie they make us take them, to keep us like Zombies remember what I told you about Zombies?’ Sadie nodded at Madeline, she understood now, but she was still scared about leaving she had lived in the Asylum all her life. 15

The halls were eerily empty and silent, Madeline had never been out of the main room awake, the only place she had seen other then the main dorm was the experiment room were they conducted shock therapy on her. They erased her memories there, and took tissue samples from her brain, Madeline hadn’t had hair for as long as she could remember and always wore a special beanie to cover the bandaids over her scalp. 16

‘Madeline please stop what you are doing, running away won’t help you.’ The Doctor stood in front of them, emerging from one of many doors in the dirty brown hallway. ‘You know you don’t want to leave, when you came here you were a mess I helped you, do you really want to go back to the way you were?’17

Madeline stopped, what did he know? Stepping in front of the girls protectively Madeline shook her head, walking them slowly towards the Doctor. She tried to edge past him but he blocked her way. ‘Get out of my way, I won’t let you hurt these poor children anymore, they deserve a life.’ She said to him, close enough to whisper it. 18

The Doctor shook his head, ‘If they leave here Madeline they won’t live long enough for a life, either will you when everything comes back. We need to keep working on you, stop those things from happening.’ His voice was so calm, trusting. 19

Something in the Doctors voice set off alarms bells in Madeline, what did he have to do with her? 20

‘Mum what happened?’ Madeline crawled across the cold tiles, blood was dripping from her chest, every time she moved the bullet ground further into her ribcage, breaking its way thought the bone. ‘Mum?’ Reaching her mum she rolled her over and screamed, there was blood all over the tiles from the bullet hole forced through her mums’ skull.21

‘No! Mummy.’ Madeline looked up, there was a gun pointed between her eyes. Panting as the gun pressed hard against her skin Madeline cried, what had happened? All of a sudden there was gun shots and she was on the floor, then just now. 22

‘Madeline what is wrong?’ Sadie shook Madeline, staring up at her with worry clouding her soft eyes. The Doctor laughed, he was right Madeline would need to say, now he just had to wait and see what move she made next.23

Weak from what she had just seen, Madeline’s knees collapsed beneath her and she trembled, kneeling on the cold grimy tiles. Looking up at the Doctor she glared, this was his fault. Filled with anger she let go of the girls’ hands and charged at him.24

‘You don’t want to do this.’ The Doctor simply stood out of the way, Madeline was shook, he knew she had no chance what so ever of taking him down right now. She wasn’t herself, he laughed out loud at this. ‘Settle down, I can help you get better.’25

‘I don’t need to get better, what is it you don’t wane me remembering?’ Madeline screamed still unsteady on her feet, the three girls were bawling their eyes out. Turning to them she wrapped them in arms, whispering to settle down. ‘Close your eyes if you’re scared and count to ten think of magical creatures that will protect you.’ Madeline felt her mind slipping but held herself in place; she needed to get the girls out of here. 26

‘You can’t keep fighting it Madeline, I know you don’t want to remember you told me, now come with me and lets get you some more help.’ Madeline struggled with herself; did she really say she didn’t want to remember, what happened that she didn’t want to remember? ‘Come on, take my hand.’27

‘No Madeline don’t go with him.’ Sadie yelled as Madeline extended her hand towards the Doctor, she was so lost and confused. The girls though, she could get them out and come back, but then they couldn’t be on their own.28

‘I-I can handle whatever I want, I don’t need you to help me, I don’t need help. All you will do is erase more of my memories, I don’t want that.’ Madeline shouted. ‘I get it now, it’s not what I have to hide, and it is what you have to hide. You won’t erase my memories anymore.’ 29

Anger flared in the Doctors eyes and a growl formed low and his throat, scared Madeline took the youngest two girls into her arms and had Sadie hold the back of the her top as she ran past him, her top just slipped through his fingers, he didn’t want her getting away, erased and hidden somewhere in her mind was something he didn’t want her seeing. 30

‘Come with me Madeline, I can help you forget all of this.’ The Doctor extended his hand to the dying fourteen year old; he had shot and killed her whole family, from six and four year old brother and sister to aunty and parents. Everyone that was in the house, her dad had worked for him and let something slip to all the people in the room. 31

Boratic Psychiatric wasn’t a qualified Institute, they performed illegal tests and studies on human beings until they either died, or the tests were made successful. Madeline’s father and mother had been scientists there, until one day the Doctor had brought three young children to the Ward and begun testing on them for cures for Cancer. That was when they’d had enough let something leak to the press.32

‘Come with me and we can help each other.’ The Doctor said softly and Madeline nodded taking his hand with hers. ‘That’s a good girl.’ 33

Having another memory Madeline didn’t think she could handle it again, this was the third one as they walked through the woods around the Asylum. For the third time her knees grazed against broken twigs, rocks and leaves on the forest floor as she blacked out for an instant from the pain caused by the returning memories. 34

‘Are you okay?’ Sadie asked, kneeling beside Madeline who was panting, sweat visible on her forehead glistening in the moonlight. ‘We could go back, if this is to hard on you?’ 35

‘We can’t go back.’ Madeline shook her head, increasing the dizziness she was already feeling. ‘If we go back, he will kill us. He doesn’t want to help us, load of lies.’ Swallowing bile Madeline smiled at the girls. ‘He killed my parents.’ 36

The girls walked on soon coming to a long winding road where they managed to get a lift from a middle aged man. The car pulled over the moment he saw them walking on the side.37

‘Are you girls’ okay, how come you are out here all on your own?’ The man asked, Madeline looked up at him feeling another memory threaten her mind and smiled a little. ‘You need a ride?’ Nodding she held her head in pain, clenching her teeth against the pain. She understood the use of those little red pills now; despite their side effects of severe nausea and weakness they kept the headaches and memories at bay. 38

‘My name is Greg, what’s yours?’ Greg asked the four girls, casting a look in the back were Sadie was comforting Brodie and Taylah. 39

‘My name is Madeline, that’s Sadie comforting the girls, I can’t remember their names.’ Madeline said sadly, pain shooting through her head again; gritting her teeth against it she looked back at them, squeezing Sadie’s hand.40

‘Their names are Brodie and Taylah.’ Sadie answered for Madeline, squeezing her hand back. ‘Thank you for picking us up Greg, how far can you take us?’ Sadie asked politely.41

‘Are you okay?’ The car slowed down, Greg looked over at Madeline whose chest was rising and falling fast, her eyes were squeezed tight in pain, blood dripping from her nose. Pulling the car over he got out, running around the to passenger seat and opening the door. ‘Can you hear me?’ 42

Brodie and Taylah started crying as Sadie got out of the car climbing into the drivers seat so she could take Madeline’s hand. ‘We shouldn’t have left Madeline, please lets just go back he can help you!’ Sadie cried, she was near hysterics now as Madeline went into convulsions, what was going on?43

‘Listen can you go to the back of the car for me, there’s a case in there can you please bring it to me?’ Greg asked Sadie who wiped her eyes and nodded, disappearing to retrieve it. Where had these girls left and who was this person that could help her?44

‘Where did you girls come from?’ He asked as he pulled a syringe from his doctor’s bag, Sadie’s eyes went wide and she screamed in shock trying to pull Madeline away from him. ‘Hey what’s wrong I am not going to hurt her, this is to stop the convulsions.’ Greg injected the clear sedative into Madeline’s arm and saw all the injection scars and the fresh ones. ‘See.’ The convulsions stopped and Madeline went still, her chest still heaving. 45

‘Now I want to know why needles scare you all so much, and where you all come from when we get to my house understand me?’ Sadie nodded and got back in the car, Greg put Madeline’s seat all the way back so she was lying on her side. 46

At Greg’s House. 47

‘There is an institute, or Psychiatric Ward if you prefer that called Boratic. Young people, and some old go there for experimentation. There is one main doctor, he specialised in Neurological things and such, memory and Psychiatry.’ Madeline was awake and explaining now, she was in Greg’s bed propped up with pillows dressed in a very baggy pair of his pyjama pants and a salvaged singlet top that belonged to a woman he couldn’t remember. 48

‘I’ve never heard of it, and trust me I know a lot of Psychiatric Wards.’ Greg mumbled as he looked over Taylah with what he had in his doctor’s kit. There didn’t seem to be much wrong with the girl, only malnourishment. 49

‘Well trust me it exists, my parents used to work there until the Doctor killed them, he nearly killed me but decided id be better as a lab rat.’ Madeline lifted the tight fitting top up and revealed the nasty mess of a scar from the bullet. ‘I can’t really remember, but I know it was him I saw his face. He pointed gun at my hand and said come with me.’ 50

The room was silent. Greg was shocked to hear this, what were these girls going on about? Had all this really happened? Greg went over to Madeline, studying the scar, it really was a mess. 51

‘We just got away, we shouldn’t have left though. It was a stupid idea now these girls will be in danger, they don’t know anything about this world. All they know is the barred windows and brown stained walls of the asylum.’ Madeline said. ‘I might take them back, it would be better for them.’52

‘If you do then I will be coming, you though need to see a doctor before going anywhere else.’ Madeline shook her head. ‘Your health is in danger if you don’t, you could die.’53

‘No please we need to get them back first.’ Madeline was genuinely concerned about the three girls, couldn’t he see that if they didn’t go back soon he would come for them and kill them. ‘He will kill them and me, hunt us down like he did my parents and shoot us.’ 54

‘You can’t hide from me forever Mason; I know you are in here. I have your oldest!’ The Doctor called out, Madeline’s screams echoed after him when he slammed her against the wall, his hands wrapped around her throat. ‘Don’t want me to shoot her now do you Mason?’55

‘Put her down!’ Mason called as he stepped out of the lounge room, he’d had the door locked thinking everyone was in the room with him. How had he not realised Madeline wasn’t in there?56

‘Come closer.’ The Doctor ordered the gun pointing at Madeline’s temple, she screamed again. 57

‘Please don’t hurt her.’ Mason pleaded. 58

‘Oh don’t worry, you wont see me hurt her.’ The Doctor pointed the gun at Mason now, three steps away from him and pulled the trigger. Madeline screamed in fear struggling against the grip around her neck as her dads’ blood sprayed her. 59

Dahlia ran from the lounge room screaming in fury and sadness as she saw Mason’s body. The Doctor fired one quick shot into Madeline’s chest, the woman stopping as he dropped her daughter to the ground. 60

‘Mummy!’ Madeline opened her eyes, pain lancing through her skull still as she struggled against the waves of recent memories. ‘Make it stop,’ she cried. ‘Oh god please make it stop it hurts.’ Madeline wiped sweat from her face, her nose bleeding again. 61

Sitting aside looking as frightened as the girls Greg approached Madeline again. ‘What did they do to you there?’ He breathed. 62

‘Erased my memories, they do it every second day come for me and inject me with benzodiazepine, they have a machine, it doesn’t look very safe and shoots you full of electricity and kills the brain cells that generate memory.’ Madeline could feel her chest constrict as she struggled to breathe through the pain. 63

‘Oh God.’ Greg moved to his laptop open on the dresser. Typing something into the search engine he shook his head. ‘There is no such place on record here that is called Boratic.’ Going into email he sent one to the head of the hospital he worked for explaining his situation and why he wouldn’t be in for work. 64

‘Let’s go, when we are there we can get the pills Sadie spoke of and they can help your pain. If we can get them you shouldn’t need to stay, they can’t do this to you all. Is there more people there?’65

‘Everyone else has died so far, we are the last ones left.’ Madeline answered, shivering now. She was dying and knew it, how long she had left but she didn’t know the pills had been hiding the pain and fact from her. ‘Greg can I talk to you please?’ Madeline got out of bed and walked into the neat little lounge room.66

‘What is it?’ He asked.67

‘When we go there I want you to call the police, those girls can get help from real doctors. Can you do something for me though?’ Looking down Madeline knew he would say no but he had to ask.68

‘Depends on what it is I guess.’ Grabbing a glass of water he handed to Madeline with some Panadol. ‘Should help the headache a little.’69

‘Thanks, those pills that stop the pain, that’s all they do to keep me happy. When this is over I know I won’t live long, I want you to kill me or something.’ Madeline placed the glass on the counter afraid that she would drop it. ‘Please?’70

‘No way, I won’t kill you. What makes you so sure you will die?’ Greg barked. 71

‘I don’t know, it’s just intuition I guess, this pain isn’t exactly easy and I can barely breathe it hurts so much just talking this hurts and my head feels like it will explode my brain is shutting down along with everything else.’ Taking short breathes Madeline went on. ‘That machine destroyed more then just memory cells. Look.’ Going to reach for the cup Madeline’s hand closed over thin air three times before actually picking up the cup.72

‘I wont kill you, but I will make it as painless for you as I can. I promise.’ Hoping he could keep the promise Greg waited for Madeline’s approval. 73

‘Thank you, now let’s go.’ Madeline went to walk from the room but her legs collapsed, Greg’s arms shot out and he caught her. 74

‘Let me carry you?’ Madeline only nodded, she felt so weak.75

Boratic Psychiatric.76

‘Triple zero what is your emergency?’ 77

‘Hello my name is Doctor Greg Zachary, I would like you to send an ambulance and police to this address please, I have discovered Illegal happenings here. One hundred and five Forest Road. Thank you.’78

‘Okay Dr Zachary, they will be there shortly. Is there people injured there?’ 79

‘Just one girl, the others seem in pretty good shape though they will need medical attention.’80

‘Okay we’ll be there as soon as possible.’81

‘It is good of you to come back Madeline, and oh look you brought us a guest did you, not a very smart thing to do.’ The Doctor opened the entrance doors and walked out; he looked Greg up and down with a smirk.82

‘Pity you look like an intelligent one.’ The Doctor raised a gun and pointed it at Greg who didn’t even flinch. ‘Oh my not scared? Different from this lot.’ He pointed the gun at Madeline instead who only stared back at him, to weak to show emotion. ‘I told you that it wasn’t smart to leave, look at the state you’ve gone and got yourself in now.’83

‘I don’t care what state I am in, you killed my dad in front of me, used me as bait then shot me and my mother. I’ll never forgive you for that.’ Voice barely louder then a whispered Madeline leant on Greg for support, she was getting weaker and weaker, soon she had a feeling she wouldn’t even be able to stand. ‘Why did you keep me alive this long?’84

‘Oh because you were valuable, I was trying to make the machine work so it didn’t destroy other cells of the brain.’ The Doctor tightened his finger on the trigger when Greg took a menacing step forwards.85

‘You mean you knew what you were doing to her, damaging her brain like that and you kept going? You should be ashamed; you don’t deserve to be called a doctor.’ Greg snapped in anger, the nerve of this guy.86

‘How much have you told him?’ The Doctor raged.87

‘Everything.’ Smiling in the Doctors discomfort Madeline laughed a little, first time in two years it wasn’t fake or forced for the sake of the three cowering girls behind her. ‘You wont get off easy, for all the deaths.’ 88

‘What do you mean easy?’ The Doctor asked in confusion. He was answered when police sirens started whining in the distance. ‘What have you done?’89

‘The right thing!’ Greg tackled the Doctor knocking him to the ground; they struggled around the gun until finally a shot was fired. Staggering backwards the girls screaming Madeline felt tears sting her eyes as her hands went to her stomach, the bullet had got her.90

‘Madeline!’ Turning his back on the Doctor Greg ran over to Madeline, catching her again when she collapsed, there was so much pain on her face that he couldn’t keep back his own tears. ‘No come on now, this is nothing I promised you don’t you dare die like this Madeline, I-I promised you.’ 91

‘You bastard!’ Screamed Greg at the Doctor who stood by chuckling, ‘you are fucked in the head what is your real name?!’ 92

‘Cornelius Barnsterm.’ Finally his name was revealed and Greg’s eyes went wide at the name. ‘Not so tough now are you?’93

‘But you died, you were put in an institution for being unstable, you killed patients for no reason then killed yourself how…?’ 94

Gagging on the strong smell of blood Madeline coughed, she was hanging by her wrists from a chain attached to a hook from the ceiling; the only light she could see with was the single small overhead light bulb hanging from its own little chain from the room. Swinging herself around, pain shooting through her bullet wounded chest, Madeline took in the large room. 95

The reason for the smell was knowledgeable as Madeline swung the chain enough to see more of the room. Blood was smeared over paper clippings from newspapers on the wall; it filled jars on shelves, sinks and a large claw foot bath in the corner that was occupied by numerous amounts of body parts. 96

Holding back the threatening urge to throw up Madeline looked away from the submerged mass. Averting her gaze instead to something else, she began studying the floor her toes were metres from relaxing her shoulders with, hanging the way she was, threatened her shoulders with dislocation. It was red and stained bits and pieces here and there, Madeline was even sure some was teeth and bits of dried skin and broken finger nails. 97

Directly across from her the limp bodies of policeman swung slowly, blood dripped from their toes, slit throats gaping like wide smiley faces. Madeline shivered at the memory of their sudden, brutal demise hours before. 98

The police were running, the paramedics were lying face down on their stretchers, blood dripping from their disembowelled bodies, stumps where their heads had once been. Gun shots fired in a non stop drawl cracks and bangs of gun powder, bodies were strewn across the ground, blood pooling in deep crimson red puddles. 99

Sitting with Greg hunched over her, Sadie, Taylah and Brodie, Madeline watched the vicious scene unfold like a horror movie. Watching the Doctor move through the police like they were rag dolls sent shivers down her spine. It was horrible. With nothing but his bare hands after all the bullets had gone through so many heads, he snapped necks with ease, and ripped heads from bodies. 100

This cannot be happening, Madeline had thought as she watched in shock, her heart beating against her chest, doing overtime. Silence settled soon after the massacre took place, rain seeming to fall in a ceremonious end to the policemen’s lives, washing away all the blood that had been spilled. 101

The Doctor stood in the centre of the mess, bodies broken and bloody around him, some heads still rolling. How had he done all this, isn’t he human? Turning on them, his white lab coat stained evermore with blood, dripping from the hems at the bottom, bits of skin deep under his nails, he smirked and whispered; “You are all next.”102

Swinging still Madeline shivered again; she couldn’t see the girls or Greg was she the only one in this room? Dripping echoed in the room, she hadn’t heard that before, now though things were silent, her breathing had kind of regulated and more sounds were noticeable. 103

‘Greg?’ Madeline croaked, her eyelids felt heavy and she wanted to go back to sleep. The pain in her chest stabbed at her, making Madeline wish she could bend over and lessen the hurt that threatened to overcome her, make her throw up. 104

‘Twinkle twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are, up above the sky so high, like a diamond in the sky.’ Cornelius clicked the pause button on the tape machine. Madeline froze at the sound, breathe catching in her throat. ‘Twinkle twinkle little star how I wonder what you are, twinkle twinkle, little star.’ He sang the ending, dragging something along behind him slamming it down on the bench ahead of him. ‘Your mother sang that, when we first brought young children in, said it worked a charm on you as a child Madeline.’105

‘My mum…how dare you!’ Madeline thrashed screaming in anguish and pain, struggling against the tight chains cutting off her circulation. More anger spiked through her when she saw what had been thrown on the bench like so much useless meat, Brodie’s scared eyes stared back at her, bloody tears leaking from their corners. 106

‘Brodie…’ Madeline breathed, tears swelling in blood shot eyes.107

‘Oh what is left of her anyway, you see I think I found the cure for Cancer in her, I diagnosed her with it at a young age, studied and studied then bam!’ Cornelius clapped his hands sharply; Madeline winced at the sudden affect. ‘But then she died, so I don’t have sufficient genes for that any longer, oh well.’ He pulled a knife from another part of someone else’s body and slammed it down, sending juices from Brodie’s eyes flying, some landing on Madeline who screamed. 108

Apologizing like he hadn’t meant to make such a mess the Doctor walked over to Madeline, raised the knife to her face were the eye jelly had landed, and scooped it along with some skin from her face. Smiling he dabbed at the blood, ‘now isn’t that better?’109

Crying Madeline looked away, he was crazy, why was he doing all of this? Feeling the edge of the blade pierce her skin again she gasped as it dug into the flesh of her forearm, blood oozing from the fresh wound. Staring at the blood Madeline followed the knife travelling down her body, getting caught on folds of the bloody singlet top she still wore. 110

‘Let us take that bullet out now; we need you fit and healthy for these tests.’ Cornelius smiled as he cut into the top, Madeline began screaming and thrashing, kicking out with her legs despite the pain it caused her arms and chest, she even kept going when he nicked her with the knife. 111

‘Please no stop! Someone help me, please!’ Madeline screamed as he cut away more of the top, his hands shot out, closing around her mouth eyes darting around in paranoia. Was someone near by to hear them?112

Biting his hand Madeline spat a little when he pulled it away, he didn’t look calm and trusted anymore. His neat clipped and together looks were ruffled, blood etched into lines of age in his hand, beard stubbly and grey from not being shaved away, eyes ringed with sleep deprivation. ‘Please don’t do this, you can get help.’113

‘I had help, but they did nothing but fill me with drugs and lock me in a room, studied me and diagnosed me with useless things. Said I was a Narcissistic, Schizophrenic depressed maniac with a vengeance for death and mutilation. They never understood, I was only ever- still am, serious about my work.’114

Not surprised by this, Madeline only nodded. ‘They can do more then that these days; they listen to you and don’t pump you full of drugs, please.’ Madeline knew she sounded weak, but maybe weak was all she needed to get away. Why did I bring them back here?115

Going over to a rusty tray of long forgotten rusted medical instruments Cornelius picked some scissors, a scalpel and a jagged looking instrument he couldn’t remember the name of up. Turning back he plunged the jagged instrument into Madeline’s foot that flew at his face, her face glistening in sweat as she screamed in pain, from both his attack and her own. 116

Retracting the jagged thing he smiled at the blood that oozed from the side of her foot and the scream that she gave. ‘Now that hurt.’ He laughed. ‘Don’t do it again, you need to get better, tests to be done.’ Cornelius was almost singing as he raised the scalpel to Madeline’s chest, the dried blood wound gaping at him. ‘This will hurt.’ He cackled. 117

Unable to remember if she had screamed, Madeline blinked her eyes open, white blinding pain making her throw up from her place hanging from the ceiling, the Doctor was still going, slicing through the skin in her chest with ferocity unnatural for a certified doctor he had once been. Oh god let me pass out again, Madeline prayed in vain, the pain raising more bile in her throat. 118

Making the mistake of looking down Madeline almost died right there, it was disgusting and the pain increased ten fold since she knew what it was he doing. Scissors were sticking from her chest, the scalpel hacking through muscle and when the pain increased and she blissfully lost consciousness again, it was cutting through her ribs. 119

‘Wake up, come one please don’t do this, Madeline!’ Hearing her name through a familiar haze Madeline opened her eyes and smiled crookedly, this is how she felt after being double dosed in Boratic. Fuzzy she smiled down at Greg, her shoulders aching a little as her head pounded from the sedative. Like old times. 120

‘We have to get out here, fast.’ There was such urgency in his voice; Madeline couldn’t stop herself from laughing. This doesn’t feel normal. ‘This is serious Madeline, Sadie and Taylah need help so do you. Stop mucking around!’ Greg hissed, slapping her in the face when she closed her eyes. ‘Don’t go to sleep dammit!’ But im so tired.121

The tautness in her shoulders went and Madeline felt her feet hit the ground, the sensation of being on solid ground didn’t last long though as she fell forward, knees collapsing beneath her from lack of use and the fuzziness in her head. Grabbing Greg’s hand she let him collect her in his arms, he looked okay apart from some cuts and bruises. ‘What’s going on?’ Madeline mumbled, being released from the chains bringing back some normality to her. 122

‘We are getting out here, I have Sadie and Taylah in the car already, I couldn’t find Brodie I am sorry Madeline.’ Greg apologized as they ran through the gloomy halls. Some larger newspaper clippings stood out to Madeline as they ran, her blurry vision picking up snippets of names and dates. 123

‘This used to be his hospital…’ Throwing a numb arm out Madeline managed to snatch an article. I was right, this is his old hospital, he used to own this before he was caught killing his patients. ‘Greg where is he?’ New fear spiked her now, where was Doctor Cornelius?124

‘I took care of him.’ That was all Greg said, he ignored the rest of the Madeline’s cotton candy slurred words, shutting her pained voice out as he weaved through hallways and between cobweb covered mattresses and olden day beds. 125

Finally coming to sunlight outside the hospital Greg placed Madeline on the ground, she lifted a raw and bleeding hand from the chains to her eyes, shielding them from the sun and watched as Greg turned and went back to the hospital. 126

Opening the front door he pulled out three bottles with flimsy old bed spread shoved in them, pulling a lighter from his pocket he shook the antiseptic alcohol up before lighting the material. Throwing them in the front door he slammed them shut, collected Madeline in his arms again and ran for the car. 127

Explosions met them as they drove away, Greg’s hidden car in the bush speeding away from the destructive chaos of Doctor Cornelius’s massacre. 128

In the back of the car Sadie and Taylah were unconscious; their chests moving in a soft and steady rhythm, Madeline smiled knowing they would be okay. Staring back out the windscreen Madeline lost the smile quickly, pain was returning to her battered body as the different sedative began to wear off fast. Groaning her eyes went heavy and she felt herself drift into sleep.129

A hand closed softly over Madeline’s hand as her name was spoken. 130

‘It is okay Madeline, you are going to make it, and I promised you didn’t I?’ Greg shook Madeline and smiled when her eyes opened to slits, she managed to return a glimmer of one before her eyes fluttered closed again, her breath slowing to a barely there wheeze. 131

‘We will make it, I swear.’ Greg drove faster, he kept to his promises, he wouldn’t let Madeline or those girls die, not after everything they just went through. 132

Back at Boratic in the bottom of the underground basement Doctor Cornelius laughed as the flames licked his age skinned, his clothes burn away already. Hanging like all his other victims burning around him, he jangled the chains around his wrists and hummed as the flames melted away his demonic body. 133

Author notes

Umm Psychological coz well yeh he's a pyscho maniac.

A contest entry

Ive moved, I hate this house so I wrote alot, like?

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Comments

1 - 6 of 6

  • xBitterxSweetx
    March 3, 2008

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    Wow a nice plot. You had some really good ideas in here. I enjoyed this story. I would suggest reading over it and fixing the errors that are scattered throughout. Great Job and Thanks for entering!


  • EphemeralStyle
    January 24, 2008

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    Woah this is really dark. Descriptive without being boring and over-the-top. Very well researched, too. Very few grammar mistakes and most are just typos. This reminds me of a story by James Patterson, 'When the Wind Blows'. Have you read it? It's really good ^^

    I had a bit of trouble staying with this about halfway through; everything happens too easily and there's no mental conflict or doubts. It might be better if there was some sort of contrast between the flashbacks and the present; italix or even some sort of break (i.e. an asterix or something)

    I think the characters would be reluctant to be too talkative about their past, but the conversations were still quite fluent and realistic.

    Very graphic ^^" But very impressive <3

    Eph


    • asthray.heart
      January 25, 2008
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      Tnk you :]
      I own that book hehe, I ♥ his writing I own many of his works recently bought Jack and Jill. I reccomend the read.


  • Infectious Insanity
    November 6, 2007

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    good starter.... wow... v. good...... not exactly my type, but i wont hold it against you................

    goodluck
    *Sheepy*


  • DYerMaker16
    October 21, 2007

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    Wow. I really liked that. Very chilling. Although there are some parts that need grammar check, all in all I think it was really good. Good luck in the contest and thanks for entering!

  • Jinxgirl
    October 6, 2007

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    this is a very interesting story, i like institutional type stories. however this is not exactly what i was looking for in the area of subtle horror- this is more outright horror. also the grammar in this needs some work. thanks for entering

1 - 6 of 6