Chapter 1 - Vienna
The ruffling of the bed-sheets awakened me. I stared blankly at the ceiling while my grandfather's clock began to strike twelve. The footsteps drew closer to me. I didn't stir, I didn't blink or flinch. I just watched the door, as a figure opened it gently before turning on the lights.
"Turn it off!" I yelled at them."They are other patients here, I forgot to give you your medicine. Please take them and be quieter." Josephine stared at me, her strong black eyes pleading for me to be quiet. I nodded silently, taking the pills off her hands and swallowing them. I looked outside at the window, the rain beating against the large, clear window. "Did you want to take a walk, Ms, Green?" Josephine asked me. "Oh, it's raining outside. Maybe tomorrow night we can take the walk that we had planned. It's fine." I smiled softly, at the thin woman's appearance glancing only occasionally at her eyes. Her rather small breasts had me jealous. I hated mine severely. They were so large and big, everyone stared, and it always impacted my self-esteem growing up. Sometimes, I felt like I might shrivel up and die whenever I have to exercise.
"Is there - anything at all, Vienna. That you would like to talk about?" Josephine sat by the corner of my bed, twisting her stomach to face me. I glanced at her and her slim figure. For sure, I could not go outside that night, or any night or day for that matter. "You alright?" She asked me. I gave her a timid smile and thumbs up before covering my large arms in my bed. A knocking came on the door, and Josephine stood up, making the mattress go back up. "Hello? Is Vienna available to talk?" I heard a deep but yet familiar sounding voice enter through the door, and I watched to see who it might be. "Oh, of course, Doctor." I scoffed and hid my face, facing the wall on the left side of my bed, the blanket covering every single inch on me.
"Vienna, I just wanted to check and see how you're doing. You're alright, right?" I heard Dr. Rome's voice. Rein William Rome. The name echoed through my brain. The thought of my ex lover made me shiver in disgust. "I'm fine." I muttered. Thinking of all the times he did me wrong. My journal was filled to the brim with only stories of his torture. Josephine wouldn't take my attitude towards him. And frequently, she told me: "Be respectful to those who want to help you." Each time I said' i'd be better, but I only got worse with time..
Josephine
I watched Vienna curl up into her usual manner, disgusted by her ungratefulness. I watched her cuddle up with the extra pillow getting ready to be put asleep by Rein's voice. I crossed my arms sourly. I'm watching closely at the two of them. "Hey, how's things been lately." Rein spoke gently. However, he managed to stay under control; is beyond me. I grabbed him a chair that was by her desk. He thanked me quietly, with a nod and a silent whisper, and I smiled softly. "I understand you and Josephine have been taking some night walks, right?" Vienna didn't respond or move, I came closer to her, edging her to get up and look at him. She refused, removing my hand far away from her. "Mm. Maybe I'll come back in the morning, you must be tired." He told her. I looked sternly at Vienna. What on earth had gotten into her? A second ago, she was a friendly, beautiful person, but now she seemed to be like a prick in Rein's flesh.
"I'll be going now. You can take it from here, Josephine." He nodded and smiled sweetly at me, taking one glance back at Vienna, who didn't even notice. Angrily, I shook her bed once the door closed. "What did I tell you yesterday, the day before and the day before that?" I asked her. She pulled a pillow to cover her ears as I roughly removed her blanket. "No, no. Sit up and look at me, Vienna." I sternly demanded her to look at me while I spoke. And she reluctantly did so. "I know what you said, something about being a kind person, but he's just a prick. You don't know him the way I do." She told me, her eyes pleading me to stop talking to her, but I pressed on. "He deserves your respect regardless -"
"He never respected me before I came here." She interrupted me. "What on earth are you talking about, my dear? You only met him a few weeks ago!" I exclaimed.
"If I told you, you'd think I'm mental." She sternly told me, pointing her finger in my face. "All because I'm in here, you'll use it as an excuse. And you know what? Maybe I am a little mental, but it isn't my fault."
"I never called you mental, Vienna."
"You don't have to, I already know that is what you think of me." She stood up, opening the door. "I think I'll be taking that walk after all. And don't follow me, and don't send Rein after me." She sternly told me. Talking to me like a kid. I was slightly bewildered and angry at her. But I calmed myself down and made sure I'd watch her as she walked in the rain.
Vienna
I made sure to take my ugly shoes; the pair I wouldn’t mind using. "Hey, where are you going?" Dr. Rome began to speak to me, not realizing who it was by the tone of his voice. "Hey, look at me!" He spoke, his voice was stern, and his eyes I felt looking at me in my hoodie. I put on my shoes quickly, not in fear but just because I wanted to get out of his hair. "Hey!" He said, walking closer towards me. I looked up at him, with a mask on, and my hood covering my eyes. "Get back to bed. You're not allowed out here." He began to raise his voice slowly. "Put those shoes back, now!" He shouted. I began taking a step backward, my head facing him. "Well - I'm waiting." He frustratedly shouted. I began to back up. Slowly picking up the speed, and with each 3 steps, he took one long one towards me. He reached his hand about to remove my hood, but I slapped his hand away. "Don't touch me, you bitch!" I shouted. "Vienna?" He asked. I started speed-walking away from him, he had clearly recognized my voice. From my little speed walk, I began to sprint, running away, tears overwhelming my eyes. Other patients stared at me through their windows, bewildered at my quote on quote "insanity." I felt like I was truly mental at that moment, and a tear escaped my water filled eyes. Dr. Rome was close behind me, catching up with me quickly. I started to turn back to a walk, and he stopped in a halt. "Don't try to climb that wall." Rein spoke. All of a sudden, he decided to be kind in his tone again. "What is it about me that you don’t like?" He began to quietly mumble. "What I don't like about you? Are you freaking serious?!" I shouted at him, removing my hoodie while Josephine ran up towards us. "You have literally made my life miserable! The worst part is if I ever told a soul, they'd think I'm crazy! And being in a mental institution doesn't plead my case any further!" I shouted.“Vienna, calm down.”I was tempted to laugh and cry, but decided not to, instead. I ran up the wall, grabbing vines the gardener refused to cut as it “wasn’t his responsibility”. I rushed up as police sirens blared in my ears, shut up, shut up! My thoughts raced along with my heartbeat, until I escaped the tall wall, and made a dash, running into the nearby woods.
