Escaped From An Insane Asylum [Chapter Two]

Evan’s eyes widened as she realized the possibility that followed the door being open.

She released the door handle and hurried back towards the bed, lifting the light mattress for the one object she’d managed to sneak in with her.

The crumpled piece picture was still clear, however the writing on the back was not, but Evan could still make out the light letters and numbers.

Flashback: Four months before his death

“Connor!” Evan rushed into her brother’s open arms.

“Hey Evan” he laughed messing up her hair.

Evan crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at him, “Where have you been?”

“Whoa, calm down there. I’ve just been taking a little vacation” Connor raised his hands in self-defense.

“Mom and Dad do not think skipping out on winter break and not calling a vacation” Evan said exasperatedly, “They are going to kill you”

“I wasn’t doing anything illegal, just visiting some friends in a special place” Connor chuckled dropping his backpack to the floor.

“Where?” Evan questioned curiously.

“Promise you won’t tell Mom and Dad?” Connor raised his pinky finger.

Evan smiled connecting her pinky with his, “Cross my heart and hope to die”

That seemed to satisfy Connor, “Alright, I was at Castleton’s Home for Delinquents”

Evan frowned, “What’s that?”

“It’s a house where a few boys go cause they’re too bad to stay at home” Connor explained as basically as he could.

“So why did YOU go there?” Evan pressed “You aren’t bad”

“I needed to see a few people” Connor shrugged and when Evan raised an eyebrow he continued, “Nothing dangerous, I promise. Just, I know a few people there and they were depending on me to help them”

Evan crossed her arms.

Connor sighed, “Here, I’ll show you”

He bent down to shuffle through his backpack, and after a few minutes he stood back up wielding a picture.

He handed it to Evan who clasped it gently in her fingers. The picture was of Connor surrounded by eight boys. They were jumping all over him, the picture capturing some of them in mid jump.

Connor had his arms wrapped around two of the younger looking boys, grinning.

“Flip it over” Connor urged.

Evan turned the picture over in her hands to study the writing on the back. It was an address, along with descriptions on the back of every boy in the picture.

“Wow” Evan breathed. She flipped it back over to study the picture once more.

“Hold on to it for me, okay? I don’t want Mom and Dad to find it in my room or anything” Connor said smiling.

Evan grinned, “Okay”

Flash Forward: Present Time

The address was just barely legible, and Evan shoved the picture into her small pocket and sprinted back towards the door.

George would be making his runs soon, and he was bound to see that Evan was not in her room when he stopped to make conversation with her.

She slipped quietly out of the room, mentally thanking Dr. Landing for being stupid enough to not make sure the door was shut all the way.

After being escorted down the hallway many a times in order to get to Dr. Landing’s office, Evan knew the building pretty well. Still, she wasn’t exactly sure how she was going to get past the security in the front hall.

Evan started walking, her heart racing. The security wasn’t brilliant on the small building, seeing as how no one had ever tried to escape. Evan wondered exactly why that was.

You’re slow the voice taunted.

Evan wondered why the voice was so determined to help her get out today, it obviously hadn’t helped any other time during the past year.

Part of Evan thought that just maybe she deserved to be in the mental hospital, after all, she WAS hearing a voice. A voice that talked to her constantly, a voice that knew all about her surroundings.

The other, more dominant, part of Evan knew that in order to get better, she was going to need to get out. It’s not like the voice was ordering her to kill people, in fact, the voice had been nothing but helpful.

“Thanks Connor” Evan hissed to herself.

Connor. That’s who Evan believed the voice was. It sounded stupid, sure, but at times Evan was positive that the voice talking to her was her older brother. At least, that’s who she hoped it was.

Evan’s pace increased, and she tried to convince herself that it had nothing to do with what the voice had said. If she started listening to it, it meant that she was actually hearing it.

Evan passed a few other rooms and was glad when none of the tenants noticed her.

“I’ve got to get out of here” Evan urged herself. Her goal seemed so very far away.

Her destination after escaping was surprisingly close, only a few bus rides away, but Evan wasn’t even sure if they would take her in. After all, it was a place for boys, and it was clearly seen that she was a girl.

Evan rounded the last corner and saw it. The door. The easiest way out, yet the most difficult at the same time for the security guard sat, practically waiting for someone to try and escape.

Evan wasn’t going to try and risk it by just running, though the guard was awfully overweight and she was sure she could outrun him. No doubt the fat man would call for backup, and Evan would be placed back into her cell, with extra security to ensure she couldn’t try to escape again.

Sleep Connor hissed in her mind. She flinched with the sudden intrusion, but took what he said into account. The old man DID seem close to falling asleep in his chair. Perhaps, if she just waited long enough, the tired man would fall asleep.

But Evan didn’t have time to sit in the middle of an empty hallway and wait for someone to fall asleep. George would be coming around soon, she needed to get out now, or never.

The front hall was designed much like a hotel. The front desk was supposed to give a vacation-y feel to it, Evan supposed. She slipped the her knees and carefully scooted along side the desk, making sure to keep low to the ground.

The door was probably around ten feet away, but Evan didn’t think she could make it before fatty called for back up. She needed this to be perfect.

The phone rang.

Chance

Evan grumbled silently to herself, trying to ignore the voice. The guard took a moment to get up and then started behind the desk to answer the blaring phone.

She heard footsteps down a few hallways and knew that George had started early.

“Shit” she mumbled, making sure she was quiet so the guard would not hear her.

“Yeah, yeah, Doc’s in” The guard muttered uninterestedly into the phone.

He waited a moment before he sighed, “Yes, Dr. Landing has appointments open, but you’re going to have to” Insert deep breath “Call her instead of the front desk”

Pause.

“Yes, I can give you her number. Give me a” Insert deep breath “second to find it”

The sound of drawers opening told Evan that it was time to go. Now, or she’d never get out.

Evan crawled to the edge of the desk and took a deep breath, much like the guard’s, before she got up, balancing on her toes. The guard was still shuffling and Evan could see that he wasn’t in any position to chase after her efficiently.

Evan sprinted towards the door, realizing for the first time that the door could very well be locked.

“Ah-hey! What are you doing?” The guard huffed, slamming the phone down despite the protest on the other end of the line.

Evan wrenched open the door, once again applauding the stupidity of everyone at Mellow Brook who didn’t bother with the security.

“Girl, girl, get back here. What are you doing?” The guard repeated out of breath already.

Evan didn’t let the smile slip onto her face until she was sure that she was out of reach of the fat guard. When it was finally on, Evan knew it was going to take a lot to get it off.

Free the voice murmured. Evan was near positive she could hear happiness in the voice.

“I know Connor, I’m free” she replied, no longer feeling stupid for talking to herself. After all, she’d already been in a mental institution. Talking to herself was the one thing that people expected from a crazy person.