Orchard Hill
The sign read: Orchard Hill Mental Health Hospital. Rob looked up tracing the individual letters. Moving into the hospital was the right thing to do. His friends agreed.
He pressed the button on the wall, a bell rang out behind the door. Rob checked his bag and suitcase were still next to him. He had a habit of losing things, or rather thinking he had lost something when it hadn’t been lost at all.
Nobody came to answer the door. Rob turned the handle and pushed the door open.
“Are you sure about this?”
Rob looked at the owner of the voice. Cindy.
Cindy was eight years old. She had curly pigtails complimenting her baby pink dress. Cindy was one of Rob’s ‘Friends’.
Rob didn’t want to upset the child, but he knew that if the treatments from the hospital were successful he would no longer see her.
“I need help Cindy. The people here can help me.”
He knew that everyone was watching him, and they all knew he was lying, apart from Cindy. He was surprised they didn't try to stop him from entering the building.
Rob lifted up his suitcase and headed into a small entrance room that had a reception desk and a few chairs. He looked about the room, it was clean and neat. Sterilised. Rob could feel a bubble of apprehension well up in him. This wasn't his first attempt to clear the voices from his mind.
There was a woman sat behind the desk wearing a nurses uniform that looked dated to Robs eyes.
“Ah Mr Alexander, right this way.” The woman had a hoarse voice.
She lead him through a corridor and past a securely locked door.
Rob started to feel uncomfortable. Inside it looked like an ordinary hospital. He could smell bleach and urine. It reminded him of the last time he had gone down this road.
She lead him to room 28. The door was already open. Inside stood a single bed, a wardrobe, and a table and chair.
Rob wheeled in his suitcase and surrendered, sitting down on the bed.
“The doctor will be on his rounds so he’ll see you soon. Make yourself comfortable.”
Rob looked around the room. The bare white walls emanated an icy cold air. Rob opened up his suitcase and rummaged for a jacket.
Knock. Knock.
Rob looked up at the door as a man wearing a white coat entered the room with a clipboard in his hands.
“Mr Alexander?” The doctor stepped forward offering his hand.
Rob stood up and greeted the doctor with a firm handshake.
“There’s a group therapy session tonight that I want you to join and then tomorrow we can have a one to one. You don’t need to speak at the group session tonight as its your first time but hopefully you will start to share. Here is a list of the meetings you should start with.”
The doctor handed Rob a piece of paper with room numbers and times on it.
“I will leave you to get settled in. See you tonight.”
Rob decided to find room 203 ready for tonight. He walked through the building, peering into various rooms as he walked past. He found a mix of places that were quiet and empty and rooms that were full of people.
He found the room he was looking for. The door wasn’t locked. Entering the room, Rob found chairs forming into a circle in the centre of the room.
“What are you looking for?” Oliver asked.
Rob was surprised to see Oliver. He was the least persistent character he had ever met.
“Nothing.” he responded.
“How long are you going to stay here?”
“I don’t know.”
“Why do you want us gone?”
Rob looked Oliver in the eye.
“Because you’re not supposed to be here.”
Rob walked away, leaving Oliver in the room as he retraced his steps back to his room.
He eventually found the room that had his things where he had left them, to his surprise.
He fell onto the bed curling up into a ball.
“I don’t understand what you’re doing here. This place is making you sick.”
Charlotte sat on top of the table as she spoke. Charlotte was one of his ‘Friends’. She had been with Rob since the beginning.
“You’re the one making me sick. You’re in my head. You’re not real. I need help”
Charlotte huffed. “If i’m not real then what does that make those ghosts out there?”
Rob started to laugh, it lacked his usual playfulness.
“Ghosts? The people out there are real. You’re the one in my head.”
“If i’m in your head, how come I can do this?” Charlotte kicked the chair over.
Rob closed his eyes. He couldn't handle another one of Charlotte's arguments right now. She was right about this place making him sick, he was starting to feel unsteady.
A deafening noise rang throughout the building, Rob opened his eyes again. This sound didn’t come from his room. Thankfully, Charlotte had left.
The sound had come from the corridor.
Rob decided to go and investigate, figuring someone might be injured and need help.
Rob walked in the direction of the sound. He saw a light of a torch coming from one of the rooms. He wondered who would use torch with the corridor lights on.
As he stepped towards the doorway, the lights abruptly turned off, transforming the corridor into complete darkness. The torch light bounced around the room, temporarily blinding Rob.
Rob eyes adjusted to the gloom, and he screamed. The floor and walls were black with decay.
The torch fell with a clatter, footsteps retreated down the hall.
There were people screaming and running.
Rob ran back to his room and shut the door behind him. His room was as he had left it.
He sat on the bed, rubbing the sheets between his fingers, strenuously calming his breathing. He looked at all the people in his room, his ‘friends’. He wondered if they would ever leave him.
This is my entry to the twenty-four hour short story contest by @mctiller
A really big thank you to @Calluna for the amazing advice and critical guidance!
Find out about the contest here
Image from Pixabay