Mallor Institute

Chapter 2; Bane

I’ve been at the institute five months now. Ms. Deamon says the treatment is working but I don’t believe her because I can still hear these voices. My parents gave me over to the institute when Mr. Mallor determined I was schizophrenic and thank heavens for him. Without his treatment, I’d still be running loose and doing whatever the voices inside my head told me to do.

“Breakfast time!” The nurse announces. I whip my head around to see who it might be today and make eye contact with Ms. Lorena, she is nice. And sometimes she sneaks me extra treats. “Gosh, it’s hot in here”, I hear. Was that Ms. Lorena? Are my voices back? I put my head down and frown trying to shake it off.

“What’s on the menu today miss?” I ask pinning my ear on the door to listen. She returns no response and instead slips my tray through the small opening in the center of the cold steel door. I quickly grabbed the warm metal tray and reviewed its contents broccoli, rice, and beef crumbles, the same meal from yesterday. Even though it looked unappetizing my stomach still growled greedily, and I didn’t give a second thought to chowing down my breakfast. By the time I was finished the metal tray was cleaner than I’d received it and my stomach was satisfied, I placed the empty tray against the door and climbed back up onto my bed. It wasn’t much of a bed more of a piece of foam with a pillow and a blanket although, I don't mind, as long as I have somewhere to rest my head at night.

I hear a sharp click and before I know it Mr. Mallor has walked into the room with two other nurses, both armed with needles to poke me if I get out of hand. I keep my hands to my side and look straight ahead, avoiding eye contact with any of them.

“Bane Rosenburg, you are due for treatment please follow me.” Mr. Mallor turns around and is walking out of the room without awaiting my response. By now I am used to it and follow along obediently.

“Ms. Deamon says I’m adjusting very well.” I chip in a few words to make the walk less agonizing.

“Very much so Mr. Rosenburg, you have shown very good progress.”

“Will I be due to leave within the coming months?” the excitement in my voice rises an octave too high and I can sense Mr. Mallor is becoming tense, I focus my eyes down the hallway and we walk the rest of the way in silence.

The treatment room hasn’t changed a bit, dark and humid with the stench of peroxide and blood. The warm buzz of the machinery sends a shock up my spine, a room I know all too well and the practices performed here that left me exhausted and sore for weeks. It’s all for the betterment of the future, for the future generations and the generations thereafter. A breakthrough in medicine and science and I was in the middle of it all.

Mr. Mallor placed the cold metal handcuffs around my wrists and led me towards the beds in the treatment area. Ms. Deamon was standing over an occupied bed with a small girl lying on it, she must have just completed her in-patient assessment. I don’t recognize her and I try hard to make out her facial features, staring all too long. She looks up at me and I give her a grin, “Help.” I hear. The girl turns away and I drop my grin, the voices are back and this is why Mr. Mallor is taking me for more treatment. I try to block out any more voices that might come and focus hard on what's to come, my treatment, to stop these horrible voices from coming back.

“Lay back now Bane, it’s time for you to go to sleep.” Mr. Mallor tells me, I shut my eyes and wait for the pinch of the needle in my left forearm. Once I feel it all my desires and dreams melt away. I am asleep, safe, away from the voices, free from myself.


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Comment down below if you'd like me to continue with this series, I will try to update at least once per week! Thanks for reading!