Demons In My Head
01
My name is Adalyn Nicole Hunter. At only 16 years of age, I had already been admitted into more psychiatric hospitals than I could count. I was deemed clinically insane. My doctor, Dr. Anna Sorvino, said I suffered from schizophrenia, which explained my auditory and visual hallucinations. I wasn’t sure if she was lying or not, but then again my paranoia usually caused me to second-guess everyone’s motives.
I remember the first time my mother thought there was something truly unusual about me. I was six years old. My friend, Cerberus, who in retrospect was not truly my friend, told me to set the couch on fire. I did as he told me to and my mother took me to see Dr. Sorvino. What I didn’t understand back then was Cerberus wasn’t real. He was a visual hallucination. I thought they were being deceitful. He told me they were lying. My mother and I were in Dr. Sorvino’s office when they told me he wasn’t real, but I could see him. He was sitting on the corner of the desk shaking his head and telling me that they were lying. They were envious that he was my friend and they weren’t. I remember standing up, screaming, and shoving everything off Dr. Sorvino’s desk.
“Are you ready to go honey?” My mother asked.
I didn’t respond. Cerberus was sitting across from me and telling me how my mother was trying to commit me again.
“You have to fight back! If they commit you, I won’t be allowed to see you. You can’t let them take you away from me!” He screamed.
I cringed at the intensity of his voice.
“Fight back Adalyn.” He whispered callously before disappearing.
“Adalyn? Did you hear me? Put your coat on so we can go.” My mother said.
She was perturbed with me. I could tell by the tone of her voice. I knew she hated the fact that I was ‘sick’.
“NO!” I screamed at her.
My mother took a step back in trepidation.
“Adalyn please don’t do this.” She begged.
I had to fight back. I had to make Cerberus proud.
“I won’t let you take him from me. Cerberus is my only friend and you want to take him away. I won’t let you. You cannot make me miserable anymore mother.” I yelled.
“Good girl Adalyn.” Cerberus said.
I turned to look at him.
“Are you proud of me?” I asked.
“Of course my dear.” He said before fading away again.
I was too busy paying attention to Cerberus to see my mother walk out of the room. If only I had noticed her leave. I could have stopped her from calling the Dr. Sorvino.
I was taken aback when two men ran into my room and restrained me. I tried to fight back but it did no good. They stuck a needle into my hip and I was out like a light.
I woke up in the cold bedroom of a mental institution. It was the same one I had been in many times before.
“Adalyn, get up darling.” Cerberus voice called.
“I’m sorry.” I said as tears flowed down my face.
“You should be, but now you must make it up to me. I need you to sneak behind the nurse’s station and grab as many bottles of pills as you can. Then come back and take every last pill.” He instructed.
I nodded my head and peeked out the door. There was a nurse sitting in a chair at the beginning of the hallway. She was fast asleep and I knew if I was silent, I could sneak past her.
I tiptoed my way down the hallway and past the sleeping nurse.
“I can’t believe he used that pick-up line on you.” A female voice said with a repugnant laugh.
“I know. I told him there was no chance in hell he was getting in my pants.” Another woman said.
I hid in the corner until the women were out of sight. Once they were gone, I slipped behind the nurse’s station and started grabbing as many pill bottles as I could.
I flitted back down to my room soundlessly and holed myself up in the bathroom.
“Good girl Adalyn.” Cerberus said, as he appeared perched on the counter.
One by one, I took every single pill. After the first eighty, I began to feel weak and disjointed. With a loud thud, my body crashed to the floor and I was lifeless.
I remember the first time my mother thought there was something truly unusual about me. I was six years old. My friend, Cerberus, who in retrospect was not truly my friend, told me to set the couch on fire. I did as he told me to and my mother took me to see Dr. Sorvino. What I didn’t understand back then was Cerberus wasn’t real. He was a visual hallucination. I thought they were being deceitful. He told me they were lying. My mother and I were in Dr. Sorvino’s office when they told me he wasn’t real, but I could see him. He was sitting on the corner of the desk shaking his head and telling me that they were lying. They were envious that he was my friend and they weren’t. I remember standing up, screaming, and shoving everything off Dr. Sorvino’s desk.
“Are you ready to go honey?” My mother asked.
I didn’t respond. Cerberus was sitting across from me and telling me how my mother was trying to commit me again.
“You have to fight back! If they commit you, I won’t be allowed to see you. You can’t let them take you away from me!” He screamed.
I cringed at the intensity of his voice.
“Fight back Adalyn.” He whispered callously before disappearing.
“Adalyn? Did you hear me? Put your coat on so we can go.” My mother said.
She was perturbed with me. I could tell by the tone of her voice. I knew she hated the fact that I was ‘sick’.
“NO!” I screamed at her.
My mother took a step back in trepidation.
“Adalyn please don’t do this.” She begged.
I had to fight back. I had to make Cerberus proud.
“I won’t let you take him from me. Cerberus is my only friend and you want to take him away. I won’t let you. You cannot make me miserable anymore mother.” I yelled.
“Good girl Adalyn.” Cerberus said.
I turned to look at him.
“Are you proud of me?” I asked.
“Of course my dear.” He said before fading away again.
I was too busy paying attention to Cerberus to see my mother walk out of the room. If only I had noticed her leave. I could have stopped her from calling the Dr. Sorvino.
I was taken aback when two men ran into my room and restrained me. I tried to fight back but it did no good. They stuck a needle into my hip and I was out like a light.
I woke up in the cold bedroom of a mental institution. It was the same one I had been in many times before.
“Adalyn, get up darling.” Cerberus voice called.
“I’m sorry.” I said as tears flowed down my face.
“You should be, but now you must make it up to me. I need you to sneak behind the nurse’s station and grab as many bottles of pills as you can. Then come back and take every last pill.” He instructed.
I nodded my head and peeked out the door. There was a nurse sitting in a chair at the beginning of the hallway. She was fast asleep and I knew if I was silent, I could sneak past her.
I tiptoed my way down the hallway and past the sleeping nurse.
“I can’t believe he used that pick-up line on you.” A female voice said with a repugnant laugh.
“I know. I told him there was no chance in hell he was getting in my pants.” Another woman said.
I hid in the corner until the women were out of sight. Once they were gone, I slipped behind the nurse’s station and started grabbing as many pill bottles as I could.
I flitted back down to my room soundlessly and holed myself up in the bathroom.
“Good girl Adalyn.” Cerberus said, as he appeared perched on the counter.
One by one, I took every single pill. After the first eighty, I began to feel weak and disjointed. With a loud thud, my body crashed to the floor and I was lifeless.