CRACKED

TWO HOURS LATER

It hits me like a bucket of ice water. My eyes blink open rapidly as the cloud disappears and I come staggering back into consciousness…Actually I’m pretty sure it is a bucket of ice water.

I look down and find myself in a porcelain tub, everything around me white, with water up to my hips. My legs are slowly going numb. My brow furrows.

I have to squint in order to look around due to the amount of brightness reflected by all the white. After about a minute my eyes adjust and I see a blurry outline. Only, it’s not a woman’s. It’s Daniel. My confusion increases sevenfold.

Danny boy. What’re you doing? I spit. I hate not knowing what’s going on.

Shh. He whispers as he reaches out a hand to help me out of the tub. I purposely shrug it off and step out myself. Forgoing the towel he offers next I just shake out my hair and look at him more quizzically than before.

I notice now what I hadn’t before. We’re in the orderlies’ bathroom. I only know it because when I left last time I had to drown a guard in here. Which begs the question…what the fuck is Daniel doing?

The gears turn in my head faster than you could blink. I’ve seen the looks he shoots me. He didn’t turn me in after the guard incident. And now he’s waking me up from my semi-comatose state. I reach one conclusion before he even has time to take his next breath: He’s trying to help me escape.

The idea is so laughable that I double over in silent laughter, tears springing into my eyes. Oh boy Danny, this is one ambitious plan. I say when I calm down, Tell me. Just what were you going to do once you got me to come to? There are cameras everywhere. I’m pretty sure they’d notice if I walked out.

His face falls. He’s obviously upset that I’m not grateful. Men are just so stupid. It’s only now that I notice the severity of the black and blue around his nose. It makes me smile. He should’ve learned by now: If you play with fire you’re going to get burned.

Tell you what, you take me back to my little padded cell, and we’ll forget this ever happened…Hey we can even schedule another play date later if you want. I don’t smile. He’s really starting to annoy me.

No, Meg. He whispers, I don’t think that’s going to happen. With that he walks away from me and out the door. Leaving me frozen, wet, and dripping in the stark white room.