Nightmare

“Can you all please line up here?” One of the orderlies patted the grimy counter in front of her, a large white tray full of small white paper cups resting in her arms. She set it down upon the counter and watched as the patients lined up in an orderly fashion, just as she had instructed.

“Sofia, it’s time for you to take your medication.” A gentle knock sounded at her door, causing her to look up from the thick novel lying in her lap. It was Brad, again. He was another orderly and appeared to have taken a special liking to her. She hadn’t failed to notice how his eyes lingered upon her body when he thought she wasn’t looking. It really was to his disadvantage. She certainly wasn’t interested in any type of relations and she wasn’t going to fuck anyone to get out of here. The only thing he would accomplish with his current behavior would be appearing to her and to the rest of the patients as a creep.

She slid off of her bed and moved to the door, brushing past him quickly, hoping to avoid any further interaction. The only thing she wanted was to be left alone. Why didn’t any of these people realize that?

She joined the line and slowly moved along, noticing how they looked very much like a row of prisoners chained together in prison. She jumped slightly as she felt a finger nudge her side. Her small body whirled around as she came face to face with a grinning Matt.

“Scare you?” She was almost wondering at this point if he went anywhere without that smirk of his. Although it did highlight his features nicely, she noticed that it was ever present.

“You just took me by surprise,” she responded calmly as she stepped up to the front of the line and took the small cup the nurse handed her. She opened her mouth and allowed the pills to tumble down her throat before crushing the small cup in her fist and tossing it into a nearby trashcan. “See you later Matt.”

“Wait.” She felt his large, warm hand wrap around her small wrist. “I want you to meet some people.”

Sofia hated meeting new people. It wasn’t that she wasn’t capable of being social; she just hated the first few awkward moments of interaction with another person you weren’t quite sure about. Nothing was ever certain when you were with a person for the first time. Anything could happen. The risk was almost too big to take.

Yet, as she looked into his hazel eyes, she felt her resistance fade away and she released a large sigh. “Alright.”

“Great!” Sofia thought she detected a bit more than just excitement on his face as he guided her towards a small room off of the large hallway. There were two men in this room. One was tall and dark-haired; his lean and toned physique evident even through the unforgiving white jumpsuit. Sofia watched as he knocked his face against the window repeatedly, hitting the same spot each time. He showed no signs of pain or physical discomfort although it had to have hurt somewhat.

Matt placed his hands on the man’s shoulders, preventing his head from hitting the glass once again. He turned him so that he was facing the small girl. “Sofia, this is Brian. Brian, Sofia.”

Now that she was face to face with him, she could see what Matt had meant about the people in here losing their luster. Although he was obviously in great physical shape and was quite attractive, a quick glance into his eyes revealed that there was nothing there. He was an empty shell, with the living, breathing being inside completely absent.

“Hey,” he said quietly, nodding in her direction before turning back towards the window, beginning his assault once more. His voice was a flat monotone. She wondered what had caused him to become this way.

As Matt walked over to another man, her attention shifted. This man had hair the color of a tomato and was currently swaying around the room to a ballad no one could hear. His arms were held as if another person was in them and his footsteps were quick and timely. Sofia felt as if she could have sat and watched him all day. Matt stepped up to the man and tapped his shoulder, causing him to cease all movement. His eyes fluttered open and she noticed their vibrant jewel green color. Never in her life had she seen such beautiful eyes.

“Zacky, this is Sofia.” Matt gestured to the small girl as he spoke her name. Zacky studied her carefully for a few moments before a small smile lit up his face.

“She’s pretty,” he said softly, nodding towards Matt before resuming his dancing once again. It was at that point he was immediately lost in his own world. Matt chose to let him be before turning back to the small blonde girl who also wore a small smile. These men were strange but there was something about them that she couldn’t help but like.

“I would introduce you to Johnny but he’s meeting with someone right now. You could meet him later, if you’d like,” Matt shoved his hands deep into the pockets of the awful white jumpsuit, his head bowing down slightly. It was almost as if he was nervous and she couldn’t help but laugh softly at his behavior. He didn’t seem like the man who would ever become a bundle of nerves but she found it slightly endearing. It was nice to see someone who wasn’t entirely off his or her rocker or a cold, hard wall.

“I’d love to meet him,” Sofia reached out and placed a hand on Matt’s arm, hoping to convey a feeling of encouragement and acceptance. She was rewarded with his brilliant smile as he looked up and into her own hazel eyes that nearly mirrored his own.

The blonde’s gaze flicked to the doorway where a small girl about her own height came into the room. Her dark hair fell in loose waves around her shoulders and her eyes were a brilliant blue. Her skin was a pale ivory and although she was slim, her curves were still entirely evident. To put it simply, she was gorgeous. Sofia watched as she walked up to Brian and reached out for him. He immediately ceased hitting his head against the wall and a large smile lit up his face as he gathered her into his arms. It seemed as if he gained all of his life back as he held her. It was breathtaking.

“Who is that?” Sofia asked softly so as not to disturb the couple.

“Jocelyn,” Matt replied quietly, a small grin on his own face as he watched his friend. “It’s Brian’s girlfriend. When he was admitted, she checked herself in as well so he wouldn’t be alone. She’s the only thing keeping him from losing it in here.”

“Hasn’t everybody already lost it here?”

“Almost. There’s only a few left that haven’t. But I can tell you right now, I won’t be the one to give in.”