I Need a Hero

I snapped up in bed, my breathing eradicated. Looking around I sighed at the familiar surroundings. My bed, desk, bookshelf, my room. I can’t believe I had such a random dream. I pushed myself out of bed and crossed the room to my closed door.

“Mom?” I called once the door was open. It was pretty late then. Our whole hall was black minus the small, blue nightlight. A faint light was coming from downstairs letting me know someone was in the living room.

“Dad?” I tip toed on the carpet, the off white material squishing between my toes. When I finally got to the bottom of the stairs I felt a chill go down my spine. I shivered, wrapping my arms around myself.

“Hello?” I stepped into the living room to see my parents’ backs to me. The TV was playing something in black and white with the volume all the way down. My eyebrows narrowed in confusion as I walked around the couch. “Mom? Dad?”

“What are you doing up?” My mom asked, eyes trained on the TV.

“Bad dream,” I replied with a shrug as I sat on the other couch.

“Bad dream? Like a nightmare?” I nodded as I stared at the TV too, trying to think of why it seemed familiar. “You haven’t had a nightmare since you were nine.”

“I know. That’s kind of why it confused me. But it just seemed so real.”

“What was it about?” My mom inquired. I laughed at the thought.

“I think I need to stop watching SyFy movies,” I giggled.

“How come?”

“I dreamed that you two sent me to a mental hospital. Silly, right?” My parents’ eyes finally broke away from the TV only to share a look with each other. “Right?”

“Not exactly.” I stared at my dad confused. What did that mean?

“What do-”

“I think you should watch this. It’s very informative,” my Mom interjected, turning up the volume. A loud screaming reached my ears. My screaming. On TV was me in my “therapy” at Bridgeview. I covered my ears as I screwed my eyes shut.



“Brenda! Brenda!” My eyes snapped open to come face-to-face with brown eyes. Johnny’s to be more specific. The screaming finally stopped. It was then that I realized it was me who was screaming. I bit back a sob and latched myself onto him. The only thought I had was that it wasn’t just a dream. They really had put me here.

“Why did it have to be real?” I cried, tightening my grip. Johnny sighed, running a hand through my hair.

“That dream of this all being fake, huh?” I nodded as I was unable to speak clearly. “It’s going to sound cruel but you’ll get over it. Everyone had those dreams, even Matt. After a while they just stop. Well, that or you just get so used to them they never bother you.”

“Do you still have them?” I whispered.

“Yeah, sometimes.”

“Are they bad?” Johnny chuckled darkly.

“Depends what you call ‘bad’. Some people would think they’re actually good. Most of them involve my parents actually giving a damn about me. When I started to believe them I’m suddenly tackled to the ground and hauled here. I think they’re just stupid now. It’s dumb to believe I can turn back time.”

“How could your parents not care for you?” I asked, truly shocked such a thing could happen. The people you called Mom and Dad, by blood or not, should always love you.

“That’s another story for another day.” I fell silent knowing there was no breaking him. “Oh yeah, here.”

I looked at the tray Johnny held to me with confusion. It was covered by a green dome. “What’s this?”

“Dinner. They thought you might just want to eat in here since we thought you wouldn’t feel good after therapy.”

“Oh.” I took it from his hands and sat in the center of my bed, cross legged. I placed it to balance on my knees and removed the lid. I laughed at the sight of chicken nuggets and fries. “The cafeteria made this?”

“Well actually I made those. I help out in the kitchen sometimes. Today the nurses just let me make our floor’s food and didn’t complain,” he replied with a shrug.

“How do you get to make food?” I asked curiously. I popped in a fry and grinned. Edible food, thank goodness.

“Well it involved a lot of ass kissing. Plus it’s better to be doing cafeteria duty then having to go with the doctor to help give medicine to the level five patients,” Johnny replied, involuntarily shuddering. “This way I can, at least, make delivers to all the others without having a guard hanging over my shoulder. They trust me with a key only to this floor.”

“That’s a lot to be trusted with,” I said, somewhat in awe. He just smiled and nodded.

“Well I have to go drop off other meals. Jessica’s in the library, but should be back soon. Uhm, just leave your tray on your trunk on the end and I’ll come by again later.”

“Okay. Thank-you again Johnny. For everything.” He just nodded, his adorable smile his way of saying ‘no problem’. Once the door was clicked shut and locked, I sighed. I ate the rest of my meal in silence. I really didn’t even taste the food. Just after I placed the tray on my trunk is when Jessica walked in, escorted by Ron. She turned to me as soon as the door shut with a warm smile.

“How you doing doll?” Jessica asked soothingly. Like you mother does when you’re young and just woke up from a horrible nightmare. I wish it was just that.

“Much better,” I replied with a nod of my head.

“Good to hear,” Jessica said happily. I nodded again, climbing off my bed to stand in front of the window. By the way the sun was almost set I figured it was around seven-ish. I turned around to see Jessica laying on her stomach, reading a book.

“Wait, you can read books here?” She looked up with a ‘duh’ face.

“It’s kind of why they call it the library. They just make sure they’re all paperback so you don’t somehow managed to injure yourself,” Jessica replied with a slight roll of her eyes at the hospital’s superstitious actions.

“Well maybe I won’t go crazy here,” I muttered as I walked to my trunk to find pajamas. I smelt my shirt and grimaced at the smell. I definitely needed a damn shower. “When am I allowed to started going the library then?”

“Hm.” I turned around with my pajamas to see Jessica with a thoughtful look. “It’s tough to say. If you are on your best behavior, probably within a week.”

“Oh. Well I’ll just have to be the perfect little angel,” I remarked with a shrug. I headed over to the bathroom. “I’ll be in the shower.”

“Have fun! Don’t get lost,” Jessica joked. I just rolled my eyes.

“I’ll try to not stumble into Narnia’s secret door.” With that I shut the door behind me. My eyebrows furrowed when I saw no lock. It was such a habit for me to lock the door during my shower. I shrugged it off. I should be happy they give me my own shower instead of like all those prison movies where we shower in a group. I shed to nothing before starting up the water. I placed a hand under the water and shivered. Of course Bridgeview would only offer cold water. ‘We might burn ourselves’ is probably their ingenious thought. Would have been nice if Jessica warned me.

I bit my lip and just took the uncomfortable shower. I took my body wash and began to scrub all the dirt, grim, and sweat off of me to replace it with the scent of cucumber melon. I almost squealed of happiness earlier when I saw that my bags had had brand new bottles of my normal body wash, shampoo, and conditioner. I finished my shower much earlier then I usually do, but you try standing under freezing water for more than five minutes. I quickly pulled on my change of underwear, black short shorts, and a gray tank. I tossed my old clothes into the hamper already having some of Jessica’s clothes and ran out of the bathroom with a towel in hand.

“Oh yeah. We only get cold water,” Jessica called as I jumped in bed and scurried under the comforter, trying to warm up. I glared at her as she never looked up from her book.

“Th-thanks for that,” I hissed, teeth chattering together. They are such assholes here. Give only cold showers and then make it freezing at night? Dicks. I forced myself to sit up so I could towel dry my hair. Jessica slid a scrap piece of paper sporting as a book mark in the center of the spine of the book before shutting it. She placed it on the end table before sitting up to stare at me.

“Sorry about not giving a warning. I’m just so used to it, it never bugs me and the story was at a good part so I forgot to mention it,” Jessica explained sheepishly.

“It’s okay,” I assured her, taking my brush to pull my hair into a ponytail. I shivered again. I leaned over the edge of my bed to open my trunk and grab a black sweater. I pulled it over my head and hugged myself tightly. It was thick so I was back to normal temperature in no time. Jessica stood and headed into the bathroom. Seconds later I heard the familiar sound of a toothbrush sliding across teeth.

“Hey Jessica?” I called softly.

“Yeah?” Her words were a little bit muffled due to the toothpaste I assumed was in her mouth.

“Do you ever…Well, do you ever get nightmares?” For a second there was no reply, but she suddenly laughed. I heard her spit out excess toothpaste before walking to the bathroom door. She leaned against the doorway and continued her assault on any chance of cavities.

“What brought this up?”

“Just curious,” I replied with a shrug. I dropped my towel on the floor, not really in the mood to go hang it up properly. She nodded, obviously not believing me.

“Not really anymore. This place is a nightmare itself. My subconscious decided to stop making all twenty-four hours of my life hell. Everyone’s mind changes after a month or so here. It’s when they don’t you should be worried,” Jessica replied. She disappeared from the doorway again and I heard running water. I laid down, pulling the comforter over my body. I heard Jessica exit the bathroom and flip off the overhead light.

“I’m going to bed,” I informed softly.

“Okay. Do you mind if the lamp’s on?” I shook my head. She pulled the string on her lamp, settling into her pillows. “Okay. Sweet dreams Brenda.”

“Sweet dreams.” With that I shut my eyes, hoping it would be a sweet dream.