White Fox

Shadows stretch down the long corridor, darkening the stone walls. Rusted metal doors line each side of the hall. Moans from the patients behind each door fill the area. The main door to the hallway flings open, dust that had settled on the dirty floor bursts into smoke clouds. Coughing is heard from the figure standing in a clean white lab coat. His golden nametag reflects in the dim glow from the lights along the ceiling—"Dr. Martin Smith."

"Veronica?" he calls out not moving from the door. Patients' groans only reply.

"Veronica?" Smith asks again sternly, stepping forward. Again, no response except this time laughter echoes from the end of the corridor.

"No," Smith mutters to himself frightened, "not again."

Smith sprints toward the laughter, the heels of his black shoes clicking against the stone floor. His footsteps stop abruptly by a metal door. The name on the door reads in carved white lettering, "Leo James Bender." His hands shaking, Smith slides them up the sides of his face into his auburn hair. Smith turns and looks into the cell through the small barred window, watching him laugh hysterically.

"You're doing these things," Smith yells, "You're doing them!"

The patient only laughs at him maniacally. Smith's eyes dart down to the lifeless body of his mentee, Veronica. Her face is pulled into a tight grin with the gun lying next to her bloodied corpse.
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"It's been four years since that girl, Veronica Carson, committed suicide, ya know. Her report said she had attempted to shoot herself in the heart, but the bullet missed by a hair. According to officials, she bled out for thirty minutes while smiling. Veronica was Dr. Martin Smith's second mentee at White Fox Mental Institution. Smith's previous mentee—Sarah Harrison—died after slitting her own throat before one of the patients, Leo Bender. Sarah was also found smiling as she bled out in March of 1960," Mark says to his girlfriend Grace as he drives the car, "apparently after Veronica's death, Smith lost it saying that Bender guy had something to do with both their deaths. The only association they found was that each mentee was drawn to Bender, but he never touched them or killed them—they were all suicides."

"You're just trying to scare me out of the job," Grace sneers, "I'm studying at White Fox because I want to help people. White Fox prides themselves in their women doctors, too. Plus, Martin was ruled insane and he later killed himself. There haven't been any deaths and Bender is still there."

"The kid's young too," Mark replies, "Bender was thrown in the place at sixteen and a year later Harrison dies in front of him. He's been through hell, and that Martin guy swore it was him. The doctors found him crying in his room after both Harrison and Carson's death."
"How old is he?" Grace asks.

"Your age—28, but I'm sure you won't be drawn to him, yeah?"

Grace chuckles, "I sure do like them crazy."

Mark pauses and smiles, "When you gonna marry me?"

Smiling, Grace responds, "After I start my career."

Her boyfriend doesn't answer and pulls up to the building. The institute looms over them; a simple brick building. White letters hang above the large cave-like entrance: "White Fox Mental Institution".