Almost Easy

“Do you know why you've been admitted here, Marina?” The psychiatrist sat in a leather chair, looking at Marina intently.

“Because they think I'm crazy,” She responded, rubbing her wrist where they had restrained her.

The second “mental facility” was mentioned, her ability to comply faded. She fought the officers, manipulating them until they finally sedated her for transportation. They didn't believe a word she said, and since there was no proof of who she was working for and she wouldn't admit anything illegal, they deemed her insane. From what the police already knew and what she had graciously told them, they said Marina just needed to seek medical treatment. She's just crazy, that's all.

The problem is, she isn't insane. What she was saying to the detectives was so unbelievable to their closed-off minds that insanity was the only explanation. And, until the doctors could break down the road blocks in her mind, the hospital was the only place she could be. Once the doctors deem her sane and drop all suspicion of the crime, she'll as free as a bird. That is, if they don't find her again.

Of course, there is always the fear that the doctors will deem her insane after all. If that's the case, she'll be stuck in institutions for the rest of her long life. Or if they find out she's not insane and committed that awful crime for no apparent reason, then she'd have to spend life in a jail cell. It was so simple, yet so complex.

“Not crazy, Marina, just mentally ill. We'll find out what's going on in your head soon enough, I promise,” She spoke gently, a sad smile on her face.

Marina knew the only way she'd ever get out was by talking. She could confess anything involving her past to them, and as long as it wasn't linked to the crime she was accused of committing, they couldn't turn her in for it. Hell, she could tell them she murdered sixteen babies and they wouldn't do anything. Well, maybe that was a stretch. Still, there was that nagging in the back of her mind-What if they find out?

She wasn't sure what seemed worse, being dead in a ditch somewhere or staying in a mental institution. Being tortured to death or never seeing the outside world again. It was a hard choice, and she thankfully had up to a year to make up her mind. At this point, all she wanted to do was sleep. The police officers weren't very gentle with her.

“Can I just sleep for now? My body hurts.”

~/~/~/~/

Marina woke up just in time for dinner. The orderly knocked on her door, saying it was time for her to come out now. Her back ached and head pounded, muscles reluctant to move at all when she first stood. The room she was in was awfully plain, but she wasn't allowed to have much of anything due to the police restrictions.

An orderly led her to the dining hall, telling her the rules on how to not gnaw someones' arm off and to always clean her mess. (Maybe not that graphic, but you get it.) She'd have to sit with an orderly for now, until they knew she wouldn't be a threat to anyone around her. Marina rolled the information off her shoulders, not sweating it because who did she have to sit with anyway?

The food they serve wasn't too awfully bad, maybe a little plain but definitely not the worst she's ever tried. That was reserved for the county jail. Talk about awful cooking, it had tasted like they assigned kitchen duty to a blind man. She hoped she never had to go through that again.

The orderly didn't speak to her as they sat at the table. All kinds of people were moving about; skinny, fat, short, tall, mumbling, groaning, anxious, male, female. Everyone was mixed together at the tables, some groups talking while other just ate at unreal paces. Marina picked at her food carefully, examining every bite as she looked around the room. So many faces melting together until one caught her eye.

He was beautiful. His hair lay flat against his head, showing signs of being uncared for. His jaw was set, cheek bones angular, and his nose the perfect for the size of his face. Bright brown eyes shone on his otherwise lifeless face, surrounded by deep purple like he hadn't slept in a while. Despite the fact that he was probably a nut job and look wrecked due to time in the institution, Marina couldn't help but think he was one of the most gorgeous men she had ever seen.

He looked up slowly, eyes locking with Marina's from across the room. Confusion clouded his features, eyebrows drawing together as he stared at her. There was something about her eyes and blond hair that struck him as familiar, but he wasn't sure why. He was almost positive he had never seen this beautiful woman before in his life. So why does his mind insist that he knows her?

Marina notices his confusion, also drawing her eyebrows together. Quickly, he stands from his spot and takes the tray with him, running out of the room. Yup, she thought. Definitely crazy.

~\~\~\~\

By day three, Marina was becoming stir crazy. They ordered her into solitude for the first week of being there to ensure that she wouldn't try to murder somebody. Sadly, that included eating with an orderly who looked less than thrilled to see her every single time. It wasn't her fault he chose to work there.

Staring at the blank wall, all she had to do was think about what had happened to her life. She used to be on top, in control of everything. One mistake and... Marina rolled over in bed, sighing deeply. In about two seconds she was going to beat the door down, insisting to speak to the psychiatrist so she can be one step closer to leaving. But on the other hand, she also was too afraid to draw attention to herself.

Rolling over yet again, she let her mind wander to Jimmy. Was he doing okay? Does he know she got arrested? Someone had to have told him, he always knows what goes on in town. Connections, he calls it. Psycho-stalker is how Marina likes to think of it. How else would a man know every little thing that happened in a moderately sized town?

Many times she thought of asking to call Janet, just to see how she was doing. Maybe then she'd feel a little less crazy and would actually have a chance to have someone listen to her. Talking on the phone was always easier when she said things people didn't understand. That way she could avoid the stares and looks of total disbelief. Plus, her adoptive mom had always believed what she told her about the manipulation acts she performed on people.

Janet was the only one to believe her, other than the people she worked for. The older woman was someone she could confide in, someone she never manipulated once. Marina had never felt the need to bend her mind because she didn't fight the words the blond spoke. Janet took everything she said to heart, not missing a single beat in reassuring her child that she was, indeed, not born defective.

That's the main reason why Marina had always liked her the best. Out of everyone in the family, Janet was the only person who didn't pity her. She valued the young girls' feelings, not acting as if she was just an outcasted child who needed comforting and lies. While it's true, Janet couldn't always be honest with Marina, she tried her hardest to make it all seem right. And that's what Marina absolutely adored about her.

“Marina, it's time for your appointment,” Her morning orderly spoke through the door.

She silently thanked God as she stood up, waiting for the man to open the door. When she was freed, she couldn't help but give the orderly the biggest smile she could muster. He smiled back, slightly confused, before leading her down the hallway. She followed him all the way, not missing a beat as all the patients passed by. Or, as the orderly's liked to call them, “residents”.

When they were almost to the doctors' office, she passed by someone who caught her eye. It was the man from the lunch room, the one who always looks at her, looks away, stares for a few minutes, then leaves. The beautiful one with the dark circles under his warm eyes and hair as lifeless as her dead great-grandma.

He looked at her blankly, staring from down the hallway. As he started to pass, she looked down at her feet. His arm came into view, showing nasty scars covering every possible inch in an array of sliced confusion. She silently drew in a breath, jumping slightly when his rough skin rubbed up against her smooth arm. He started to walk faster, his footsteps becoming louder as he nearly ran away. Marina was left breathless.

December 1, 2006

“The bust needs to happen between 1 and 4am. The facility is guarded from every turn, so this will be tricky. Marina, I need you to lock the waiting room guards' mind, get into the control room, take those men out, and shut everything down. You'll have Jeff and Kevin as back up, just like always. Fuck up and it's your head, got it?” The boss told Marina.

She nodded stiffly, her hands locked behind her back. She listened half-heatedly as the man gave everyone else in the team instructions, her mind wandering to the night before. She hadn't meant to break the guys' neck, it sort of just happened that way. Sometimes when you swing a fire extinguisher at someone because your body guards are down, it doesn't end up as you planned. At least the boss cut her some slack, she was just trying to not die and ruin the whole mission.

Her long pony tail swayed in the slight breeze caused by a fan set up in the corner. She was dressed in all black, slick and flexible. The only skin showing was on her face, but that'd be covered as soon as they left and wouldn't come back out until they arrived. This job was too important to be messing up, so if they were caught, she knew exactly what she had to do.

If they were ever locked into a car chase by the police or the people they were collecting from, she had a few options. The first tactic was jump and roll then run like hell until you reach safety. If there's nowhere to hide, commit suicide. The second thing they told her was in the scenario of being trapped by cars. With no visible escape, it was suicide. So, really, one minor slip up and she'd be dead.

Jeff and Kevin led her to the car, faces covered. The two men had been her companions since her first mission and unless one of them was eliminated, they'd be next to her until the end. That's just how loyalty worked for these crazy ass people. At most times, she was thankful for it. In her organization, she was one of the most valued... Possessions, you could say. They had to risk their lives for hers, no matter what.

They stopped their car about two blocks away from their destination before switching into a silver Ford. Once the building came into sight, she pulled her mask off. Head down, eyes out of sight, and she'd be just fine if a camera picked her up. Those videos will be deleted, anyways.

“Okay, go in, and don't get me shot.” Kevin told Marina, a sly grin planted on his face.