Sleeping With Ghosts

Gerard

Mom watched me as I packed. I didn't pack a lot of clothes, just a few shirts, some pants (all black or red) and a lot of books and sketch books. The last thing I packed was my stuffed bear. I'd had the stupid thing since I was about four. Finally, I was all finished. Mom and Dad didn't speak as the ambulance pulled up out front. I'd stolen one of Dad's cigarettes and started smoking it as they came. I gave them my bag and told them they had to wait until I was done until I'd get on.

Brian was laughing at me, I could hear it and feel it. I wouldn't have started smoking and secretly drinking if it weren't for him. He'd just recommended it to me and I picked the habits up faster than I thought possible. My parents knew about the smoking but not the drinking. They really didn't care so as soon as I'd finished the Marlboro I climbed inside the ambulance, laying on the gurney. Before they could take off my Dad climbed in and looked down at me, then put the pack of cigarettes in my hand. "Good luck son, remember we love you and this is for your own good.' I started to cry and he jumped out. Then the doors to the ambulance slammed and we started to speed off to my new home. A mental institution.

When I was taken in they strip searched me, searched my bag and would have torn open my bear but I wouldn't let them. They even checked the cigarettes dad gave me. I was pretty quiet the entire time, I didn't want to tell them that I could see Brian, and that he was staring at me from the visitor's lounge. A smirk was playing across his full lips and he waved, then vanished. Suddenly, I could feel my heart stop. Mikey, what if he'd gone after Mikey? But I was suddenly pushed down into a chair, they wanted to give me an injection. "Just to help you sleep." The nurse said, but I knew she was lying.

I knew what they were giving me. There was another ghost here, she was looking at the nurse's notes and shaking her head. She then looked up at me and I realized she'd been a nurse once too. And she was probably lovely, but now she was pale as a sheet of paper, with two gashes in her wrists and another across her throat. She spoke beautifully though. "They're giving you Thorazine. They'll want to keep you sedated so you won't see me or the others." As they gave me the shot I asked her, "Others? Are they gonna hurt me?" The first nurse thought I was talking to her. "Well of course not, don't worry we don't have any violent patients here."

The ghost seemed to sigh and she shook her head again. "She's lying. And there are other ghosts. They won't hurt you, but they'll scare you." As quietly as she showed up, she disappeared. I could feel the drug starting to take effect, I was sliding into blackness. Most would call it falling asleep, but with this stuff sleep grabbed you and dragged you under, not wanting to let you go. I didn't fight it. And I was asleep.