Just thought I would give you a sneak peek at the short story VISIONS OF TERROR… This has not been edited so any errors are strictly my own 🙂
SNEAK PEEK: Visions of Terror
Trees swayed to and fro, blowing their deaden leaves across the pristine cobblestone sidewalk, a stark contradiction to the concrete path that led to the old run down hospital. The steady creak from the weathered sign hanging above the wrought iron fence, served as a reminder to all that approached that this was no ordinary hospital. No, for what lie behind the fence, were the mentally insane, those that law abiding citizens, wished to ignore.
“Shoo, Shoo,” the harried man yelled.
Crows squawked in dissension with the request but take flight, circling the swinging ASYLUM sign. The weary doctor opened the large door and entered the building. He was late for a session with a patient. He paid no attention to the cold interior of the hospital. The décor matched the indifference of its inhabitants, most of which had lost their battle with sanity long before their admittance to this wretched place. The doctor increased his brisk pace down the white corridor halls, passed the lifeless voids of existence that were in his care. Throwing the door open, he took note of the patient who lied on the table.
“She’s ready Dr. Ferguson,” a nurse informed as she handed over the young woman’s chart.
The patient, Mary Alice Brandon, a nineteen year old woman, had been admitted by her father due to the patient being in what was termed ‘a paranoid delusional state’. She had been noted as spreading wild accusations about her father and the untimely death of her mother. The patient’s father believed that his daughter was somehow possessed by the devil. Dr. Ferguson, however, didn’t believe in such things. Instead, he based his assessment on her behavior in the hospital. What he noted was that she strayed from her delusional state of being. In fact, it had progressed to the point where she alleged that her father was attempting to kill her as well. She believed this to be fact in spite of the staff’s attempts to convince her otherwise. After a week of traditional talk and medicinal approaches, Dr. Ferguson determined that Electric Convulsive Shock Therapy would be needed to rid her of her delusions.
“Ms. Brandon, do you understand what is happening?” he asked with little to no concern. These questions were merely a technicality as far as he was concerned.
to be continued …
Author T.M. Witko 