Gift of an exciting (fictional) story.

Monocrom

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Hey guys, sorry for being away for the last few months. One member along with one Admin. knows why. Basically, I needed eye-surgery a few months ago. I'll spare you guys the details since I'm not making this topic out of a desire to get sympathy. Just figured an explanation why I was absent and only recently slowly coming back onto CPF was in order.

I'm very thankful that the surgery went well. Very well, actually. Just took a good while to get to that point. It's still early in the year, so Happy Belated New Year to everyone. What the heck, even to the haters. It's also my Birthday tomorrow. I'm very grateful to the good Lord above for letting me see another one. (Both figuratively and literally.) So, I'm giving you guys a gift of a short story. (Don't worry, I actually have writing talent. So at the very least, I promise it won't suck.) I got my gift already. So this one is for the rest of you. Genuinely hope you enjoy it.
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"Angel-A"

It was always a mystery. Since it began the Asylum Directors' Journal contained the personal thoughts and observations of every Director who inhabited and worked at the institution. Some wrote less than others of course. But that is only to be expected. The Journal contained a more or less accurate account of what unfolded at the institute over the many decades it has existed. Several volumes now exist. But the 2nd volume has pages missing from it. Only a handful. But that's the mystery.

Well, I have those missing pages now. Some of the different Directors over the decades have searched for them. With no luck. I'd like to say that as the current Director, I toiled long and hard before being rewarded. But that's not the case at all. I'll get into that later. The following is the account of Director Stevens. Just as he wrote them in the Journal long ago....

I shall never forget my first night at this vile place. As I recall, the locals were greatly opposed to its creation. They insisted it be built as far from the village as possible. So, it was built on the most Northern tip of the countryside. The North wall overlooks a steep cliff. One wrong step means a final end. I arrived by coach. The driver was professional. However it was clear he did not enjoy making these trips from the railway station to the Asylum. If he were his own man he would certainly decline making the trips. But he does not own the coach, nor the horses. By the look of him, and the lines in his face; I doubt he ever will. Little did I know then the significant role he would play over the course of the next two years.

Director Gill welcomed me warmly. I was expecting him to be far more reserved. I soon found that he was unlike most of the fellow doctors that I was used to working with. And I confess, that was a good thing indeed! He was a short man with balding hair. It looked as though he had never missed or skipped a meal, ever! He wore spectacles. Unlike many in his position he chose to continue to wear the white coat, rather than a business man's suit.

"So good to meet you Dr. Stevens. I trust your journey was a pleasant one."

"Yes Director. Quite pleasant."

"Excellent, excellent. Let us get started."

He explained that my transfer from the hospital was his doing. (Over the years there were times that I hated him for that.) And he explained how desperately another doctor was needed at the Asylum. My years of experience, despite my youthful looks, were a mark in my favor. So too was the fact that I had practiced at an asylum shortly after graduating from Medical School. My temper was a mark against me though. And no doubt, the main reason why I never saw a promotion during my years at the hospital.

This new assignment promised more money, and a higher position. Much higher. The Director's right-hand man was missing. It had been a few weeks now. No one knew what happened to him. But time waits for no man. I would be taking over that position. There were other doctors at the Asylum. But curiously, none of them wanted the job. I would later notice that none were upset that an outsider had gotten the position.

We began right away. The Director led me to the East wing. He called it the place where the "special" cases were housed. Not the most violent. Quite the opposite. Just the "special" ones. It soon became clear why. These were the utterly hopeless ones. No chance at all for even a hope of re-entering society. But one stood out. I didn't think of her as "hopeless." Not then, certainly not now. But I'm getting a bit ahead of myself.

There was Dr. Earlson. Apparently at one point he had indeed been a doctor. One day, for some unknown reason; his mind snapped. However, far from a raving madman, on the surface he seemed quite normal. He could carry on a conversation, he could even be quite witty at times. He was well-mannered.... And then he had his bad days. Which sometimes lasted for several days. He'd curl up in a corner, and just stay there. I was surprised to learn that the Director had given him a fountain pen, ink, paper and a lantern.

"He writes interesting novels. It keeps him busy. Occupies his mind. Some of his stories are quite good. No need to worry, Dr. Stevens. He's never lashed out at anyone in anger. I gave him that pen and lantern almost a decade ago. Never an issue."

I was introduced to other permanent residents of the ward. Maggie for example had been.... Well, let's just say she had once been the type of lady that no proper gentleman would associate with. Now she believed herself to be the Queen of England. No treatment could be found to rid her of that delusion. As the Director introduced me to more patients, a young woman slowly walked up to us. At first I thought she was a nurse. But then I got a good look at her black dress with white frills. Hardly a nurse's uniform. It was only then that I realized she was quite young. Yes, no older than 14 at the most I'd say. Why hadn't I noticed that right away?

Although, I soon learned no one knew her exact age. We all agreed though that she was about 14 years-old judging by what we saw. She introduced herself as Angela. Very polite, well-mannered, with a very soft voice. She looked downright delicate. Even more so than the average 14 year-old. I felt as though I was meeting a child than a young lady. Her hair was straight and blacker than her dress. She seemed a bit too pale. Her eyes must have been a very dark shade of brown. No one actually has black-colored eyes. When you get up close, you notice that they're always dark brown. But when I took a closer look, I would have sworn they were black.

"You're curious about Angela." He said to me once we were back in his office. We sat across from each other at his desk.

"I was not expecting someone that young to be a patient here."

(The Director smiled at me before replying.)

"Angela has been with us for.... awhile. She was found by the coachman. Wandering through the woods nearby. No recollection of who she was. Poor thing didn't even know her own name. Been here ever since. I'm afraid the East ward is where she belongs, along with the others."

"But she eventually remembered...."

"Actually no she did not, Dr. Stevens. We had to call her something. It was Lester Scoggs, one of the other patients from a different ward who saw her and said she was a little Angel. However, with his speech impediment, it sounded as though he said 'Angela.' So that's what we call her. Many of the patients call her that too. Some call her 'Angel.' They respond well to her. Unlike the other patients in the East ward, Angela is free to move about as she wishes. Odd, she has no desire to go outside though. The nurses adopted her, so to speak. They taught her how to perform some of the aspects of their job. She's been very helpful as an unofficial nurse."

"But the Board, Sir. Surely they would never allow a patient to...."

"Sadly, Dr. Stevens; the Board does not care. As long as everything runs smoothly, they literally couldn't care less what goes on here. It is I and the staff who do our best to treat these patients. And Angela is a calming influence over the patients. Well, except for Ivan Dras."

The Director then went into lurid detail regarding patient Dras. Criminally insane. He swore that the children he encountered were all demons or some sort of monsters. Or some such nonsense. The less that is said of this man from a far away Land, the better. Let us simply say that his crimes were the same. The only comforting aspect being how quickly he ended his victims. They did not suffer.

Clearly unfit to stand trial, Dras was put here. The Director told me that the first time he had seen Angela, he tried to batter down his cell door to get at her. A few weeks ago, he slipped out of his cell and had found Angela. Thankfully he was grabbed by a couple of orderlies before he could do anything. At least according to the Director.

It took awhile, but I eventually learned the truth of what actually happened that night. The other violent patients were locked in their cells in the North ward. Just as Dras should have been. Angela was just outside the North ward wing of the Asylum when Dras found her. He was tackled by those two orderlies before he could get to her. But he was more than the two of them could handle....
 
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Monocrom

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Incredibly, one of the orderlies ran to the North wing! He shouted to the patients that Angela was in danger. And then, he released all the most violent patients in the Asylum! Incredibly, the patients helped the two orderlies. I couldn't believe what I was hearing! They beat Dras quite badly. Once he was locked away again, the other patients simply quietly returned to their cells. As incredible as it sounds, none tried to escape. None lashed out at the orderlies. Well, except for Dras of course. Angela then quietly walked into the ward and thanked them for saving her.

Calming effect indeed! (If nothing else, the nurses here are just as skilled at gossiping as the ones at the hospital.)

I recall my second meeting with Angela. She was in the kitchen, preparing food! A patient doing the cooking? I was shocked! Still, she smiled at me. She came over and hugged me. Angela barely came up to my chest. The conversation we had is now just a blur to me. But I recall it ended with a warm smile on her part, and another hug. Once again, the Director reassured me there was no harm in letting Angela cook.

"She enjoys doing it, and she's very good at it. Better than the regular cook. But best not to mention that to Carol directly, Dr. Stevens."

A few months later I had gotten to know Angela a bit better. She rarely spoke, was affectionate, kind-hearted, and indeed had an odd calming effect on everyone who came near her. (Everyone except Dras.) I never saw her get angry or upset. But, I never saw the little Angel jump for joy either. There was sadness behind those dark eyes. Even when she smiled or gave someone a hug. And when she did, she'd latch on as a frightened little girl would. She never wanted to let go.

I remember the night Dras escaped again. This time, he made it to the woods. A heavy rain poured that night. We searched for him. I still recall the feel of the wet metal from the side-by-side twin barrels of the hunting shotgun the Director handed to me. Dras was dangerous. We had to get him back to the Asylum or.... make certain no one from the village several miles away would have the displeasure of encountering him.

It was the coachman who found Dras. He had been up by the Asylum when the alarm had gone off. He had agreed to help look for him. There wasn't much left of old Dras when he was found. No, not much left at all. Looked like the work of a wild animal that he had unluckily encountered during his escape. And a very hungry one at that. When I returned to that vile place, I handed the Director his shotgun. In truth, I was happy that Dras was no longer going to be a threat to anyone ever again. He had become every bit the monster he claimed his victims were.

I then immediately thought of Angela, and rushed to her cell. I was struck with a feeling that something was terribly wrong. I found her. She was wet and shivering almost uncontrollably. Instead of her usual black dress, she was covered in an old wool blanket. Her bare feet and ankles made it clear that the blanket was literally the only piece of fabric on her keeping her warm. She sat down on the edge of her bed. I asked her what was wrong. She replied in her incredibly soft voice that she was sorry. That it was an accident. It really was. That she didn't mean to.

She seemed ashamed and more frightened than I had ever seen her. It quickly dawned on me what must have happened. I told her everything was going to be alright. That I would get some help for her. She gave me a bit of an odd look. A confused look. I smiled and told her everything would be okay. Leaving her cell, I went to the staff bathroom specifically set aside only for the nurses to use in the East ward. Angela used it as well, having freedom of movement in not just the ward but basically the entire Asylum. I was not surprised by what I saw inside. It was as I had expected. Though perhaps a bit more than I was expecting. I quickly found a nurse and explained what had clearly happened.

Thankfully the nurse immediately understood, and I did not have to go into too much detail. It's easy to forget that our Angela is at that age where all young women end up feeling ashamed or embarrassed when they.... Well, it's not a man's issue. Poor Angela. This is something her mother should be speaking to her about. Not one of the nurses. But it is the best we can offer her.

The Director's passing was unexpected. A sudden heart-attack just a couple of months later. The local authorities found a large wolf and destroyed it. No other animal attacks followed. But I was not so easily convinced. Now I found myself as acting Director, until the Board found a suitable replacement. Everything was quiet for six months. Chaos soon arrived after the new Director did. He was indeed the type of doctor I was used to dealing with.

He took away the fountain pen and lantern from Dr. Earlson. Even took away the bottle of ink. He berated Maggie. Calling her all sorts of vile things. He forbade Angela to work in the kitchen. Carol soon quit due to being over worked. The nurses despised the new Director, and kept their mouths shut regarding the other unofficial duties Angela performed. Even Dr. Gatian, one of the older doctors who was a very private individual but well liked by the staff due to how kindly he treated everyone; was heard to say that it would be a shame if the new Director met with an unfortunate accident. The fact that he had said this to one of the orderlies while cleaning Dr. Gill's Hunting shotgun that was willed to him, made me more than a bit uneasy.

It seems Angela's calming effect was only effective when the other patients could actually see her or when she came near. Her freedom of movement now strictly restricted to the East ward, the Asylum become a living nightmare! In just two weeks, attacks on staff went from non-existent to far beyond what was typical at the other asylum I worked at shortly after becoming a doctor. I went to speak to the new Director regarding my concerns. As expected, his response was typical:

The fountain pen could be used to stab staff. The lantern could be broken and set the cell on fire in a suicide attempt. The ink bottle could be broken on the floor and the sharp glass shards used to commit violence on the staff or used for creating self-inflicted wounds. Maggie was berated as a form of therapy to get her to accept the fact of who she was before being committed. He wasn't going to indulge her delusions. No patient should have access to the large knives kept in the kitchen, for obvious reasons. As for the cook, we'll hire a new one. One who can do the job properly. Patients in mental asylums are unpredictable and violent by nature. It is silly to believe that a little girl suffering from long-term memory loss can keep them calm simply by visiting them.

Director Davis, had a decade of experience at a much larger asylum. Things ran smoothly there. Oh yes, the magic word that the Board likes to hear. And they don't care that he ran it with ruthless efficiency and an iron fist. Yes, I knew of Dr. Davis' reputation while working at a different asylum soon after graduating. The Director of that asylum once refered to him as "An arrogant clod who comes from money and wanted the respect all doctors get simply to inflate his own already bloated ego."

Davis' methods simply were not working at the Asylum. Another two weeks passed, and I simply could no longer hold my tongue. My temper got the better of me again. He made it clear he did not care about Dr.Gill's methods. This was now HIS asylum, and he was going to run it HIS way. He told me that another such outburst from me would result in my dismissal from the Asylum. To my utter surprise, he then informed me he wished to speak with Angela in his office.

A few days ago, I had given her a small silver pendant of a sea turtle as a Birthday present. I didn't know when her actual one was, and I wanted to give her something to help her get through these trying times. I knew Davis would find some sort of excuse to confiscate it from her. So, I told her to keep it hidden. She wasn't wearing it when I arrived. She seemed to sense my repressed rage. She knew it was aimed at the new Director. I sat at the edge of her bed. I told her the Director wanted to see her in his office, right away.

I recall she smiled down on me as I sat on the edge of the bed. When I looked up at her, the saddness in her eyes was gone. She bowed, kissed me on the side of the cheek, and whispered in my ear that everything would be alright. She then walked out of her cell, towards the Director's office.

I'll never forget the scream that followed a few moments later. I ran towards the Director's office! I soon encountered Dr. Gatian and one of the orderlies running in that direction as well. We burst into the office! Angela was standing quietly at one corner of the room. The Director's hair had turned white as a sheet. He was pointing towards her....

"She's a demon! Came in here, told me to resign. When I refused, she removed her face and showed me what she truly is! A demon! Quick, destroy her!!"

We restrained the Director. He was clearly mad. Took all three of us to do it. Later, I found some of Dr. Gill's personal papers after I became the new permanent Director. Seems Angela was originally found in the woods.... nearly 40 years ago. I knew then what I had to do.

I visited our Angel, hugged her, told her everything was going to be alright. She smiled, and kissed me on the cheek. I was glad to see she was wearing the pendant I had given her.
****** ****** ****** ****** ******
He tore out the pages from the 2nd volume after that. Someone mailed them here, all these decades later. Hmm.... Clearly by mistake. Best to burn such silly nonsense. Demon indeed. Wait! What time is it? Oh good, I'm not late. Do me a favor, just toss these pages into the fireplace. I'll be back in 20 minutes. I promised Angela I'd stop by her cell for a visit today. She's such a sweet girl.
 
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Taz80

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Thank you, good story I enjoyed the read. I hope everything is good and you are feeling well.
 

ven

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Great read that, thanks for sharing. Well i am glad everything is going well now for you, i had wondered where you have been. Good to see you back:)
 

Monocrom

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Great story. Will you be adding more?:)

Glad you enjoyed it. Adding more as in a 2nd chapter? No. This is a short story and that is the conclusion. But adding more as in more short stories? I'll consider doing that in this topic if I notice more members expressing interest. I do have more completed short stories. So, we'll see.
 

Monocrom

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Great read that, thanks for sharing. Well i am glad everything is going well now for you, i had wondered where you have been. Good to see you back:)


Good to be back! Thank you my friend. :twothumbs
 

Cyclops942

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Glad you enjoyed it. Adding more as in a 2nd chapter? No. This is a short story and that is the conclusion. But adding more as in more short stories? I'll consider doing that in this topic if I notice more members expressing interest. I do have more completed short stories. So, we'll see.
Mark me as someone expressing interest in seeing more short stories posted here.
 
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