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whispers

Jerk.

“Wha- oh, God, no!”

You shit faced asshole! You don’t deserve to be here... you should be locked up.

“Please,” he mumbled under his breath, “Not here, not now.”

Look at them... they’re staring at you.

He looked up from the paper he had been studying. Two or three faces in the sea of students in the hall seemed to turn towards him, then another as he shifted nervously in his seat.

See? They know that you’re crazy. it’s no secret... everyone knows about it.

“They... don’t.” He again glanced around. One girl had an irritated look on her face, and she put her finger to her lips, her brows knitted in annoyance.

Yeah, right. Your secret’s out, they know. They know about the visits...

A soft groan escaped his lips as he began to look around the hall wildly. He was trapped right in the middle of the multitude of students. The nearest exit seemed so far away... so very far away...

They know. They know about the pills...

He began to breathe faster. He counted the number of students between him and the exit. “25... 26...27...”

They’re closing in on you... you’ll never get out in time... you’re trapped.

He stood up. His heart raced, and he tried his best to ignore he faces that turned curiously in his direction. It didn’t work.

Run, you bastard... run, before it’s too late...

He willed his feet to stay in their place, but they seemed to have minds of their own. First, a slight shuffle, with mumbles of, “Excuse me,”... then, a slightly rough walk as he gently prodded those in his path...

You’re too slow... you’ll never get anywhere like that.

He pushed harder, shoving his way through the crowd. His eyes were riveted on the exit, small beads of sweat forming on his forehead as he struggled to keep control over himself before anything happened.

They’re going to catch you... not like you don’t deserve it... freak.

“No!” his cry was more anguished than before, echoing around the hall. Students leapt out of their chairs as they stared at the solitary figure making his way towards the heavy wooden door, struggling to get through as he wildly looked around.

It’s no use, you can’t escape... they’ll take you back to the institution... where freaks like you belong.

“They can’t take me back... they’ll never take me back!” his eyes were wide in fright as he reached the double doors. He breathed a sigh of relief as his fingers curled around the familiar metal handles... and pulled. The doors didn’t budge.

Oh, they’ve got you now... any second and they’ll drag you out...

More heads turned to stare at him. He banged on the double doors with his fists, shouting strings of incoherent sentences, making no sense at all as he frantically tried to get out.

Maybe I should help them... you might get away from them, but you won’t get away from me.

Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through his skull, crashing through his brain, penetrating... drilling... He raised his hands to his temples and groaned heavily. A small circle of people, lined by students, had gathered around him, nowhere near him yet too close for comfort. Everywhere he looked, faces looked upon him.

They’re angry... they want to take you back...

He dropped to his knees as a blinding white light flashed before his eyes. His head felt as if it was being held in a vice, and it was being clamped around his skull tighter, and tighter, and any second now it was going to burst...

Idiot... you’re so stupid...

He couldn’t see anything except the darkness, punctuated by eerie white flashes... like lightning in the storm. The buzzing of a thousand bees filled his head. He shuddered involuntarily... he was afraid of bees. He wanted to hide... away... away from the bees...

You’re scared...

A pinprick. Then one more. And another, and another. The bees stung him relentlessly. His whole body was on fire. He rolled on the floor to get rid of them... they were everywhere. He convulsed on the floor...

Why don’t they help me?

You don’t deserve the help, you mutant.

“Oh, God...” he groaned as he felt himself falling into the cold, black void. His whole body was numb, but even now, he could hear the bees buzzing above his head, the sound swimming in his head, almost sounding like...Voices? They’re talking to me?

“... needs air... best get him outside...”

He could barely feel himself being lifted up. His muscles tensed as the buzzing returned...

Oh, God, they’re going to throw me out...

The buzzing faded away. A million voices flew through his clouded mind, a few standing out more sharply than the rest as he felt himself make contact with the ground... not the bone-jarring thump he expected, but a gentle bump as he was laid on the floor.

“...poor guy...”

“Heard he was in some institute...”

“... those places only make them worse...”

“Scared me to death... how did he get out anyway?”

They know... and you can’t do anything about it.

No... not again...

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