Breaking the Rules... | OPEN

[Ian E. Rodgers]

10:00pm and the patients were now in their rooms for sleep. Or cell chamber as it was known by High Profile patients. Concrete walls. Steel rod doors with an iron barred windows. Lights did not exist in this hell hole. Only the disgusting flicker of those damned fluorescent bulbs. No wonder High Profile patients remained categorized as lethal. The rooms would make the sanest of man go crazy and out on the attack. Even “lights out” didn't give the patients a reprieve from the flicker; the security hall way flickered on and off and on and off and on and off constantly through out the night. It was a miracle of one could sleep. And Ian couldn't, just like every body else. He lay wide away on his cot staring up at the ceiling.

He had been feeling so abnormal lately. The urge to do a hobby – any hobby – pulsed through his veins like venom. A raw ache to do something[/u] classified as normal, versus just sitting on your ass all day talking to doctors. He didn't want to be a goddamn patient anymore. He wanted to actually be classified as human. And in a shit-hole like this, no one was human. Just zombies following a schedule.

Ian stirred, formulating a plan that would get him out of his room and into the main asylum. He had to act on this impulse, even if it meant years more of being locked away. But hell, he could care less. His want always overpowered rational thinking. And for that, Ian's plan slowly unraveled to get him into the asylum halls. The only problem with that thought process was that the entire asylum was always guarded and monitored 24/7. And that no patient was allowed out of their at any point during the night. No questions about it. You had to piss? Piss in your pants or you would regret it. But a sick patient... would be transferred to the Sick Ward. Which could allow Ian for a mild escape.

So he put on a brilliant act of severe abdomen pain, curling up into a ball and wailing out to the guards. He even managed to squeeze out a tear or two – something Ian had never done. And of course they didn't rush to him, they took their dear old sweet time, knowing all too well what could possibly be a fake illness. But Ian's act was good, and the guards' looked at his file, observing that he had never falsified any act of being ill before. So they believed him. And escorted the boy the the Hospital Wing, where he was asked to take a seat; ”The nurse would be with him in a minute...”

But no she wouldn't, because as soon as he was seated, Ian slipped off into the dimly lit asylum, ducking low staying out of sight. They would be looking for him in less than a minute, so his mind had to be clear and vigilant; no distractions to lure him away. His destination was the therapy rooms – of all places to go. And oh the irony of it all: sneaking out into the middle of the night, where he would get into a shit ton of trouble, only to be found in the therapy rooms. He was sure he could make up some sad case to bring the punishment down.

He had seen it once... In a group therapy room. But now with Ian frantically searching for the room, it seemed almost impossible for him to find what he was looking for. And his time was running short. Already he could hear the frantic wails of the nurses looking for him. But luck was ironically with Ian for once – and he found what he was looking for: a room with a piano. And he quietly stow away inside.

Relief flooded through his veins at just seeing what it was that he was after. Not a girl. Not fire. Not anything mischievous, but music. He craved music, but had only been allowed to play maybe twice since his arrival at the manor. And that just did not do. Not when he had been so accustomed to playing for hours on end everyday. So he made his way over to the bench. Even if he could just play a chord before they caught him, he would be a happy man.

His finger danced over the middle C note on the piano, and he pushed it down softly. Sharp. But it was a note. It was the beginning of music – music that he so desperately craved to make in order for him to feel human again. A memory flashed back of a piano recital. Ian playing an Arvo Pärt piece. His parents no where to be seen. The nanny the only one watching. And how Ian had lost himself in playing the music; how human and ecstatic it felt to play such beauty. And no one to witness his entrapment with the music he loved.

He really was going to go crazy. But not yet. Not yet.

He sat down on the bench and quietly began to play songs from memory. From books. From movies. Anything that came to mind he played. Played and yearned to lose himself. He needed an escape from Hell. So he lost himself with his music all the while waiting for The Man to come retrieve him to sentence him his punishment, for breaking a big rule. But it was well worth it...

Music. Sweet sweet music. What a relief to my ears...

[Willow Joanne Esquire]

(Hola! Just a couple of pointers... Willow is blind, she has two large scars over her eyes. Lily, is her twin, and italics symbolize her speaking. The thing is, though Lily is real, the one here... is Willow's delusion. And the final thing, she still has bandages from her last attempt at suicide, her wrists and neck. ^-^)

Night time... Night time was always the one that always got her. Lately, her sleeping habbits been... if not a little messsed up. More so then usual. Ever since she tried to commit suicide, for.... which ever time it was this time around. Third? Fourth? The time doens't count. It doens't matter. The idea was that after the last one, she barely slept. The Evil nurse, sedated her a few times, a few times they even tied her down, so she could at least spend the night in bed. Her sleep walking seemed to be out of control. Even worried Lily. Granted the fact that Willow now got a roomate also worried Lily, but tha's beyond the point.

Tonight... tonight Willow as anxious. She could not even explain why. No... that's a lie. It may or may not have something to do with the fact that she pissed Alec off. She felt so bad... She felt practically sick, at making him... react like that. The icyness with in his voice terrified her, even right now, it made her shiver. The harsh tone... she didn't like it. She hurt him... She'll most likely hurt Sid too... should she come across him. At this point, she prayed that if there is a God out there, she would not. The wounds almost healed, but the nurses didnt' let her take the bandages off. Aprently didn't want to upset the otehr patients. Go figure!

She sighed, as she slipped down from teh windowscill. It seemed to be her favorite spot. Granted, she could not see anythiing, nor could she actually get out that window... but the cool feeling of glass was nice. Just the comfort, that freedom is close... that perhaps one day.... she too will be able to feel the cool air upon her skin... no.. not like it was in teh yard... but out there... away from here. Away from her family. Away from everything... but no. IT was wrong thinking. She had to stop thinking like that. Had to concider her Knights.... Willow let out a quiet growl, as she layed down to bed. She tried calming her racing thoughts but it didn't work.

Remmember mom's lullaby? Lily's gentle voice appeared near her, as she felt her sister's hand holding her own.
...I barely do... Slowly she drifted off to an uneasy sleep. IT was silence... silence... then she was starting to hear voices. She fallowed them... they were soo familiar... like voices from a memory long gone by.

Come on Willow! This way! Lily's voice.. and then form began to appear. Willow smiled, it was good seeing Lily... despite the fact that it felt as if she were looking into a mirror. THe room around her seemed to take on form too... and she could see again. With a smile, she got up, and fallowed her twin.

They skipped out hte door, danced in the garden... or at least what Willow saw as a garden. A far away voice calling out to htem, promising freedom and salvation. Confidently the twins serached for it... only to be interupted by the music. The music... the music caught Willow's attention. Even though the dream, she fallowed the music... the soothing sounds of hte peano. The voice that called out to her in the distance seemed to grow angree as she did not fallow it. The scenery around her change too. From the scerene garden, ti began changing to the franctic rhythm of the carnival. Willow's breathing and heart rate quickened. She was starting to panic. The carnival was growing louder...but the peano was growing closer too.

People.. .people were coming for her... coming closer and closer... when she saw a door... feeling for the knob, she yanked the room open, and bolted in, quickly shutting the door, as she leaned against it... sliding down the floor.

No... no... no... keep it away.... keep them away.... keep them away..... they will be coming... they'll want to kill... they always want to kill.... They killed them.... dead... I saw the dead.... Willow shook her head, her hands pressing to her head, as she tried to get away from the imagery. The peano no longer appearing as soothing, as she was back at the carnival.

(She's currently asleep... yay sleepwalking... but she'll wake up as soon as Ian either adresses her, the music stopps, or he touches her...just something to help her snap out of it)

[Ian E. Rodgers]

Ian was lost. Eyes closed and completely lost in his head as the music surrounded him. It had been forever since he had listened to adequate music, let alone played that adequate music. It made him feel so human. And in his mind, Ian drifted away from the manor. Not to any place dirty or corrupt, as he was so notorious for imagining, but rather to home, with his piano and free will. Where there were no boundaries, no rules, no limitations. Eyes were not constantly watching you; doctors were not constantly questioning your every move. Instead, he was in a place where he could just be, and his fingers effortlessly created the soundtrack to his paradise.

But a slam from the door knocked Ian from his nirvana and his fingers slammed against the keys in a giant chord of dissonance. Instinct immediately told him to hide. He was not ready to surrender yet, so he shuffled behind the piano out of sight and held his breath. There were no flash lights, though. No shouting; no heavy footfalls. But rather he heard shouting. A girl. She was screaming and wailing about someone trying to kill her, and Ian groaned, willing her silence in his head. But she wouldn't subdue.

”Quiet!” He whispered hoarsely into the dark. ”They'll hear you and find us!” But his words went unnoticed, so Ian raised his voice in the slightest bit. ”Be quiet! Seriously, shuddup!”

He peered out from the piano and made his way towards her on hands and knees, all the while whispering her to cease her shouts. In the darkness, Ian could barely make out her features. But he knew something about this girl was already different. Maybe even off. Leave it to a loony to be the one that followed his music in the night...

There was a flash of light, and Ian's heart fluttered with panic. Not now. Not yet. He hadn't even finished his music. And the girl was still making noise. He groaned and reached out to grab her wrist to hide the two of them behind the piano again.

”Sssh. Hide! You need to hide now!”

His words came out in yet another hoarse whisper. If the girl didn't move, Ian had to problem hiding by himself and leaving her to fend for herself. It was odd for him to actually be looking out for another individual... Something he had never ever done...

[Willow Joanne Esquire]

Willow was trembling. She saw the carnival. All the horrid details. All the faces of those who died... she saw them. All the pain and sorrow and the horror. And the ferris wheel... going up and up... up and up... up over the damned carnival... screams of the people somewhere far bellow...and the moans of despiration all around her, as those on the ferris wheel know that they will die on it. somewhere far from the ground, with not a chance of survival. The echo of gunshots and the begging to be spared.... and Lily's trembling body next to her. Chris's body somewhere bellow... Amy being dragged away...

Explossion... and voice... they are tumbling down to the ground... and a touch... touch... touch upon her skin... almost as a dream, the scene around her vanished, leaving Willow once again in a world of darkness... panting, trying to catch her breath... trying to understand what is going on... where she is... reminding... that she is not at the carnival.. that, that day passed... long ago.. gone... over. done. There was a voice next to her, and someone holding one of her wrists. She felt that through the bandages.

Swallowing nerveously the girl took a few shaky breaths trying to calm herself. The beat of her heart seemed to be blocking all sounds. Then her mind registered what was happening. What was going on... she was sleep walking again. Damn it. Where has she gone this time?

Hide? Hide where? I can't see! Willow panicked, her own voice a shaky whisper, hurried and still bearing the echoes of the terror that was still washing over her from the nightmare... recolection... what ever people chose to call it. She heard the shuffling outside somewhere in the hall, and people calling, she moved forward away from the door. They needed to hide, but seeing as she had no clue where they were at, that was going to be rather difdicult.

She was terrified. Frightened. Shaking. Nerveous. All of the above. Though, truth be told she hated being in this state. Vulnerable. Not herself. Not to mention, that this would be the usual time teh nurses would spike her up with some tranqualizers and who only knows what else. Or on occasion tie her down... God she hated that. But, now she had no choice but to submit to this unfamiliar voice... at least for the time being. Better to be stuck in teh room with this one, then be caught by the guards. Especially since the Evil Nurse was most likely on duty tonight.

I'm sorry.. I didn't mean to cause you trouble... Willow whispered quietly, as she hung her head abit, moving forward, allowing the person to guide her.

[Ian E. Rodgers]

Hide? Hide where? I can't see! Was she serious? Yea it was dark, but it wasn't that dark. The lights from the hallway illuminated the room in just the briefest of ways. But Ian didn't ask questions, he just took hold of her wrist and swiftly led her behind the piano. He slunk against the instrument's back and peered over its massive wooden frame. Did anyone hear them? Were they coming after them now? Shadows moved past the illuminated window and Ian sucked in his breath before disappearing behind the piano again. He looked to his left to the girl next to him and Ian realized he was still holding her wrist. He released his fingers and watched as her wrist fell limply back into her lap. Now, on any normal occasion, Ian wouldn't have hesitated to make a move on a girl in a scenario like this. He feasted off of vulnerability. But there was something different about this girl that stopped Ian's mind from going into its sinful paradise.

Her voice was quiet and timid when she apologized to Ian. Apologized for what? Was she aware that he was a patient too and breaking the biggest rule of all? If she should apologize for anything, it should be for getting him caught... if they got caught that is. His eyes drifted to her face. And even in the darkness, Ian could see the contrasting pale hue of her flesh against the harshly dimmed room. And there was something more about her face that Ian couldn't quite see. But he saw a glimmer of raised bumps near her eyes. Scars perhaps? Wounds? Her eyes were dancing wildly in the darkness, staring off into a darkness other than the room's. It caught Ian's attention, and he tested his theory by waving his hand to her. No response. She didn't even stow a glance. Just turned her head slightly in the direction, as if listening to the fabric from his shirt move as he gestured. She was blind...

”You didn't cause me any trouble,” he said finally. The silence could've been considered “oppressive” as the escapees sat there side by side, hiding from the shouts outside the door. Ian peered over his shoulder past the piano to the window, double checking their safety. And after a brief period, he exhaled a heavy breath of relief. ”I don't think they know we're here. Hallelujah.”

He stood up in just the tiniest bit and crouched next to the piano keys once more. His fingers quietly traced and landed on a D minor chord and the sound sent a soft chill up the boy's spine. He looked down to the girl once more who was still curled behind the piano.

”Do you play at all? he asked, curious. Living life with no sight could be considered an awful life. But Ian had heard stories and tales of the blind living life through music. To not be able to hear, he thought, would be a lot worse than no sight. To not able to listen to music...

[Willow Joanne Esquire]

(hehehe... Alec got him churned off? XP)

Willow made the fantest of sounds, when she felt the hand out of the dark that grasped her wrist. One of the times she absolutely hated being blind. The vioces and feelings that came purely out of the dark. Unknowing if any of them were out to harm... or if they were to help. Something told her that in this case, perhaps to help. She had no intention of getting caught. The EVIL NURSE was on duty. She did not want to be caught out of hte room... that would meen restraints and tranqualizers... She did not like them. She did not like them at all. Neither did Lily, as they made her feel sick afterwards.

Any stray thoghts dissapeared as soon as she felt the wall behind her. Quickly, she slid down, closing her eyes, pressing herself to the wall, wishing that no one would find them.There was silence. She didn't even realize that someone was holding her wrist. The shufflign of feet outside scurried by, then silence. Untill she heard the rustling near her. Frowning slightly, she tilted her head to the side opening her eyes. Then silence again. Who would have known that she would love hte silence this much.

They did't find us.... thank God...She breathed out quietly, as she slid up the wall, alot less tence now then before, though still rather shaky. The terror was passing, to be replaced by the adrenalin runsh, or was it crash, that comes afterward... In any case, all Willow was trying to do now, was cather her scattered thoughts, and understand where she is. And most importantly with whom?

Huh? Oh... no... I... I don't play... I used to draw though...My... one of my sisters used to play the piano...she was quite good... like you. Willow responded to the question, listening to the note. The question caught her off guard, but it was nothing major, that she could not answer. Yet, the curiosity got the best of her, as she directed her 'gaze' at the man next to her. So far so good... He didn't.... try anything. I.... My name's Willow...what's yours? She asked gently, tilting her head to the side as she listened for the reply.