River woke up to that dream. She found herself sweating profusely on the bed again. It wasn't that the room was without ventilation, it was just her anxiousness taking action. She stood up from her bed and undressed her wet pink uniform. She went to her closet and wore another fresh pair. All of them have the same set of numbers put on the back of the uniform, FE5403.
She tried to remember the dream but just couldn't. All she knew was that it was something she didn't like, and it was something that was giving her fear. She remembers bits and pieces of it at best, but nothing that can form any sense.
It suddenly popped on River's head. The sunset, that was all she could remember from the dream. A beautiful sunset that painted the sky with pink, orange, and violet. It was one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen, even if it was in her dreams.
It was that time again to take her pills. Most of them was just anti-depressants and the syringe that Rose told her to take. River expected Rose to be the one to give her that syringe and not some other doctor. River was just about to take her breakfast before she heard Rose's voice in the distant. She was saying something in a P.A. system that she couldn't quite make out.
The voice lead her to the garden, where she saw Rose standing on a pink stage holding a microphone. Below the stage were multiple cameramen and news reporters. Steel fences were put in place, along with other guards, to make the reporters feel safe and comfortable from the inmates roaming around outside. Juno put her arm on River's back. "What's going on?" she asked.
"No idea." River noticed two long glass boxes standing on each side of the stage. She couldn't see what was inside.
Rose was wearing her usual look, white jeans, shoes, and jacket. The pink in her hair was still as pink as she remembered it to be. River always wondered if it was actually her normal hair or something she would usually dye. Rose was still talking to someone from the press. "….so to answer your question, yes. Eliminating the need for a male and female ward proved successful to the facility. No reports of any violent nature coming from both male and female inmates were reported. As you can see, the facility has still maintained its place in being a safe space for sick and normal people alike."
One of the reporters raised her hand. "There is still a lot of skepticism coming from people doubting this asylum's peacefulness and safety for years. And even if you're the youngest and most revered doctors in psychology and other fields, how can we be sure that what you say is the truth?"
Rose smile. "I have anticipated that question. I have called this press conference to show you out latest project. This project further shows the fruit on which this institution has grown. Project Royal Flush puts every inmate, whether they killed or not, into the same environment."
Gasps were coming from all over the audience. Heads were turning, silent whispers were echoing, doubt was all over the place. "And how does that help with keeping everyone safe?" asked the reporter. "This project is putting murderers and serial killers in the same place as average mentally ill people."
"This project ensures that every inmate gets to be able to experience the same thing as it was like from the outside while getting the medication they deserve to be ready for the outside world again. And also, I can assure you that our patients have been treated enough to be able to handle other human interactions."
"So this is some sort of experiment that the facility is conducting?"
"It is not. What I am about to show you will prove the project's imminent success." Rose gestures to some of the guards to go up the stage. Two guards did, and each of them stood beside the glass containers. "Inside the box to the right is Garfield Prim. Yes, the serial killer responsible for over a hundred murders of innocent homeless men and women." Gasps were heard once again from the audience. Even Juno gasped.
"I personally am the psychiatrist responsible for treating Mr. Prim here. I am happy to share to all of you the recording of my interview with Mr. Prim."
The pink wall behind Rose, which was part of the stage, suddenly turned black. River then realized that the wall was actually a giant flat screen TV. The TV showed a man that River could easily guess was Garfield Prim. He was sitting on a chair wearing the pink straitjacket trademarked by this asylum. His hair was frizzy and his eyes were concentrated on the floor. He let out very deep and angry breaths.
Rose could be heard on the tape. "So, Mr. Prim. You have yet again killed six homeless people and severely injured two police officers trying to arrest you."
"No no no." Muttered Garfield. "No. Killed, is a very strong term. No, A very strong and scary word. No! You do not understand, all of you! No! You do not see the truth in what I am doing!"
"Then tell me the truth. What am I not understanding Mr. Prim?"
"No! I am not killing anyone! No! I AM SAVING THEM!" he screamed and kicked and wiggled on his straitjacket. He fell to the floor and kept screaming. "NO NO NO! THEY ARE ALL IN HEAVEN NOW! THEY CAN HAVE A HOME IN HEAVEN NOW!" And then there, the tape ended.
Every single one of the audiences had their eyes glued to the TV and then to Rose. "This scoop is getting real hot," muttered Rose under her breath.
Rose continued her speech to the press. "That was on the first hour he was sent to this facility. With proper treatment, Mr. Prim has become a far better man than he was before."
The guard on the left soon pressed a button that opened the glass container. There, Garfield Prim stepped out looking as if he was just a normal looking guy. He looked calm as he stepped outside the glass chamber. His hair and clothes looked so well groomed. He was a completely different man.
The guard from the right opened up the other glass chamber on the right of the stage. Rose then spoke. "To demonstrate that Mr. Prim is now a completely different man, we have here on stage a homeless person sent to this asylum. We shall see if this would spark strong emotions on Mr. Prim."
The guards gestured for Garfield to look at the homeless person. The homeless inmate was only just a teenager. River would guess that he was the same age as her. The guy's hair was black and curly and he was wearing the asylum's pink uniform. He showed no emotion on his face at all. He was calm and seems to know what was going on. His eyes met Garfield's.
River focused on Garfield to see what he would do, the rest of the audience did so as well. A few seconds passed and the only thing that Garfield did was smile at the man and say "And?" The security guard beside him spoke to him again and he replied with "I only see a normal man and you guys make it seem like it's a big deal. It's not. He's normal."
Flashes of light and camera clicks soon buzzed the place. "Oh man," Juno muttered. "I get why celebrities hate the paparazzi now. Those lights are blinding."
Screams were heard as soon as Juno finished her sentence. Garfield was already punching the lights out of the guard. He kept punching until the guard's face was basically unrecognizable. Blood littered the floor and Garfield's face and hands. He turned toward the homeless inmate, eyes filled with fire, and ran straight toward him yelling "I CAN SAVE YOU!"
The other guard had already drew his weapon and began to fire it at the crazed lunatic running straight at him. The press were already running away from the stage, some of them stayed to record the craziness that was happening. The guard fired one at Garfield's hip and another one at Garfield's mouth. He dropped dead just mere feet away from the guard and the homeless person.
"Yo, this is super crazy." Juno was still right behind River. Looks like every other inmate that was watching also ran away when the craziness had happened.
River saw that the homeless inmate didn't even flinch. He looked down on Garfield's dead body, took off his pants, and peed on it. "That is the grossest thing I've ever seen." Said River. She then noticed that Rose was nowhere to be found.