"Mr Anson. What brought you here?" She asked and he looked at her.
He was wondering whether he should tell her yet or not.
He was here for his mental health but the ability to talk to spirits and see them is something nobody can change.
"I can see people. Well dead people to be accurate" he said but her expression didn't change.
"Okay, and?" She motioned for him to go on.
"It all started 7 years ago when I turned 18. Before then, I was normal." He said normal as if he could kill to be that 'normal' again. "But then it became worse. I lost my wife because of these spirits and since then it has been becoming worse" he stopped as he looked at her expecting her to declare him mad but she was listening to him with a focus, as if nothing fazed her.
"A few months back, my mother also vanished out of nowhere and that is also making me anxious. I have become a threat to people, I have started attacking them. I deserve to rot in this cell" he said the last sentence full of venom. It was due to him Cecilia died, maybe not directly his fault but he was the one who was a magnet for the spirits.
"Don't say that Mr Fletcher. Nobody deserves to die like that" Alice said, suddenly deep into her own thoughts. "Why do you blame yourself? Why do you blame yourself for what those spirits did?" She questions him with sincerity.
"Aren't you going to tell me that I'm crazy? You don't need to act like you understand me. I don't even expect you to" Fletcher said, suddenly aggressive.
"Well, you're not crazy. Not yet." She said the last part with a weird tone he couldn't decipher "and if it makes sense, I know exactly what you're talking about" she said and he looked at him wide eyed.
"What do you mean you know?" Fletcher asked with a confused expression.
"Let's just say that my aunt had the same ability." She said and Fletcher's jaw was on the floor. Never in his life has he ever met someone with the same condition as him.
"You're lying aren't you? How am I supposed to trust you?" Fletcher narrowed his eyes. She is a nurse and her job is to make him feel like there's nothing wrong with him, pushing him to finally become mentally stable.
"Well. The spirits have a cloud around them. The negative spirits have a black soothe around them. Some come to ask you to do your undone work. Sone come to ask you to convey a message to their loved ones or to meet their loved ones. But the longer it has been to their death, the eviler they become." She speaks and Fletcher looks at her wide eyed, at a loss for words so she continues "spirits Amy also ask you to take them to their loved ones to lull them and take them with themselves to the afterlife. These are usually the evil spirits who have lost most of their senses" she speaks and Fletcher is finally out of his shock.
"I can't believe it" he takes a deep breath. "I mean I believe you now but it's just different to finally meet someone who can understand what I'm going through" he speaks with his head low.
"Then maybe you've come to the right place" she smiles. Her smile takes breath out of his lungs. She looked breathtaking and deadly. A dangerous combination. There was something about her which screamed mystery but Fletcher couldn't quite put his finger to it.
"Yeah, maybe" he admits. Even if the psychiatrists don't help him now, she definitely will because she understands what he's going through.
"Rest Mr Fletcher. Sleep for now, you have something to do the whole night today" she speaks and starts getting up.
"No wait" he hold her hand stopping her but it sends shivers down his spine. She turns to look at him with a weird expression.
"Go to sleep Mr Fletcher." She says and keeps her hand on his forehead. Just with that, Fletcher's eyes close shut and he drifts off to the abyss of his dreams.
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"Mr Fletcher" he opens his eyes to a soft voice coming from his right. Alice was standing there.
"Hey" he greets and gets up rubbing his eyes.
"We should get going, it's getting late" she says and looks around herself as if she could sense something.
"Go where?" He asks but more to himself. She was his nurse so she knows better.
"Let's go" she says once Fletcher puts on his slippers "I'd suggest you to wear your shoes and take a jacket" she says she uncertain and he nods.
This means she was taking him out. Shoes are never worn inside the institute, only the slippers they get.
After another 10 minutes, they leave the room. He could feel the eerily silenced building as if the walls were also trying to talk to him. He trying to push the uncertainty to the back of his mind.
When they crossed the reception, he expected Olivia to stop them but she just kept busy in her work ignoring them. He nods to Olivia when she looks at them but Alice just walked past.
"Come on" Alice motions him to follow her as she jumps over a fence.
Fletcher finds it weird but does the same. They walk for another 15 minutes in the bushes when they reach a beautiful spot.
It was the old park. There was a lake and it was covered in trees and bushes. It used to be beautiful years ago, Fletcher had come here once with his mother. To the other people, it was almost invisible because of the trees, other people might think of this as a thick forest and leave, which was quiet the opposite of this.
"Why did you bring me here?" He asks her as soon as they sit on different rocks next to each other.
"Isn't this place beautiful?" She ignores his question and stares into the lake.
"It is" he agrees.
"You know, long ago when I was young this lake used to be triple it's size. Now it's just covered with forest" she sighs as she takes a deep breath.
Fletcher thinks about it "you've been living here for long right?" He asks her. It makes sense because that's the only reason she knew about this lake and knew what it was like.
"Yes, I've been in Salem since forever" she speaks and he nods.
The sudden tear in his voice goes unnoticed by him as he looks out to the lake, admiring its beauty and taking it the peace surrounding him.
This is the peace he has been longing for.