Page 55 of Breaking Sanity (Hell’s Asylum #1)

Right when I step out of the door, I run into Carson knocking us both to the ground.

He fists my hair to switch our positions, to him on top.

I try to swing at him but he slams my head into the concrete.

It just pisses me off so I slip my thumb underneath his eye patch and push down into the fleshy socket.

He lost his eye after I rammed whatever was in that syringe into it.

I’ll take it as a small victory considering what happened to Annie because of him.

We continue to wrestle for dominance when a gunshot rings through the hall. Turning our heads in the direction, it seems to be the new guard aiming it not at me but at Carson. I think his name is Mick?

“What the fuck is this,” he shouts as Carson crawls off me.

“Leave now,” Carson orders. Once he is fully off me, I run towards Mick. I grab his arm when I notice a yellow purge mask coming up from behind him. He tackles both of us to the concrete floor.

Fuck!

We hit the concrete hard and they start to fight each other for the gun.

Now, I should try to help Mick and get rid of these two pricks, but I need to make sure I can get Piper clear of them first. As I crawl out from under the dog pile that Logan has joined, my hand is smashed into the floor by a very familiar boot.

“Where is it you think you are going, Alley Cat?” Carson is smiling down at me while twisting the heel of his boot in the center of my hand.

“Fuck you, Carlie,” I grind in pain.

“You are going to pay for what you have done,” he growls, leaning all his weight on that one foot.

“Do your worst then, eunuch,” I laugh.

Carson removes his boot and pulls me back up by my hair. I am wishing I had the scissors to cut my hair off again, but I haven’t been allowed around any sharp objects for quite some time.

Piper’s scream fills the hallway and all the struggling stops. I forgot that Mel was still in there with her. Mel may absolutely hate me, but I think she despises Piper. Since Nik cut her out and I would deny him anytime he tried, Piper has become his new number one.

I stupidly punch Carson in the face with my busted fist, and he immediately lets me go. I drop to the ground to grab the discarded walkie that I am seriously hoping is the one that Carson doesn’t have access to. That is if Vaughn was even telling the truth.

When I make it into the cell Melanie is on top of Piper and her back is to me. It’s too dark to see what is happening, so I go with my gut instinct to jump Mel. As I collide with her, the walkie springs from my hand and lands beside an almost unconscious Piper.

“You bitch,” Mel screeches as she faceplants on the concrete floor.

“You should be more creative with your name calling,” I cough, rolling on my back.

She climbs on top of me and wraps her boney hands around my neck starting to squeeze.

Now I know I can get her off of me and a mouse has more strength than she does, but I am just so damn tired.

Plus might as well die now before they execute whatever they have planned.

Alley, you need them away from PIPER!!

GET UP AND FIGHT!!

“Fuck me,” I croak, breaking Mel’s hold on my neck.

I grab both of her wrists and yank her down at the same time I spring my head up.

Our heads collide and I can feel wet drops across my skin along with Melanie’s shrieking.

Something about me breaking her nose or a missing tooth, but I’m not sure which.

It could honestly be both. I push off the ground with my shoulder to switch our positions, but before I can get another swing at her face, I am being hoisted into the air.

“You are becoming more trouble than you are worth,” yellow mask grumbles, throwing me over his shoulder.

“Then just kill me,” I snap.

“No can do,” Logan chuckles, getting to the cell door. “At least not yet.”

Out in the hallway, I am placed on my feet.

I turn my head to see the back of a chair with Mick tied to it.

Carson is standing in front of him, and the dim light only highlights the evil that contorts his face.

I am sure that baby Carson was at some point adorable with his ideal square face and chubby cheeks, but now he is about as ugly on the outside as he is on the inside.

Prior to his castration and needle through the eye, I hadn’t seen his whole face.

I do remember the small glimpse of it from right before I stabbed him.

He had the typical boy next door look- the natural blonde hair, hazel eyes, boyish grin, and perfect white teeth.

Now, it’s about the same but the skin around the eye patch is discolored and almost looks like it’s rotting.

It looks purplish right at the seam of the eye patch with a green/gray hue underneath.

His hair is almost shoulder length now and greasy.

His other eye almost looks black especially with the dark circle underneath.

Carson’s lips used to be this bright red shade but now they are a dull pink and cracked.

It always amazes me how mental anguish can affect your appearance.

These past months took a serious toll on him.

As my mind begins to go down a rabbit hole and starts to feel sorry for the man, Mick’s loud mumbling and Carson’s laughing breaks through.

I catch a glimpse of something shiny in his hand when he swings his arm back and brings it back down in front of Mick.

Mick’s body goes still and all sounds stop.

The room starts to tilt as I stare at the red dots decorating the side of the wall near them.

“Oh Alley Cat,” Carson’s singing echoes in my ears like a sadistic lullaby. “I know exactly where to take you.”

“W-where i-is t-that,” I stammer and slur. He is now centimeters away from my face.

How is he moving so fast?

What the fuck is wrong with us?

Did they fucking drug us again? WHEN?

“To Melinda’s playground,” he whispers.