Chapter 2

“Don’t tell the captain about you seeing invisible symbols on the floor. She won’t find your sense of humor very funny.”

“Great, I can’t wait to meet her.” Right, so they can’t see the symbols and they don’t want me to tell their captain. Captain. Now there’s a word that I feel like I should actually pay attention to. A police captain might not be a bad person to have as my friend, right now. I may not have a home, anymore, but I am not going back to an asylum. I’d kill somebody first.

I don’t say much as we leave the room, but the thoughts in my head are running wild. As it turns out, the door leads to an old, rusty box.

“Where are we?” I can’t help but ask.

The officers don’t respond right away. Carefully and slowly, one of them explains that we’re in something called a “railyard.” The box we came out of is just one of hundreds. All unused train parts stacked one on top of the other. That’s right. I was in the ground beneath a pile of rusted boxcars. Literally. How did the officers ever find me? It’s not that I’m not grateful or anything, just…what really happened?

My dear, old friends self-loathing and self-doubt kick in. I try not to, but I can’t help but wonder what I did to cause all of this. Maybe there is no answer and maybe this isn’t about me, but seriously? I’d much rather believe that I did something wrong than to hear that none of this—the asylum, my relationship with William, my job, my life–ever happened.

Hansen and Michaelsen ask me if there’s anything I need; they say good-bye to the other two and we get into their car. It’s a black-and-white sedan with a huge star on the side that reads, “City of Milwaukee.” Here’s hoping the trip there will be pretty uneventful; as we leave the railyard my eyes are pretty much glued to the windows watching cars, trees and buildings pass me by.

The sights and sounds almost help me forget I’m sitting in the back of a black-and-white car with handcuffs around my wrists. If you’re ever in this position take it from me: shut your brain and your mouth off. It’s just not worth it to do anything but be as still as a statue. It’s really not.

As Hansen, Michaelsen and I continue on this stretch of highway, I’m a little sad that this is my first real trip. I’m not sure what will happen next, but I feel like I should wait things out before I start running. Who knows? Maybe seeing glowing silver stuff on the floor that no one else can see automatically earns me a ticket to the house o’ crazies. Heck, I could have imagined William was real because I was lonely.

Guess I’ll just have to wait and find out.

Continue reading on to Chapter Two Break: the Second Piece