“Chin up, sunshine. It gets easier, it really does. Give it another week, you won’t give him a second thought. Now 1A, that’s a different story. That one’s a biter. I’m telling you, her teeth are wicked. She chewed through that guy’s. . . well, you’ve heard the story, I’m sure. Oh, look at that. Break time. Our relief will be coming. Mind if I cut out a minute early and just meet you in the break room in a few? I’ve got to go make a call, tell Brad to make sure the stove is turned off. I do worry about that thing.”
I nodded as I waited at the chair for our relief, wheeling back and forth to the rhythm of 5B’s chant. Anna headed down the stairwell, pulling her phone out to call Brad. I was alone except for the ten souls on the top floor, some of whom didn’t feel so alone in their cells. I shuddered at the thought.
I turned and filed a few papers, keeping my hands busy to keep my mind still. I glanced to the right, down the hallway of wing A. Something caught my eye, and I did a doubletake. A shadow at the end of the long hallway. I was certain of it. As I stared, it jumped along the wall, accompanied by a wild giggle.
My heart pounded. Had one of the cell’s doors remained open? I squinted down the dimly lit corridor. My hand hovered over the panic button as I wondered just how quickly the security guard who often lingered on floor one could be up there. But just as my fingers prepared to push it, the giggle got closer and the shadow moved down the hallway toward me. I blinked, making sure I wasn’t imagining it, the night shift already getting to me. Closer and closer the giggle came until suddenly, the files I’d just finished flew off the desk, violently crashing to the ground. And then, as quickly as they appeared, the shadow and the giggle were gone. All was silent again, the only noise my haggard breathing as I tried to assess what the hell just happened. Suddenly, something brushed against my shoulder. I screamed, turning to face the figure.
“Whoa, easy newbie. Just coming to give you a break. Butter fingers or what?” the cool and collected nurse from floor three said, brushing aside his Justin Bieber haircut. His voice sounded like that of a surfer or someone highly under the influence of some relaxants. He gestured at the files on the floor. I shook my head, scrambling to pick them up.
“I . . . no . . . I just. . . “
“Dude, chill. I get it. Josephine’s at it again.” He shook his head, grinning.
“What?”
“Josephine. She frequents this floor. Died in the early 1900s or some shit. She was young when her parents put her here, said she was too spirited. Some of the nurses liked her, though, and let her skip through the halls on quiet evenings. They used to keep the young ones up here back in the day, apparently. She died of Tuberculosis, but they say she still lives here, if you know what I mean. Harmless, really. She likes to dick around with files and stuff. But she’s not one to fear.”
I stared at him disbelieving. This must be part of their hazing of the new staff, I thought to myself. I shook my head and scurried around the desk, heading toward the stairs.
“Please don’t quit. We’re not supposed to tell the newbies about the hauntings until a few weeks in. We can’t afford to lose another nurse. I can’t work those doubles again, you know? Honestly, it’s fine. They’re mostly harmless.”
I turned around to see if he was smiling, but his face was surprisingly stoic. What the hell? This place was getting weirder and weirder. It was like in Beauty and the Beast where everyone had forgotten about the castle. Except here, it was like everyone was forgotten by choice, like I was living in some alternate universe where asylums still existed—and haunted ones at that. I headed down to the break room to grab my yogurt and tea from the fridge.
“You look pale, chica. Are you okay?” a younger woman sitting at the table asked.
“Fine, thanks,” I replied, sitting down in one of the sad metal chairs. Anna was in the corner of the room chatting to Brad. She animatedly walked back and forth, talking with her hands.
“I’m Roxy. And you are?” The woman asked, her long black hair cascading down her shoulders. She was beautiful and young, worthy of magazines and flashing lights instead of the garish Redwood lighting.
“Jessica. I’m new here,” I answered shyly.
“No kidding, girlfriend. Everyone’s been talking about the new meat.” She winked at me and gave a sassy wiggle of her shoulders.
I eyed her suspiciously as I popped open my yogurt.
She laughed. “Ease up, honey. Just kidding. Sort of. Look, we don’t always get newbies around here, and when we do, well, they rarely last a day. So you’re kind of a big deal.”
“Why not?” I asked, aiming my spoon over the yogurt, staring at her as she fixed her long, black ponytail.
“You’ve been here long enough. You must understand at this point.”
I smiled. “It’s definitely an interesting place.”
“Well, it does pay the bills, though. And it’s pretty laid back. Honestly, some of the patients are good. Your floor is a toughie, though. But you’ve got a good mentor with you.”
“How long have
