Andromeda

Andromeda, The Chained Maiden

Andromeda, The Chained Maiden

For hours she could only hear her mother's deafening screams. She would not dare to stumble out of bed to light herself a candle to see all the commotion. She could do nothing but shield her ears from the terror. Suddenly, her mother stopped. Nothing but silence.

Until footsteps, loud footsteps traversed the halls, getting louder and louder. Those of multiple people. Her door broke down, the wooden door hitting the wooden floor made her yell. Two tall men pulled her out of bed. It was her turn to scream, she could not hear herself, but she felt her throat drying up, yet she would not stop. She kicked and screamed, pulled the hair of the men, yet nothing was enough to make them stop as they took her out of the comfort of her home. The last thing she saw was her mother's face, red puffy eyes and she stood motionless.

Mama, please help me.

She spent days, famished, on a carriage with curtains shielding her from the outside world. The men spoiled themselves with steak and chicken while she was left with bread and rice.

"Where are we going?" She asked the men. "Please tell me." They stayed silent.

She rested for the night; she awoke in a holding cell. Mold and vines were growing on the wall. How long had she been here?

"Patient 130, you're ready to enter the asylum." Patient 130, she had nev er heard that title before. She hesitantly got up and walked out of the cell. She was stared at by many others, all wearing gowns whether they were male or female. She heard the stories of those she shared this confined space with.

"They're so ill." She thought. "What is my purpose here?"

First Episode.

She heard a high-pitched ringing sound, and she jolted up from bed, her vision flashing a bright colour of red. Suddenly on the floor she screamed in agonizing pain and scratched her skin raw; one moment she was in the worst pain she has experienced and the next she felt perfectly okay. What was more surprising was that nobody woke up despite her screams of bloody murder. Was that real or just imagination? She now had a slight twitch in her left hand.

Second Episode.

But this time Patient 130 have the safety of her room to hide these episodes. As she was on the floor, now convulsing, a medic came and stabbed her with a syringe; she fell into a deep sleep but when she woke up her left hand trembled now harder than before.

Third Episode.

Patient 130 was now restricted to confinement, permanently. She was too dangerous to be with the other patients. She had scars from her scratches during episodes and her only companions were the wet and uncomfortable chains that restricted her movement. She began seeing mildew forming on the walls and even dead bodies, but it seems that nobody else saw these things. She became used to the episodes by now but still wondered if she was safe around others. By wave three, it didn't hurt anymore. It felt relaxing. She couldn't wait for the next one. Her legs now twitched in her sleep.

Fourth Episode.

Along with the familiar mold and vines rapidly growing on the walls, Patient 130 was also introduced to a foul smell. The nurses became scared and refused to go into her chambers and she had no choice but to eat her own wastes. By wave four she had a violent twitch in her neck that would bother anyone, but instead of being bothered she felt free. Day by day she became hungrier, but not for food...

Fifth Episode.

The final wave hit at night, as painful as the first. A loud scream ripped from her throat and her vision was now permanently red. She could feel her senses being enhanced sevenfold and she broke free from her chamber with an awakened hunger for something new.

Patient 130 was never heard from again, mainly because she's just a myth.