Seeking Asylum

Reform

"He did what?!" Aurelia is livid.

"He removed my uterus."

"I know what that means. I just didn't want to believe that's what I heard. I swear, he is an evil man. Why would he do such a thing?" She already knows there isn't a logical answer.

"Charlotte told me that he wanted to sterilize me. He doesn't think my genetics are suitable and he did it out of sheer hate. However, he wrote on the paperwork that it would help my hyper sexuality due to hysteria. Can you believe that? How far is he willing to go?" I ask rhetorically.

"We can't keep letting him do this," she suggests.

"I know. That's why I asked Charlotte to help me take him down. I want your help too. Maybe both of our testimonials can help make things better for mental patients in the future," my heart raced at the words coming out of my own mouth.

"Of course I'll help, but how do you suggest we do that?"

"Charlotte suggested that I write to one of the local newspapers," I informed her.

"We don't have mail privileges," she reminds me.

"Charlotte said she would sneak it out and drop it by the offices anonymously. She said the journalists would jump at the chance to get this story," As I tell her this, she regains some of the hope she had lost during her stay here.

"Well, let's get writing! I have plenty of supplies," she stands and I follow her to her room during common area time.

No one cared much what we did anymore. John and Henry were just as corrupt as Ridgeway, but they knew we weren't insane. Deep down, they did feel bad about what they had done to us. Charlotte was on our side, so of course she didn't tell us to do otherwise. So, Aurelia and I spent the rest of the day drafting letters until we came up with the final product:

To whom it may concern,
I am a patient at the Amhearst Insane Asylum. I was brought here against my will and have been subject to the reign of a corrupt psychiatric Doctor. The living conditions are definitely below what the law requires and we desperately need your help to change things. I hope you are interested in helping us. We are not aloud any contact with the outside, so do not make an attempt to contact us directly. If you are interested, please come to the asylum and ask for Charlotte Hendrick with the utmost discretion.

•

After dinner, Aurelia and I sought out Charlotte and slipped her the letter. We explained what it said and that they were to contact her if they were interested. Later that night, when all the patients were in bed, Charlotte dropped the letter off on her walk home.

It didn't even take 24 hours before we got a reply. Charlotte spoke with Aurelia and I privately in my room after breakfast. She told the both of us that a woman named Holly Paulson came to the asylum and suggested a plan to speak with us. She would be let in by Charlotte after bed time and meet with us in my room. Holly will then give the story to her husband, who is a journalist at the newspaper we wrote to, and he will write our story.

•

Aurelia bunches up some of the other clothes she had and stuffs it under her blanket to make it look like she was sleeping. Charlotte lets her into my room when the coast was clear. Now, all we had to do was wait. Holly should be here at any moment. The lights are turned off in the hallway and the area goes silent.

Charlotte comes back about ten minutes later with a woman who must be Holly. Both women enter the room and Charlotte locks the door from the inside.

"You must be Holly?" I ask.

"Yes, that's correct," she verifies.

I note that she is exceptionally beautiful; golden hair done up perfectly, well structured face, and clear blue eyes. "I'm Caroline and this is Aurelia," I motion to me friend.

"It's nice to meet you both. I just want to start by saying how sorry I am for the things you've had to endure here," I can tell she is authentically sympathetic and that she looks like she wants to cry.

"Oh, thank you for your sympathies, but it's just a matter of getting used to it," I say.

"Well, I did want to tell you how excited my husband got over your letter. He is in charge of sorting all the mail on Tuesdays and he wanted your story for himself," she pulled a notebook and out of her purse.

"I can't tell you how grateful I am that someone actually listened to us. You'll have to thank your husband a great deal for me and Aurelia," I got uncomfortable because of Charlotte and Aurelia's silence so far.

"Let's start with you, Caroline. Give me some details about yourself and the things that go on here," she opens the notebook up.

"My name is Caroline Pendleton. My father is the Duke of Adler and he is the one that had me admitted here. I was forced to come here against my will. I have suffered treatments for ailments I do not have, physical abuse, and just yesterday he performed two surgeries instead of the one he told me about to which I did not give my consent. And now, I am no longer able to bare children because of it."