"You are Odette Beatrix Martin Howard?" Mary Eunice arched an eyebrow as her creamy, white like vanilla forehead creased when she supervised the young recently comitted patient, who wore nothing in her bath, filled with hot boiling water that contacted her palish, mossy skin. What the young nun thought was that the inmate's name sounded eerily familar to her, although she has never encountered her parents in person, nevertheless via her friendly talks with Frank, who has been a security guard in Briarcliff for over 20 years knew ideally Odette's parents and told Mary Eunice about Odette. Subsequently, Mary Eunice commenced to like them all of them, considering them as benevolent people even the love child reckoned in this number. "Why your name sounds so familar to me? I mean, I have the feeling of knowing you from somewhere." It bewildered the young singer even more who gaped with slightly agape mouth the young blonde, chewing her bottom lip in unsettled manner. 

The truth was Odette has never known the young sister of the church in her life even before being committed as a criminally insane lunatic in the madhouse. First and foremost, what the brunette knew about Briarcliff was her birthplace and she had mildly better memories from this place even if they aren't opulent at all unlike in the both orphanages where she has been transported. What she ideally recalled as mesmerizing memories from the nuthouse was when her parents hided her from the other lunatics, clerical members of the church and security guards with one exception as well, besides when they spent their leisure time with their newborn daughter, singing to her before bedtime and being constantly supervised by her own mother when they were in the office together. At last but not least, the atrocious memory she had from Briarcliff was when she was being deprived on 3rd day after her birth from her parents' arms. 

Initially, the orphan thought her parents never loved her and considered her as imperfect, hence, that's the crucial reason why she was thrown away until she came to the conclusion as she grew up that it wasn't their fault at all. Furthermore, the stern, stony-hearted nuns were as vicious as wolves when they caught the nowadays married couple looking after a child in a mental institution, where children shouldn't be looked after and don't belong at all. 

"No, no, no! You have mistaken me with somebody, sister!" The young woman ultimately permitted her body to relax in the bathtub as its hydrotherapy is perfomed on her. "You don't even know my story." She felt somewhat awkward for not acknowledging the blonde's name, lingering on her conscience. 

"You grew up as an orphan and you were deprived from your parents' arms when you were still a baby." 

"From where do you know all this, sister?" All of a sudden, the love child snapped at the nun as she was beyond flabbergasted by Mary Eunice's knowledge of her early biography. In the interim, Mary Eunice blushed as her porcelain, pale complexion was veiled in sanguine tint. 

"First of all, I am Sister Mary Eunice as I have forgotten to introduce myself for which I'm apologising, Odette. Second, Frank, one of the security guards told me this about you. He was very close friend of your parents."

"Oh! Don't tell me he's another jackass like the authorities." The singer cried out loud, shutting her eyelids as she reished the moment when her stark, slender body submerged in the mist, sweltering water, as a result of earning the devotional member of the clergy's piercing glare for addressing the former cop without even knowing him. 

"He isn't a jackass. He's a nice, diligent, responsible and clever one! Frank used to be so kind to your parents especially your mother, while he's polite to me nowadays."

"I see." The brunette didn't want to carry on with its heating debates between her and the young nun at all. "It's awesome he has been friends with my parents."

"Indeed! So let's not waste any valuable time anymore by getting you in comfy patient's garments and go in Father McKenzie's office in a jiffy."

***

"So for how long have you been working there, sister?" Odette enquired with ginormous inqusitieveness as Mary Eunice was surprised by the slightly older woman's intelligence and curiosity as she felt bizzarely something for her as a thrill. Neither as a lover, nor as a friend with benefit. They liked one another as Mary Eunice was the sole person who treated her perfectly normal and as an equal. Moreover, the nun earned the inmate's respect in a matter of few hours without hesitation. The both women towered the "Stairway to Heaven" as their impending destination was up to Father McKenzie's office. 

A several minutes after the hydrotherapy, the brunette was dressed up in a mere stone blue gown with short sleeves and round neckline as its hem dropped to her round, well-shaped knees, plain, bedraggled white slippers shoed her small feet. 

"Urm, a couple of months!" The nun answered shyly, chewing her bottom lip as she was educating the older lady about the asylum, besides receiving questions from her. "Briarcliff used to be a tuberculosis hospital until the beginning of 40s, when the Roman Catholic church bought the facility, turning it in a mental hospital for criminally insane. This place is known as holy and for helping the mentally ill patients to find the light in the name of religion and God, who are housed for variety of reasons as well." Meantime the young singer's eyes eyed down the still struggling patients, who were being guided by the orderlies to the other parts of the nuthouse whether for hydrotherapy, to the solitary or their wards or just somewhere else. Their incessant, raucous wails jingled requems in the brunette's ears, abiding stoic to their wretched wails that overspread like vital epidemy. 

"Ah! Ha! It doesn't even looks like a holy place, sister! It's just another shit hole like the orphanage." Odette muttered, scowling how the madhouse and orphanage resembled so much and she wasn't as discriminated as in the orphanage, where she resided in her early years until her late-teens. 

"Language, Odette!" The blonde cautioned until they set a foot on the dark corridor as they ambled up without hurry until they reached the juvenile, aspiring Monsignor's office. In the meanwhile, when Mary Eunice altercated softly as she sensed her cheeks heating even more as its scintillating sunrays. "Even Father McKenzie is able to confirm the fact that this place is holy and it has to do with its ecclesiatical elements."

"Lies!" The love children murmured as she hissed as soon as the both ladies approached the man of the cloth's office, who runned the asylum for a half a year. 

When they stood beside his office's door, one of the nun's hands lowered for the doorknob, pressing it as her boss's warning of knocking on the door before entering was beyond drowning in the hazy, somber and profound seas of the oblivion until the both women stepped inside the priest's office, earning his prompt glare, casted on them especially his protege. 

"Father, I'm here with," The young nun immediately understood what she has done as her guilty conscience slowly, gradually gnawed her inside, freezing on one place without moving a single muscle, whereas Odette scrutinized every manner, every action and body language which the head of  Briarcliff demonstrated. The stench of acute cigarettes and coffee reached Odette's nostrils as she can readily tell about the emanating smell of his, taunting her sensitive, frail nostrils. "Pardon me for not knocking!"

"Sister Mary Eunice, didn't I tell you the knocks on the door are exceedingly important before entering here and getting yourself in trouble?" The scorching malice of Father McKenzie was obvious as he vomited it in his undertone which the ladies comprehended his inevitable anger, sending shivers down the holy woman's spine of shame and a tad self-hatred for permitting herself the impulses prevailing the inner voices and the norms which she should follow. 

What the orphan sensed was detrimental prejudices about the juvenile priest,instantly inspecting his dry, unwelcoming demeanor. By the way, Alexander treated his protège as he belittled her in each single way, it dismayed the brunette without peeling a single word, despite she didn't fear the young man at all.

"I'm really sorry, Monsignor! I didn't mean to do this." Suddenly she lowered her head as her heated cheeks oozed her demure and benevolent nature. The more apprehension she showed, more strength acquired the man of the cloth. "And here's our newly committed patient, Odette Beatrix Martin Howard!" The blonde resumed her exclamation, introducing the singer to the priest.

"I see. Sister Mary Euncie, you may be dismissed now and leave me with Odette!" A dramatic sigh heaved from the top of his lungs, ordering in unrelenting manner as an aloof, cold-blooded grin distorted across his lips, eyeing the singer as Mary Eunice was about to leave her office." And I hope this is the last time when you enter in my office like that. Am I clear, Sister?"

"Of course, Monsignor!"

"Good!" He nodded plainly as soon as the blonde slammed the door, while Odette glared emotionlessly, haughtily the member of the church, who ushered her to take a seat without telling her directly.

"It looks like you are going to judge me over stuff which I haven't done." The brunette strolled up to his lacquered, hardwood desk, glaring into his sapphire blue eyes that radiated toxic power, wisdom and tremendous loath. She emitted a sarcastic snicker by sitting against him.

"Not with your games now, Odette! First and foremost, let's not leave you ignorant over this place at all."

"Huh?" Odette gasped reluctantly, inhaling inwardly.

"I'm Father McKenzie. I'm in charge of this asylum for criminally insane for months. This place is exactly for as suspicious and dangerous as you lunatics, Miss Martin Howard." The head of Briarcliff set free a devilish chuckle, despite the young singer's stoic face she wore. He was actually equipped with the young lady's patient filles, where it describes her biography as the priest has already readen it by scanning the text in a matter of minutes before her arrival. "I don't know if you have ever been before in asylum like this but you seem tremendously suspicious." His long like piano keys fingers caressed gingerly, idly her files without breaking off the eye contact.

"It's not true. I was born in asylum but lunatics have never given birth to me." She chewed her bottom lip when Odette began explaining with dry, uninviting voice.

"I see! Ah! Ha!" The young man heaved a cold, austere cough, escaping his throat. "That makes the things even more complicated and making you looking even more suspicious than this file portrays your biography, Miss." Despite Father McKenzie's apparent doting on the game of tasting her patience, Odette didn't give up and didn't let him to toy with her as if she was a marionette. A marionette of the impulsive feelings and emotions, leading her to commit lame, pointless stuff for which she might regret.

"I don't give a shit what this file says about me, however, I have never belonged in a mental hospital. I have evidence of being completely innocent."

"But you're actually belonging here, kiddo. That's the unfortunate truth, Odette! I know you are a love child of 2 former devotional members of the church." In the interim, he earned her vicious, inquisitive look on her face that pierced his ocean blue eyes. Alexander cleared his throat. "There's nothing I hate mroe than a love child especially of both former religious members of the church." The brunette gritted her teeth.

***

The hours passed as slowly as an autumn breeze, overspreading.

It has been almost a day since the former Freak show owner has seen even encountered her friend, who perceived as her second daughter figure.

Elsa and her small family which she had grieved over Odette's disappearance in Boston.

She hankered for seeing her friend more than anything. Little did she know what's the mental institution where Odette was imprisoned, destined to experience inhumane treatment, torture and notoriety which she's harvesting in this moment.

While Evelyn was dancing in her own bedroom as its gramophone disk was incessantly spinning, playing its song in the background, Elsa and Massimo were smoking, drinking cocktails on the balcony of their mansion, relishing its romantic moment they shared together and contemplating the nocturnal scenery from high.

"This night is so beautiful though the darkest star shone tonight." Elsa chanted in velvety voice as she still can't get over the orphan's arrest and transport to the most notorious madhouse in Massachusetts. "And lost its glossiness earlier in the wee hours of the day." The blonde inevitably took another drag of her cigarette, blowing dim.

"The elegy of Odette is the next song which is coming soon in your recent album, right, my angel?" The Italian sipped his alcoholic beverage as its alcohol liquor burned the corners of his mouth by scorching his body as it slithered in no time.

"Not exactly! I'm singing for pleasure, my darling!" The German emigrant replied emphatically, sipping her martini.

"You have magnificent voice, my love, you know!" The middle-aged woman was beyond flattered by her husband's compliment as a radiant, smug smile bloomed on her naturally berry-coloured lips. 

"Thank you! I already know that." Afterwards the singer sighed a sigh of relief as when she thought of Odette, it broke her heart and all she craved is to see her even if it's for last time before being doped with galore medicaments, perfomed an electroshock therapy and consequently losing each memory she has collected, regardless when she was in her parents' arms or singing with Elsa. Suddenly Elsa shed bittersweet tears as she took a drag of its length, gulping in a single sip the martini. "Massimo, have you ever thought of returning in Boston for her?" She enquired in tearful voice.

"My angel, of course! We shouldn't leave her all alone to root in this place. We must see her, no matter if her parents will return for her and save her from the madness."

***

After Odette's destination in Father McKenzie's office and the common room was closed until the next morning, one of the security guards guided her to the women's wing by putting her in one of the free wards to spend her first night in a room with nothing more than a tattered, shabby bed on which had other patients before her; small battered window, hanging over the grayish, bleak wall that bathed the sufficiently expansive ward in moonlight which cooled even more her sensitive, pale like cream skin as goosebumps spread.

"Miss, that's your ward where you're going to sleep as usually unless if you have violated Briarcliff's rules, in order to be sent in solitary where's much worse or you're being released." Frank lectured her as she listened attentively the former cop, who was in the same ward with her, although the other patients were already gathered in their wards for extra good night sleep with exception of the recently committed one. 

"I got it, sir!" The young singer lisped as he giggled sheepishly without controlling himself. 

"That's good! Now have an extra good night sleep and tomorrow you should see with the doctor of the institution. She's looking forward to see you." The middle-aged man cautioned as he was about to leave the ward, leaving the young lady desolated and spending the lonely night in a ward, sunk in exceedingly cold climate, with lack of proper hygiene and bearable conditions especially from the point of view of a normal person. 

"Well, hot goddamn I'm going to see a doctor tomorrow?"

"Yes, Miss Odette! Now rest and good night!" She had never the chance of acknowledging his real name though she appreciated when the security guard was midst the sole people with Mary Eunice, who treated her normally unlike the overbearing, manipulative and abhorring priest, whose clash took its place in his office earlier tonight. 

"Good night!" Then her ward's door was closed and locked at last as his heavy footsteps were approaching the women's wing exit as a handful of women's wretched wails collided through the walls of the nuthouse, disturbing to bones the young woman.

Little did the brunette know how she's capable of surviving the first night in Briarcliff as she had limited opportunities for example by procrastinating, sleeping, pondering or overthinking. Initially, she thought the idea of escaping the asylum would be a glorious idea, otherwise she knew once somebody is committed there, they will never see the light ever again. 

On one hand, the brunette covetted for her own freedom to be achieved in escaping Briarcliff, on other hand, she thought of her parents and cogitating about their return. If they lastly return here in Briarcliff, regardless for her or something else, are they going to have the heart to get her out of this hellhole? 

The love child knew right away they love her since she was baby and they will always love her for what she's, no matter what wrongdoings and sins she has committed against her or someone's will. 

At last but not least, Odette timidly laid down to sleep on her tattered, feculent bed by putting the plain, soiled white thin blanket which was the single thing that can protect her weightless, shivering body, resisting it from the cold climate that roamed inside the old building. 

Shortly after lying on the bed, she just closed her eyelids and sunk in the slumber, collecting enough energy for the impending day that awaited her with swarm of bids and hurdles. 

To be continued...