My vision was blurry. Everything ached. Even my thumb. My thumb? Why did it hurt so badly? I try to lean down and look at it, but my arms were still strapped to the table. Why didn't they let me go every once in a while? I tried to take in more of my surroundings this time. Try to think of why I'm having these dreams. I turn my head. I was in a small room, with white pads all over them. It smelt like old bleach. I was a lot more calm then my last few dreams. I didn't feel as violent. Maybe that's a good thing.

  After waiting for a few minutes, I hear a small beep and a door opening and shutting.

     Someone walked in, it was a nurse who I had never seen before. "Well, your being calm today." 

     "Where am I?" I ask. 

     "Misty Meadow Mental Hospital. Also known as hell." She throws her head back and laughs, but I didn't think it was that funny. The thought just gave me chills. "I'm joking. But it's pretty darn close." 

     The nurse makes her way over to me. I just now noticed that she had a bowl full of what looked like soup in a plastic cup. "They wanted me to at least try and let you eat." 

     She raises up my bed and begins feeding me. It was weird. 

     But now I needed to get answers. "How long will I be here?" I ask. 

     "Well, you have to be monitored for two weeks before being released, as in to be able to go to eat meals, and hanging out in the common room." 

     "No, I mean here. As in, the hospital." 

     "Depends on how good you are. If you get worse, we will have to ship you off to get you the help you need. If you remain okay, you will stay here." 

     "Forever?"

     "Well, until you die." 

     My heart froze. 

     "Do you need anything before I leave?" 

     "Yeah, why is my thumb hurting?" 

     "Don't you remember? Well, you were still sleeping, but you cut it while trying to get free."

     "Oh." I nod, and the nurse leaves. I stay awake for a little while longer, but my eyes start closing, as I fade back into reality...

~ ~ ~ 

     I stir and open my eyes. Misty Meadow Mental Hospital. I stand up and grab my laptop, the light from the screen blinding me. I typed Misty Meadow Mental Hospital into the search bar. After scrolling through some articles, I found one that gave me good enough information. 

"Misty Meadow Mental Hospital is a hospital built in 1906 in Newham. It was known for its hostile treatment of patients."

"In 1915, a mother found out about the treatments and went to the council with the case, but it was dismissed. So, she went and burned it down, killing every patient inside, even her own daughter who was in the asylum."

"A few weeks later, construction started back on the asylum, and was finished in March of 1916. It is still up and running today, but does not use the same hostile treatments used on the patients." 

     "Many still believe that the hospital is haunted by the ghosts of patients who have died there, but it is still unknown."

     Chills run all over me. I glanced at the clock, it was nearly 5:45 in the morning. I don't think I could go back to sleep after what I just read. I closed my laptop and let out a sigh. What kind of things would they do to the people at Misty Meadow? If it was so bad that a mother would want to kill her own daughter instead of getting her help, it must have been awful. I put my  laptop to the side and thought about everything. Why did I have a dream about Aunt Sophie in the hospital? Why does it sound so familiar? And one more thing, why did my dreams seem so real?

~ ~ ~ 

     Sophie and I bundled up and got into the car. We drove, talking about small things. I didn't want to bring up my nightmares, or the hospital, afraid that she would think I was crazy, and send me to Misty Meadow. 

After an hour and a half of driving, we pulled into the parking lot of the Newham Mall. We got out of the car and went into the mall. My family and I used to come shopping here around Christmas time. It was a pretty good sized mall. 

"Do you want to go ahead and drop off your phone? That way we can have time to shop and grab a bite to eat." Sophie asked.

I nod. We make our way to the store, when I happen to see Amity and her mother walking. I run up to her and give her a huge hug. She starts to tear up, and I start sobbing. Sophie walks over and pats my back. 

"Sorry I haven't been able to talk to you, my phone is broken." I pull away from her. 

"Don't worry about it. I understand completely." Amity wipes away her tears. 

"How would you two like to hang out? And we will just meet back here, in say, three hours? If that's okay with you?" Sophie asks Amity's mother. 

Amity's mother nods her head. "Amity has been dying to see Dani. She's missed her so much." 

"Great." Sophie turns to me and Amity. "Stay together. And Dani, I will drop your phone off at the store to get fixed. Remember, three hours, got it?" 

"Got it." Amity and I say at nearly the same time, before we turn around and walk away, leaving our troubles behind. Like the old days. 

~ ~ ~ 

"Wait, wait wait, you said Sophie was in the hospital with you?" Amity asks as she twirls her straw in her iced coffee. We sat in front of Starbucks, near the food court. 

I nod. "She was a nurse or something. As far as I know, she's never even heard of the hospital." 

"How long have you been having these dreams?"

"It started as we were driving to go to the police station. I fell asleep in the car, and they've happened ever since."

Amity sips her coffee before looking at me. "Well, you know, that traumatic experiences can trigger these dreams." 

"You aren't the first person to tell me that." I let out a sigh.

"How about we just go and shop? Forget about everything. And just be ourselves, like we normally do." Amity offers.

I giggle. "It would be fun, but you know it's hard for me to do right now."

"There's nothing a little shopping can't fix. Remember that time in the seventh grade when we saw those young boys walking out of Forever 21? We must have laughed for ages at that." Amity laughs. Her laugh brings a smile to my face.

"Alright, fine, Miss Optimistic. Let's go." I stand up and keep my coffee in my hands. The cup felt warm against my skin.

Taking her iced coffee, Amity stands up and comes next to me. 

"How do you drink those cold drinks at this time of year? It's the middle of winter!" I laugh.
Amity laughs along with me, as we leave our table and walk. "I don't know. I just am cool like that."

"You're lame." I say quickly as I laugh. 

"I know." She laughs as we walk into Forever 21.

~ ~ ~ 

After our three hours were up, we made our way back to the meeting spot. Amity and I said our goodbyes, and hugged. She told me I could come over when I wanted to, and I told her the same. 

On our way back to the car, Sophie tells me my phone won't be ready until sometime next week.
We get on the road and drive, passing by snow, cars, and people. 

     After driving out of the city, Sophie turns and takes a back road due to traffic. 

     We drive for twenty minutes or so, before coming across a building. I look over at it and gasp.

   Misty Meadow Mental Hospital

Established in 1906. 

"Woah. I haven't been there in what feels like years." Sophie mumbles.

     "You mean, you've been there?" I look over at Sophie. 

     "Yep. I used to work there as a nurse, back in, what, 2013? It's been a while."

     "How come you never told me?" I ask as we drive right past it. 

     "I told your mother and father, but they thought it would freak you and your sister out, so we rarely talked about it." Sophie sighs.

     "Why did you leave?" 

     "No particular reason. I just wanted something else to do in my free time besides work there. That's why I took up painting. And working in an office. Working in an asylum is hard work." Sophie sighs. "Anyway, why such an interest in my work?" 

     "Nothing. I just think mental hospitals are interesting. And we've talked about that place in school once." I lie. 

     Sophie nods, but thankfully drops the subject. We remain silent for the rest of the ride home.

     I help carry in some clothes that I bought, and some of Sophie's shopping items too. 

     Once we get inside, Sophie goes off to her room to put away her things. I make my way to my room. 

     I set my bags on the bed, and turn around to face the mirror and vanity. 

     I immediately scream. 

     I stare into the shattered and cracked mirror in front of me. I was shocked. My breathing picked up, as I stared at my disoriented face in the mirror.

     I look right into the words, scribbled on the broken mirror. 

     I am the one who did it. 

     And I hear someone open the door behind me.