Thread: Psychotic (for Liam Dale)

Never in a persons life did they expect to find themselves in a psychiatric hospital, at least as far as he believed. Though, what he believed wasnt always right, he knew, after a year in that hell hole, spending more time lost in his own delusions than in the real world around him. Hed never expected to be released, not that they had any real reason to keep him. The youngest child of a wealthy family, hed had his life fairly easy in the beginning. Not left wanting, at any rate, though he wouldnt say he was spoilt. His birth had caused complications and his mother had died in childbirth, destroying the illusion of a happy family. His sister, seven years his senior, had pretty much raised him herself until he was fifteen. His father steadily drinking himself to the grave, hadnt been there for either of his children years before his eventual death. And in the end hed doomed them all, setting the house afire in a drunken rage during dinner. His sister only came over once a week after she turned twenty, having moved out by then. More often drunk than not, it had been no surprise the state their father George was in, though he still insisted he cook dinner himself. And hed let it burn, opening the oven door to get a face full of smoke, only to lose his temper with the appliance and shake it where it stood, dislodging the gas pipe and setting the whole house ablaze. It was pathetic really, hed brought upon his own end because of a burnt dinner. And taken his daughter with him. Burned up his right side but not permanently damaged, fifteen year old Alexandros Dharken had been taken to hospital. It would have been alright if his uncle hadnt intervened, a man theyd never seen but heard plenty of abuse about from George as a greedy no-good swindler. A lawyer, in fact, with his eyes set on young Alexandros inheritance. It had been far too easy to declare him insane and disinherit him, cast him from the family and into the arms of a juvenile psychiatric facilty. It hadnt been too bad really. Hed seen his sister burn to death, he could do with some peace and quiet. But he couldnt stay there forever. The newly named Greiver Dhark left the Juvenile psych facility for the adult version, three years later. And hed spent a year at the new place, Saint Holmes psychiatric hospital had not been a welcome change, not at all. Years of hiding within his own mind, white walls and quiet solitude, changed to a straight jacket, off white floor tiles and screaming. It was no longer about healing and recovery, it was about forcing the patients to recover, or just get madder and madder. Few recovered. The year hed stayed there, it felt longer than the three years hed been in the juvie facility before. It felt like an eternity, even if hed barely been aware for half of it. His delusions had gotten worse, and nothing they did would ever help him get better. But then the government started cracking down on places like saint Holmes, places that spent more time cutting into patients brains than trying to help them through therapy. Places that used the patients like test subjects instead of people. Hed been released aged nineteen, let loose, just like that. Either hed make his own way or hed put himself in jail but either way, they let him go, after a stint in the hospital first, of course. And hed been doing alright, he really had. He didnt have much money, only some of what the government had given him, to keep him quiet, give him a place to stay. Despite the money hed found himself in a homeless shelter for a few nights, until theyd set him up in a house, a shared one, with the second occupant pending. He couldnt very well get a job, he had no qualifications, never finished school though hed lost most of his memory anyway. He could barely remember to function and still spent about as much time dreaming as he did fully conscious. It wasnt unusual to find himself in the middle of the city, with no real clue how hed gotten there, or how to get back. Things were different now though, so much different. His world was brighter now, and less red than Holmes, and he wore clothes that didnt restrain him. His hair was growing back too, covering the scars on his scalp. He looked almost normal really, if you didnt count his almost purple eyes. He didnt remember how he got them, but he didnt remember how he got many of the changes his body now exhibited, from scars to facial hair and so much more. Most of it he knew he just didnt want to remember, but he could if he tried. Remembered needles in his eyes and knives in his head and electricity coursing through his body. He was pretty sure hed bitten his own tongue off at one point but when he stuck it out it was still there, he couldnt see any difference to it. Maybe hed been dreaming that part, it wasnt like he could tell. Hed been living in this new apartment for two weeks now, and it had been six months from his release from Holmes, and one month since hed gotten out of hospital the doctors had had to put him back together again first, and make sure he wasnt violent before they let him go, but hed spent most of that time sedated. He was alone now, if not in his mind, but he no longer had nurses making sure he ate, taking care of him and providing for him, like he was used to. Living on his own was new, but it wasnt easy. It was difficult to remember things and even harder to fit to a schedule hed miss meals and sleep whenever he couldnt stay up any longer, afraid of what his dreams might bring. His government connection, a social worker called Jen, told him that his new housemate would be coming soon. She was supposed to come by once a week to make sure he was doing okay, though she usually came around every other day at least. Shed filled his cupboards with food, showed him how to live by himself, and cooked him food to eat during the day. The house was government owned so he didnt have to worry about bills, she said, but things like budgeting and taking care of himself, hed have to learn about those. He shook his head, clearing his mind of distractions. He was always distracted, but hed been taught to make a good impression, even if, upon deeper thought, he didnt know how. Hed pulled on some clean clothes, and hed showered and shaved Jen had taught him, and hed only cut himself twice. It was odd having so much hair. He was used to having his hair shaved off, face and head, but it was nice to have his hair on his head back, even if he was still a bit unused to that on his face. The black tresses came to his ears now, he wanted it down to his chin, just because he could. Either way, he was ready. Hed not touched the second bedroom, as promised, and hed not left a mess, a quick glance around and then a double check to make sure the drawings on the wall werent real- they werent, and he faced the door again, expectant, slightly nervous, but determined to do his best. Greiver Dhark was starting a new life.