She looks out through the barred windows and sees nothing of interest. Nothing comes as an interest anymore. She is whittled down to a breathing husk. She feels nothing. No pain. No sadness. She remembers nothing. No anger. No suffering. Just a breathing husk. The nurses tell her she is getting better. They lie. So does everyone else in this madhouse. Whether it is intentional or not. They all lie, nevertheless. She knows but she does not care. She cannot be made to care anymore.

Needles and pills. Needles and pills. She is turned into addict. So bruised are her arms. So dry is . From all the needles and pills they give her. They say it will help her. Do they, really? She does not know. But she cannot be made to care. Not anymore.

She does not care when the nurses talk about her behind her back. She does not care when doctors touch her while she sleeps. She cannot be made to care anymore.

She is just waiting now. She is bidding her time. Watching without seeing. Listening without hearing. Her ugly reflection in the glass. Her noisy heart beating and the occasional voice in her head. A stranger's voice. Singing. Laughing. Proving that he knows her more than she knows herself.

Pills, pills. Every size, every color, but they won't save you.

The stranger sings it to her like a children's nursery rhyme.

You hear it, don't you? One, two, three, four...

She sings along. "One, two, three, four..." Her hands brush against her dirty white gown as if she is smoothing out the wrinkles.

You've been waiting for it. The nurse's heavy footsteps as she walks out the door.

"Yes. I am waiting." She continues brushing her gown as her head sways from side to side, humming a tune.

Unlike her, I know what you're hiding.

"You do?" She asks the stranger. "What do you know?"

I know it all. That unguarded syringe hidden underneath your shawl.

Her hands stop brushing and she smiles. "What shall I do with it?"

Use it on your metal heart. Let steel erupt into rusty nails.

"And?"

And we'll call it a draw.

"A draw."

A draw and that's all.

JAN 19 2014 | 372 WORDS | M♥H