[M] Plagued Encounters (Sparkz and NoviDome)

After 30 minutes of watching her easy, Roger sighed and knocked on the door. He had watched as she talked to herself. She was crazy. He reminded himself. There is no ghost in that room. They don't exist. He was perfectly sane. "Times up!" He called through the door and he opened it up once he knew that she was far enough away.

He stepped inside and saw that she had food all over her face and jacket. He sighed softly and ignored the ghost by the table, watching them. "I had offered to feed you." He said as he picked up the napkin. "Don't bite my hand. I'm going to wipe your face." He said gently. He waited for permission before he gently wiped off her jacket then her face. Up close, he could see her beauty. Who someone like her ended up here was a mystery.

"My name is Roger. I'm one of the janitors but I also help take care of the patients when needed. Today is one of those days. Someone called in sick." He said, trying to make conversation. "What's your name?"

Once her face was clean, he set it down on the tray. He would have to leave soon. He hated being near the figments of his imagination. He was painfully aware of the ghost of Henry behind him. He hoped to God that he wouldn't talk and scare him again like he did when he was cleaning earlier.

When he stepped inside, she looked down. She knew she looked like a mess. She bit down hard on her lips when he sighed and came over. As soon as he got closer, she could feel her mind slipping. I'll bite him all right. Bite his stupid hand right off. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying with all her might to stay in control. She was supposed to win his trust, right? True. But I want to... But she didn't. She kept her eyes and mouth shut as he wiped her clean, her breathing short. Look at him, cleaning you off like a little kid. It's pathetic. I'm sure he gets a kick out of this. The girl bit her lips harder and shook her head ever so slightly in disagreement with herself.

Only when he spoke to her did she dare to open one eye and look at him. He looked so kind. And he spoke to her like she was a normal human being. It was a breath of fresh air that almost made her tear up right then and there, but she kept herself together. "...I'm Maeva," she said softly. "I'm... sorry, about the mess..."

As soon as he was done, she took a step back, away from him. She didn't want to take any risks. She looked at the old man behind Roger and frowned a little when she saw he was moving closer. The ghost raised a transparent hand and reached out to touch Roger's shoulder. Her eyes widened a little. She hadn't been here long enough to be certain this ghost wasn't malicious. Don't you dare Maeva, let him- But the girl didn't listen. She moved around Roger and in front of the old man, blocking his path to Roger. She put on a smile to distract from her behaviour. "...Thank you for the food. It... was surprisingly good."

Roger smiled gently at the woman as she bit her lip. He could tell that she was embarrassed. Obviously not everything about her was crazy. She had some sense of shame. She squeezed her eyes shut as he touched her. He was gentle and was sure to be quick about cleaning her. He wasn't sure when the other personality would come out. He caught her shaking her head slightly and he pulled away. He wasn't about to test his luck just yet.

She opened one eye and looked shocked that he treated her lick normal. He smiled at her name. "Maeva... I like that. It's very pretty." Like you... He added mentally but he didn't dare say it out loud. "It's okay. You ate without your hands. I offered you the chance to get out of the jacket but that's okay." He said kindly.

She stepped back and he respected the distance between them. Then he noticed that she wasn't looking at him but behind him... At the ghost... Her eyes widened and she moved to stand in between her and old Henry. She flashed him a smile but she definitely stepped between them on purpose. "You're welcome... You have to eat so you can get better..." He paused for a moment, unsure if he should say anything. Fuck it. He had to know.

"You see him too... Don't you?" He asked softly. "Henry... Behind you."

She saw the look - a knowing look - on his face as she shielded him from the ghost, and then... he dropped a bombshell. He saw him? Did he really? She grew pale as he said the ghost's name. Henry... Henry? What a normal name... what a relief. But hold on! How did he know? How could he know?! This couldn't be real, none of it! It's not. He's fucking with you. He's making fun of you.

She started to shake her head and stepped aside. "...I-I don't know what you're talking about," she lied. She couldn't go about telling people she saw things. Then she would never get out of this place. "You should go."

Roger took a chance but then it backfired. She shook her head and stepped aside. He glanced at Henry then at her. She was lying and his heart pounded against his chest. "But you do see him. He has a rope from the ceiling." He said quickly. She was like him. She wasn't crazy if he wasn't crazy, right?

When she told him to go, he sighed and rubbed his face. "Alright... I'll go. I just... I thought you were like me." He said softly before taking the tray and leaving. He locked the door behind him and left.

She watched him go with a frightened expression on her face. What just happened? How could that be? No, no, this... This had to be a setup. She looked at the cameras. Were they testing her? I bet they are. Sadistic shits. There's no one like you. You're all alone. "But he saw him," she stammered, looking at the ghost. Hey. Maybe he's crazy. Wouldn't be a strange place for a crazy person. She hugged herself and pressed her back to the wall. If this was real... if that man... Roger... if he truly saw what she saw... there was hope for her. But she didn't dare believe that.

Suddenly, she stared up at the ghost. "Hey.... Hey you. You tried to touch him. Is... I-Is your name really Henry?" she asked softly, but urgently. The pale face looked at her, and then it started to fade. "NO!" she said, lunging forward, but the ghost dissolved and she tripped over her own feet. She smacked onto the ground, unable to catch herself, and winced. "Fuck," she muttered, rolling onto her back as she caught her breath. Idiot. Of course it's not. "...But what if it is?" she breathed. For once, the voice in her head was silent.

She closed her eyes. She was exhausted. She briefly wondered if there had been meds in the food she had just eaten, but she supposed she wouldn't know. She sighed after a little while and sat up straight with a groan. She slowly got to her feet and sat down on her bed. She stared into the empty space of her cell. She supposed there was nothing she could do now but wait. Wait and watch and listen.

Roger walked away from the room. Several ghosts wandered the halls as he walked. They seemed to understand that he needed confirmation that he wasn't crazy. He wasn't crazy. She had seen Henry. She had seen him and protected him... From what? He didn't know.

He placed her tray back in the kitchen to be washed as she returned to his cleaning duties. His mind kept drifting back to her. She wasn't crazy... Yet that raspy voice that was cursing was real and that certainly wasn't the woman he had talked to. Maybe she was a little crazy but she didn't see things that weren't there... She saw things that other... Normal people couldn't see! He chewed on his lip as he finished up cleaning. It was time to go home... Maybe tomorrow... Maybe tomorrow she would be willing to talk.

That night was a long one for Maeva. She didn't receive any more visits. Not from live humans, at least. She did meet a number of dead ones. She was used to seeing and interacting with such apparitions, but she'd never seen so many different ones in so little time. She supposed it wasn't strange; a lot of people must have died under terrible circumstances in this room.

The first other ghost she met was a younger man, who was...aggressive, to say the least. He made several attempts to scare the shit out of her. First, he appeared right in her face with fiery eyes, sending her scrambling backwards, screaming at the top of her lungs. Then he tookcontrol of the lights in her room, making them flicker and then turn off completely. He moved around her room, growling menacingly, and that was the last thing she could remember from that encounter. When she came to, the ghost was in the corner, the lights were back on, and he was... crying? Whimpering , even. She whispered a soft apology on behalf of what she supposed could be called her counterpart by now.

After all that, she turned off the lights and lay down, hoping to catch some sleep. She finally managed, and was out for about half an hour when she was suddenly awoken by a lady in hysterics, shaking her, begging her for help, to let her out, she missed her little boy so much, she just wanted to go home. Maeva looked at her and was overwhelmed by a terrible dread. The woman seemed to radiate it and it consumed her. She started to cry and tried to move away from the woman, but then she disappeared as suddenly as she had appeared.

The third and last spirit she met was a girl a little younger than her. Their encounter was very brief. The girl simply screamed her awake, thenran right through the wall and left her alone. Maeva sighed and laid her head back down. She was lucky enough to fall back asleep and rest through the rest of the night.

The next morning she woke up feeling groggy and uncomfortable. The straight jacket wasn't exactly made to be easily slept in. Both her arms felt numb and tingly, and on top of that her head was pounding. She groaned and managed to sit up. She looked at the camera in the corner of her room and tried to wave with her shoulder. She hoped someone was watching behind that blinking red light.

Roger came in the next day right before breakfast was served. He started cleaning the halls before everyone started walking in them. he then walked into the security office where they had all the cameras set up. He glanced up at the various rooms. So far none of them needed to be cleaned... thank god... his eyes then fell onto Maeva's room. She was sitting up in bed, wiggling her shoulders. She was probably trying to get someone's attention. He glanced around the room. No ghosts... thank god...

She seemed calm this morning. Maybe the doctor would allow her out of that jacket. She had been in it for who knows how long. It's probably getting uncomfortable. Roger flagged down one of the orderlies and pointed out Maeva. After a brief discussion and a little bit of convincing, Roger got the other man to agree to let her out of the jacket. Even if she didn't leave the room yet, she could at least be free of it.

10 minutes later, there was a knock on the door and a man entered with breakfast. "Good Morning, Maeva. I am happy to see that you are in good spirits today." He shut the door behind him. He set the tray down on the table. It was waffle sticks and bacon and a banana. All finger food today. "I will let you out of the jacket if you promise to be a good girl." He smiled at her kindly, though there was something else in his eyes as he glanced down at her chest then back up to her face.

"Now turn around and Johnny here will let you loose." He added.

Maeva observed this new man with suspicion, especially when his eyes drifted from her face. She felt a wave of nausea and swallowed to keep everything down. She didn't think one needed to see the things she did to immediately recognise this wasn't a great guy. A good girl? What a disgusting thing to say. Johnny. Makes me sick. And you're not even the one with the body, Maeva thought to herself.

She took a deep breath, willing herself to black out, but her companion left her to her fate. She turned around to grant the man access to the straps. She did really want to get out of the jacket, even if she was still scared of the risks that posed. Her arms were crying out to be moved, and her skin felt dry. Gods, she craved a cup of coffee right about now.