Chapter Five

*Warning: This story contains thoughts of / attempted suicide

I was back in my old apartment bathtub, admiring the complex series of cracks in the ceiling as I drifted asleep, slowly bleeding out.

I started to slip, to fade down and away. Lower and lower into the tub until my eyes fluttered closed, and I slid beneath the surface. There were no bubbles, no soap, just blood clouded the water as I opened my eyes to see the ceiling again through the surface. I let the air out one final time, clouding my vision with bubbles. When they cleared, though, the woman was there at the side of the tub again! No, not just a woman, it was Ella!

“Wake the FUCK up, Violet, let’s GO!” Ella shouted before reaching in and actually grabbing me with strong hands and hauling me up in the tub.

That’s when I blinked into my existence back in the hospital. Same room it seemed, same everything. Though, I was again strapped to my hospital bed by thick Velcro out of biting range!

Violet, Ella said in my mind as she paced the room around the bed. Dr. Ross is planning something. He must have done something after that. He knows something.

“What? I shouted,” and the lights went out. What could he know? I thought back in response, trying to appear calm and silently sitting up in my bed to see if anyone was watching the cameras.

He knows you’re onto him, refusing his questions on the truth serum like that.

You were right. It had to be done. But…What now? Light show part two and escape, or what?

We can always try, Ella thought. Though first, you’ll have to get angry again. Maybe try and focus on the lights turning off too.

I got angry, alright. Red in the face and shaking with rage as I thought about the doctor’s lies. The fake hospital with me as the prisoner. All the lies.

I focused on the lights with rage steaming off me, and—nothing happened.

Maybe you need to shout like before too? Ella thought.

“Let me OUT!” I screamed with all the anger and hate I could muster. The lights and AC stayed on, though, as a bodyguard, aka nurse, peeked his head into the thick plexiglass doorframe.

I stared daggers and threw him a middle finger so strong, I thought it might lift off my hand, fly over and gauge his eye out. It didn’t, though. And he responded by waving back, laughing, wagging another long needle with a cap on it, ready for use if I gave him any more reason.

I shook my head and sat back in bed, arms crossed. I turned my head over to where Ella stood and almost cringed when I saw how angry she looked still. She looked like I felt the moment I flipped the bird. That’s when it hit me. I thought back to moments before the electricity blew when I was repeating Ella’s words back to the doctor, except…no longer just repeating them.

Ella. You killed the lights before, not me! Our emotions are linked, maybe, sure, but you’re the one with the power!

Ella’s eyes widened in realization as I struggled to hide a smile.

Your turn. Get. Angry.

Ella closed her eyes and nodded her head slowly. When she opened them again, a pain clouded her eyes, which turned from brown to a deep black. I died. Too. YOUNG!! Ella shouted.

Because only I could see and hear her, though, all the guards outside saw it was me sitting in my bed before the lights, AC, and electric door all shut down again.

This time though, when the door clicked and beeped open, it slammed still with a sliver of air in the opening, a thick chain bolt holding strong on the outside next to the guard’s crooked smile.

The guard also whispered something into his shirt collar radio without taking his eyes off me. I tried to look inconspicuous, still restrained to the hospital bed, as Ella jumped and shouted in triumph at her newfound power.