The night cloaks me in darkness as I tread along the desolate dirt road. There’s an unsettling stillness in the air, a heaviness that hangs as I move forward. The crunching of gravel beneath my boots and the distant howl of a lone wolf are the only sounds in this eerie part of the woods. I stay focused, watching for lights. If someone sees me, they will likely call the authorities at this time of night.

A figure emerges from the shadows, a jogger dressed in a tracksuit, approaching with an odd intensity. His grin widens as he matches my pace effortlessly, a puppeteer pulling invisible strings. Unease crawls up my spine as I quicken my steps, but he mirrors my movements, his grin never faltering.

“Good evening,” he greets, his voice unnaturally smooth. I nod, uneasy under his piercing gaze. The jogger continues his unsettling grin, undeterred by my unease. “You know,” he says, his voice taking on a strange, almost sing-song quality, “fitness is the key to unlocking the true potential of the body. The body is a vessel, and through disciplined exercise, we can attain a higher state of being.”

His words feel like a jarring contrast to the eerie atmosphere surrounding us. As he relentlessly talks about fitness, I listen with a growing sense of dread. The darkness seems to amplify his words, turning them into a sinister chant.

Interrupting his fitness discourse, I feel compelled to share the tale of the Rain Witch. “There’s a place not far from here,” I say, my voice steady but edged with a newfound intensity, “where a witch dwells. She’s a master of tears from the heavens. Rain falls indoors, a cascade of sorrow.” Now, I laugh deeply at the sky!

The jogger’s grin falters for a moment, his eyes narrowing. “What nonsense is this?” he scoffs.

But I press on, weaving the tale of the Rain Witch and her haunting laughter that leads to madness. The air thickens with an otherworldly tension as I speak, and the jogger’s confidence wanes.

Suddenly, without warning, my hands move with a will of their own. In a swift motion, I draw a concealed knife and plunge it into the jogger’s side. He gasps, his eyes widening in shock and pain.

“I’ve had enough of your tales,” I declare, my voice sounding foreign to my ears. “The Rain Witch demands a sacrifice, and you’re the chosen one.”

As the jogger crumples to the ground, gasping for breath, I watch the life drain from his eyes. The night is silent again, save for the dying gasps of the jogger beneath me, creating a beautiful, crooked picture.

Leaving behind the lifeless form, I resume my walk down the dirt road, the weight of the encounter settling on my shoulders. The whispers of the Rain Witch linger as I fade into the darkness.

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I spent months planning my escape, memorizing every twist and turn of the maze-like halls. I strategized, mapping out emergency exits and studying the routines of the staff. I befriended fellow patients to gather information discreetly and even constructed and hid makeshift tools, preparing for the opportune moment. Now, I clutch the edges of my white hospital gown, feeling the chill of the night air against my bare skin. 

The plan is simple – I wait for the night shift change, slip past the drowsy guards, and disappear into the darkness. But as I navigate through the shadows, I can’t shake the feeling that someone, or something, is watching me. My bare feet make no sound on the cold linoleum floors as I move with the precision of a ghost, but doubt and fear claw at the edges of my consciousness, threatening to undo my carefully laid escape plan. 

The flickering fluorescent lights overhead add to the surreal atmosphere, casting long, distorted shadows that dance along the walls like specters. I press myself against the peeling wallpaper, my eyes darting around every corner for signs of the hospital staff. My heart races, each beat echoing in the empty halls. 

I reach the main entrance, hesitating as the heavy metal door looms in front of me like the final boss in a video game. I take a deep breath, summoning the courage to push it open and step into the night. The cool breeze kisses my skin, and for a moment, I feel a sense of exhilaration. However, my joy is short-lived as the moonlight reveals the desolation that surrounds the facility. Tangled, unruly weeds choke the landscape, their overgrowth a testament to neglect. My escape has led me from one prison to another. 

My eyes scan the perimeter, searching for any sign of civilization. A distant howl sends a shiver down my spine, and I realize I’m not alone. The darkness seems to come alive with unseen eyes, watching my every move. 

Determined to put distance between myself and the Sanitarium, I stumble forward, my bare feet cutting through the damp, tangled grass. The moon plays hide-and-seek behind thick clouds, casting the world into an impenetrable darkness. I can barely make out the outline of a decaying fence ahead. As I get closer, a flicker of movement catches my eye, and panic surges through my veins as I glimpse a figure in the shadows. A disheveled man, his eyes wide with madness, emerges from the darkness. My heart races as I recognize him – a fellow inmate who disappeared some time ago. 

“FOOL,” he rasps, his voice a guttural whisper that sends chills down my spine. “You can’t escape. They’ll find you. They always do.” 

I recoil, my mind flooded with memories of the twisted experiments and oppressive treatments I endured within the asylum’s walls. The man advances, his gaunt face contorted in a grotesque smile. I stumble backward, my hands searching for something – ANYTHING – to defend myself. In the dim light, I spot a discarded metal pipe. Without hesitation, I seize it and hold it up like a weapon. The man continues to advance, his movements erratic and unpredictable. The air is thick with tension as I prepare to defend myself against this maniac of my past. But as the man draws closer, something in my mind snaps. I hesitate and let the pipe slip from my grasp as the truth dawns on me – the man isn’t real. He’s a manifestation of my tortured psyche, a phantom conjured by the trauma that lingers within me. The revelation leaves me paralyzed, caught between the asylum that holds me captive and the hallucinations that torment me. 

As the man dissipates into the shadows, I sink to my knees, the weight of my fractured mind bearing down on me. The once-clear path to freedom now seems obscured by the fog of uncertainty. The moon emerges again from behind the clouds, casting a cold light on my trembling form. 

In that moment of vulnerability, a new realization dawns upon me – I AM MAD! With a heavy heart and a devious glint in my eyes, I rise from the damp ground, ready to break away from my old life and face the challenges that await me on the uncertain road to a darker kind of recovery. I pick up the pipe and press on into the night.

The End

Break Away

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