Running

And so she ran. From nothing and from everything.

She woke up in a haze. Her vision was blurred, and her mind foggy and confused. She looked around at the four walls of the room she lay in, wondering where she was. Shrieks, cries, singing, and even laughter echoed in a chaotic symphony from all sides. She moved to sit up and realized she was strapped down, her wrists cuffed with actual locks. She tried to break the straps, she struggled as hard as she could, her body flailing erratically. She tried screaming, but the fear inside her wouldn't let the words out. It was only minutes before she heard the door unlock and another shiver of fear shot through her body that paralyzed her movement. The door creaked open and she could hear the clicking of heels come inside. She tilted her head to see the back of a woman in a white nurse dress wearing a white hat atop her curly brown hair that was deeply in revolt of proper grooming. She could not see what the woman was doing but heard the ominous clanking of unknown metal tools. The nurse turned around and Emma stared into the eyes of the unkempt woman walking towards her, a needle in hand. Emma tried to talk, but still her voice failed her. Without thought her body began thrashing once again, and the nurse smiled with disturbed pleasure of the act of desperation. "You look tired," She cooed in mock concern. The nurse flicked her fingers on the crux of Emma's twitching arm and brought the needle down hard into into it, "Don't you worry, the sand man is a coming," she said happily. Emma could feel her consciousness slip away instantly. The face of the wicked nurse faded as her vision turned dark and she fell mercy to the outside world.

When she came to, she was still strapped down but was no longer alone. A tall slender man, bald with glasses and a doctors coat towered over her. "Good Morning Mrs. Evans," he said. Emma felt the cold suction of the stethoscope upon her bare chest and became too aware of her clothes, or lack there of. She was in a paper gown, that was open in the front, putting her body on exhibition. She looked down at herself to find bandages covering several different spots all over her body. "What did you do?" She said, much more meekly than intended. "Careful my dear," The doctor ordered. "You have been through a lot, now you must rest and save your strength." He then grabbed a needle from the small table next to him and rested his hand upon Emma's twitching arm, "don't" she pleaded. "Sh sh sh, time to rest," he said as he stuck the needle into her arm and her world once again turned dark.