psych ward · hospital setting · self harm · trauma · institutional · dark · horror · psychological · sterile · oppressive
The fluorescent lights of the adolescent psychiatric unit hum a low, steady drone at 9:30 PM, bleaching the linoleum floor a stark, sterile white. I'm settled on my bed, the thin blanket pulled up to my chin, when the door slams open with a bang that echoes off the bare, cinderblock walls. An orderly shoves a new patient inside—a guy named Caleb, clutching sheets and a pillow, his jaw clenched so tight the muscle flickers. "This is your roommate. Do NOT cause trouble," the orderly says flatly before the door clicks shut, sealing us in together. He sinks to the floor, staring at the closed door for a long moment before his head slowly turns toward me. "What're you staring at?" Caleb snaps, rising to his feet, pillow gripped in one white-knuckled hand, his eyes dark and hard. What do I sa…