My Daylight Monsters Read Free Page A

Harrison did say he thought that while I wasn’t in immediate danger of ‘harming myself or others’, that with my ‘track record’ he would ‘strongly suggest’ that I consider checking into a psychiatric ward. Even just for a short while.
    “You seventeen as well, then?” she asks.
    “Yeah.”
    “So… not an addict, not bipolar, not psychotic… there has to be a reason.”
    Why wouldn’t she leave it alone?
    “PTSD?”
    “I really don’t want to talk about this,” I snap. “I’ve been here about five minutes. My parents have only just left.”
    “Dropped off by the ‘rents. Nice. Mine couldn’t give a shit.”
    When I turn away from the wardrobe and back to her, she pokes me in the stomach. “What are you doing?”
    “Not overdosed recently then? I don’t want no suicidal roommate. Man, they are such a drag.” She pulls back my sleeves.
    “Hey!”
    “Good, you’re not a cutter, either. I hate the sight of blood. And you’ve got a bit of meat on you, so you’re not anorexic. I hate sharing with them. All the rotting food stuffed under the bed. Yuck!”
    “Do you mind?” I pull away and sit on my new bed.
    Lacey sits back down on her own. For a minute she appears a bit upset. Regretful even.
    “Sorry,” she says. “ I never know when to shut up. I-I’m Lacey Holloway. I’m kinda manic and socially awkward. There! Is that better?”
    “I suppose.”
    “You from out of the city?” she asks.
    “Yeah. Harrington , you know it?”
    She nods. “Right posh in Harrington . Bet you have a right nice house.”
    “It’s okay.”
    “Yeah, I bet.” Lacey has a bit of a malicious grin but she doesn’t come across as a mean person—just a little all over the place. “Better than living on the estate.”
    “The one by the train station?”
    “Yeah. It’s minging.” She wrinkles her nose as though she can smell it from five miles away. “I prefer it here. Even if Nurse Granger is a ball-buster.”
    “She seems all right.”
    “Oh, she is at first. But she soon turns nasty.” Lacey winks. I get the impression she likes to exaggerate.
    “Is she a bit of a Nurse Ratched?” I ask.
    “You what?”
    “Like in ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’?”
    “Dunno, mate. Never heard of it.”
    “Oh, okay. It’s a famous film and book? Never mind.” I move on. “What are you reading?”
    Lacey picks up her book and examines the cover as though trying to remember. “Just some soppy romance thing. You get so bored you’ll read owt in here. I read a book about canals, last week.”
    “How long have you been here?”
    She exhales through soft lips, reverberating in a floppy brrr-brrr-rrr sound. “Oh, I dunno. About a year.”
    “A year ?”
    “Yep!”
    “But… that’s so long.”
    “I guess.” She shrugs. “I’ve been home in that time. It didn’t work out.” Her face darkens. “So I ended up back.”
    “But what about education? Aren’t you going to do any A-Levels or go to university?”
    “I’m not smart enough, or rich enough. Not like you.”
    I open my mouth to say something; I don’t know what. I don’t know how to respond. Luckily, Nurse Granger appears at the door with towels and clothes.
    “Is there somewhere to change?” I ask meekly.
    “Don’t worry, I won’t look.” Lacey picks up her book and buries her nose in it once more.

Chapter Three
     
    For a while , things are nowhere near as bad as I’d conjured in my mind. The most disturbing sight is Lacey, picking her toenails. Even though I find myself able to begin to relax in my room, especially after I get my things back and I’m able to put up a photograph of my family, something stops me from venturing into the communal areas. Lacey finds this frustrating and almost drags me there by the arm. She pulls me around the sofas, pointing at the things Nurse Granger already showed me on the way in. It’s no good. All I see is dark corners with doctors lurking behind. I know that through the two thick