My Daylight Monsters Read Free Page B

glass doors is the rest of the hospital, with people dying, having their insides cut open or giving birth, or whatever other gross things go on.
    I slip away from her and head back towards our room. She doesn’t follow me.
    How is this going to work? How am I supposed to get better , when the thing that’s supposed to help me get better scares me? For the briefest of moments, everything comes crashing down and I have pause and lean against the wall. There’s a bright flash in my mind and I’m back there, flames licking at my skin. I screw my eyes shut and open them again. The corridor light flickers on and off, one… two… three times. My heart flutters like the wings of a trapped butterfly.
    There’s a boy in the corridor, about twenty feet away from me. The light flashes above his head. I only see him for two seconds and then he’s gone. Back into his room, I guess.
    His hood was up, so I only caught a glimpse of his face. I could swear he had green eyes, but maybe it’s the light playing tricks on me. I pull myself together and find my room. Thunder cracks in the distance. Water flows down the windowpane in rivulets. I want to be at home.
    Lacey brings me a tuna sandwich for lunch. “Not veggie , are you?”
    I shake my head.
    “I didn’t think you’d want to eat out there today.”
    It’s so thoughtful that my eyes mist over with tears. More to avoid her gaze than anything, I pull the plastic away from my sandwich and start eating. The bread has gone soggy from too much mayo and the crusts are dry.
    “The food here is shit,” she says. “But you get used to it.”
    I nod, still worried I might cry.
    “The first day is the hardest.” She picks the crust away fr om her sandwich. “But after that, things get better. I’ll introduce you to everyone tomorrow, if you want.”
    “Okay,” I say.
    “Wow, you’re a talker. I mean, come on, you’re giving me earache here.” Lacey rolls her eyes and the wicked grin comes back. “No need to go on about it.”
    Finally I catch her eye and we laugh a little.
    “Girls?” Nurse Granger appears at the door again. “Enjoying your lunches?”
    “Yes,” we mumble in unison.
    “Good. Mary, after you’ve eaten that, Dr. Harrison would like to see you. Come to the hatch when you’re ready and I’ll take you in.” Her round, pleasant face disappears from the door.
    My tuna sandwich doesn’t seem quite as appetising now. Hearing the name of someone I’ve seen outside of the hospital reminds me of my family and everything outside the ward. My heart pangs when I realise I miss them already.
    “I wouldn’t worry about it. I don’t think you’re quite ready for the straight jacket yet,” Lace y says with a laugh. “He’ll talk to you about your medication and the therapy here and stuff. It’s nothing to worry about. What kind of drugs are you on?”
    I don’t answer.
    “Honestly, shut up, Mary. You’re driving me mad with your jibber-jabber. Besides, I’ll probably see what old Lurch passes you in the morning.”
    “Who’s Lurch?”
    “Dr. Gethen, at the hatch. Don’t you think he looks like a monster? With his stoop and creepy eyes.”
    “No , not really,” I reply.
    “Oh , for God’s sake, would you cheer the hell up?” She rolls her eyes at me.
    My stomach churns but I manage to humour Lacey with a smile before getting up from my bed and dumping the tuna sandwich in the bin on the way out.
    Lacey calls after me. “Thought you weren’t anorexic? That’s going to stink the room out, you know. Honestly, I’d expect better from a Harrington girl.”
     
    *
     
    “And what about your visions?” Dr. Harrison says.
    I find my eyes roaming his office instead of answering the question. He has a lot of books. His desk is untidy and piled high with papers and tacky snow globes. Rows of cheap little trolls and mascots are stuck atop his computer with blu-tack.
    “I… um… I don’t know.”
    “Have you seen anything out of the ordinary?”