Page 5 of Lonely
“Fuck.”
Out of breath, I leaned over with my hands on my knees. Corpses were heavy. My body wasn’t as strong as it used to be.
When my heart rate finally settled, I reached for the saw between the man’s legs and got to work severing his limbs.
My whistling filled the bathroom. I paused to wipe the sweat from my forehead with the back of my blood-soaked hand.
As I clutched his ankle, straining to saw through bone, thoughts of dark hair and piercing emerald eyes filled my vision. What would it take to get inside my new patient’s thoughts? To dissect each one and savor their succulence?
I needed him to open up.
I needed his words.
Anna exited my office as I walked down the hallway, unwinding my red scarf from around my neck. The umbrella tucked beneath my elbow left a trail of rainwater on the freshly polished floors.
Annoyance flared when she smoothed her too-short skirt. Of course, she was there bright and early, lighting up the dreary halls of Wellard with her excessive energy.
“Good morning, sir,” she said, smiling brightly.
I didn’t return the smile as I approached. “Nurse Anna.”
She nibbled on her lip, nervous. It seemed we were destined for stilted conversations. If she hoped I’d eventually warm to her, she was wrong. The other nurses thought I was grumpy. But even so, Anna wasn’t deterred by my frown or the downward tilt of my mouth.
She stepped aside so she was no longer blocking the doorway, and I caught a whiff of her vanilla perfume.
“Another rainy day, sir.”
“It’s always raining here,” I responded, casting a disapproving look at the trail of rainwater on the floor. “Clean this up. We wouldn’t want anyone to have an unfortunate accident.”
I went to open the door, but my eyes caught on her ankles, and darkened. “What’s that?”
She glanced down at the ankle bracelet, a tacky heart pendant. “Do you like it? I found it in this charming little village boutique and thought it was cute.”
My eye twitched. “Anna. Do I need to remind you of the dress code? Short dresses and ankle bracelets aren’t suitable work attire.”
“I’m sorry, sir.”
She didn’t sound sorry at all.
A huff escaped me as I disappeared into the office and slammed the door in her face. Call me rude, but I didn’t need a woman like Anna sniffing around. She was already too intrigued by my alkaline personality.
A breeze drifted through the open window and chilled the cold sweat on my neck as I discarded my scarf and trench coat onto the hatstand. Like every other morning, I crossed the room to shut the window. Heavy rain had lashed my windshield on the drive in, but now it had softened to a drizzle.
A crow cawed in the distance, its haunted notes sending a shiver racing down my spine.
“Good morning, Carter,” I said as I turned and finally offered my attention to the young man seated in the armchair.
A different kind of shiver slithered down my spine when his silence thickened the air.
That morning I’d woken up filled with anticipation at the thought of seeing him.
I couldn’t wait to have him to myself.
With my hands clasped behind me, I rounded the desk, considering what approach to take that day. Carter would soon be introduced to the other patients and begin group therapy, but not until I decided he was ready to integrate. Until then, he was mine to dissect and pick apart.
“I hope you’re settling in okay here at Wellard.”
Silence.
