The date so perfectly matches this chapter.

My vision narrows as the fog thickens. I shake my head, gagging as nausea rises from the whipping movement. I grab onto the wall for support, leaning heavily against the concrete. Another terrifying scream pierces my ears. Heads peek out of their prisons, curious eyes glancing up and down the hallway.

Hale twists in circles, his eyes wild, his curls swinging in the air. He waves his arms at the few girls brave enough to settle their inquisitiveness. "Run! Get back!"

He glances over his shoulder at me, panic flaring in his eyes as he stumbles away even faster. "Alice!"

My feet slide against the floor as I drag them past each closed door. Hints of whimpering and cries and pulses of sadness and silent rage permeate through the fog, but not enough to make me care. This prison has always been that. Always been vile, immoral…wrong. The fog is almost a welcomed old friend. If it weren't for my green savior, I'd hide in it forever.

Hale trips ahead, his hands barely catching himself as he slides along the linoleum. He's quick to rise, his feet slipping on the floor as he rushes back into a sprint. He disappears around the corner into the common room. I couldn't care less where he decides to disappear off to. Not when I'm this much closer to having my green savior's arms around me.

"Help!"

It feels like I'm yelling with the way my throat burns, but I know it's nothing more than a whisper that doesn't even warrant an echo. "Edward…"

The fog turns red. My feet slip on the floor. I grab onto the wall to help my balance, placing my forehead against the cool concrete, a blooming pain streaking through my head. I clench my fists, concentrating on where my fingernails bite into my flesh, waiting for the ache to subside, and when it does, I continue, turning the corner.

"Someone help!"

The common room is dimly lit. A lamp flickers in the corner, casting gloom across the empty tables and chairs. I navigate my way through it all, hating at the explosive sound each piece of furniture makes when I inevitably crash into it. I have tunnel vision, and at the very end is the doorway that will lead me to the wing with office with the ocean view and the warmth of the only man I care for in this prison. That's what makes me fight each jab of wood into my thigh, my stomach, the edge of my hip. I do it for him.

"Please! Stop!"

I'm surprised I hear the footstep through all the fog. They're quick, each hasty beat reverberating against the walls. I'm even more surprised by how fast I react, dropping to my knees and crawling under the closest table. I can't risk being caught out of my room so late at night. They'd take me away, lock me up, and who knows how many days and nights I'd go without seeing my green savior. Without kissing his lips. Without begging him to take me. Without shushing his protests.

I press deeper underneath, willing my breaths to silently seep out between my lips as the footsteps grow louder. I glance over, nearly jumping out of my spot and ruining my cover when Screeching Jane stares back from underneath another table. And maybe her being completely soundless is the biggest surprise of the night. I can't remember when the echoes of her screams stopped, but here she is now, with me, huddled under opposite tables, hiding from the world.

A shadow darkens the doorway, and an orderly walks in. I recognize the uniform, the shoes, the arrogant way his legs roam the room. Screeching Jane gasps in fear, her gray eyes clouding over with alarm and dread as her shoulders visibly begin to shake. I raise a wet finger to my lips, silently warning her into quiet.

Her eyes widen as she throws a hand over her mouth. The orderly barely glances around the room, his shadow never leaving the entrance, before he's off running further down the hall. I wait one second…two seconds…three seconds, before scooting out from under the table. I'm so close. To the threshold that will take me into lover's arms. I crawl towards the darkened doorway. Partly because I'm scared another orderly will appear and it'll be quicker to hide if I'm already on the floor. But mostly because my mind is spinning too fast, the fog is coming in too thick, that I don't have the strength or bearings to bring myself back up to my feet.

My hand slips against the wet floor, and for a second the red against my palm doesn't register in my blurry mind…until it does. Glaring. Vibrant. Dripping scarlet from my fingers down my wrist, staining my beige sleeve. It collects in a puddle slowly forming around my body. I follow the river, past the cracked linoleum and ending on an unmoving body.

I gulp. Not sure if I want to run or see who lies lifeless on the floor. I choose the latter. Mostly because of my handicaps at the moment. My heart joins the race toward failure along with the rest of my limbs as I place a hand on the shoulder and pull until the body falls onto its back. Blue eyes stare unseeingly up at the ceiling. A smile too-rich-too-perfect-too-bright frozen in time. Masses of blond soaked in red.

The delicate flesh across his neck separates into two fluttering pieces, the blood oozing from the slice and glazing down to the floor forming the river I slipped in. More lacerations collect red across his chest. One. So deep. Two. So shallow. Three. So crazy. It's not everyday you're faced with death, and that's why I don't see her when she attacks. When she pounces on me so hard that my head slams onto the floor. Black dots mar my vision as I feebly attempt to fight off her fists. But it's her words that hurt the most. That scar with each hit, each scratch, each bruise. That fester their way into my heart and my guilt.

"This is all your fault! This is all your fault! This is all your fault!"

FFn is having another whacky moment, so I wasn't able to respond to reviews yesterday. I just want to let you all know I appreciate all your comments!

Annie: Enough matches for you?

Maples: Happy now?