It felt like my eyes had only shut for a few seconds when someone was grabbing my shoulders and shaking me awake.

“Mary! Mary Alice, wake up! Quickly!” Mother’s sharp whisper cut through the drowsy haze that fogged my brain. My eyes inched open.

“What?” I mumbled, yawning and rubbing my eyes.

“Get up! Now!” She yanked my covers off, and I shivered in the cool air.

“Why?” I looked out the window--it was dark out, not even a hint of sunlight. “It’s not even morning, and it’s a school--”

“Do what I say, Mary Alice!” Mother hissed, her voice shaking with fury. I sat up and stretched, realizing on an afterthought that Mother only called me Mary Alice when she was extremely angry.

I was moving too slow for her liking--with a bony hand, she grabbed my arm and pulled me off of the bed and started pushing me out of my room.

“What’s wrong? Hey, I need to get dressed!” Now I was panicking; I tried to turn around, but Mother’s stone grip was unbreakable.

“It doesn’t matter,” she whispered through her teeth, answering both of my comments.

My brain was still fuzzy from my abrupt awakening; I didn’t realize that Father and Cynthia weren’t with us until we started pulling out of the driveway in our Model T.

“What! What about--” I started to ask, but mother interrupted, pulling out of the driveway and turning onto the road with remarkable speed.

“They’re not coming with us. Just go back to sleep, Mary. There’s a blanket in the back.” Her voice was too strained to be comforting, but I obeyed nonetheless. I grabbed the blanket and rolled onto my side. I was asleep within minutes.

I didn’t know how long we had been traveling when I finally woke up; the sun was just staring to peak over the horizon. There were no buildings in sight; it was like we were in the middle of nowhere.

Although my nap had been short and uncomfortable, it cleared away the haze from my brain. I was able to think logically now.

“Where are we going, Mother?’ I asked, honestly curious now.

“It doesn’t matter,” she answered, her lips taunt with stress. Her eyes were frantic.

“Why did you wake me--”

“My God, Mary!” Mother yelled, slapping her palm on the steering wheel. I jumped at her sudden outburst. “Stop questioning me! This is Mother’s business, all right? Do you distrust my judgment?”

Yes, I nearly responded, but I bit my tongue. Mother’s outburst terrified me, and I wondered what had made her feel so freaked out. I didn’t speak, though, feeling it wiser to keep my mouth shut in this instant.

“We’re here, anyway.” Mother muttered, turning onto a gravel road. The Model T rocked, and I held onto my seat.

We stopped in a big parking lot, and I gawked at the looming building we were parked in front of. It was enormous, like a factory of some sort. Although the building had windows, no light shone from them: it gave the building an ominous look.

Suddenly, everything seemed to click into place. I knew where we were.

“No!” I shouted in terror as the realization struck hard and fast. I understood everything now--Mother’s stressed out manner, the rush to get out of the house, my ignorance to the whole ordeal. I understood. I was at the insane asylum. Mother had snuck me out from under Father’s protection to make sure that she got her way.

Mother was grabbing my arms, trying to get a hold on me so that I wouldn’t escape. I twisted and thrashed under her restraining hold, trying to get loose.

“Let go of me!” I shrieked, trying to bite her hands--she wouldn’t win--I wouldn’t go into the building. The hot tears of fear and betrayal poured down my face.

I must’ve been making enough racket for the people inside the building to hear me: two men, one tough and cruel, the other slender and almost sympathetic, ran to the car, ready to help Mother and get me out of the car.

I may’ve been able to hold off Mother, but fighting against two men bigger and stronger than I was would be nearly impossible. Resistance was futile.

But that didn’t mean that I had to stop trying.

I stopped fighting Mother, trying to reserve my small quantity of strength for the two men.

The bigger man, to my surprise, opened my door; the slender man reached in the car for me.

His eyes are red! I realized with surprise. I stared at his face, too shocked to move. His cold hands were gentle on my arms as he persuaded me out of the car. I didn’t stop staring at his face, even when I had my opportunity to break free from his hold on me. I was so entranced by his face; it would be hard to force myself to look away. His hands, too, were so soothing on my skin that I relished the thought of breaking from their hold.

He led me inside, and I was dimly aware of the big man and Mother following behind.

“Get the room key,” my guard told his co-worker in a murmur; his voice was alluring. The man nodded, walking into a small office I hadn’t noticed. He was back in a flash, and in his palm was a small silver key.

“502,” he said, his voice grave and deep. My guard nodded and turned to Mother. She stood at the front entrance, her face irritated and her arms crossed over her chest.

“Would you like to say good-bye to your daughter?” he asked, his voice soft and persuasive. Mother jerked her head no, and he sighed.

“All right, then. You can just go in the office and settle out some things.” Mother did as he instructed, her movements jerky and quick.

Once she was gone, my guard turned his attention back to me. He smiled.

“Hello,” he said, and his breath wafted to my face, cool and delectable. “What’s your name?”

“I-I’m, uh, A-Alice.” I stuttered. He smiled again at my sudden nervousness.

“I’m William.” Without even being aware of it, he led me down the hallway--I was so entranced by his pale face. Dark shadows circled under the red eyes, and his hair was short and dark. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Alice.”

We stopped suddenly in front of a white door. He held the silver key in his palm; skillfully, he unlocked the door. The room was a dark cell, and I was abruptly reminded of my vision from yesterday.

Very lightly, William pushed me into the room. I turned away, panicked.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Alice.” With one kind smile, he shut the door, locking me in.

I collapsed where I stood. All of my fear from yesterday and last night returned. I had been committed to this asylum and there was nothing I could do to change that. Neither my father nor Cynthia knew where I was. I was miles away from home, terrified, and incredibly lonely. Now that I was here, what would happen to me? Would they torture me, as the rumors said? Would they feed me? Would I ever see sunlight again?

I trembled and sobbed, my arms wrapping tightly around my midsection. I had no way of knowing what was going to happen to me--I was stuck here with no way out.