The Journey of Nathan Hall (3)

Chapter Three

You know, I remember My father telling me something before he released me here. It's a little grey but I still remember his exact words. He told me, "Son, some people are rotten but the lucky ones are given the exclusive one way ticket to redeem their mistakes. The one chance to make up for their sins and lost cause." And when I ask why, My dad simply said, "It's because some people deserve a second chance."

My father's words were indeed very noble, even more noble than the words of a priest or holy man, but it's already obvious that I am no saint. I am simply a plain human being that gets furious when seeing injustice and seeing these people which had committed murder staying here rather than prison sell, is my version of injustice.

I later sat together with Robert on the east side of the cafeteria. Far away from the people I hate and fear at the same time. I gazed down at my plate. I don't know if the food on my plate is nutritious and delicious, or rubbish that can make you vomit. But then I saw Robert giving me a small smile, an indication that this food is not garbage.

Yet I have never eaten food from a garbage can but I can assure you that some menu here is much much horrible than garbage.

I watched Robert munched his potato salad and chicken wings. He's eating like he never ate before. But even though I am hungry and my stomach growls loud like the sound of steam puffing out of a steamroller, but all I did is play my food with my plastic fork.

And Robert noticed me. "Is something wrong, Nathan? Is the food not okay?"

I shook my head and answered with a sign. "No, it's not that."

Robert stopped eating for a while and stared right at me. I stare back, but his glare was sharper that a dagger. "Oh, My God!" Robert snapped. "You're thinking of them again, aren't you? About the people here who committed murder? You should stop thinking about them, Nathan. No good with come to that if you keep continuing, the only thing you will get - is a stab in the back with a knife." Robert said. "Those people are lunatics, it's better if you and I keep our distances from them!"

"No, Robert!" I yelled at him. The patients at the cafeteria was attracted with my sudden tone, they stared at our table for a while before continue gobble down their food. Then I continue with my sound low, close to a whisper. "Robert, you have known me for 5 years now, and you well know that I can't stand injustice!"

"Yes, I'm with you on that, but ... but why are you making such a fuss about it?"

"Bloody hell, Robert!" I yelled with a low pitch. "You just don't understand what I'm feeling through right now. How my mere emotions are swinging to a condemned madness. I can't control it! They deserve to die more than anyone in the world!"

I observed Robert's face of resisting his hand to blow a hard punch at me. He took a deep breath, then said something that really made my heart stop. A beat to late. "Nathan, do you know the story of a patient here, named Nigel Alexandria?"

"Of course," I answer with a hard gulp on my throat. "You told me about him two months ago, he was a serial killer who killed 50 people back then before they sent him here ten years ago, before even I was here. So, what about him?"

Robert looked at both his shoulder before answering my question as if someone was overhearing our conversation, but there was no one paying a slight of attention at us. They are all too busy filling their mouth.

Then Robert finally answered my question. "Yes, but I haven't told you about who his victims were, have I? Nathan, the serial killer named Nigel Alexandria killed people who were committed of first and second degree murder. But when the police finally caught up to him, he was condemn here because he was plain nuts. And even after he was locked up in chains, he still didn't stop killing soil blood. For two years, he had killed 20 "murder" patients who were in here.But ... few months later, something happened"

"Dear lord!" My breath held in my throat. "What happened to him?!"

"Well, one night I heard a loud scream outside my room. I quickly got out of bed and tried to open my room door, but it was midnight and the guards already locked all of the patients room. So, I then look through the small window placed on the door, and then I saw him. Nigel Alexandria, being dragged by two dark uniform guards. I can hear him screaming louder and louder, the sound of his nails screeching the floor with trails of thick blood. And the last thing I saw was ... Nigel entering a bright room, and inside ... there was a doctor. I didn't see his face, but I'm sure that he was a doctor because of the cloths he was wearing. After that, the door slammed shut." Robert then stopped and took a breath before continuing. "The next day, I walked by his room and discovered Nigel's room was cleaned out. All of his stuff was gone. And the trail of blood I saw yesterday .... vanished as if nothing had happened. I don't know what happened, I nor all the other patient knew what happened to him that night. But ... it'll be better off for me if I didn't know."

I feel like the air inside my lungs were sucked out. I couldn't breath by the fact that this really troubles me. What happened to Nigel Alexandria was horrific, and the doctor Robert saw, heighten the horror story. A dozen questions pops in my mind. What happened to him? What did the doctor do to him? Why did the guards drag him out of his room at the middle of the night? And most importantly ... Is he still alive?

Now I know, this asylum, Thiamisis mental hospital, holds many dark mystery and secrets that is yet to be unfolded.

Before I could find an answer to one of those questions, Robert suddenly said, "You know, Nigel was ... a little like you, Nathan."

I was totally in shock. "How so? And what do you mean, Robert?" I asked.

"He was kind of a antihero," Robert said. "Like you, he also holds firm with his own version of justice. Nigel believed that he was sent here by God himself to cleanse the earth form murderers who got away. He believed that their true place in this world ... is hell. But different from you, Nathan, he already did the unthinkable. He took many lives believing in his justice. And now ... he is neither dead nor dying. Neither alive either. He became a myth here. A local tale of horror."

Robert then suddenly stopped and exhaled. "And ... I fear that Nigel's life ... will eventually become your life, Nathan, if your still hard and stubborn on believing that those people deserve to die."

My God! I screamed in my mind. I don't want to end up like Nigel Alexandria. He his a bloody killer eaten by his own thoughts. But, the possibilities aren't completely gone. The question still stands strong. Am I going to be like Nigel? Am I simply a ticking time bomb waiting to explode?