Alter Ego...

Photo Credit: Christian Schloe

Alter Ego...

When shall we see such man again?
In clear daylight, in fog, or rain?
The mind he sways, the evil he bears,
Sag not with doubt, nor shake with fears...

With two bunch of flowers in his hands and a spring in his step, Jake hums to himself as he walks into the reception. It is a mental hospital and his dad is a patient here, not the best situation, but in some way these visits still made him feel good.

He strolls towards the nurse at the reception desk.

"Hey Julia, how is it going today?" he says as he smiles and hands her one of the flowers.

"Same as yesterday Jake. Just a different date."

"Well, I guess that's why you and I are still here. Cause today's juuuusst like yesterday."

She smiles now, and hands him a key.

"He's been surprisingly quiet all day. So I hear."

"Thanks for the tip." he replies, winking at her as he leaves for the hallway.

Resuming his humming, Jake weaves his way through the hallway until he gets to room 249. He knocks first and waits for a few seconds. When no response arrives, he inserts the key and opens the door. Then he stills...

His dad was there all right, and quiet too as the nurse had said. Only now he knew why. For there in the midle of the room, from a rope suspended from the ceiling, his dad was hanging by his neck. Limp.

He didn't need to touch him to know...

Jake's mind worked fast. He had seen two strange figures earlier, and they seemed to have been following him all day. It didn't need rocket science to put two and two together...

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When he comes it's just a knell,
That summons our souls to heaven or hell...
Say thrice to thine and thrice to mine,
And thrice again to make up nine...

...

"What's he doing here? Has this place not been closed for like forever?"

"Yeah yeah, twenty years."

"Shouldn't we go back? I don't like this."

Jason looks at his friend. "We can't Mike. That's my dad right there."

Mike sighs. "Yeah I know, but..." he holds back from saying it's scary for fear it just might get worse. "...Alright we'll stay, for you."

Jason smiles. "Let's go. He's going in."

They both silently make their way to the roach infested doorway of the old hospital building. They watch silently as Jason's dad stop at the spider filled but otherwise empty reception desk.

"Who's he talking to?" Mike whispers. "I thought you said your dad didn't believe in ghosts."

"He doesn't."

"Oh man. This is weird."

They both fall silent again and watch as Jason's dad drops one of the sticks he had been holding, and pick up something else from the reception desk. Then he starts making his way towards the old hallway leading to the patient rooms.

"Jason, don't tell me we're going in too." Mike's fear could almost be physically felt.

Jason looked at his friend. As much as he wanted to know what his dad did every once in a while when he went awol, he still didn't want to seriously discomfort Mike either.

"We'll wait in the reception. See if he comes out."

They sat. But they didn't need to wait long. Two minutes later Jason's dad was out in the reception, a three feet broken curtain rail in one hand. And he was staring straight at them...

Jason knew that look. He'd only seen it once, when his aunt had come home with a swollen eye. He remembered with horror what had followed back then.

"Dad..." he began, his voice shook with fear.

But this wasn't his dad. No, this wasn't Mr. Andrew.

This was Jake, one of Andrew's multiple personalities. And Jake was out to find justice...

Now when he comes, in front or rear,
Then fair is foul, and foul is fair...
Oh find and receive what cheer you may,
The night is long that never finds the day...

THE END

#SladenSpeaks

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Written for @mctiller's Twenty Four Hours Short Story Contest

All poetry are improvised fragments from different Shakespearean plays. Most notably Macbeth.

This one was a strange prompt. Didn't really know what to make of it until...

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Alter Ego