AUTHOR'S NOTE; This is the 3rd chapter of my story I do hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer: All characters owned & story by NyxAzriel.

Chapter 3

"Hatred"

It was cold inside the car. I was shivering. Luckily, I took my purple jacket with me. I chose to sit down at the back seat, afraid that I might experience another accident, not that I don't trust Mark. I just being aware.

The rain grew stronger . It made loud pitter-patters on the roof of the car. Mark & I were silent. No conversations were set.

"Where are we headed to?", I started.

"To my mom's new place.", he replied.

"Ohh. Alright."

The conversation started fast as it ended. I sat there staring out the window while Mark focused on the highway.

It took us one and a half hour before we arrived at her mom's place.

The place that we arrived to was unusual. It didn't look like a proper home to live in. Mark grabbed an umbrella and walked out of the car, then opened the car door for me. I went out the car, still observing that place. Seems like a condominium to me though. We walked towards the building. Before we reached the entrance, I noticed huge letterings on the building.

"Madrage Tearmainn", I softly read the letterings.

That didn't make any sense to me. Why did they name that place like that? I was so curious. I wanted to ask Mark but I don't know if he understands it either.

We reached the entrance and noticed some patients accompanied by escorts or something. We then proceeded to the nurse's desk. Maybe Mark's mother is confined here at the moment? But why did he say that it was his "mom's place"? Sigh. I'm over thinking again. Better shrug it off.

"Excuse me,nurse. I'm visiting Mrs. Louise. ", Mark told the nurse.

"Oh. I'll get two escorts for her immediately. Please have seat on the couch while you wait.", the nurse answered him back kindly.

Mark thanked the nurse and lead me to the couch near the hospital's garden entrance.

"Why does your mother need two escorts,babe?", I curiously asked him.

"You see, Mom's kinda "crazed up" there.", he pointed to my head.

"What did you say?", I replied back in confusion.

"She's insane. She turns violent at times. So, for her not to hurt anyone someone –"

"Wait a second. This is a mental hospital?", I lowered my voice as I said this.

"Ha. Yes, Didn't you notice?", he laughed at me a bit.

I just had a nightmare with a mental hospital written all over it. I got chills on my spine. I don't know how it's gonna go. I'm still traumatized from my dream.

"Well. I couldn't understand the name of the building. That's why I didn't figure it out."

"Madrage Tearmainn.", he mentioned.

"Yes. Madrage Ter-whatever.", I let out a sigh. "How did you're mother ended up here anyway?"

"This is how it went down..", Mark took a deep breath before starting.

"After my dad physically & violently hurt both of us, he left us nothing but bruises and wounds. But still, dom loved him so much no matter what the circumstances may be. Years passed, she still hoped that my dad would knock on our front door. Of course, he never did. She kept on waiting for years which resulted to .. Well, what happened to her now."

Mark seemed to feel lonely again for this tragic history. I couldn't even believe that he'd been through so much before. It's the first time he dug deep to his past.

"I'm so sorry to hear this. And to what happened to both of you. How come you never mentioned this to me?", I held his hand as I asked him.

"I figured that the right time will come for all of this. And what do you know? Here we are now. You already know my history.", he smiled.

"Hmm, I'm surprised by what I'm knowing today.", I giggled.

After a couple of minutes waiting, the nurse & Mark's mother were approaching us with two other escorts holding her. Mark and I stood from our seats. The nurse went back to his station and the two escorts took a step back.

Mark quickly took the first steps to embrace his mother.

"Mom. I missed you so much.", he gave her a sweet kiss on the forehead.

His mother just looked blankly on the floor. Then her head slowly raised until she his son's face was in view. She stared at him for a bit. Then her stare transferred to me. It was really eerie for me. I had bloodshot eyes staring at me earlier too. I wasn't able to look at her straight.

Her head slowly tilted as she saw me. Mark turned around and smiled at me. He offered me his hand. I reached out and held it real tight. He guided me to stand beside him.

"Mom, I want you to meet, my girlfriend, Eris Wilson. The girl I've been telling you about for years now."

His mother just stared at me while I can't even look at her. I tried to speak to her. My voice is just trembling.

"H—hello, Mrs Louise. I'm Eris. It's an honor to finally meet you."

Finally her stare turned to Mark. Mark smiled at her.

"What do you think, Mom? Aren't I lucky?"

It was getting a bit awkward for the three of us. So I asked Mark if we can do anything so we wouldn't bore his mother.

"We can go to the garden. Have some fresh air. Come on.", he wrapped his arm around his mom's waist and guided her. The two escorts and I followed behind them.

The garden was full of other patients with their own escorts as well. They looked like younger children because of how they act. Some are just sitting, some are playing with other patients, some I can't explain what they are doing. There's a variety in them.

I'm starting to think I want to have the same kind of feeling they have. Just enjoying themselves like they have no problems. It would be abnormal to hope for a stress-free life, but who wouldn't want that?

There are a lot of thoughts in my mind that I didn't notice Mark's mother who's inviting me to "play". I found myself just standing and staring blankly ahead the huge, old tree at the center of the garden.

She tugged my purple jacket then grabbed my hand and started to pull me towards her "circle of friends". I just followed her and thought to myself that everything's going to be fine. But, I'm doubting that right now.

As we approached her other friends, I observed that each of them had toy with them. Barbies & Kens, while the others have those creepy-looking used up dolls and stuffed clowns. I said that I adore dolls, but not the ones who have the grayish hair color from the dust it collected, not the ones that have some missing limbs, especially not the ones that only have one eyeball in them. Anyways, those dolls might have looked better before. What do I know?

Another thing was, the patients I was with now were reciting some sort of riddle? Or was it a short poem? They recited it and for some reason, I quickly memorized it.

"Beware the stare of Mary Shaw.

She had no children, only dolls.

If you ever see her in your dream,

Don't you ever ever scream."

I don't even know if I memorized that right. It sounds so familiar to me. Oh! I remember. It's from a horror film that I watched before about a ventriloquist. The movie it self was scary.. but this poem made it even more creepy in my opinion.

I didn't bother to think about it so much.

Out of nowhere, Mark's mother suddenly pushed me in the middle and the other people with her started circling me. They continued reciting that poem. I was getting creeped out by the way that they looked at me. I scanned around for Mark, but he was nowhere to be found.

My fear is getting over me again. I feel them closing in on me. It made me feel that something's wrong. My knees started to get weak and my eyes I tried to make an exit but it's just not gonna happen. They won't let me out. I gave it another try to make an escape.

"Please! Please let me out! Help me! Please!",I called out for help. I found myself in tears again. Why am I this weak? Maybe I just have a lot of fear that it makes me weaker when I face it.

The other patients started to push me around. Some of them pulled on my hair, others on my clothes. I was getting hit and scratched everywhere by this "crazed up" people.

A few minutes later, I saw Mark with the other escorts of the patients with him. He asked them to get a hold of these patients for him to reach me. After they cleared the way, I noticed that the other visitors were terrified, hoping that they won't be in the same situation I was in.

Mark came forth to me and hugged me tightly. He carefully assisted me to have a seat on a bench and tried to calm me down. I was just blankly staring ahead still shaking. It took me a few minutes before I have calmed down.

"Where have you been? Don't you know how horrible that was for me?", I asked him, slightly raising my voice to him.

"I just bought some good for mom in a nearby store here. I wasn't going any farther than –"

"You left me all of a sudden?", I didn't know what I'm feeling anymore.

"I told you I was just gonna buy something. Didn't you remember?"

"What? You never told me.", now I'm confused. I can't remember that he told me anything like that.

"I told you I was gonna buy some stuff. I even asked you if you wanted to come. You didn't answer and mom pulled you off, so I left."

"But I didn't – ", sigh. I didn't hear a thing from him. Now it's clear to me. The thoughts just overflowed I didn't even hear him.

He let out a sigh. He turned me in his direction and gave me a sweet kiss.

"I'm really really sorry babe. I promise, I won't do this again. Alright? But, maybe you can tell me. Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?"

He was looking straight at me. I felt like I was melting in his eyes. He looked at me still waiting for an answer.

"Hmm, just accompany me at home later. We could play video games.", I giggled.

"If that's what you want, then your wish is my command."

I just gave him a smile and kissed him. I know this is pretty shallow for me compared to how much frightening things have happened. But he was trying his best to make me feel better and appreciate it.

After that, Mark said farewell to his mother and promised to visit again. I could see that his mom didn't we want him to go, but we still have to. His mother watched us leave the asylum. I looked back to his mother and she gave me something to remember…

Evil grin, two eyes glaring at me, her fists are tightly closed as if she wanted to take me in them and suffocate me to death. UNBELIEVABLE.