Room for One More: Chapter 18
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Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark Reader-Insert
Word Count: 2.4 K
Synopsis: It’s time to go home.
CW: swearing; Psychiatric hospital setting; voluntary commitment to psychiatric facility; kidnapping (falsifying kidnapping); claustrophobia; slimy goo; touch-aversion; questioning reality/life and death/existential crisis
November 14th, 1968
The hospital administrative staff was reluctant to release you to your mother the following morning. Ruth was considered right-as-rain when her parents came to collect her; her stay was just a “precaution.” But her family gave the staff the great news of her brother’s miraculous return and stated that they were no longer too concerned about her. They understood that both of their children would likely need extensive therapy, but they didn’t see any reason that either would need a live-in facility. You, however, had entered under less genial circumstances. Part of the repercussion of your mother admitting you and you acting as though you were in a downward spiral was that they did not want to discharge you, at least not yet.
“Ma’am, I’m just not sure that’s what’s in the best interest of the patient.” The doctor told your mother. “Last time, your child was only out of here a week before returning. We’re worried that the return of the Steinberg boy to town will only add to the delusions and make them seem more real.”
“I’ve spoken with the other families,” your mother fabricated, “they’ve agreed to speak Y/N and tell the truth. The boys will say that it wasn’t a witch that got them and that they simply survived some sick human’s prank to get his jollies. I don’t think your services will be needed any further.”
“This is not some kind of drop-off daycare, Mrs. L/N.” The doctor admonished your mother in a harsh tone. “You cannot just come by and leave your child in our care whenever you please.”
“We are not legally obligated to be here any further. I am bringing Y/N home today. I promise you, you will never see us here again.” She knew that you had been telling the truth all along and that it wasn’t just a coincidence that Tommy, Auggie, and Chuck were all back now, immediately after you and your friends set out to get them back. The two were connected, and while the ghostly explanation was hard for her to grasp, she couldn’t deny the outcome. She knew there was no reason to bring you back here and for these doctors to tell you that what you experienced wasn’t real. On the ride home, she congratulated you for all of your efforts. “I hate that you had to put yourself in such a position, but...it truly ended up being worth it for the Steinberg’s reaction for both of their kids to come home. I would always want someone to do the same for you, you mean everything to me. Seeing a broken family repaired like that made it all feel worth it. But don’t ever think about doing something so stupid again.”
“Oh, I’m swearing off any woodland adventures, haunted houses, hospitals, or elevator rides. Never again.” You promised.
Your mother pulled into your driveway on Poplar Street and helped you into the house from the car. She was nervous about letting you out of her sight ever again, but you both knew that life had to continue. She’d have to go to work and you’d have to go to school and eventually, everything would become as ‘normal’ as it could be. On a normal Thursday, you would be required to go to school, but seeing as it was already past eleven and your lot had to deal with so much hectic shit lately, there wasn’t a chance you were going in today. Or maybe even tomorrow, if you played your cards right. Your mom couldn’t afford two days in a row off work, so she grudgingly prepared herself to go in tonight. She agreed to take you to the Steinbergs. Mrs. Steinberg insisted you join them for dinner tonight and that she thank you properly for saving her son. Of course, your decision had less to do with benefitting her and having Chuck back for yourself, so you were thrilled at the prospect of being with him again. In the meantime, you settled in at your house, bathing and taking time to pick out a comfortable sweater and jeans ensemble, feeling happy to be home again. You picked the newspaper off the counter and sat in your armchair in the living room, gazing out the front window at the sugar maple dropping the last of its bright orange leaves. You opened the paper and the front page was all about these mysterious disappearances suddenly being solved, with an unprecedented amount of children coming back home. They were able to write about Tommy, as he was over 18, but for now, Auggie and Chuck’s identities remained unconfirmed by the paper. Their parents and their cases were quoted anonymously, but in this small town everyone was sure to put two and two together and to see the missing signs and suddenly see Chuck and Auggie around town and know that they were the ones who were found.
Chuck and Auggie had corroborated a story on their way home last night, after Chuck was brought up to speed on how Stella defeated Sarah and how you all had worked to get him back (and why you and Ruth were wearing hospital gowns and had to stay). They told the Gazette that they had been abducted by an unknown person or persons and kept somewhere in the woods. They had escaped together, but were separated and Auggie made it back by following the fireworks into town. Chuck had been turned around and unable to find his way back until two days later, but he stumbled into town as well and found his way home shortly thereafter. The police were now sending crews out into the woods to look for the place they were held, but both boys said it was likely to be long gone and that they weren’t followed after their escape; their attackers must have vanished in fear of being caught when they came back to find they had gone. Everyone seemed to buy it, and Chuck was being checked out at the hospital today. Physically, they found nothing wrong with him beyond some trouble breathing, but they felt that it was psychosomatic, perhaps from having to be quiet while held captive. He also knew to keep his mouth shut about the truth. No one outside of your circle and your families would believe you, so it wasn’t worth saying anything and getting locked up like you or his sister, so he just stuck to his original story.
Your mother dropped you off at the Steinbergs before leaving for work, giving you a long hug and a tearful goodbye. “I’ll be right here when you come back for me.” You promised. You feared leaving her alone, too. You exited your car and went up the steps to the house to ring the bell. Chuck nearly immediately swung it open and your heart felt ready to burst. You were overwhelmed with different emotions. At the top of the list, you were ecstatic to have him back. To have him truly before you, corporeal and safe. But you also felt pity, seeing that he looked so poorly. You couldn’t imagine the kind of scar this trauma had left on the inside. You had only been in the elevator shaft for a couple of hours. You didn’t lose days. You also weren’t sure how to approach him. All you wanted to do was hold him and feel that he was really there, in your arms. But you remembered how he had reacted to his own sister last night and knew that wouldn’t be in his best interest. Your mother was already starting to drive away, though, as Chuck lunged forward and took your face in his hands, kissing you deeply. He wanted to make sure that you were really there, too. It was over quickly, and he pulled back before you could even really react, overcome by his own impulse.
“I’m so glad you’re here.” He said, letting you go gently.
“Me too.” You smiled at him.
You congregated on the back porch while his mother was busy making dinner. He sat with you and Ruth. “I still don’t really like being touched. It puts me back there, ya know? I know it’s killing mom to not be able to hug or squeeze me, but it just freaks me out. I immediately can’t breathe and it’s like I’m suffocating all over again.” You nodded, knowing how his story was written and how he was enveloped, that sensation made sense. It also cleared up for you why Mrs. Steinberg had taken you into a near-bone-crushing hug when you arrived, thanking you for your plan and bringing her son back home. While before, you had been a mild nuisance to take care of, she treated you like one of her own tonight. She had never been physically affectionate toward you before, either. But you being a surrogate for the hug she couldn’t administer to Chuck made a lot of sense.
“I think that’s very understandable. Reasonable.” You reassured him that it wasn’t an overreaction. “It’s okay.” He looked at you for a couple of minutes, then asked Ruth if he could speak to you alone. She hesitated, but agreed and went into the kitchen door, telling their mother she’d like to help finish up dinner.
“I’m...I’m really sorry. I don’t know what that means for us.”
“Really, it’s okay.”
“I just feel...weird? Bad? I mean, we kind of started at the top of intimacy and now I don’t even want to be hugged? That’s not a normal relationship.” You laughed in response.
“Since when have we ever been normal?” You joked with him, and he smiled sheepishly, not sure what to make of your statement. “Chuck, it’s all right. Really. We don’t have to do anything the ‘usual’ way. I loved you for a long time without touching you,” you teased, “I can wait. We’ll work through it together.” He delicately put his hand on yours, unsure of how the touch would affect him, but he didn’t withdraw. “Baby steps?” You asked, and he nodded in agreement. You sat in silence for a moment, his hand just resting on yours, before you blurted out the thought that occurred to you, “Y’know, ironically, this will make it more normal. Taking it slow and starting over.” You laughed. While you weren’t going to take time for granted, you didn’t feel like your time with Chuck was limited. The grains of sand weren’t running out; the hourglass was full.
“You’re so weird.” He teased you for your thought, but smiled at you nonetheless. After another quiet moment, you asked him the $64,000 question.
“What was it like? I mean, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. I understand if it’s hard to bring up or talk about.”
“It is, but also it’s just...I don’t know. I don’t really know how to describe it. It was like being in warm jello? I imagine it’s how babies feel in the womb, but there wasn’t a lot of comfort there. It was surprisingly bright and while I didn’t have to eat or breathe outright….I don’t know. I didn’t feel quite alive or dead. It was just really weird. And then all of the sudden, I felt my arm being pulled and I was growing cold. Then I was on the floor in the hospital and I could hear her giggling and walking away. I’d know those squishy footsteps anywhere. And I thought that maybe I was dead, because I was cold and alone but then I heard your voice. Which, I guess, didn't really help. That felt even more impossible and like a dream. But then you were there. All of you. Which, again, now that I think about it...I should have thought you were all dead too. Am I dead now? Is this the other side and you’re just all here too?” He started to panic at the possibility.
“No, no. It’s like Stella told you. We fixed it. She released Sarah; we didn’t die. Me, Ruth, Stella, Ramon. We all survived. We just figured out how to bring you all back. You’re alive. We’re alive. All of us.” You tried to soothe him but you weren’t sure he was buying it, but that disconnect from reality might be another obstacle to overcome, much like his current revulsion to touch.
“I read your story,” he said after a minute of silence. “On the ride back home last night, Stella gave me the book. I read what she wrote about Sarah to end all of this, and that’s why she gave it to me. But then I flipped back and read our stories. I’m sorry for what happened to you; that must have been awful.” He wouldn’t look at you as he spoke, keeping some emotional distance in reserve.
“I don’t think it really compares to yours,” you admitted. “But really, the worst part was knowing that I couldn’t help you. I could just tell that the redness and alarms meant your story was coming true and I couldn’t do a damn thing. I promised not to leave you and then I was just trapped in that metal shell and knew you’d be gone.” You gently turned your hand over under his and carefully threaded your fingers, acting cautiously as if you’d break him with any sudden movement. “I hated that she didn’t take me, too. That my punishment was just to live without you.” Your voice cracked at your confession.
“But you brought me back. You did. Stella told me that it was all you. The plan, the writing, your blood...everything. I wouldn’t be here right now if it weren’t for you. Maybe there’s a reason for how it worked out.”
“I know. You’re right. It’s just...in the moment, it was awful.”
“I can understand that, but...I’m also happy she didn’t. That you’re okay and that you never had to...be where Auggie and I were, I guess. You don’t deserve that.”
“And you did?” You scoffed, indignantly.
“No, but. I mean, especially you don’t. I would never ever want that for you, the same way you didn’t want that for me. Just let me have this, Y/N.” He urged and so you did. You allowed him to have that one piece of consolation.
