413

BY DR. AGONSON

It was an eerie sound, the inmates chanting all around from in their cells. The rhythm and swell of their choral was impossible to follow; as one voice faded another was waxing, and ever changing, ever growing ever shrinking, the voices filled the asylum.

He hurried down the hallway, just keeping under a run. He wanted to run, his pulse was racing, he wanted to run away, but he kept walking, going deeper. The chants, mournful and despairing, were like damned ghosts wailing from each room he passed.

413. He was heading toward 413. The room of the “choirmaster.” 417. 416. 415. 414. 413.

He stopped before the door, and heard the low hum of the prisoner’s voice. His fist hit the door, banging against it.

“Quiet,” he shouted, and then the voice stilled. All around him, one by one, the singing died, and he shook with dread at the growing silence.

He heard a whisper in his mind, you know that I can make them sing and make them stop, so which of us is mad? You know that what you know is impossible, so which of us should be behind this door?

Clutching at his ears, he shouted, “Get out of my head.”

A voice from room 413 spoke, “How can I be in your head if I am locked in here?” and then room 416 added, “Or am I over here?”

“Or am I here?” spoke some other room down the hall, and then all of the rooms in all of the asylum on every floor, all in mismatched synchrony, all asked some form of, “Where am I?”

“Their minds are weak, easy playthings,” said 413. “But I’m growing bored with them.” All around, the inmates began beating against their doors. “Let me in,” he said. “Let me into your mind. Open up, dear doctor, and let me have a look.”

“No,” the doctor screamed, and pulling out his key ring began searching for one, flipping through key after key.

“Let me in,” continued the voice from room 413 as all around the inmates continued to strain against their doors.

The doctor had the key, and the door had a lock. He turned it, and opened the empty room.

413 was empty. They found the doctor in the empty room, and they closed the door on him.