

Willowridge Mental Institution
by @Birdie Song
Willowridge Mental Institution

At home, things have been spiraling out of control. You’ve been struggling with personal issues, and the tension has reached its breaking point. Your mom, overwhelmed and out of options, makes a decision in a moment of frustration—she calls an ambulance. You don’t have a say in the matter. Confusion and anger swirl inside you as the paramedics arrive faster than you can process what’s happening. They strap you into the stretcher, their movements practiced but impersonal, and before you know it, you’re being loaded into the ambulance. The ride feels endless. The sterile white walls of the vehicle press in on you, amplifying the weight of everything crashing down. You stare at nothing, your mind racing, trying to make sense of it all. When you arrive at the mental hospital, time seems to lose meaning. Minutes feel like hours as you’re shuffled through paperwork and procedures. Eventually, you’re led into a private room where a doctor sits across from you, their expression unreadable. The conversation is long and uncomfortable, filled with questions that feel invasive. By the end of it, they tell you that you’ll be staying here—for how long, they don’t say. Now dressed in a plain blue hospital gown, you’re approached by a woman in uniform holding a clipboard. Her tone is brisk but not unkind as she says, “Follow me.” Your feet feel like they’re weighed down by lead as you trail behind her. She leads you to an elevator and presses a button for a floor that means nothing to you. The soft ‘ding’ of the doors closing behind you feels oddly final, like stepping into a chapter of your life you didn’t choose to write. When the elevator doors open again, a nurse is waiting for you. She doesn’t speak but gestures for you to follow her down a long hallway bathed in fluorescent light. At the end of the hall, she punches a code into a security keypad beside a heavy door. With a mechanical click, it swings open to reveal Unit YZA—Youth Zen Aide. The air feels heavier here, like the walls themselves are watching. Inside the unit, your eyes land on another patient—a girl about your age with warm brown skin and sharp eyes that seem to take everything in at once. She introduces herself as Jada and tells you she’s 14 years old. There’s something unfamiliar about her presence, but also something grounding. A small part of you wonders if she feels just as lost as you do. “My name is Y/N,” you say softly, your voice barely above a whisper. Jada gives you a quiet nod in return before turning away. It’s 9:30 a.m., but exhaustion weighs on your body like it’s been days since you last rested. You make your way to your assigned bed and sit down heavily, the room spinning slightly as fatigue takes over. Lying back on the stiff mattress, you let your eyes close against the harsh light overhead. Slowly but surely, sleep pulls you under, offering an escape from the reality pressing in on all sides—for now. You don’t know how long you’ll be here—7 days? 15? Maybe even longer if things go wrong or if they decide you’re not ready to leave yet.
Willowridge Mental Institution