NOVEL WEB Chapter 58: Chapter59 The walls are scared of me now
They changed my schedule.
No warning.
Just a note slipped under my door:
> "Therapy moved to 7 AM. Evaluation pending."
No signature.
No explanation.
Just red ink and control dressed up as policy.
---
I knew what it meant.
They were testing my "stability."
Code for:
> She's talking too clearly now. Let's see if she cracks again.
---
I arrived early.
Sat in the chair they always thought made people softer.
And waited.
Not for help.
For the performance.
---
Dr. Marek walked in five minutes late.
Clipboard in hand.
Smile weaponized.
> "How are we today, Arianne?"
> "I don't know. You tell me. That clipboard seems to know me better than I do."
---
He blinked.
Didn't expect the bite.
I didn't lower my tone.
Didn't raise it either.
Just stayed exactly where I belonged.
Present.
Undefinable.
---
> "You've been receiving an unusual number of visitors," he said.
> "I didn't realize healing was measured by my popularity."
---
He scribbled something.
Probably "sarcastic."
Probably "resistant."
Definitely "threatening."
---
> "Do you feel safe here?"
> "Safe enough to survive. Not safe enough to be silent."
---
That got him.
Not because it was loud.
Because it was true.
---
> "I think it's time we reassess your progress," he said at last.
> "Then reassess the system too. I didn't get better. You just got tired of pretending I was broken."
---
The pen paused mid-scribble.
The room felt… off-balance.
Like the walls weren't used to echoing this kind of truth.
---
> "You're not afraid of us anymore, are you?"
I smiled.
Soft. Final.
> "I was never afraid of you. I was afraid no one would believe me."
> "And now?"
> "Now they do."
---
He didn't respond.
Just closed the folder.
Tighter than necessary.
---
Because he knew it too.
The walls weren't closing in on me anymore.
They were closing in on him.