Castle of Hope

This is a beginning of sorts to a story I posted a few weeks ago entitled Promise. Some of the comments asked questions so I’m kind of answering a few

Elle glanced at the slip of paper in her hand. The address matched the sign at the end of the long winding drive. Castle Summit Clinic was hidden by the curving of the hills surrounding it.

She glanced back over her shoulder down the desolate stretch of country highway. The bus that had dropped her off on its way North had long since disappeared. She really had no other option but to go up.

Elle extended the handle on her small travel suitcase and began the trek up the drive. She glanced around as she walked, noting the absence of civilization in any shape of form. Who would build a castle way out in the middle of nowhere?

As she rounded the corner she stopped in amazement. Sprawling before her was a warren of buildings, all built from stone blocks, surrounding a central structure. It truly was a castle in every possible way. There were walkways curving around towers and turrets that jutted out. Many of the towers had arrow arches. It was amazing and terrifying all at the same time.

Elle followed the signs that directed her to the reception. A pleasant looking woman, dressed in bright colored scrubs was sitting behind the desk. She looked up as Elle approached and gave the brightest smile Elle had seen in a long time.

“Hello, welcome to Castle Summit Clinic. How can I help you today?”

“Uhm, I was given the name of this place by my doctor. She thought it would be a good fit for me.”

Elle pushed across her doctor’s business card to the receptionist. The woman picked it up and entered something into her computer.

“Are you, Elle?” she asked after a moment. Elle nodded shakily. Her instincts were screaming at her to turn around and run, run as fast and as far away as she could. She could walk back to the city. She could resume her life. She could be normal!!

Some other part of her pushed those thoughts back again and allowed Elle to follow the woman to a table to fill out some paperwork. She needed this. She needed help. She couldn’t do it on her own…at least she thought…but maybe…

Elle tried to clear her mind enough to accomplish this relatively simple task.

Just write your name, Elle. Then fill out the rest. Step by step you can do this.

The woman watched her for a moment and then moved back to her desk and picked up the phone. Elle could hear bits of her conversation and assumed she was talking about her.

While she worked through the forms a doctor came into the reception area and spoke briefly with the receptionist at the desk. Then she came over to Elle.

“Elle? I’m Dr. Page. I spoke to Dr. Huffman about your situation and we both agreed I was the best person to help see you through this period in your life. Would you like to come with me to my office? I like to have a brief chat with all my patients about the clinic and what is expected before we get you settled in a room.”

Elle frowned, her forehead wrinkling unattractively. She looked at the unfinished paperwork and then up at Dr. Page. Conflict raged across her features. Should she leave this, bring it with her? Why couldn’t she just make a simple decision??

Dr. Page leaned forward, “It’s okay, Elle. It’s okay to be confused, it’s okay to have doubts. You’ve recognized you need help, that’s why you came here. My job is to help you find the answers you are so desperately seeking. Bring along the forms. You can finish then up in your room after our chat.”

Relieved, Elle gathered up her belongings and followed Dr. Page. Her office was down a long narrow stone corridor. Elle felt faintly claustrophobic walking down it.

“A bit of a tight squeeze, I know. It’s hard to imagine how people lived in spaces like this but they did.”

“How old is this castle?”

“Parts are quite old, from the 14^th century but we don’t really use those sections. This main keep is relatively new. It was built sometime in the 18^th century as part of the Gothic revival. Whoever designed it tried to stay true to original castle design and didn’t really include any modern influences except that wide open space we use as a reception room.” Dr. Page gestured to a comfortable arm chair. “Take a seat and we’ll get started.”

Elle sank wearily into the chair. She hadn’t quite realized how much energy it took to climb the hill to the clinic plus all the added stress of just being here. As she got comfortable she looked around the room.

Dr. Page clearly had a love for the medieval. Bookcases with scrolls stacked in piles and ancient looking texts lined one side of the room. A massive tapestry depicting a knight slaying a boar while a noblewoman looked on hung on another wall. Elle noticed the windows in this room were much larger than at the front of the building. Perhaps because they faced the inner courtyard and didn’t need to be defended like the outer ones would have.

Dr. Page’s voice intruded on her thoughts.

“Can I get you anything? Water? Coffee?”

“No, thank you.”

“Alright, then I’ll get started. This is a private clinic, as you well know. We don’t take on all cases, even if they can pay for it. Patients need to fall under certain criteria to be accepted by the attending physicians here. Besides me, there are 5 other doctors, all specializing in various areas of mental illness.

You will have a private room with a bathroom. Meals are taken in a communal hall but you can take a tray back to your room if you wish. Everyone and I mean everyone is here by choice. If you want to leave, you are free to do so but I hope that you will stay until I judge you are ready to go.

There will be one-on-one sessions with me twice a week to start and group sessions the other three days. Weekends will generally be your own to do with as you wish unless something requires us to meet more often.

I’m sure you noticed there isn’t much around here besides the clinic? We’ve essentially become a self sustaining community. Almost all the nurses and doctors live on site for convenience. A few stay during the week and have secondary homes in a nearby town they stay in during the weekends. But don’t worry about anything. We will provide all the basic necessities to make your stay with us a comfortable as possible.

Do you have any questions?”

Elle shook her head slowly. There was so much to take in and process. She could feel her mind beginning to tighten up in protest and the instinct to get up and run out the door become stronger again.

No! I need to be here. I’m not listening to you!

Dr. Page looked concerned. She only knew what little Elle’s previous doctor could tell her of her issues, a mental disorder that she had little to no experience with. She knew there was much more to learn and deal with before she could help Elle on the road to recovery.

“Elle?”

Elle looked Dr. Page in the eye. She could tell that Elle was battling something inside her. She brought out a stack of cards.

“Could you pick a card? I get each of my patients to choose one on their first day. It’s remarkable how accurate their choice it to their particular problem.”

Elle reached forward a hand and with trembling fingers pulled out a single card. She wanted so badly to see what she picked but she also wanted so badly to crumble it up and throw it on the ground. Shaking she flipped it over.

“Hope,” she breathed and then collapsed in tears. Yes, the cards did know.