I marked day 735 on the wall with a rock. That's been the only kind of daily routine I’ve had for the past two years. Who knew that confessing to your love your deepest darkest secret would cause you to be thrown into an asylum, and I don’t think I’ll ever forget that dreadful night. “I am not a woman, James. Although I appear to be the opposite. I am a man”. He was my newly-wed husband, I thought he would understand but he yelled at me, slapped me and called me insane. I had run into the woods and was found by my distraught uncle and my cousin. They brought me back to the plantation, James was nowhere to be found. 

When I had awoken two days James was there at the edge of my bed. He told me to come downstairs after I dressed in morning attire. I had done so, at the foot of the stairs he was kneeling. He asked me if what I had said last night was true. “Yes”, I responded. Now I do wish I had told him no. He grabbed me and led me outside where a doctor and two men were waiting next to a wagon. The doctor held out a straightjacket, James grabbed it and the two men came close and grabbed my arms and James forced it into me. I kicked and screamed as he put it in me, begging him not to do this. James said nothing as the doctor tightened and motioned for the two men to throw me into the wagon. With little effort, despite me fighting against them the two men threw me in and locked the doors. I looked out the small window begging James to think this through but he did not listen. Instead he spoke with the doctor, signed a few papers and went into the house. That was the last time I ever saw James. If I had seen him now, I would surely kill him.

The Charleston Asylum was not a happy place for its patients. “Medical treatments ranged from hydrotherapy to restrainment, and isolation to oh god the torture treatments were endless. The pain was infinite, and even to this stay I can still feel its effects. Hydrotherapy was common for the patients on the fifth floor, all were women (except for me of course for I knew I was not a girl inside). We were often assaulted, raped and beaten. Luckily for me I only heard other women get raped. I bless James for that, hoping that he had made some sort of deal with my doctor. 

On the 735th day of my torturous stay, I finally snapped. I couldn’t take it anymore and I lashed out at the doctor like I had on the 1st day. My punishment was a beating, a beating that at first I thought would never have ended. But when it did I was a bloody dizzy mess. I had passed out when I returned to my cell. I woke up angry still, angrier than I was before. I stood up on shaky legs, my head spinning. And I did the one thing my mother said that not a lady nor a man should ever do. I cursed, I shouted cursing the doctors and nurses that tortured the patients of the Charleston Asylum. I blacked out a second time, and when I woke up I was free.

The asylum was on fire, patients were running way and doctors and nurses were dead. They were all dead. I threw up due to the heavy smell of blood, and out came the head of my doctor. I screamed backing away from the head confused and scared as hell. I realized that whatever had happened might have been my doing. I confirmed this as more and more patients ran and danced away from the asylum “We are free, the wolf lady has eaten his head and we are free”. Such a strange tune but I knew it was about me. What had happened I questioned myself. Why can I not remember. I heard men and horses and dogs shouting in the distance running to the burning asylum. I grabbed a piece of glass, cut my hair and cut into pieces the dress I wore. I looked about and found a headless doctor, and threw up in my mouth when I realized whose body it belonged to. I stole his bloodied clothes and ran into the woods. Just as the rest of the men and women had done so moments ago. Men and dogs were shouting in the distance as I bolted with a new found speed and energy away from the asylum I promised to myself I would never find myself in an asylum ever again.