Summary

The text describes the story of Chester, an adult patient in a mental health facility, who successfully escapes and survives on his own for three months, only to be found living in an unused building on the facility's grounds.

Abstract

The narrative centers around the theme of escape from a mental health facility, focusing on the experiences of adult patients, particularly Chester. Despite the freedom to roam the grounds, adults were not expected to escape, yet Chester defies expectations by disappearing during a staff-supervised picnic. His absence prompts a month-long search, after which he is presumed gone. Chester's reappearance three months later, living off the land within the facility's premises, challenges the staff's perception of escape and raises questions about the nature of freedom for the patients. The story underscores the resilience and unpredictability of the human spirit in the face of institutionalization.

Opinions

The author suggests that the concept of escape is relative, as Chester's presence on the facility's grounds after his disappearance blurs the line between being inside and outside the institution.
There is an underlying critique of the mental health facility's approach to patient freedom and supervision, as evidenced by the surprise and confusion surrounding Chester's escape and subsequent survival.
The narrative implies that the patients, particularly Chester, are underestimated by the staff, highlighting a potential lack of understanding of the patients' capabilities and desires.
The story conveys a sense of admiration for Chester's ingenuity and determination to live independently, even within the confines of the facility.
The text hints at a broader question about the true nature of escape and freedom, as Chester's actions suggest that physical escape may not equate to a complete sense of freedom or departure from the institution's influence.

Memoir Shorts: Trans Conversion Therapy

Three (Failed) Escape Attempts From A Mental Health Facility: Attempt #2

Pay no attention to the person behind the smoke curtain

Photos by Nathan Lindahl and Pacto Visual on Unsplash

They were figuring out how to escape.

“I’m not sure about this,” Patrick said. “If they catch us, I’ll live here for the fucking rest of my life.”

Steven wasn’t about to give up. “If we make it out, all we have to do is survive for two weeks. Two fuckin’ weeks! Then they’ll discharge us.”

He’d been making the same promise all month. If they could just survive for two weeks, they would be free. He knew it because a bunch of people had tried to escape before. Steven had paid attention to them all.

Yes, Patrick was right. If they got caught, it was all over.

But if they broke free?

Escape Attempt #2

Photo from MSH Virtual Tour and “A mental health scandal haunting America” (ProPublica/Mike Belleme)

The second almost doesn’t count. It was done by an adult, and like I said at the beginning. As outside, so inside. Adults play by different rules.

Still, lessons are lessons. And we’d been taught never to forsake a learning opportunity.

Many of the adult patients were allowed to leave their rooms and walk the grounds unattended.

No one worried an adult would try to escape. Not that they never tried, but where would they go? Most of them knew that better than anyone, but every now and then…

A group of guys went with the staff for a picnic near the woods. One of them was a man named Chester. It was the last time anyone saw him for three months.

A small search went on for the first month

Afterwards they assumed he was gone.

Escaped? Dead? Was he ever really here?

Figuring out where he went was one more way to pass the time.

Three months to the day he disappeared

An assistant noticed smoke rising from inside a block of unused buildings shut down after recent renovations.

Fearing destruction, he called for help and ran to the source of the fire, a one-story tool shed.

The smoke rose from a hole in the metal roof, thick black clouds staining an otherwise pristine blue sky. Inside he found a dirty man in tattered clothes, his hair matted and knotted, but his belly obviously well fed. It was Chester!

He was hunched over a self-made stove from wood, a metal grate, and the missing piece of roof. Chester invited the assistant to sit with him. They ate what little food Chester had. It had fed him well enough.

Over the next little while, it fed the assistant too. Chester had never been dangerous. Just…unpredictable. And stubborn as a unicorn.

So this mystery was solved, but it had just raised a bigger question: what were they going to do with Chester?

Because as the days and weeks and months went on, he never stopped escaping. The only blessing was that even when he made it out, he never really left.

As far as whispered rumors went, no one ever did. The number of successful escapees remained at a big fat zero.

But there were three teenage boys determined to be the first.

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