Spectrophobia

10: The Appointment

The trip from the police station to the doctors was a blur to Ray. Chained to the back of the police car, nowhere to run - nowhere to go.

Guilty of murder.

His head swam with paranoia and the worry of the mirror. With him gone, who was going to attend to it? Who was going to make sure that damned reflection stayed in the mirror? For all he knew, it could be prowling around his rooms. Maybe waiting for him to come back. Waiting in that breathing, reeking darkness that spat its horrors at him.

He shivered.

He desperately needed to find a way to detain that fucking entity. Stop it from hurting anyone else. His poor brother did not deserve to die like that. What if Jane went back to the house? If the entity was there...

Raymond jolted in his seat, suddenly desperate to return back to number 33.

"Take it easy," - one of the policemen at front called back to him.

"I-I have to go back! I have to make sure..."

"I'm sorry, the only place you're going to is the doctors."

His word was final.

Raymond sat back - angry at the two men for not understanding him. Angry at the reflection. Angry at himself.

Maybe he could find an escape route at the doctors.

...

"Hello Mr Newman, you may call me Emily. I am your doctor assigned to you for today. First things first, I would like you to tell me what it is that has been troubling you recently."

Ray looked up at Emily. Now seated in a more comfortable cushiony seat. His handcuffs removed for the appointment to appropriately take place. She has a sweet face. Long brunette hair that hung loosely in a ponytail. Her eyes pale and understanding.

"Nothing.."

She slowly nodded.

"The policemen tells me you have had issues at home, is that true?"

Ray gave a half nod. He felt it would be rude to ignore her. 

"Could you explain what's happening?"

Raymond took a deep breath. No-one believed him anyway, so what was the point in refusing.

"My mirror... it's... well, my reflection in it can somehow come out of the mirror. It... talked to me. And.. and it was the one that killed my brother."

Emily nodded, typing something on her little device.

"Have you been experiencing any confused thoughts? Any unfamiliar emotions?"

Ray shook his head - "No, not really."

"Do you have any odd beliefs about yourself or anything else?"

"..No."

"Have you experienced any forms of hallucinations before the incident?"

Ray looked up, inhaling sharply.

"No."

The doctor nodded again, tapping away at her device, then sat up in her seat.

"Do you have any history of past mental illnesses? Anything with you or running in the family?"

Ray paused - feeling a familiar chill hit him.

"My... my father" - he swallowed - "was a narcissist. He.. he was a drinker."

Emily nodded.

"My mother had depression. All her life with him."

"Do you think what you're experiencing now is due to your past trauma?"