Sagas

{10} Set on fire ~ P

Peculiar only went as far as pointing out the ICT building before hurrying off to the field. It was a one-story building with a glass door, set like an arcade with several computers, printers and photocopy machines. I walked to a young man using one of the computers.

"Hi, please I'm looking for the silent room," I brought out the small white card and showed it to him.

He looked at the card for a second, then back at me. "Go upstairs, it's the first room by your right."

"Thank you," I said and walked up the stairs.

There were a lot of doors but the words 'SILENT ROOM' were boldly written in black at the top of the white door I was directed to. I turned the handle to open but it was locked, I tried a second time and an automatic voice spoke.

"Please use your card to unlock the door," the voice said. I looked at the door again and realized it had a card reader and the white card was probably a keycard.

I turned the white card to the back and it was a keycard, I took it closer to the card reader and there was a beep.

"Welcome to the silent room, Phoebe." The voice said and the door opened.

I walked into a cold dark room, thinking the light switch must be close to the door, I felt the walls with my fingers, but there was nothing. I took a step forward and the automatic voice spoke again.

"Phoebe please note that this room is soundproof and your information and activities in this room will remain confidential."

I took another step and the lights came on. It was a white room with a table and chair in the middle, on top of the table, was a single computer, the size of a TV. I went over to the table and sat down, then I put on the computer. It came on and asked for my information. I put in my name and every other information required and was signed in as a guest. I opened the Zoom app and entered Dr. Joan's contact.

Soon her face was on the screen.

"Hey!" she squeaked excitedly. "How's my girl doing?"

It felt strange not doing this physically, she was in her office and with her notepad and pen set in front of her, I knew she was ready and was waiting for me to reach out. She sat in her armchair, her legs crossed on a table and a huge grin on her face. I smiled back at her.

"I'm still here so that should tell you something."

She threw her head back and laughed. "You have no choice, I told you I'll drag you back there if you ever return."

I rolled my eyes at her, "It's your loss, give it time and you'll be begging for me to come back."

"And why would I do that, when I can finally talk to you without the fear of being beaten up?" She asked with a smirk.

This was one of the reasons I liked her, she was young, vibrant, playful and knew how to make me relax. Before I met her, I had some therapists before her but none lasted up to a month, they never got a word from me despite how hard they tried and most of them quit from the frustration of having an impenetrable patient, the last one before her wrote me off as a lost cause, advising my parents to put me in a psychiatric hospital.

But my parents didn't give up on me and went on to get her, a psychologist with a profound reputation, though the cost was high, they decided to give her a try and slowly but surely, she got through to me. She was way older than me and was once a total stranger when we started, but our relationship grew till we became good friends.

"Wait a minute... I know that look," she looked closer into the camera, 'Go on now, spill it, I want to know everything that's been going on."

I smiled again, but I began to tell her everything. I told her about how I touched my mom yesterday, about my classmates, Peculiar, Becky, Laura and even Lawrence, and though I was so eager to talk about Drake before, I couldn't bring myself to tell her about him for some reason. She listened to every word with keen interest that I have come to know was genuine after years of working with her, she also wrote some things down on her notepad. There was a pause when I finished and stared blankly at me with a smile and cloudy eyes.