The metal plaque reads WICKINGTON HIGH SCHOOL. I walk pass a few people and make my way across the hallway beyond the front doors, head bowed to avoid eye contact. I count the white and grey tiles on the floor to guide me to my assigned locker. I stop at the 107th tile and look up. It is not my locker. I take a step to the left. It is now my locker. The padlock is unlocked and the door is pulled open. Almost immediately, a few unidentifiable objects fall out from inside. I sift through them and pick up a yellow note from the pile to read the writing on it. It reads: "talking to ur imaginary friends wont bring ur dad back". There is a caricature of a girl holding hands with an entity that resembles Casper the Friendly Ghost. The girl bears striking similarity to me. This note is intended for me.
I sigh as a sign of frustration. My hand tightens around the piece of paper and it crumples into a ball. The ball of paper is then pocketed to be trashed later. I reach for the Symbyax and notice that the bottle feels lighter. Popping the lid open, I discover that the usual pills have been replaced by raisins. Agitation increasing. My hands tremble. The possibility of an episode is getting higher by the second. It is dangerous to attend classes right now. I look around. The hallway is clear. Shoving the raisin-filled Symbyax into my coat pocket, I make a beeline for the entrance, dumping the yellow note into the nearest bin. Once outside, I quickly check the distance between the school and Dad's house. 62 miles. There is no way I can travel that far without Mum's knowledge. Stealthily, I head for the roof access ladder located at the rear of the building as an alternative. I remind myself not to say anything about this event to Mum.
END OF LOG
> alter memory > delete yellow note
DELETING FILE:\\DAY LOG\20371014\YELLOW_NOTE
> verify
YOU ARE READING
TX-2033-LEEKNIGHT-1004-AM
القصة القصيرةA grief-stricken mother relives the final days of her troubled daughter while attempting to preserve and restore data from her memory logs. *** In the midst of her divorce proceedings with her estranged husband, Helen raises their troubled daughter...
