Adam's Apple Pie

Twenty-Three - Sixth Session

I opened my eyes with a feeling of disappointment. The fire and heat disappearing instantly. I was back in my room again. I let out a sigh of disappointment - figures.

I was back in my shitty little flat, the light piercing through the curtains to force me to wake up. In the background, I could hear the sounds of sirens in the background, same as usual. Who needed an alarm clock when you had these going on?

I checked my watch, hoping I had some extra time before I had to get up. No such luck.

13:28

It was afternoon, I overslept - quite badly.

"Shit!"

I jumped out of bed and turned on my shower, risking a cold one. I was so late, Lara was going to kill me! Especially since we had a special event today.

The sirens continued blaring out from the street, much more regular than usual. Strange, they were constant, but never this constant. Something must have really been going down in the town today! With this much noise I'd probably have to walk to work as the traffic would be a nightmare, which would make me even MORE late! This was not a good start to the day!

I didn't even have time for breakfast, or lunch for that matter. I picked up my phone and checked for missed calls - no doubt I would have probably had a million and one right now.

Strangely, I didn't have a single one. That was weird, considering how late I was.

Then the date on my phone caught my eye. 13th June.

Hold on, that was yesterday wasn't it?

Didn't I already do this? Get up, get ready, go to work...

Wait, the event was today wasn't it?

No, it was yesterday.

The sirens blared out from the town, louder now than ever before. Jesus, something must be going down quite badly.

It was then my nostrils felt a sickly smell, like ash and wood.

I looked out my window, overlooking most of the city. From afar I could see smoke rising up from the middle of the city, where the museum stood.

Only now, where the museum once was, there was only fire.

My phone rang, being my first and only call of the day. It was Dr Eve.

I answered it. Before I could say "Hello," the line crackled and sizzled. But I could hear a voice down the line.

"You should come in for your next session."

Without knowing what I was doing, I jumped into my Cubo. As I was driving outside the city, I avoided most of the traffic, even taking into account the detours I had to make.

I pulled up my car at Dr Eve's clinic, but I didn't need to ring the bell this time - the door was already open.

I walked in, my stomach grumbling from having no food. I could smell Dr Eve's apple pie from inside. And there it was, on the table. Freshly cooked and steaming.

I didn't even bother to pick up the fork nearby, I picked up the juicy desert and crammed it into my mouth as much as it would fit. Damn, this tasted better than before, so sweet and perfect. If I choked on it now it would be a sensation of heaven.

"Enjoying your pie, Adam?"

In my sensation, I hadn't even noticed Dr Eve siting on her chair, one leg over the other, one hand resting on the armrest. The elbow of her other arm rested on the opposite rest, her arm at an angle, where the burning of a recently lit cigarette lay captive between her slittery fingers. Her flesh and clothes looked blackened and red, like ash from a fire. It was like someone had set her on fire, yet she didn't look like she was in pain. Her yellow eyes remained fixed on me, the dark slits of her pupils trained on me at all times.