WHITE DEMON

Chapter 1

"... As usual, I was unable to think of any answer to your question, partly for the very reason that I am afraid of you, and partly because an explanation of the grounds for this fear would mean going into far more details than I could even approximately keep in mind while talking. And if I now try to give you an answer in writing, it will be very incomplete..."

After her voice went silenced, the pages in front of her started to drown her in their words, waiting to be finally read. Calling for her, that intimate and open heart pages were singing towards her to continue...at least more then the first paragraph. It was an old and neglected book, on its cover was clearly how it went from hand to hand, place to place, reader to reader, to then end up in those hands that were holding it, the only person they had encountered that wouldn't read its pages.

"Oh, be quiet, Kafka..." She murmured before closing the book and slamming it on her desk.

That wasn't the day either. She turned on her chair, looking out of the window, trying to ignore those few words now jumping on her mind.

"Maybe is not the book's fault, don't you think?" The voice made her pounce startled on her chair, when stabilized she turned around and observed the soft smile of her bosses.

"I'm sorry, Dr. Peters... I'm- It's just too early to read this kind of stuff." She tried to explain with her waver voice and now heated cheeks while making a mental note for herself: "No more reading out-loud."

"It's a quarter past ten of the night, Lia." Commented now with a bigger smile, not full of mockery, just tender. "I just came to tell you that I'll be taking your guard shift tonight." Added, letting slide out the previous conversation. The older in the room, walked to her own desk and started looking for some patient's resume she could be needing for the night.

"Really?!" Just after the words left her mouth she notice her excited tone, not wanting to be rude or see lazy she said: "I mean, why? I just had it once this week, I'm okay with it tonight." Partly truths, partly lies.

"I am not. Watching your eye-bags and pale face is enough for me to let you go tonight." Dr. Peters now was using a harder tone with her pupil, the boss tone. "You've been working here for less than a month, Lia."

"I'll get used to it." Interrupted the youngest, the sense of understatement towards herself was running through her veins, irritatingly.

"But not tonight, you'll get use to it slowly. No need to force it." Insisted, now looking up from her papers to give her a warning gaze. 'Let's end it here', was what it showed after she also acknowledge the book once again. "You sure need some rest. I don't want to see you here when I get back from the first round, understood?" Dr. Peters took her papers and white coat to then walk towards the door again. "You need to rest too, dear. Not just work and study." That was the last thing she said before leaving her pupil at their office.

Lia just stood up there, watching the closed door for a few seconds. Something within her felt like she should be more pushy about it, her itchy hands and racing heart told her so. Such an uncomfortable sensation.

"Am I even needed here?" That soft, little and high pitched voice appeared on her mind.

"What will they do if I'm not worthy?" Said a bit louder.

She felt her stomach dancing, in the worst way possible. Her few meals of the day were attempting to get out of her.

With a slow, deep, and very practiced breathing technique, she looked away from the door and place a hand on her chest, feeling its warmth on her skin. After a second deep breath she turned around and gathered her stuff.