Crumbling Dreams Part One

Crystal Ball

On the last day, Alice got up from her bed and went to the calendar hanging on the wall next to the door. Alice crossed the 15th box on her Christmas-themed calendar, the crinkle of paper and the scrape of the pen bringing an odd sense of satisfaction. She smiled for the first time upon waking up in this hospital. The grumpy head nurse entered the room, holding a plate with cookies and a cup of milk.

"Morning, Alice." She placed the tray on Alice's hospital bed.

"Good morning Doctor Shelly! How are you doing?" Alice happily went to sit on her bed.

"I couldn't be better since you're leaving today." The nurse laughed, a rare sound that brightened the sterile room.

"I'm just messing around. Do you have everything packed up?" She asked.

"Yes, I didn't have much so it was easy, toothbrush, blanket, and books." Alice laughed as well.

"Perfect. Miss Gongadez won't attend your session today but she gave me a letter to forward to you." The nurse checked her pocket before handing the packet to Alice.

"Oh... Okay! Thank you for everything, Doctor Shelly." Alice smiled at her as the nurse was leaving.

Alice sat on her bed, her hands trembling slightly as she tore open the envelope, her heart racing with a mix of anticipation and anxiety before taking out the letter from its paper prison.

She read as follows;

"Hi Alice, How are you doing?

As you can see, I can't attend today's lesson I had to go back to Boston, but I hope you don't mind. But you've made good progress with your psychological exams, everything came back positive, and you seem to not have much trauma despite what you've been through another good news is that I've contacted your family and they agreed to let me become your family psychologist, so you'll have to deal with me for a long time! Now, I know what you're going to say, you're going to Emerson next year but I'll try to contact them so we can have our sessions over at least your first semester. I've slipped my phone number and address if you need to ring me or if you prefer to write me about anything. I'll be there.

I hope you're doing well,

Sincerely,

—Kelly Gongadez."

Alice beamed as she finished reading the letter, glad she would exchange with Kelly again shortly, these sessions helped her think about something other than the Massacre.

She got up, looked through the window of her hospital room, and admired the gray dawn adorned with a gloomy rain. She sighed as she got down, lithe, she looked under her hospital bed, reaching for her trustworthy white bag. She glanced at her room before letting the door close by itself. Alice greeted for the last time the hospital staff and joined her brother waiting for her in the car, outside.He drove her back home, not chatting much, as the car sped through the familiar streets, Alice stared out the window, her mind replaying the last few weeks like a haunting montage. Her brother drove off, going back to his girlfriend. Alice entered her home, the quiet of the house felt almost eerie after the constant noise of the hospital. The scent of waffles was comforting, but it couldn't mask the emptiness she felt inside. She found a note on the counter in the hall. The note stated that her mom and dad couldn't stay with her since both of their bosses wouldn't give them a day off. Alice caught a glimpse of a plate of toasted waffles on the coffee table in the living room. Her mother wasn't there but she thought about giving Alice her favorite breakfast. She chuckled before grabbing one and turning on the television before sitting on the leather sofa. On the local news, she saw reporters talking in front of the forest she had been in a week before, she couldn't make out phrases of what had been said so she turned up the volume manually. Before sitting down, she heard Judith's name being spoken by the local journalist.