Immure

Chapter Two

She was giving me that look, the one she always gave me when I did something careless. It was the look she gave me when I knew she wished she didn't have an Anomalous as her child. On the other hand, my father was looking at me as if he didn't quite understand. His expression seemed to screamed the familiar phrase, "Why don't you listen?"

We sat in the living room, me on the couch twiddling my thumbs and awaiting a punishment, and them in front of me. My mother sat on the table, her hands clasped together in her lap, while my father paced back and forth behind her, his arms crossed, occasionally casting a stern look my way.

As I glanced around the room, I realized just how fake everything looked to me. How neat everything was, from the end-tables to the top of the fireplace. It was seemed like it hadn't been touched, which I guess was true. My mom always said that the living room was the most important part of the house because it was the one everyone sees first. If you had a clean and well-kept living room, you had a clean and well-kept life.

"Fredrick... You know we told you if we ever caught you sneaking out again we'd have to tell Donna." said my mother carefully, as she glanced back to my father.

Donna was the name of my (insert name). Since my parents knew I was one of the more "reckless" Anomalies, they sent me to her four times a month, which compared to the average person, was a lot. They knew I absolutely hated Donna, hated therapists but they assumed she could help me. I knew better than that; all she would do is try to peer into my life and take away what little privacy I had.

"We're calling me Fredrick now?" I said hotly.

My mother frowned at me. "Son, you know we love you. This is why you have Donna in the first place." She spoke softly to me like I was some animal which would turn and dart at any second. "Listen, you've been having a lot of nightmares lately, and today drew the line. You're going to have to go to her and talk about this. You're really worrying us."

I sighed, running a hand over my face. In an attempt to appeal to them, I changed my tactic and stated calmly. "You knew where I was, I wasn't out doing anything bad. You don't have to send me to her, I won't do it again."

My father stopped pacing behind the coffee table and said, "Anomalous, you tell us this every time we catch you run out. How do we know what you're really doing? You could have been with those other... Anomalies again."

With only ten Anomalous, we tended to group together. Two were in my high school, one the grade above mine, a senior, and one a freshman; one was in middle school, two in elementary, and five adults. Adults more than any other tend to be labeled as Anomalies since they had more nightmares, and as result became depressed. No one else understood us; we could find comfort when we were with each other since we knew we weren't alone.

"There's nothing wrong with hanging out with them!" I said angrily, standing up. I knew getting angry was the exact opposite of what I should do. I should be convincing them I was fine.

"Son, please calm down. We are just trying to help you." My mother looked up at me and smiled sympathetically.

"I don't need your help," I said between clenched teeth, looking to the door.

My father sighed, walking around the table. He grabbed my shoulder and turned me to face him. "Everyone needs it sometimes, Fredrick. Anomalies... just need more... attention about controlling their emotions than others. We already scheduled an appointment for you to see Donna. Head there directly after school and try to calm down and tell her what's happening." He nodded at me and smiled. "We're just trying to help."

I shrugged out of his grasp and walked to the door picking up my backpack. "I said," I turned and looked pointedly at them. "I don't need your help."

I walked out the door, shutting it as I left and began my walk to school. Maybe they were right, maybe I did need to just open up and talk to my therapist more. I didn't enjoy the nightmares, and it wasn't like I wanted to have them every night, I just did.