You Hypnotize Me

Now I Gotta Keep Away

I take my backpack from the overhang and get off the plane as fast as I can, I can’t waste my time anymore. I walk the mile to my house, well my old house. I open the door, it wasn’t locked, then again it never is. I throw my bag down on the hall tree.

“MA?!” I yell out. No answer. I walk into the house and check everything out. It’s kind of empty, just the bare minimum, even the kitchen doesn’t have much, just some milk and cereal. “Hmmm…” I walk down the hall and grab the handle to my room I try to turn it but it’s locked. “What?” No, I’m not confused as to why it’s locked, I’m confused as to why it’s still locked. Yes, I locked it before I left but I figured my mom would get in somehow, then again it doesn’t look like she’s home much anyway. I get down on my knees and pull away the old carpet slightly from the wall and I see the shiny gold key, I snatch it and open my door.

Everything is untouched with a layer of dust, same as it always was. Except one thing that wasn’t always there, I’ve only seen it once, because I made it the day I left. But even it has a descent layer of dust on it. I forgot I wrote this letter to my father, figuratively of course, I grab it from the bed. I don’t even remember what I wrote. I start to peel away the adhesive but quickly decide against it. I’m still not prepared to read it. I take the note and a picture my eye caught from my dresser with me as I leave the room, locking it behind me and placing the key back in its hiding place.

I head to my mother’s room and check it out. Again there isn’t much. I wonder if she’s still on drugs. I walk to her nightstand one of her many notorious hiding spots. I pull it open and take out the fake bottom. Who were you kidding Sydney? Of course she still is. I pull out the baggy. I didn’t know she had gotten this bad. Crystal Meth.

“God damnit, mom” I say to myself as I slam the drawer shut. I go to the bathroom and do my familiar practice, I turn on the running water and pour the contents of the baggy out. As I go back to the front room I slam every door I pass through. I grab my bag, putting my belongings from my room in it, and head out the garage door. I see the old tarp in the corner and throw it off, under, just where I left it, I find my bike. Still a shiny baby blue. I hop on it and pedal out of my garage. I pedal the same path I did last time I rode my bike. I pull up to my mother’s office and walk in. the security guards eyes widen as he places his magazine down and stands up.

“Jessica?” He says, I smile to him out of breath, no one’s called me that in a long time, actually the last person to call me that was my father. I guess changing your name doesn’t stick if you skip town.

“Hey Larry” The tall scrawny man clicks the intercom button leading to my mother’s office.

“Mrs. Anderson, you have a surprise waiting out here for you” he says

“Well send it in” I hear my mother’s voice crackle over the intercom. Larry buzzes me in and lifts his hat as I leave into the office.

“Hey mom” I say lightly as I close the door behind me. She looks up for a second, and I can easily see the effects the meth has had on her, maybe this wasn’t a good idea.

“Oh, Jessica” She goes back to her work on her desk.

“Wow, heartwarming” I say sarcastically, yeah this was a bad idea.

“Oh I’m sorry” She shoots sarcasm right back “Now what do you want”

“I wanted to talk about something serious mom”

“Sorry I don’t have any time”

“Pfft!” I’m getting angry “I knew you didn’t care about me!” I yell out “You only have time for your drugs!”