dream

- Group Therapy -

Not a single word is said as I step out of the car after we had pulled up outside the red-brick building and I had slammed the door shut. I don't even give them the satisfaction of storming up to the door of the therapy centre, I just hover beside them; emotionless.

The building itself is huge, having four individual stain glass windows with a large, double red door for an entrance. It looks old, almost as if it is about to tumble to the ground at any moment. Although more so, it looks haunting.

"You'll be fine dear, go on" My mother waits. What? I'm not going in alone. I can't.

"You're coming with me" I state.
"You have to do this on your own" She gives me a sympathetic look.

"You cannot be serious?" I dramatically throw my arms around in the air like a spoilt child.
"I am serious" My mother replies, getting back into the car without another word.

Well here goes nothing. I've got to prove to them I am normal one way or another I guess.

On a normal occasion, one where I wouldn't much rather rip their heads off for doing this to me, I would have kissed my parents goodbye. Instead, I just keep my head down and try my best to stop my heart from racing as I push open the double doors of the centre.

I nearly get knocked over as soon as my foot steps onto the blood red carpet.
"I am sooo sorry" the girl, with purple-blue circles marking underneath her eyes, spins around in an almost drunken manor.
"Er- erm-" I stutter, not exactly knowing what to say.

Her dark brown hair flows all the way down her back and she is wearing an over-sized hoodie with leggings. The girl standing in front of me, although is very beautiful, is not a girl at all. By just glancing at her you can see she is only the ghost of what she once was. The intensity of this made me look away.

"You're new here, right?" the ghost asks me. Instead of answering her, I keep my eyes locked to the floor.
"What's your name?" she continues.
I stay silent.

"Okay..." the stunning girl seems to hesitate, "well I'm Alex" she says whilst attempting to hug me.

I shudder away.

"I'm Ariel" I mumble.
"What did you say?" Alex leans in to hear me better, not seeming fazed that I refused her embrace.
"Ariel" I repeat.

"I love that name!" she claps her hands, nearly squealing in excitement.
"Thanks? I got it for my birthday" I begin to walk away.

From behind me I hear the ghost laugh. "What?" I turn and ask her.
"You're funny" Alex shakes her head in dismissal.

As I walk towards the centre of the building, I begin to hear the buzz of people talking. Slowing down my pace, my heart rate begins to pick up again but I force my legs to carry on; to get to my destination.

I open another door, the volume from inside makes my insides turn, and take a sharp breath.

People all around me are huddled in small groups, around five or six adults supervising the children, and a continuous flow of movement shifts about the atmosphere.

I watch as one of the supervisors make their way over to me, smiling and waving the whole way.

"Hello beautiful!" I cringe, "you must be Ariel?" the woman chirps.
I nod.

"Okay Ariel, as you know, we are here to help you" she places a hand in the small of my back and guides me to one of the small groups she was previously with, "everyone! this is Ariel Hill" she introduces me to the group.

"Hi"
"Hey"

All I see are two ghosts, Alex is amongst them both, smiling at me. It scares me, seeing people so self-abandoned. Is this what I look like on the outside?

The supervisor glides a chair out from the table the ghosts are sitting at and motions for me to sit with them and I do so. "I think we should start by introducing ourselves! Don't you think?" The overly-nice woman says with a little to much enthusiasm.

"I saw her earlier Clare" Alex explains to the supervisor, who's name seems to be 'Clare'.
"Ah! Already made a friend have we?" Clare laughs.

"I'm Elizabeth" A girl, sitting next to Alex, with short, choppy dark hair speaks. She is taller than Alex, possibly taller than me, and she seems to be quite fragile. She, also, is beautiful. They both hold a rare beauty, although they are badly broken, I envy them.

I can tell her and Alex are friends, the way they both look at one another for reassurance shows me this, it's almost comforting to see.

"Hi" I reply in a whisper, offering her and Alex a crooked smile in which they both return.

"Girls, do you mind if I pop over to Dan? He says he needs help in another department with a patient, if not I can send somebody else" Clare looks from her phone to both Elizabeth and Alex and back again.
"Of course Clare, go ahead, we are fine here!" Alex allows.

"You will be okay, won't you dear?" Clare asks me.
"Er- yeah sure" I nod quickly, feeling awkward.
"Okay, ask for me if you need anything will you?" She puts a hand on my right shoulder as she stands from her chair, "See you soon girls!" Clare waves a kind goodbye.

After Clare's dismissal, conversation seemed to flow easily between Alex, Elizabeth and I. Although it was mostly Alex or Elizabeth talking, they made me feel welcome to the strange place I was forced in.

We didn't talk about why we were in here, which I had expected, but rather spoke about everyday life. Simple questions were thrown around rather than harsh, pressuring ones and I almost felt like I could freely talk to these ghosts without panicking on what to say.

I wouldn't go as far as saying they were my friends just yet, but I was curious about these girls and was intrigued to know more about them.

Time passed quickly and before I knew it, my mother was outside to pick me up. I hadn't realised it had gotten dark outside whilst I was kept in a room that held no windows but as I stepped outside the double doors, somehow taking a different inhale than what I had entered this building with, I saw stars sitting in the sky.