Broken (Edited edition)

Anger

Anyone who's ever been to a CPSA building know you have to go through question. It's about five minutes, but you have to do it every single time you go. There is a police officer next to the sign in desk, and he always asks the kids the same questions. He has deep red hair, pale green eyes, and some stubble on his cheeks. Mark puts his hands on my shoulder, and the officer stares at me." You ready for your questions?" He asks, and I look up at him. I'm not saying I hate the guy, I just hate his questions." Any new bruises or injuries today?" He asks, and I shake my head." Any new things popping up in day to day activities?" Another shake of the head." Okay, and have you had outbursts?" He asks. Another shake of the head." Okay, thanks." He says, and backs away.

Mark signs us in, and then picks me up in his arms." Andy says we should get in first." He says, and I see Andy standing beside her office. Her hair pulled up tightly, and she's tapping a pencil against the door frame. I smile at her, and Mark just mumbles." You two slept good." She says in a jokey tone, a smile spreads across her face. We walk into her office, and she takes out a pad of paper." Okay, so I'm going to do a mental check on you. So I'm just going to say a word, and I want to say the first thing you think of." She says, writing my full name on top of the piece of paper. Sarah 'Lyca' Parker. She scribbles down the date, and also writing down Mark's name." Okay, let's start. Dog."

"Pet."

"Knife."

"Cut."

"Gun."

"Bullet."

"Todd."

I stop for a moment, and look at her. She looks up, and I cough a few times." Dead." I say, my voice cold as ice." Ooookay!" She says, staring down at her notepad." Weapon."

"Injury."

"Animal."

"Lion."

"Whiskey."

"Angry."

She stops, and puts her hand over her notepad" Okay, and can you draw me something." She asks, ripping out a piece of paper. She hands me a pen, and I look up at her." Draw me something when you hear the word 'Blood'. She says. I start drawing, and make a drawing of a man. He's rather tall, and he hides his face in the shadows of his hat. He only shoes his eyes, that are blinding white eyes. He's wearing a long trench coat, and his shoes are shined. It's pouring rain, and he has an umbrella with him. But the water makes a thin lined circle around his feet. As if he has some force around him to stop the rain from hitting him.

I hand it to Andy, and she looks at it." What is this?" She asks." I said 'Blood', not 'rain'." She says, and sets it down on the table." I drew what you asked me to draw. That is the man who I thought of. A man who is not touched by water, a man who can only be touched by blood. He's the blood collector." I explain, and she looks confused by the art." Is he...a real man?" She asks, and I shake my head." No, he's kind of like my imaginary friend from when I was little. His name is Greg Bullington. He works for the Blood Incorporation. They collect the blood of injured folk, and collects their blood until they grow older. Then they return the blood to the person, to help them through troubling times." I say, and smile at the picture." He was my friend. My ...only friend." I say, and Andy smiles at the picture." He seems like a nice guy." She says.

"Lyca I'm gonna need you to wait outside the room, so I can talk to Mark for a little while." She says, and I get off my chair. I leave her office, and go sit down next to the large book case. I pull out a good book, and read a few chapters. It's about this man who is placed in a psych ward after showing signs of signs of suicidal thoughts. I hear the office door open, and I look up. Mark takes my hand, and yanks me from the chair I'm sitting in." Bye Andy." I say before we leave the building. Mark opens my car door for me, then I get in. He shuts it, and walks around the car to get to his seat.