Black Lotus

19 - Muted

September 13, 2016 | Tuesday

"Max behaves differently than the rest of our patients. He's what we'd call antisocial around here," one of the workers said to me. I felt as though I were a parent coming to their child's report card conference.

"Miss, you're working with people who deal with addiction and substance abuse problems. What does normal behavior look like to you?Drugs affect people in various ways. Not everyone reacts the same." Isn't that common sense?

"I mean, he doesn't talk to other patients, he sits alone, and most of the time he stares at the wall. There's no emotion in him."

I sighed. He learned that from me for sure.

"I don't understand. He was once... Warm. And he was gentle, sweet, and cracked corny jokes that somehow amused me. It's like he's gone. Can I see him and talk to him? Maybe seeing me will cheer him up a bit."

"I'm sorry, Miss. We have a strict policy against patients seeing friends and family before their five week mark. It distracts them. However, you can write letters and we'll give them to him." Geez, I'm not sure if Max was a patient at a rehab clinic or an inmate at a correctional facility.

"That's fine. I guess I should get going then."

For these past few days, you could say Max and I had a lot in common. Neither of us wanted to talk to people or be involved with anything. That was funny, even apart we sent signals to one another across the airwaves. If telepathy is a real thing then this was it. Why does that matter? I needed to touch him, and I know he needed to touch me. We needed to speak face to face whether it was argue and yell or whistle. But why fight it when it's for the best? He'd be okay soon. One thing I was happy about was his safety. In there he wasn't able to shoot up or jump off roofs.

I went into the parking lot, which was fairly empty because most people are around during the mid afternoon, and right now it was only half past ten. I felt unsafe and paranoid right now. I saw no one but I felt an invisible presence.

It wasn't God, that was a given.

I opened my car door but someone slammed it. She was a tall, thin, white girl with stringy hair and lots of bruises on her knees, if I may add. You know Harley Quinn in Suicide Squad? That's what she looked like. Nothing appeared intimidating or threatening from her, except a distorted laugh that came out of her lips.

"Oasis, such a pleasure to meet you. You're hotter in person than Max described you."

"Who are you?"

"I'm Liz. I own Max."

"You can't own someone. I'm not sure if you know, but slavery is illegal," I said with a hint of attitude.

"No shit, Sherlock. I'm not referring to physical bondage, even though he'd be cute in chains. Max owes me a large amount of money and until he pays it back, I control his life."

"You're a drug dealer aren't you?"

"Smart girl. You know, before Max even got addicted I've been in your lives."

"How?"

"Lemme see, I'm a Lotus, I murdered Ocean and Carmen, paid off Adelaide to scare the shit out of you, oh and my favorite one, I planned the drive by that brought you and Max so close!" she squealed.