A Second Of Insanity

Chapter 4

Appointment: 12/14/2017

     My strides are relaxed as I walk to the same therapy room I talk to Abigail in. I've been meeting her there every Tuesday this month. She seems to be making progress in her treatments, I think as I look over my notes from our last meeting. At first I thought she would make no progress at all and would die in this hospital, but now I see how accommodating she is. Now, when she gets frustrated she doesn't switch. If she does switch, she comes back to her normal self in about 10 minutes. I can only hope at this progress continues.

     I come to a stop in front of the door that leads to the therapy room. I quickly check over the things in my bag and make sure I have everything. Note pad, check. Pen, check. Coloring book, check. Crayons, check. Once I'm reassured that I have everything, I enter the room. Abigail’s brown hair falls into her face as she quickly looks up at me. With patient hands, she pushes the mass out of her view.

     “Evelyn!” She squeals. I look at her and realize she doesn't have her straight jacket on, just as I requested. Her hands aren't bare though, she has one hand restricted with handcuffs. One cuff is around her one of delicate wrist, and the other cuff is latched around the leg of the table.

     “Evelyn look! I don't have the mean jacket on today!” She yells excitedly and shakes her wrist, making a clinking sound with the chain. I grin and sit across from her.

     “That's great Abigail! Other than that, how are you today?”

     “I'm good. The only really cool thing that has happened is that I don't have to wear my jacket.” She replies with a smile. I drop my bag on the table next to me and sift through it. When my hand reaches the cold smooth surface of the coloring book, and shift my gaze to Abigail again.

     “Well since your hands are free today, do want to do something with them?” I ask Abigail, she nods enthusiastically. With that gesture I take out the coloring book from my bag and lay it in front of her. Her eyes grow with surprise as she stares at the vibrate colors on the cover. Then her head shoots up to lock eyes with me.

     “You brought coloring books!?” Abigail exclaims. I nod with a grin and pull out the crayons I brought with. Abigail squeals once again and takes the cardboard container in her little hands. She easily flips open the small tab and exposes her eyes to the vividly colored wax. Next she flips open the coloring book and starts looking for a page to color.

     “No. No. No. No.-” she repeats while flipping through pages. I smile while I watch her process of elimination. Suddenly her monotone voice comes to a stop and so does her flipping. I look down to see what picture she stopped on. It's a picture of a fluffy kitten. “Oh my god it's soo cute!”

     “I agree. It's adorable. I use to have a cat like that when I was your age,” I tell her.

     “Really?” She asks in an amazed voice. “Momma never let me have a kitty because they make my skin itchy.”

     “Yep. My kitty was white with really pretty blue eyes. Her name was snowball.” I inform Abigail. Her smile gets wider and her eyes alight with curiosity. She seems to be enjoying the story of snowball so I continue telling it. Abigail colors in her cat with a brown crayon, and listens to my story contently.

     “She sounds like a nice kitty Evelyn,” Abigail says softly when I'm done telling my story.

     “She was. She was a very nice kitty,” I confirm.

     “Evelyn?” Abigail asks with the same soft tone.

     “Yes Abigail?” I reply.

     “When we're done talking today, will they put the jacket back on me?” I inwardly grimace at her question and hopefully eyes. I don't want to lie to her, but the poor girl will be crushed.

     “Yes Abigail. They are going to put the jacket back on.” I say with a frown. A sudden cry bellows from Abigail. I jerk my head in her direction out of surprise.

     “They can't put the jacket on! Then he's gonna get me Evelyn! If I have the jacket on I can't get away! He's gonna hurt me! Evelyn he's gonna hurt me!” She cries. Tears start to stream down her cheeks and she begins thrashing against her handcuffs. I sit back in my chair in attempt to get farther away from the screaming girl in front of me.

     “Who's going to get you Abigail?” I ask. Maybe I can get her to calm down.

     “The man into the black mask! He hurt mommy and daddy! He's gonna hurt me! Evelyn!-” Her cries and screams echo loudly in the small space of the therapy room. Once again, the door opens behind me and heavy doors steps fill my ears. It's a guard.

     I get up from my seat and turn away from Abigail's tear streaked face. The guard is holding a cream colored piece of cloth. The piece of cloth Abigail was wearing the first time I saw her. I tightly shut my eyes for a second, and I listen to Abigail's cries and the guard’s heavy footsteps. Her cries get loud as the guard get closer, and soon, her cries become words.

     “Help me. Evelyn! Please help me! He's gonna get me Evelyn! He's gonna get me!”

     My eyes snap open, and I practically run out of that room. That is all I can take for one day.