IT'S ALL IN YOUR HEAD

Chapter 1- The friend inside my mind

Dedicated to Hali

Prologue
The world as I knew it is different now. The world fell apart years ago. Most everything was destroyed, from buildings to families. I lost my family, my friends, and I lost so much more. Most people who survived the wars around the world were stripped from all the owned, and for some of us it was our sanity. All the wars and fighting weren't my fault but I had a part in the starting of them. The people in charge found me to be unstable, crazy if you will, so they locked me up thinking I was insane. The people in my hometown who belong behind bars, in asylums, or even dead, all got out. I am not, nor was I crazy, but I was an escapee. My name, Katrina O'Connors.

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When I was five I had an "imaginary" friend. He wasn't, isn't imaginary though. He doesn't like me to say his name, in fact I only can say what he wants me too. He takes over my life. I don't really mind, if I am being honest. His complete control is more comforting than scary. He is always just there in my life, someone with me, watching over me.

The day I came clean about my "friend" went something like this...

" Katrina, get off of her!" Principal Mayors said, ripping me off of the girl who lay bloody and still on the silvery, gray tile floors of Oak Elementary. I was being painfully restrained as the voices in my head said, seek your vengeance. I thrashed wildly although I was easily held back being a frail, five year old girl.

The voices that tunneled rapidly through my brain and coursed through my veins were blinding. I screamed in agony. Fight back Katrina, seek your revenge. For me, for you, He said. The voice was stern as usual, harsh and cold. "No! No, Xander no!" I yelped. Excruciating pain shot through my body, paralyzing me, tightening my muscles, making my body ache.

I suddenly went limp within my principals arms. Eyes rolling back, Xander let go of his hold on the pain center of my mind, releasing his complete control. I gasped inward, trying to regain the air in my heaving lungs. Your resistance caused this. You inflicted your own pain, He whispered in my mind. Then, all the world went black.

I woke within the nurses office, lying on my back, people standing above me. When I lifted my head and sat up, each person backed up as if l was holding a knife, ready to stab. Knowing what had happened and what I said to Xander, I would be scared too.

Wake up Katrina, Xander spoke shaking the sleep caused fuzziness out of my head. "Where am I?" I said. I heard hushed whispers through out the room just as a man in a white coat walked in.

"You must be Katrina." The man said in a calm voice. His face was straight and happy, but his hands were shaky and he seemed timid while walking toward me. "I am Dr. Conway." Xander began to speak in my head, repeat after me.

"I know who you are. You are a doctor from Eastern Sanitarium. Your wife just left you, you have two kids named Riley and James. You are forty-three and have a degree in pediatric psychology from Harvard although you desired to go to Yale. I know who are." Dr. Conway's jaw dropped in awe. "How did you-" I interrupted on command.

"Xan-" I froze as a shrill of pain washed over me," He. He told me. I know everything about you. And no, I am not insane." "Excuse me," the doctor said confused," I never said you were insane."

"You were thinking it. Plus, you are from an insane asylum so, naturally, I can assume." I said in a quite voice. "Sweetie," Mrs. Liam said,"can you tell is what happened?"

Xander kept speaking so I kept talking,"Mrs. Liam, you have a daughter around the age of six. She has imaginary friends. Correct? Of course I am. Well." My eyes began to fuzz as Xander took over my body. Using my mouth he said,"I am like that imaginary friend, except I am as real as the blood that runs through your veins, as real as the need for your next pay check, as real as the fear that is nervously halting Nurse Atkins. You just don't understand that because you find this phenomenon to be an act of insanity. To put this simpler," my eyes got narrow as I got up and walked towards Dr. Conway," He is in this very room. He is always with me. Think what you will, but I am as sane as you are."