The Shadow

Chapter 16 (It's Just An Illusion)

Paul wanted to be honest with himself. He had no absolute idea where this situation was leading them.

It would be his third day in medication and nothing felt changed. He kept having disillusions, although the doctors in the care centre assured him they would end soon enough, but apart from that new things would happen. Things Paul thought incapable of doing. It felt like the pills were doing the opposite while wearing off.

It was this very morning that he woke up with shred clothes, his clothes. At first he had shouted at the nurse, thinking somebody had invaded his room. Later he was explained he had done it himself last night, and the cameras had caught him. Alice herself explained to him he had manic depression, but what caused it she did not know. Paul blamed it to the pills.

It was hard to believe. He had never sleepwalked or did anything close to that. They had told him there was nothing to worry about and that it would stop by next week.

His family had not visited him since then. He had the idea those were some instructions of the care centre, so the treatment would work better.

His only contact with people, real people, would be with his therapists, that nurse who gave him the pills and Richard, with whom he had ended up chatting around.

He liked Richard and he was a good companion in this place. He gave him that. There were times though he reminded him so much of John. He did not know what part of him reminded him of his illusion. They did not look alike, they acted differently even. Richard was more open than John would ever be. He was a happy man, with a good sense of humor and also smiled pretty much often. Nothing like John, but still he could relate them so much.

There was a knocking on the door of the room, he now started calling his own, which made him turn around to see who would enter. Alice, walked in with a kind smile on her face as she looked up at the young boy.

"Mr McCartney, it's five o' clock and time for your meeting with the therapists."

Paul nodded at her and followed her through the corridors. They entered a big room, a different one than the last time. This one was painted in a dull grey color, and had a large, full length mirror hanging on one of the walls. The room was large with only furniture, two armchairs in the centre, a huge cupboard opposite the mirror, and a tidied desk on the left side. His attention was drown back in the mirror. As the nurse had left the room, he stepped closer to take a better look at himself. His reflection, reminded him nothing of the Paul he once knew. This new Paul, seemed older, not necessarily wiser and tired, black circles forming under his eyes. The pills had lessened his hours of sleep and the whole therapy had nerved him out.

He looked at his reflection once again. This time it was smiling at him. Despite his real body doing nothing, the reflection smirked and winked at him. His hands had started trembling, the pills taking again control of his body, his ears ringing for a moment or two, before he could clearly hear again the door shutting, meaning the doctors had come in.

The old men waved at him and one of them sat on the chairs. Paul moved to their place and sat down as well.

"Good morning Paul? Are you coping well?" asked Alfred.

"Oh sure he does doctor." his reflection in the mirror snapped.

"Tell them what you see Paul, why don't you? Tell them about the trembling you are having whenever you take the pills, tell them about the lack of sleep, the illusions worsening, I dare you." the boy in the mirror rolled his tongue and licked his lips, satisfied with himself.