Flickering Shadows

Kassandra Viktor (Chapter 14)

KASSANDRA VIKTOR

I was approached by Dr. Bradshaw again a week later.  "Come with me please, Lucille."  I followed her into her office, where there already was a scared looking girl.  She had brown hair down to her waist.  Her skin was pasty, and her features were obviously Russian.  She could not be more than ten years old.  "Sit," she pointed to a chair next to the girl.  "Lucy, this is Kassandra Viktor."

           "Hello," I said to her, and she simply waved back.

           "Kassandra moved here from Russia just a few months ago to seek better treatment for her schizophrenia.  She'll be staying with us for a few months, or however long it takes to get her under control."

           "Where am I involved in all this?" I asked.

           "You'll be her buddy, a mentor; you could say-just be her friend."

           Great.  I was now going to socially destroy an innocent ten year old girl. "How old are you?" I asked her.

           Kassandra spoke in a light Russian accent.  "Eleven."

           Okay, so I would be socially corrupting an eleven year old.  "Okay." I replied to both of them.  I wondered why the hell they kept picking me to watch the new kids.

           Kassandra and I left the office together. I was to escort her to her room so she could get settled.  I found out that her room was only one room away from my own.  "Well, uh, I'm Lucy."

           "Hello, Lucy."

           "Do you prefer to be called Kassandra, or do you prefer Kassie or Sandra or anything?"

           "Kassandra, if you please."

           "Okay, I'll be, uh, down the hall if you need me." 

           I waved her goodbye.  Dylan was there when I wheeled around. I must have jumped a foot in the air in shock.  "I hate it when people do that!" I punched him in the arm.  I was sure that it hurt me more than it did him. 

          He laughed, "Sorry."  He rubbed his arm as though it hurt, which it obviously didn't. I have no arm strength; my arms are made of bone and flab.  "So, you have a Russian best friend now? When did that happen?"  I told him what had happened in Dr. Bradshaw's office.  "Doctors are assigning friends now?  That's pathetic...but hilarious!" He laughed. After a little more casual chatting, we parted ways. Somebody had to write that huge English paper I'd been procrastinating on...

          

I had to hang out with Kassandra all day.  She wasn't too talkative, which was too bad for me.  I had to initiate all conversation.  I decided to ask her about Russia.  "How is Russia?  Like...what is it like?"

           "Cold," She laughed.  "Beautiful, the landscape there, but it's dreadfully cold."

           "What did your family do there?"

           "We were farmers, mainly.  My papa raised goats and sheep.  My mama was the only seamstress in our little town."

           "Wow..." I said, trying to look intrigued. "That sounds...cool."

           "No, it was very drab.  I'm so glad to have moved.  People there are not very accepting."

           "Oh.  Are they more here?"

           "Not by much.  Even in here I feel like an outcast.  My psychiatrist had to assign me a friend.  I would rather be friendless than have someone follow me around all day if they didn't have a choice."

           "I want to." I lied.

           "Right." She doubted.

           I changed the subject. "They thought I was schizophrenic, too when I first came in."

           "Oh, yeah!" she snapped her fingers.  "I know you! You are that one chick! I saw you on the Russian news."

           Fuck my life.  Even people in Russia knew who I was, and that I was completely insane. Could life get any better? I didn't reply and she dropped the subject.  It was silent for a long time before she spoke quickly and quietly. "They're back."

           "What?" I asked.

           "They are-the voices!"  Kassandra grabbed her head and shook it violently in her hands. I tried to stop her from injuring herself.  "Make them stop!" she screamed at me.

           "I don't know how to!" I stammered.  People in the rec room were turning to look at us. 

           Kassandra suddenly became very still and very quiet.  It scared me more than her screaming did.  My heart was pounding in my chest, waiting for her next move.  "They told me to do this." She mumbled under her breath.  Then she turned and punched me-hard-in the stomach.  The wind was knocked out of me-she was much stronger than she looked.

           "What the hell?" I gasped.  She swung again and missed.  While I was still trying to recover from the first blow, Kassandra sunk her teeth in to my left shoulder.  I cried out in pain.  By now, the nurses had been alerted and were filing in to get her off of me.  She threw a few more punches that hit me in the head, and then she was gone.  Kassandra was shrieking while they pushed her out on a stretcher. 

           My arm had a giant bite mark on it, and it was bleeding a good amount.  My skin was gone where she had bitten me; that was nasty.  That would be the last I would see of Kassandra Viktor until I left Beckingdale.