Haunted

Prologue

Harry

"Dr. Styles, can I see you in my office please?" Dr. Ames asks as I walk into the facility, I nod and follow behind the friendly chief of staff into her office. She motions for me to take a seat as she sits behind her desk, she places her hands in front of her and frowns as she tries to find her words. "We have a proposition for you, Harry." She says simply.

I tilt my head as I study her face, she's tense and uneasy about what she's about to pitch to me. Over the year's I've learned how to read people, how to predict what they say before they say it, however... I could have never predicted what came out of her mouth.

"If I'm correct, you expressed some type of interest in the Anderson girl." She says and I nod. "Her mother is looking for a private psychologist, you're one of our best but I don't know if you'd be right for the job."

"Why is that?" I ask curiously and she sighs.

"Well, because you're a man Harry. She's a very troubled girl-"

"If I remember correctly she's twenty-two, hardly a girl Alexandria." I challenge and she nods.

"Her mother is claiming that her doctors here simply drugged her up and let her rot, I want to prove that our facility has the best doctors on the west coast Harry. We need to help her, I think you may be the key." She explains.

"Why me? I'm a man, how could I help her?" I question.

"You're soft and kind Harry, not to mention easy on the eyes." She admits causing me to shift uncomfortably, I'm not blind to the fact that women find me attractive but I also don't take advantage of it. "You've expressed an interest in her case so I'm thinking that maybe there is something you can do."

"What would this entail?" I ask.

"Well your workload here would decrease, you would see Miss Anderson five times a week for two hours at a time in her own therapy room. There are rules though Harry, you are not to accompany her out of that room. This is for your safety." She continues and I furrow my brows.

"Miss Anderson is barely 5'2 and maybe a hundred and fifty pounds at most, why do I need to be kept safe from her?"

"She has had past violent outbursts towards men, it's what ripped her family apart." Dr. Ames shrugs as I pinch my lip pensively. "Every male staff member that has stepped foot into her room has been attacked,  she may be small but she's strong. Do not let your guard down around her for a single minute Harry, I am serious." She says sternly as I question everything I thought I knew about Miss Anderson, what if I'm wrong?

What if I have a reason to be fearful of her?

I've dealt with my share of violent patients, some of them women but this.... This is different. I've seen the fear in some of the male staff when they see her, the threat is real and I'm about to be tossed into the lion's den.

"I'll do it."