Locked Away

Bonus Chapter: Farewell

Tommy (20 Years Later)

It was so hard to get to this point of my life, with Mom not telling me a bunch about where to look but she finally cracked. She told me I was adopted at eleven but I always dreamed of meeting this Kara individual since last time I saw her was when I was just a new born. In the taxi over I wondered what she would be like or the stories she'd have to tell me. My skin was just crawling with excitement as I played with the silver charm bracelet in my hand.

However as excited as I was, Mom always said that I shouldn't get to excited about meeting this Kara person, calling it pointless and a waste of my time but it was something I had to do for myself and to grow as an individual. Even Uncle Ryan didn't tell me much about his sister. She was the enigma in my life and now I was finally going to get my answers.

The taxi pulled to a stop and I paid the driver before getting out. The address was close to the university I was attending but I didn't expect to see what stood in front of me. Like a masterful work of art, I wondered what was contained inside it's four wall only to read the sign. Greensboro mental facility. The puzzle pieces were slowly being pieced together as I walked to the front entrance and opened the door as a nurse glanced up at me.

"Can I help you sir." She asked making me her top priority.

"Yea actually I'm looking for my mother...my biological mother." Her eyes lit up as I told her as if it warmed her heart.

"Oh well tell me do you know her name?" The nurse replied smiling while typing at her computer.

"Kara Reid, or so I've been I told by my adoptive mother." I answerd and I watched the lady type.

"Well let me take a look," She continued to type and scanned the screen with her finger until finally looking at me with a faint smile. "Well she is here, but she hasn't spoken a word in twenty or so years are you still sure you want to see her?"

"Wait seriously twenty years, that's when I was taken away from her, maybe I can help her." I responded excitedly as I was nearly climbing over the desk now.

"Alright well I'll call you an escort and you can meet her in the common room with the other visitors." The woman smiled before pressing a button and making an announcement for an escort.

What was only seconds later, this big man of a nurse walked over to me with a cheerful grin and extended a hand. I took his hand and we both shook before he disconnected from my grip.

"So are you the one I'm escorting?" He asked with a wide smile as I nodded. "Well then follow me, and lets go see your mom."

Walking through the maze styled corridors would have been a struggle if there wasn't a red line to guide us. It gave me some release since I knew that I'd be able to find my way when I left. Except I hoped it would be later then sooner. The tour through the egg shell white halls finally came to an end and the nurse opened the door for me where a few other families were with their loved ones. There was an open table that I claimed and I sat there putting my hands with my fingers interlaced on the table and I leaned back, while putting the bracelet down. This was actually happening I'm about to meet my mom. I thought to myself as I watched the door that I entered in open up again and a wheelchair with a woman sitting in it elegantly rolled in with the male nurse from earlier pushing her until they got to the table.

I could see why Mom, said that meeting Kara might not be as easy as I thought. Looking into her eyes I could see into the hollow vessel. The soul of the woman in front of me wasn't present, she merely existed in this world, and the stoic expression on her face only made my heart break. She didn't recognize me.