Celtic Memoire

Chapter 2 - Ugly Sessions

Chapter 2 - Ugly Sessions

After breakfast all 10 or so of us crazies had our little morning session. It reminds me of school in many ways, only we don't have homework or textbooks.

Ms. Keenman and Trent are sitting at the end of a long row of chairs, 5 facing each other about 6 feet apart. I sat in between Carmen and Solomon at the end of row 1, with Peyton, Jason, and Ms. Keenman at the end. The other side starts with Trent, then Bill, an empty chair for his 'imaginary friend Drake', Rory, Y'vonne, and Samantha.

First, Ms. Keenman would ask us questions concerning our past, then write down our reactions in her notebook. She's trying to root out any details that would explain why we are 'crazy' today. She would always stare at me expectantly at my turn and I'd just shrug or shake my head. I would write one sentence on my notebook and show it to her and she'd sigh and nod with a fake smile.

I told my story last week.

I zoned out the rest of the session until Solomon started speaking, then I would listen. He would tell fairy tales, a different one every day. Today he told about the Little Bird and the Sonnet. He spoke in a sing-song voice that captivates even the slums of Brooklyn in brilliance.

"A small little bird, clean and bright,

Slept in his nest until first light.

A crown of gold was his mother's breast,

Who came and fed him worm's in the nest.

Soft feathers of brown soon grew so wide,

He spread them and soared to the mountainside.

He grew and grew and become one,

With the tribe and sang and sung.

Then one day by a brook of clear blue,

He spied a young maiden bird who cooed and cooed.

He took speedy flight and called to her,

She looked up and called back hi young sir!

They flirted and teased until sundown,

Playing and singing in wings of brown.

Until a hunter a spied the couple,

and shot them down for a nice supper."

"Eww, eww, eww!" Samantha grimaced. She is an intense vegetarian and is extremely repulsed. Jason and Rory laugh at the demise of the young birds and I just simply look at Solomon with curious eyes. All his stories have an ending like so... in tragedy or irony. It's intriguing. We share a glance together before Trent hushes down our group and tells Bill to tell his story.

"Well," he starts before standing up and holding out his hands. "After doing intense research in my study lab, I have come to the conclusion that there is a great conspiracy in the government-"

"Oh no!" Rory shouts in mock fear, flailing her arms. "Save me, help, I'm being attacked by invisible people!"

"Rory Hinderson, please calm down, that's 2 merits." Ms. Keenman scolds immediately in a 'happy voice'.

I try to zone this out but it's too strange today. I get this weird creepy crawling feeling up my spine and the back of my neck as Bill continues.

"I was born missing a finger," Bill holds up his left hand and sure enough, his pinkie is missing. "The doctors don't tell you that it's the vaccines and chemicals that ruin our DNA and make us deformed. They put junk in our food that make us sick, for example, the cafeteria mashed taters-"

"Po-ta-toes!" Peyton corrected. She's completely obsessed with not using slang words.

The rest of the session was just a total disaster... There was a huge argument between Rory and Bill, then Jason got hyped up, then Samantha defended him, causing Y'vonne to get very jealous. A huge fight between them was started and that ended in them all getting merits and some cuts and bruises. I would have said something... if I could. And Solomon didn't say anything to them or join the fight. He only looked at me with deep eyes and whispered in my ear.

"There's a tale about Missy's swollen throat,

She walked outside in the winter without a coat.

A hooded stranger chased her down the street.

She tried to scream and tripped on her feet.

The stranger stood over her and creepily said,

Why so scared, little Missy? You're already dead."

I wanted to say 'Solomon' in a really loud gasp. He just described to me a dream I had two nights before... I had not told anyone, and it was only in my dream journal which nobody saw. Unless... but how could he get a hold of my journal?

He must have seen the alarmed look on my face because he looked at me and gave me a smile and whispered, "I want to show you something tonight. Go outside your room 15 minutes after lights are out." I nodded and he looked away just as the session ended and we were all told to go to our rooms or 'do something' while the rest of the patients were 'straightened out'.