Over and Over, Again and Again

7 ~

My instinct was to run away to Scott's, but I had a much better idea.

I went back inside the doctors surgery, and scanned the corridors for Dr Rydale's room. I skipped straight past the waiting room and didn't listen to the people telling me to stop. I found his room and knocked politely. I heard a 'come in' and so I stepped in. He had no patients but he asked what I was doing.

"My mum has left without me, just because I told her I wanted to go to my friends house instead of going back home." I explained, trying my best to sound scared.

"That's unacceptable, especially with what I just told her." He said, not seeming annoyed that I entered his room after my appointment. "Would you like me to contact her?"

"No thanks Dr Rydale." I said, with an expression of slight disgust just thinking of having to speak to her right now. "I would like to be taken to my friends house."

"You do have a stubborn character, don't you?" Dr Rydale chuckled.

I lowered my eyebrows in an expression of anger but ended up grinning instead, as to agree.

"Call me Brodie, rather than Dr Rydale." He said. "I hate being called it day in day out!"

I smiled briefly.

"I won't be able to take you to your friends if that's what you're thinking." Brodie laughed. "You might have to chill out here for a bit if you want someone to take you."

"I might just leave." I said hesitantly. "Doctors surgeries aren't my scene and I guess the walk to his house isn't too far."

"His?" Brodie questioned.

"Not my boyfriend if that's what you're getting at!" I laughed.

"Well I might see you tomorrow on your way to school." Brodie smiled as I got up to walk out the room.

I felt happier now I had told Brodie about my mothers mean retreat, but I wasn't going to give in to her.

It took me a lot longer than I had expected to reach Scott's house. It was a tiring haul but fortunately I didn't hear or see anything disturbing again.

I arrived there before Scott returned from school. Softly I perched on the step up to his door, my arms hugging my knees and my chin resting on them. I had nothing with me, nothing but my phone.

In pure boredom, I reached into my pocket and pulled out my device. Unlocking the screen, I had an unkind surprise.

A message on the screen read: "Doctors aren't always right. Sometimes the things that you think you are seeing are actually there."

What?

The message was sent from an unknown number, and strangely the number that sent it wasn't visible. Weirdly, when I went into the 'messages' once again, the text was no longer there.

I whined in frustration and dug my head down between my knees.

"Hurry up..." I whispered to myself, eager for Scott to return from school quickly. I was tense and worried that something or someone would come out at me.

To my relief, Scott walked up the driveway about ten minutes later. He looked concerned when he saw me sat on his doorstep.

"You okay?" Was the first thing he said as he came and sat next to me. "How was your doctors appointment?"

"They said it's schizophrenia." I sighed, "but I don't agree."

"Why not?" He asked. Scott was fully aware of everything I had ever seen and heard, as I had told him everything.

"He told me that it's real, that it is all actually there." I whispered in a slightly slurring tone.

"What, the doctor?"

"No, not the doctor. Him. The scary guy who follows me everywhere I go. Look, I have the text to prove it!" Quickly I unlocked my phone and clicked on messages. But the message was not there.

"I can't see anything." Scott said as he peered over my shoulder.

"There was a text, I swear!" I cried. I scrolled up and down all the texts in a panicked search to find the message I was looking for. "It has gone! Honestly, you have to believe me!"

Scott jerked his head and slowly came and sat closer.

"I'm not possessed or anything, please just believe me!" I whined.

"I don't know what to believe." He sighed as he brought his knees up to his chest. "From what you are telling me, I would agree with the doctor, purely because these types of things don't exist. Scary guys with jagged mouths with blood coming out, and black holes for eyes? No, that kind of stuff may be in stories or artwork, but there is no way it's real."

"Why can you be so certain?"

"It's not real, Rosie. Those things don't exist. There isn't such thing as monsters, ghosts, aliens, what ever it is."

"Stop thinking I've gone insane!" I protested, a surge of annoyance flooded through me. "Yes, that's right. The doctor basically said that. He said that it is a psychotic illness. I'm a psycho! A psychopath! This isn't good Scott, and you just think I have lost my head."

"Alright, stop now." He pleaded, softening his hand along my forearm. "Come inside and I'll get you a drink, maybe a blanket. And tell me immediately when you hear or see something weird."

I smiled at his wonderful, nurturing approach to me. "But Scott, I'm not going to. I only see things when I'm on my own."

"Well, I'll make sure you are never on your own." He assured me. "Now come on, we are going in."

Happily I stepped through the door into his house. His parents weren't home yet, but I knew they would be within the hour. Inside, I helped myself to his comfortable chairs while he brewed up a steamy cup of coffee.

"I'm just going to the toilet!" I shouted through the archway into the kitchen where Scott was. He shouted back as I made my way to his bathroom.

I turned to the mirror to check out my appearance, but the figure was looming vividly behind me. It's broad Chelsea smile grinned at me menacingly. All I could do was stare coldly into his eye holes past my reflection. I gulped.