Mental

ONE- Beginnings

        “What happened to you? Why are you here?”

        Everyday they ask me these questions. Everyday I answer them with the same thing.

        “I can see things that are unseen to others.”

        Then they would ask me to elaborate and I would.

        “I was ten years old when I started seeing things,” I know I am still in the bright room but I am already brought back to the memory of that very day in the park. I was with my mom who was talking with a man. My ten year old self was looking around.

        And it started.

        I saw a drunkard sloppily walking, a girl slashing her wrists while walking and a mother hitting her son who was screaming. I blinked and they were replaced with a stoic faced businessman, a girl walking silently and a mother with her son silently following her.

        I rubbed my eyes and looked around again.

        It was still the same.

        No signs of the horrible images I just saw. I tugged at my mom’s shirt to ask her about what I just saw.

        Wrong move. The man’s eyes locked into mine. His eyes started to turn red, his hands growing into claws. A rush of images comes to me.

        So horrifying. So dark. So evil.

        And I screamed.

        I screamed to get away from the monster. I screamed to my mother who I now know has a relationship with the very same monster. I screamed for all the girls destroyed by the monster. I screamed for all the innocence he had corrupted.

        I tried getting away from him.

        I really did.

        Another series of images rushed to me, images of him and me. If only my mother wasn’t here, he would have had his way with me. He stepped towards me. Mock-concern etched on his face.

        Go away, I wanted to scream at him but my ten-year-old self was mute to the horror in front of her. Not understanding what has happening and why it was happening to her.

        I closed my eyes and hoped, God, how I hoped it would be over.

        I open my eyes and I am back to the bright room. I don’t notice I am gasping for air until I hear one of the doctors telling me to take slow steady breaths.

        It will never be over, I tell myself with a bitter smile gracing my lips.

        I hear the doctors talking again. Reciting the same thing every after I elaborate. “You are doing great Beatrice.” They say, “You’ll be out of here in no time.” For the first few times I was here, I was overjoyed by the news but I should have not allowed myself to be easily deceived, because I believe no one ever leaves this place.

        I truly did believe it, because who wouldn’t, when you’ve been here for two years.

        But I simply nod and act like I believe them. I paste a fake hopeful, cheerful smile on my face and say thank you. A guard comes over to me and places a hand on my elbow signaling me that this meeting is over. I try not to flinch away from the guard when a rush of images comes to me.

        Images of him and what he would do to girls like me.

        “And Beatrice,” one of the doctors say, “You’re having a new cell mate with you.” I stand there agape and silent letting the guard lead me to my cell.

        A cellmate?

So, What do you think of the first chapter? If you have any comments, suggestions or reviews, just comment down below. Thank you!