1...2...3...sleep

Part title

          "You are getting sleepy, very sleepy... Your limbs get heavier and heavier as you become more and more tired." His soft, soothing voice calmed the woman as she started to fall into a deep sleep. "On the count of three you will be asleep one...two... thr--"*BRIIIIIIIIING* A blaring alarm shook the woman awake as it bounced off the office's walls.
          "What the HELL is THAT!?,"she said bewildered.
          "I'm sorry Nia we're going to have to end our session a little early today, the fire alarm appears to have gone off; we should evacuate."
          Nia and the doctor emerged from his office into a hall filled with smoke. Coughing she asked, "Which way?!"
          "This way! Whatever you do don't let go of my hand," he choked out as he grabbed her hand and led her down the hallway. They made their way to the stairs when they were consumed by a flood of people trying to flee the building. Their conjoined hands slipped as Nia was pulled away from the doctor into the panicked crowd. " Dr. Palmer! Help me!," she screamed while she was tugged farther and farther away from him.
His once soothing voice now filled with urgency, "Nia! Stay calm! I WILL find you on the outside, just remain safe until I get there!"
          Nia desperately tried to hold onto the wall as she was pushed and pulled in every direction. At last she was released to freedom when her body was forced through a doorway, knocking her unconscious.
          Hazey, she awoke finding herself outside in the black veil of the night; barely able to see her own vivid white shoes. She looked around in confusion. What...time is it?... Where is everyone? I need.... to find... Dr. Palmer. I swear it was light out when.... my appointment ended. She violently gripped her pulsing head. Ouch my head hurts. How long have I been... out? After she was able to collect her thoughts Nia noticed a light turn on down the long, silent street. She struggled to get up, still light headed from her tumble, and began to look for the door that she had fallen through. Her hands glided over the coarse stone wall until she felt its smooth, chilled metal. She searched for the handle, but was disappointed to find there wasn't one. I guess I won't be getting back in there. I should work my way around the building and find the entrance. Nia turned towards the mysterious light and followed its glow. When she finally made it to the light she realized it was a dinky, old emergency light attached to the corner of the building.
          When she turned the corner she saw man and a little girl standing under another emergency light farther down the street. Excited to see someone at last, she yelled, "HEEEEY! You! Do you know what happened to the building, or where everyone is?" She ran up to them, but they didn't acknowledge her presence. "Hey, can't you hear me?" She grabbed at the man's arm, but her hand flowed through it. She backed away petrified, gawking at the fluidity of her hand. What THE HELL! What was that! This CAN'T be real. She inspected her hands, searching for some inconsistency that would explain this, but they appeared the same as always. That means only two things: I'm either unconscious in a dream, or a ghost. PLEASE be the former. How could it be a dream though, I've never seen these people before. Do unconscious people even dream?!
          Nia thrust her hand through the man's chest, while seeing her fingers emerge on the other side. Her face filled with a deep hopelessness for her current predicament. Oh God I'm Dead! Yup, that's my life, I'm dead. She walked in circles frantically waving her arms in the air. "Come on! Why did this have to happen to me. I'm a good person, I'm young, why am I the one to die? This is what I get for trying hypnosis for the first time, I get killed; in a crappy way too, getting pushed through a STUPID DOOR!" She collapsed on her knees, clutching her head. " All I wanted to do was find my memories. I just wanted to know why I can't remember who I am, where I'm from. And this is what I get? I should have never done this."
          Preoccupied with her own misery Nia forgot about the others until the middle-aged man, looming over the young girl, began to speak. "Hey, honey don't worry I'll get you home soon."
          The girl barely six years of age, wearing a bright pink dress with a red coat and clean white shoes, pleaded to him. "But Mama is gonna be mad, she doesn't want me out after dark. I don't want her to be mad at me."
          "Shhhh. She won't be, you're with your Uncle Carl, she knows your safe. Hey how 'bout we play our special little game, you know the one you gotta keep secret from Mama? 'Cuz if she finds out you're gonna get into trouble."
          She darted her eyes away from his gaze. " I don't know Uncle Carl, I don't think Mama likes me keeping secrets."
          "It's okay to keep secrets, we all have them." She began to back away when his voice became coarse and he gripped her arm. "If she finds out that you didn't play along she's going to be angry. Like you said you don't want her angry do you?"
          She whispered back, " No," and took his hand. Game... What type of game? Concerned, Nia tried to walk over to them to see what was going on, "It's going to be fun, I promise. But you have to obey everything I say, or you'll get in trouble." He took off her coat and lead her through a nearby door. The girl looked back into the street, fear filled her eyes as she walked through a puddle splashing dirty water on her clean shoes. She reached out towards the emptiness, but before Nia could make it to her the door slammed shut, echoing in the street.
          She pounded on the locked door, screaming, "Don't you DARE hurt her! I swear to God!" Her actions useless, she slid to the ground against the door. Why couldn't I stop it. I could have done something. I let it happen, it's my fault. *CLICK* Nia shifted her head towards the handle, slowly standing up she faced the door. She tried the handle of the door and it opened to an unlit hallway. Desperate to find the girl she rushed in until she came upon a room that illuminated the area.
          Two teenage girls around 17 were sitting on a bed in a room that appeared to be a bedroom. One of the girls, wearing wrinkled jeans and a black t-shirt, sat across from the other. The girl in the jeans said, "So what do you want to do Jen?"
          "How about you tell about your date with Rick?" She placed her hand under her chin, intrigued.
          Shifting her body away from Jen, she looked at her hands, "Um, it was...okay."
          "What do you mean by 'okay,' what happened?"
          "We...slept together I guess."
          "You guess? Was it not good or whatever?"
          "It's not like that. I just wasn't ready for it, you know. I told him no but he kept going, telling me 'You're my girl, don't you love me?' I was paralyzed. I didn't know what to do, I couldn't believe Rick would do this to me. I'm so ashamed." She was overcome with tears
          "What do you mean? He's your boyfriend, that's what they do."
          "But he ripped away my clothes, he even tore up my white sneakers trying to get my pants off. I said no, I trusted him!"
          "Come on you know you wanted it. Don't you like him, you chose to get into the relationship in the first place. You were just nervous, you'll get over it."
          "I guess... that makes sense." She clutched her legs, staring at the ground. Jen got up to close the door, "Trust me, you'll start to like it." and the door shut.
          Nia placed her hand on the door. Shame crept into her heart, it was the little girl all over again. I didn't move. I wanted to comfort you, but I sat here watching. If  I had just willed myself enough, I could have helped you. Her vision blurred, she couldn't force the tears to stay back any longer. The lump in her throat allowed her to choke out, "You deserved better. You shouldn't have gone through this alone. It's all my fault, I could have been there."
          *beep*...*beep*...*beep* She heard a faint monitor down the corridor. Nia sighed, letting the pressure that she had been keeping in her chest out in one single burst. She wandered towards the beeping and found a woman in her 20's connected to a monitor in a hospital room. Another woman in her 50's looked heatedly at the other woman. She scolded the younger woman, "How could you do this!?"
          "I'm so sorry Mom, I was at a party and he must have slipped something into my drink. I didn't know this was going to happen, I SWEAR!" The woman held her head in her hands, trying to cope with the events of the previous night.
          "You brought this on yourself! How could you go out wearing that skimpy outfit, and drink too!? No one will ever marry you now, you're tainted, what will your boyfriend think of this? You cheated on him! Or your father, knowing his daughter is sleeping around with every man.", the mother howled at her daughter.
          "I wish I could have taken it back. I can't believe I did this to him. Will he ever forgive me?" The mother handed her daughter her clothes.  The girl began to get dressed, slipping on worn out white sneakers.
          "I hope so honey. I hope so." She viciously pulled the curtain closed, leaving Nia alone once again.
          She heard scuffling ahead and found the girl from earlier running down the hall. Wait, a minute, that's her! She dashed down hall, but quickly lost sight of the girl through a doorway. She hurried through the open door to find herself in the middle of a street outside. She looked around hectically for any sight of the girl, but she had disappeared. All that was left was a woman in her 30's standing on the curb. When she was crossing the street, avoiding the cars, she turned her head towards the voice of a man shouting, "Heeey baby, why don't I show you a good time!" While the woman was distracted Nia saw a car racing down the street. Before the woman could react Nia ran out into the street to push her out of the way of the car. Suddenly her vision was filled with darkness.
          Nia was trapped in a soundless abyss, stunned. Her time there felt endless or finite; For years or for a day. Is this the afterlife, am I in hell? Suddenly she heard a voice in the distance, it was getting closer. "You are safe, I am with you. It's time to wake up."
          "You will awake in three...two...on-" Nia was snapped awake by a deep, calm voice. Her brain clouded, she opened her eyes to see Dr. Palmer's face. "Wha..What happened? Where am I?"
          "You're in my office Nia, you're okay. You were out for a while, but we got you back." She looked around the room, at the dismal grey paint and the abstract paintings on the wall. I really am back. That nightmare is over. Filled with overwhelming joy she got ready to leave. Dr. Palmer helped her up, but when Nia looked down she dropped to her knees. How can this be? This has to be impossible, it can't be true.
          With tears fogging her vision she was barely able to see the battered white sneakers on her feet.