therapy l.h.

0.3

Eyes blue like the Atlantic

And I'm going down like the Titanic

- Ollie McKendrick

***

Felicity couldn't sleep. She stares at the wall above her, her eyes burning with exhaustion. She takes the cover off of her body, placing her feet on the cold hardwood floor.

Fel peeks her head out of her bedroom door, checking if her parents are still awake. She closes her door and locks it.

Quietly and carefully, she opens her drawer and slips on a pair of leggings. Since there's a bit of breeze coming from her window, Felicity puts on a loose white sweater.

She walks downstairs to the first floor of her house. She quickly puts on her Doc Martens and walks to her window. Fel pushes it open wide and steps out.

80 paces forward, take a right.

100 paces right, get on the train.

Take 200 paces forward and knock.

Felicity follows the instructions to Luke's home in her boots. She gets on the train amongst five other people.

She gets off the train and exits the station, walking her 200 paces. Fel gets to the door she had seen but once, when her parents made her walk home alone. She got curious and decided to follow Luke home.

Felicity's soft, cold hands ball into a fist and she knocks on the door. She almost loses hope, seeing as it's exactly 2:57 in the morning and no one should really be awake.

Fel's head was constantly filled with numbers. Whether it was time, distance, measurements; you name it.

She would even count the seconds of the minutes of the hours of her day. Every single day from the second she woke up, to the second she lay her head to rest.

Surprisingly, the door opens, revealing a sleepy-eyed Luke Hemmings.

"Felicity?" he asks, his glasses tilting off of his slender nose. "What are you doing here?"

"I need to talk to you," she says.

"Now? This couldn't wait until tomorrow?"

"No. I thought tomorrow would be too late," Felicity bites her bottom lip, fiddling with her fingers.

Fifty-eight, fifty-nine, sixty.

Click!

Another minute strikes in her mental clock and she grins. She's lived another minute.

"Alright," Luke sighs. "Come inside."

Fel steps into the rustic, 1700s style home.

"You can have a seat on the chair right there," Luke points. "Would you like something to drink?"

"Coffee, black, please," she stares at her lap.

Luke nods his head and steps out of the room and turns on the coffee maker. Felicity looks around the huge living room and her eyes stop on a grand clock.

"That's a beautiful clock," she remarks, a smile on her face.

"Thank you," Luke sits down. "Do you like time?"

Fel nods her head, "Very much, yes. I'm very fascinated by it."

He chuckles, "You talk like a grown adult."

Felicity chuckles with him, "I know, I just can't help it."

"So, Felicity, what did you want to talk about?" Luke asks.

"You're not going to pull out a notepad on me, are you?" she jokes.

He laughs, "No, I'm not."

"Well, Luke," Fel takes a deep breath in, starting to feel her throat get itchy with tears. "I...I have to run away."

The teenage boy almost jumped out of his seat, "Run away? Why?"

"I can't let you call the police. I-I have to leave, Luke. I don't want to stay here. I can't stay here. If I stay here...I'll hurt someone, especially you," Felicity starts to ramble and her hands start to shake.

"You don't have to do this, Felicity," Luke shakes his head.

"I have to, Luke! I-I don't want to hurt you!" she yells.

"You won't hurt me, Felicity! You're on medication!"

"It takes a while for medication to work, Luke! One pill can't make all the voices go away!"

"That's why I'm here, Felicity!" Luke tries to get her to listen. "That's why I'm here! I'm supposed to be your therapist! You tell me your problems and I give you a solution!"

She shakes her head furiously. "You can't help me this time, Luke! You can't help if you're the one hurting."

"Felicity, if this is about your murder charge, I wish I could let you go. But I'm probably going to have to admit you to a mental institution," Luke sighs.

"What?"

"I was calling the police yesterday, but not to get you arrested. I was trying to find somewhere to admit you. As much as I hate to say it, you aren't the brightest bulb."

"So, you think I'm crazy or stupid?"

"Don't say crazy," he scolds. "I never use that word with anyone. Choose something else."

"Um, alright. How about...abnormal?" she suggests.

Luke scrunched his face, his glasses shifting, "How about...paranormal?"

"Paranormal? Luke, I'm not some scary ghost that's popping out at you," Felicity says.

"I know," he chuckles. "But I thought it'd be better than crazy."

"Whatever you say, Doc," she shrugs. "But anyways, back to the admission. You mean that I'm not going to prison?"

"No, Felicity," he laughs lightly. "You're not going to prison, but you are going to be admitted to a mental institution."

"Is that better than prison?" Fel asks.

"That's up to you, not me," Luke says.

"Will I ever see you again?" she glances at her wristwatch and then at him.

"Hopefully," Luke smiles.

***

{the funny thing is I got that quote from a vine singer but it was so pretty I had to put it here. And thank you for 20+ reads!}

P.S.: I hope you like the picture at the top. I'm going to be doing that more often :)

-S