Nightmare

The Grief Council sat around the rather large room. They consisted of two doctors and one male nurse. Dr. Richardson was one of the two doctors. He sat nervously shifting in his seat like a spineless git. Riley laughed at the man before him. The man shrunk back further and further into his seat by the second. Sweat dripped down the side of his face. He quickly dabbed at his face and neck with a hankerchief. Wow, I really had an affect on this guy. Were my threats that effective? Well I did say I would castrate him so...

We all had been in here for almost my entire allotted time. It was spent in utter silence on my part. As for them, they talked non-stop. Their questions were left unanswered, their conversations one sided. But they had revealed my entire life story to a currently present Brian Haner Jr. He sat in a chair placed near the window. The Grief Council had invited him to stay the session. Brian had been hesitant, not wanting to intrude into such a private matter. Although he did not have a choice when the male nurse had ordered him to attend this session.

Brian's eyes were focused on me. They held sympathy and sorrow. He now knew of how my mother was a horrid woman. My father, an absolute saint. How he had tried to keep me from harm after my mother went off the deep end. How he put his life before mine. Also how I had died on the operating table but was revived. My fathers death shortly after. Finally, my "alleged" ability to see the dead. This was much more than I had ever intended him to know. Riley placed his arm gently around my shoulders. He could sense the tension, the uneasiness.

Brian's hands lay in his lap. He picked at one of the many calluses on his fingers caused from years of guitar. He obviously felt awkward now. Riley tightened his grip on my shoulders, "He feels bad for you. Plus the man probably also feels bad for knowing this stuff when you did not want him to. Go easy on him, Maive. He can't help it that these numskulls are insensitive." Riley leaned down and kissed the side of my head. He is right after all; it is not Brian's fault. He did look very sorry... and nervous. He's probably wondering how I will act towards him now that he knows.

The male nurse, well Gregory, sifted through my file yet again. It was roughly two inches thick. Papers were shoved into it, not in a neat manner. Paper corners protruded from the edges. Well I sure have a large record. A dark expression came to rest upon the males worn face as he came across something. His claw-like hand latched onto a stack of photographs. Placing the file on the side table, he held up the first photograph.

"This is you at the age of 6, correct?"
I nodded, the next photo came.

"Your mother pregnant with you?"
I tensed, but nodded none the less. The next photo was shown.

"Your father holding you at birth?"
I nodded, tears threatening to spill from my eyes. I held them back before the next picture came.

"The crime scene?"
No move made to respond. Riley hugged me tightly, telling me not to look. But I could not seem to look away. It was like when one passes a horrific car wreck off the side of a road. The blood, the disaster... The final photo was lifted by his outstretched arm.
A picture of my father's body strewn across an autopsy table.

My body froze on the spot. All sounds stopped, all vision rippled away. Blinding rage was all that was left. In a split second I was tackling Gregory and beating him unconscious. Nothing else mattered at that moment. Rage was all there was. Gregory had crossed a line.

Nurses flooded in and forced me off of the bloody, worthless man. They struggled to drag my screaming form to a room. Riley screamed for me and followed. Brian did the same, panic written across his face. He was soon blocked by a large metal door with a small window. He would see everything... His voice continued to yell out my name. My body was strapped down to a table and a tongue guard placed in my mouth. Probes were placed over my temples. Riley stood helpless, not being able to intervene, crying out for me. His voice began to fade along with Brian's as an electric shock coursed through my system.

My mind shut down, closing in to push away the pain. Everything went blank, all sounds ceasing. But the pain continued to course. It was too strong to stop now. I felt like everything was gone from my mind. Until a gentle voice filled the void. My eyes opened to meet two bright blue eyes. They resembled Riley's in a manner. Although these held a warmth that seemed to dance about. They seemed to draw one in like a picturesque scene. The color was bright and vibrant. It was unlike one has ever seen. The eyes moved along, scanning over what lay before it. A broken, beaten form of a useless girl. But a final voice broke through yet again. The voice of the ghost who possessed these deep eyes.

"Maive, wake up... They need you. You are stronger than this."

Notes