Loony Bin

“So you had a visitor the other day.”
Kelly is sitting across from me,
her eyes scrutinizing as always.

I nod my head
but my eyes stay on the floor.

“Who was it?”

My bottom lip starts to
tremble
and tears start to fall.

“Daddy.”

I look up slightly
and she’s smiling the tiniest bit.
She’s happy I’m actually starting
to open up to her.

“I thought you killed him?”
I shake my head.
“Then how could he visit?”

“I don’t know.”
My whisper is broken.
No.
I can’t be broken,
not in front of Kelly.

I’m suddenly fuming,
I glare at her,
but she doesn’t react.

“Why do you think he came to visit?”
Her voice is soft
and sweet
as if she were a teacher talking
to a kindergartener.

I don’t like it one bit.

“So he could tell you that you’re
a stupid whore.”
She looks taken aback,
but she still has that small smile.

“Why don’t you like me?”

“Because you’re a bitch.”

Sighing,
she puts her things
on her desk.

She walks towards me
and wraps me in her arms.

I stay still
as if I were prey
staring in the face of a predator.

She whispers to me,
her voice quiet
but strong.

“I’m sorry.”