Haunted

We kept talking, and by lunch time, we had become friends. I think even Amy liked Kat, since Kat was so interested in her. We went to the cafeteria, and went to the counter to get our food. There was a lady dressed in white serving the food.

“Can we get two chicken salads, please?” said Kat.

“Everyone wears white here. Damn, they’re fucking boring!” pointed out Amy. I laughed.

“What?” said Kat, taking the salads from the woman. and walking over to an empty table.

“Amy pointed out that it’s fucking boring how everyone has to wear white here.” I said, still smiling.

“Yeah, I know!” she laughed a bit too. We sat down and started to eat.

“You know, at first I couldn’t force myself to eat anything in this place. It all looked disgusting in my eyes. Then I started eating, but most of this food is pretty tasteless.” she laughed, as she picked out the chicken from her salad. “I suggest you stick to this chicken salad things. It’s the best they have. Even if I don’t eat the chicken…”

I smiled. “I’ve only ever had the weird food that they gave me in the solitary confinement, and you’re right, damn tasteless it is!”

“This kind of thing stays with you forever, I guess. It’s not very easy to get over it.” she added. I understood she was still talking about her anorexia and simply nodded.

We both finished our salads, and walked out of the cafeteria. Amy was being loud about something, but I paid no attention.

“Well, now that you’re not confined to a very small room where everything must’ve seemed so boring and where there was probably a lack of air, I’m gonna show you around.” Kat stated, half-smiling at her own words.

“Alright” I said.

“Now that sounds like some fun.” added Amy, unheard by everyone but me.

“This, as you probably guessed, is the common area. Almost everyone hangs out here a lot. I don’t talk to anyone much.” Kat said as we walked into the common area. There was a lot of people there, and some nurses too.

Kat kept walking, until we reached a pair of wooden doors. “Right over here, is my personal favorite place, the garden.” she said opening the doors, revealing a beautiful garden.

There were a couple of benches, some flowers and trees, and farther away a small fountain. We walked towards the fountain.

“I love this part of the garden. It’s soothing.” Kat commented.

“It’s beautiful.” I said. We both sat on the grass.

Amy sat on the edge of the fountain, and looked at me. “Isn’t it a bit dangerous to have a fountain here? I mean, someone could try to drown themselves in it.”

“Hmmm, true.” I said to her. I decided to ask Kat about this. “Hey Kat, isn’t it kinda dangerous to have a fountain here…?” I started saying

“Yeah, I understand what you mean. People could try to kill themselves or something, right?” Kat cut me off. “Patients that have been suicidal usually need a nurse to come with them. But the doctors decided to let me come here unaccompanied, because I got stressed if I was constantly watched by a nurse, and this place calmed me.”

“Oh” said both Amy and me. Of course, Kat only heard me.

“So, um… I told you my story, Can I hear yours?” she said.

“Oh, yeah. You see, it started when I first saw Amy. I thought she was real. I bumped into her in a park. I apologized and we started talking. I had had a fight with my boyfriend and my best friend. Amy became my friend, and I ever saw her at that park. But then, when everything cleared up with my boyfriend, she started telling me to do things. And I did.” I told her. “Once, my boyfriend found me at the park, and asked me who I was talking to. I couldn’t believe he didn’t see Amy. She smirked at me, and said “Only you can see me, silly. I’m not a part of him.” It was then when I knew she wasn’t real. My boyfriend broke up with me, and my best friend stopped talking to me. Amy started following me, and I became a danger to everyone. She told me my boyfriend had been cheating on me with my best friend. I believed her. I poisoned my boyfriend’s food. She also turned me against my family. I tried to asphyxiate my mother. Fortunately, I could stop myself. But I’ve driven away everyone I cared about. That’s when I decided to come here to avoid hurting the ones I love.”

Whoa, did I just say that? I've never told the whole thing to anyone, and I just spilled my whole story to a girl I barely know. But it feels like I've known her forever. It was easier to talk about it than I thought, with her at least.

“I see.” Kat said. “But does she keep telling you these things?”

“No, now she’s just annoying. Whenever she does, I try to ignore her. She gets bored, and stops.”

Kat nodded. We sat in silence for a while, just looking at the fountain. Amy was walking around, looking at the flowers and the garden. It made me remember the way she was when I first met her. She loves open spaces, and nature. Just like me.

“Well yeah, I am a part of you, silly!” she called to me.

“Some doctors think I’m getting better, they think I don’t see Amy all the time, even though I told them I do.” I randomly commented. “They told me it’s just me being so used to her image that I keep thinking she’s there, even when she’s gone. They say I’m in denial. Yeah, right.”

“They’re so stupid! Obviously they are in denial of you still seeing me.” said Amy.

“I know, Amy.” I answered her, then turning back to Kat. “Amy thinks they’re stupid, and they’re in denial of me seeing Amy.” I said laughing.

Kat laughed with me. She told me she was alright with me talking to Amy and then telling her what Amy had said. I think doing this is quite creepy, but apparently Kat doesn’t. I guess her mother used to do it.

“They must be. Seriously, schizophrenia doesn’t just go away like that!” Kat said.

A nurse approached us.

“Hello Ms. Van Duzen, Ms. Franco. Group therapy starts in a few minutes, and we’d love your presence.” she told Kat and me.

Kat nodded, making a face as the nurse turned from us. I decided I’d have a little fun.

“Don’t you want Amy to come too? Amy says she wants to come.” I asked. The nurse turned back and looked at me with wide eyes. She composed herself soon enough and spoke. Amy laughed.

“Sure, we’d love Amy’s presence too.” she smiled that cold, professional, emotionless smile every nurse and doctor has in this place.

The nurse turned around again, starting to walk in front of Kat, Amy and I. Kat and I were trying hard not to laugh.

“She so didn’t expect you to say that!” Kat whispered, barely containing her laughter.

“I know! I just did it to see her reaction. Did you see her face?” I whispered back.

“Priceless!” she said a bit louder. The nurse heard her and turned her head to look at us briefly. We couldn’t contain ourselves anymore and burst out laughing. She turned again and glared at us, obviously upset about being mocked, but turned back around and walked at a faster pace, reaching the group therapy room in no time.