‹ Prequel: Inducing Illusions
Status: It goes..
The Apodictic Cure
3
Brielle tried to remember the last time she'd seen her mother and father. They hadn't come to the last visit, unable to accept the fact that they'd brought something so abnormal into the world. In fact, the last time she'd seen her parents had been the night she was admitted, several weeks previous. Did that matter to her- that the last word Mr. and Mrs. Charels said in her presence were permission for her sedation? The answer would be yes. It did matter- because the Charels family was scheduled for a visit today and Brielle hadn't heard from V in days, and she was scared. Scared like a little girl under her blankets, hiding from the monster inside her closet. But if there was some thing she'd learned from this place, it was that she could never hide from the monsters, because she had made them, and given them life inside her head. Despite the fact that they terrified her, she had befriended them, made them into something that was greater than they had to be. Today her family would come. Maybe they would see the very things that scared her. Maybe they would see that it was she who was the monster. Or, at least, made her mind a sort of habitat for them. Allowing them to feed off of her dread, her self loathing, her feelings of being undeniably useless. An ignorant girl. She had tried so hard in her life to be the perfect child for her parents. She lost and gained weight whenever they instructed, became strong, didn't talk out of turn, always wore a smile for them, dated Michael, made friends, went shopping, dressed differently. But it seemed as though all they could think of, were ways to change her. To improve her. Then, one day, drowning her sorrows in alcohol when her parents weren't looking wasn't enough. Cutting herself didn't take away the emotional pain anymore, making her numb- which was always easier for her acting. One day hitting herself, and smashing her brain cells away wasn't enough. Michael's beatings got old, and the fact that she deserved all of it didn't seem to matter. Slowly her grades began to slip, and all the horrible "jokes" that her friends told about her started to hurt. Eventually her friends[/i[ faded away, and she couldn't pretend to smile anymore. She stopped wearing makeup and wearing pretty clothes- because what did it matter? She would never be considered beautiful anyway. She broke up with Michael, because she couldn't bear to be with the abusive father of her dead child. Now her parents ignored her, even after both of her serious suicide attempts. Did they care about her at all?
There was no snide comment from V about how stupid she was to think that anyone would love her. There was a strange emptiness in her mind where V would normally be nagging away. It almost made Brielle feel... lonely.
Jessica knocked lightly on the door before coming inside, holding a cup of water and Brielle's medication. "Your mother is waiting for you in the hall. The rest of your family is waiting in Dr. Jonson's office. You're going to have a group therapy.
She took her medication.
"How are you feeling?" It may have been concern- she could have pretended it was- but the smile on her face was too pleased. Too uncaring. She'd lost hope, over the past weeks, that Brielle would ever be more than a job.
Brielle's mother smiled sweetly, reminding her of her childhood. Before there was anything to change about her personality and body "Hey Brielle." She opened her arms and Brielle rushed into them. Maybe there was hope that they could be a normal family. All she needed to do was help Miel get better. They could do this together. Get out of here and pick up their lives again.
But she was wrong. If they really cared and wanted to help, they wouldn't have brought Michael.
Dr. Jonson rose her voice, trying to calm Brielle. Her parents were cowering by the door. The obvious question was screaming from their eyes. Can we leave? But they wouldn't until they got permission from the doctor.
Brielle had started taking things off the shelves and throwing them at Michael, screaming and crying. "Get out! Get out!" Finally her legs gave in, and Brielle fell to the floor. She covered her ears and screamed until Dr. Jonson finally ushered the three of them from the room.
With them gone, Brielle calmed down a bit, but her sobs still came heavy and uncontrollable. Dr. Jonson crouched down next to her and started rubbing her back comfortably, until finally Brielle was able to sit up and breath. "Do you want to talk about him?"
Brielle stiffened, feeling her walls building back up. "No."
"I wont bother asking about Miel today. You may go back to your room."
Brielle walked back to her room to sleep. She slept through her meeting with Miel the next day, refused medication on several occasions, and left food untouched. This went on for days. She never got out of bed. For hours she would lay there staring at the wall, not saying a word. She didn't bathe, didn't even bother to change her clothes. For about a week For about a week, everyone in the facility respected her decision to do nothing.
There was no snide comment from V about how stupid she was to think that anyone would love her. There was a strange emptiness in her mind where V would normally be nagging away. It almost made Brielle feel... lonely.
Jessica knocked lightly on the door before coming inside, holding a cup of water and Brielle's medication. "Your mother is waiting for you in the hall. The rest of your family is waiting in Dr. Jonson's office. You're going to have a group therapy.
She took her medication.
"How are you feeling?" It may have been concern- she could have pretended it was- but the smile on her face was too pleased. Too uncaring. She'd lost hope, over the past weeks, that Brielle would ever be more than a job.
Brielle's mother smiled sweetly, reminding her of her childhood. Before there was anything to change about her personality and body "Hey Brielle." She opened her arms and Brielle rushed into them. Maybe there was hope that they could be a normal family. All she needed to do was help Miel get better. They could do this together. Get out of here and pick up their lives again.
But she was wrong. If they really cared and wanted to help, they wouldn't have brought Michael.
Dr. Jonson rose her voice, trying to calm Brielle. Her parents were cowering by the door. The obvious question was screaming from their eyes. Can we leave? But they wouldn't until they got permission from the doctor.
Brielle had started taking things off the shelves and throwing them at Michael, screaming and crying. "Get out! Get out!" Finally her legs gave in, and Brielle fell to the floor. She covered her ears and screamed until Dr. Jonson finally ushered the three of them from the room.
With them gone, Brielle calmed down a bit, but her sobs still came heavy and uncontrollable. Dr. Jonson crouched down next to her and started rubbing her back comfortably, until finally Brielle was able to sit up and breath. "Do you want to talk about him?"
Brielle stiffened, feeling her walls building back up. "No."
"I wont bother asking about Miel today. You may go back to your room."
Brielle walked back to her room to sleep. She slept through her meeting with Miel the next day, refused medication on several occasions, and left food untouched. This went on for days. She never got out of bed. For hours she would lay there staring at the wall, not saying a word. She didn't bathe, didn't even bother to change her clothes. For about a week For about a week, everyone in the facility respected her decision to do nothing.