Vessel

Dr. Watson rushed through the narrow corridor toward the screaming woman she’d heard when John, the elder man, had gone to fetch her from her office. Worry was evident on her features as she quickly made her way toward the locked door between the entrance-room and the clinic, where Virginia was currently situated. Virginia had been the very first of Dr. Watson’s patients and the one she’d failed miserably to help. Avelina had learned the hard way that some things were not taught through books but from experience and years of studying people. To say she’d been naive back then was an understatement.

Flinging the door open, she found the younger woman struggling to break free from the security man’s grasp. Her unwashed dark hair clung to her pale face as she kicked and screamed at the man in uniform.

“Virginia,” Dr. Watson whispered as she laid her eyes on her former patient. The woman before her was pale and thin, a complete contrast from the person she had once been. Her dark green over-sized sweater hung loosely over her lithe frame and swung back and forth as the woman wearing it fought for dear life to break free.

Dark eyes shot to Avelina’s and she froze midway. A cold chill ran down her spine as she locked eyes with her old patient. Every trace of Virginia’s former person seemed wiped out. Her otherwise lively light-brown eyes were nearly pitch black and held nothing but an endless darkness. Another scream resonated from Virginia’s chapped lips and Avelina sprung to action.

“Virginia! It’s me, it’s Avelina,” She cooed and stepped closer to the bewildered woman. She raised a hand and slowly leaned in closer. “Shh.. It’s okay. You’re safe,” she whispered.

Resentful eyes glared hatefully into hazel and Avelina resisted the urge to take a step back. “It’s okay,” She spoke softly, more so to herself, and stroked the other woman’s cheek with her fingertips. “It’s okay…” She repeated quietly and lowered her guard a bit as Virginia seemed to relax in the security-man’s grasp.

The pale woman suddenly jerked to the right and sunk her teeth into Avelina’s flesh. The stinging sensation caused the doctor to jerk back with a yelp and she quickly covered her bitten spot with the other hand. A look of hurt flickered across her face as she gazed back at Virginia whom smirked victoriously. The security man tightened his grip around the younger female and took a long stride toward the nearest wall where he pressed the now laughing woman rather roughly against the eggshell colored surface.

“Are you alright?” He questioned while using his full bodyweight to keep the woman pinned against the wall as he glanced at the doctor. “Miss?”

Avelina stared dumbfounded ahead, quickly falling deep into thought and blocking everything out around her as a form of defense. Virginia’s laughter slowly died out and Avelina found herself sitting in her old office in the uncomfortable flower-patterned black and grey chair she so often used. The sunlight filled her office with both light and warmth and in front of her sat a much younger Virginia clad in a white summer dress. Her hair was tied up in a high ponytail and her jaw bobbed up and down as she quietly chewed on what smelled like a strawberry-flavored gum.

Avelina sat with her pen and notebook in hand; her bright eyes studying her new patient. Across from her on a small square table laid the results from Virginia’s BDI-test. She’d read it twice and had taken some notes.

“I wanted to talk to you about the test,” Avelina started and motioned at the papers on the table. “You can re-read them if you’d like.”

Virginia leaned confidently back in her chair and crossed one leg over the other as she shook her head no.

“I consulted a colleague, your name was of course kept hidden as everything that’s spoken in this room stays within these four walls,” She continued and pushed her glasses further up her nose. “We both agreed you were to start taking a medicine called Quetiapine. It’s an anti-depressive and anti-psychotic drug used on patients with depressive episodes and angst. I also want to talk to you about some of the things you’ve checked in the papers,” She picked the papers up and quickly scanned through them, “You checked the ‘I hear voices’ box along with the ‘seeing things no one else can see’.”

Virginia stopped chewing. Her frame sank deeper into the chair as she discreetly glanced at the floor to her left.

“You also mention you sometimes believe people can read your mind and that you experience feelings that aren’t your own.” Hazel eyes searched the face in front of her for a reaction and the sight in front of her made her regret the way she had phrased her previous sentences.

“I am concerned for you and your health,” She continued in a softer voice and let the papers fall back onto the shiny surface of the table. “What triggered this? What have you gone through? What’s eating you from the inside and out?”

Pale lips moved slowly on the young woman and she spoke five words very quietly; “It’s not what. It’s them…”
______
Zak took a calming breath as the lights flickered on and off yet again. The hairs on his arms were on edge and a sudden snap, almost sounding like a twig breaking, made him turn his head quickly to his right. There was nothing there. Nothing but the dark gray office-chair by his doctor’s desk with the computer and a bunch of folders and papers spread across the desk’s surface.

“What’s your name?” He demanded rather than asked as he gazed around the room.

The lights went out and he was sat in darkness, save for the blueish glow emanating from the computer screen and the small streak of light that entered the room through the small crack of the nearly closed door.

“My name is Zak, who are you?” He tried and made sure not to make any fast movement as he fished his phone out of his pant-pocket. Sliding his fingers expertly over the glossy screen, he quickly pressed his pin-code and started the voice-recorder app.

“Can you make another noise?” He carefully set his phone down onto the small table in front of him and waited. “What’s your name?” He tried again and heard rather than saw the creaking of the door as it slowly started to shut itself.

A sudden shift in energy filled the room and he quietly waited for its intensity to subside as talking might interfere with any possible evidence getting captured with his phone. Another snap was heard to his far right and he quickly turned his head towards the sound. The darkness seemed to turn more and more black and it’s suffocating presence made it hard for Zak to think straight. The whisper of a woman reached his ear and he could have sworn he felt her breath on his left cheek.

“Is that you?” He questioned and rose from his seat. “Can you please make another noise?” He turned so his back was facing the door and quickly searched the back of his seat with uncertain eyes.

His phone suddenly buzzed where it lay on the table and the screen went from the image of a microphone to black in less than a second. He knew there should be more life on the battery as he’d fully charged the device before leaving his home this morning. Suddenly the lights in the ceiling came back on and as he leaned down to retrieve his phone, he heard the soft patting of feet coming closer to the other side of the door.

“…I appreciate it. Yes, please do. There is nothing else I can do for her. Thank you.” The muted voice he recognized as his doctor’s spoke outside of the room.

Retaking his seat so that he faced the door, he awaited her return. The door slowly opened and as Avelina stepped back into her office, the lights in the ceiling burned brighter and brighter until the tiny wires inside the bulb caught fire, causing the fragile glass around the entwined light-source to explode into tiny bits of glittery glass-splitter.

A yelp left the doctor’s parted lips as she took two steps back. “What the hell?!” Her eyes quickly went to Zak who’d gotten up as soon as he’d heard the loud smash and had accidentally knocked his chair over. “Are you okay?” She questioned frightfully and quickly diverted her gaze and stared up at the broken lamp in her office.

Zak looked as shocked and disbelieving as his doctor and followed her trail of sight with his own eyes. “The fuck..?!” He muttered tremulously as he unconsciously tried to take another step back, but couldn’t because of the heavy chair now laying behind him on the floor.

People were gathering up behind Avelina to see what the ruckus was all about. They too had heard the loud noise and the crackling of glass raining down onto the floor.

“What happened?” He heard someone ask somewhere amids the group of people gathered outside of his doctor’s office.

Zak looked up onto the ceiling, completely mesmerized by the power of the spirit he had just encountered. There was a chance the lamp had acted up due to electrical failure, but taking into accommodation the fact he had experienced multiple signs of spiritual activity before the lamp exploded, he could say for certain that the lights were definitely damaged by something supernatural. He’d been in the business long enough to know that series of events like these never came alone. He couldn’t wait till he got home and had his phone charged again. He hoped he had captured something to validate his previous experience. He glanced at Avelina whose eyes were set on his frame. She looked shocked, frightened even, and for a microsecond he found himself actually thanking a higher being for keeping her safe. She had partially witnessed an unexplainable episode of what the unseen forces had the power to do. If she’d entered the room a couple of seconds earlier, the glass would have rained down onto her and he felt something spring to life deep within his darkened heart at the thought of it. Albeit small, it was something and it made him feel.

“Are you okay?” She questioned again. Her eyes were soft but darkened by concern as she awaited his reply.

A tall man made his way through the confused crowd. Zak nodded a quick yes and circled around the broken glass, silently standing next to his doctor as the tall man entered the room. His composure was that of a highly ranked persona; oozing of confidence and power. This man was most likely the boss of the clinic, Zak thought as he watched him inspect the shattered glass on the floor. A few seconds passed before the man acknowledged the doctor and her patient and Zak felt a hint of annoyance at the look this man sent the woman by his side.

“Avelina,” His voice was hushed and smoky as he greeted the younger woman and Zak felt a pang of irritation at the way his voice made the doctor respond.

Her eyes closed slightly, long eyelashes shading her beautiful hazel eyes and the corners of her lips tilted upwards in a shy-looking smile.

“Jace,” She breathed and nervously started fiddling with the hem of her top.

“Is there a problem?” He questioned and nonchalantly gave Zak a once-over before turning his full attention back to the doctor. “Would you like me to call for security? You seem to have quite the persistent rat here,” He snickered. His sand-colored hair was combed back, his face freshly shaved and his light-blue eyes twinkled with lust as he locked eyes with the doctor.

A look of surprise washed over her features and a gasp left her lips, before she raised her head fully, her eyes hard and determined as she fell back into character and started defending her patient. “Jace, I do not appreciate when you invalidate those who seek my help. It is rude and low, even coming from you. Please leave. I will take care of this.”

A large grin spread across Jace’s lips. “My, my, always so ferocious, Avelina. Remind me to give you a raise. It’ll only be fair since that’s what you’re giving me,” He winked and started making his way toward the door.

Zak was fuming. Every pore of his muscular body was pumping with anger and he wanted nothing more than to connect his fist with the slick skin of Jace’s chin.

“Don’t,” Avelina demanded and he felt her soft fingers lightly brush over the knuckles of his left fist. Realizing he’d been ready to strike, he relaxed his tensed muscles underneath her touch. “It won’t do no good,” she added in a whisper and faked a smile.

The shy nurse who’d been escorting Zak the times he’d been in for a session came stumbling in through the opened door with a broom in hand. She started mopping up the broken glass but nearly hit the ceiling as the other two occupants of the room started moving from their position behind the door. Throwing the broom up sideways in front of her small frame, the younger nurse shrieked and closed her eyes tightly as she fearfully started begging them to spare her life.

“Please don’t hurt me! I am nobody. I will do anything if you just let me live. Please don’t hurt me, please…”

Avelina walked up to the frightened nurse and softly placed her hand on top of the woman’s, causing her to scream louder than before. “I will do anything! Please don’t hurt me!”

“Hey, hey.. It’s just me, Avelina,” Avelina cooed softly.

The nurse’s eyes shot open and her face turned 50 shades of red as she realized she hadn’t been alone in the room.

“I think that’s the first time I’ve actually gotten the chance to hear your voice,” Zak spoke up from behind Avelina. A kind smile adorned his lips as he eyed the inadequate woman. Leaning down he picked the broom up from the floor and handed it back to the nurse whose gaze was kept on her feet.

“Thank you,” She whispered and started swiping the broken glass into a small heap in the middle of the room.

“I am so sorry today’s session turned out this way,” Avelina apologized. “This place is usually very calm and don’t offer much distraction.”

“It is fine,” Zak tilted his head back to take another look at the broken lamp.

“I have no idea what happened with the lights,” She continued. “They’ve never done that before. In fact, I’ve never seen lights do that at all.” Taking a step toward Zak, she went on rambling, “Have you seen that happen before? Do lights just go ‘poof’. Oh my God, I could have gotten glass all over me. What if-”

Strong hands gripped her shoulders tightly and she suddenly found herself within arm’s length from her patient. “Relax,” he requested, his voice low and full of emotion.

The tip of her tongue slipped through her pink lips and Zak’s eyes quickly found their way from her eyes down her straight nose until they ended up resting on her rosy lips. His heart sprung to life yet again; the muscle contracting strongly deep within his chest and fueling his body with warmth and the tingly sensation of adrenaline. The soft clinking of shattered glass was slowly dying out as the nurse had almost finished swiping it up and Zak drank in the features of this peculiar woman standing before him.

Avelina’s eyes wandered over the face of her newest patient. He was so close she thought he could hear the fast beating of her heart. His thumb was tracing soft circles over her neck and she had to fight hard to resist giving into the pleasurable feeling of his touch. This man was off the market. He was unavailable, and definitely not someone she should start getting involved with. It was unethical and against any work-related standards. He was her patient and she: his shrink. The scent of his cologne filled her nostrils and she realized a little too late she’d stepped in even closer to his warm and inviting frame.

“Avelina!” Jace suddenly barked from the entrance to her office, startling the other two occupants. “My office, now!”

Taking a quick step away from Zak, she bit her lip shamefully and lowered her gaze. When did Jace show up? And since when and why did Zak have that effect on her? Shaking her head slightly she hurriedly went to fetch her notebook.

“Can you see me next Tuesday?” She questioned. “Same time as today?” Hazel met blue yet again and she unconsciously bit her lip in embarrassment.

“Yes, ma’am,” He responded sheepishly and headed for the door.

An amused smile adorned her lips as she brushed past him, quickly hurrying down the hallway in the direction of her boss’ office. “I’m looking forward to it.” She proclaimed with a swift wave of her hand.

Zak closed the doctor’s office door behind him and made his way through the hallway as well: heading the different direction from his doctor’s. The shy nurse, whom he still did not know the name of, was seen emptying the shattered glass in the trashcan in the staff-room and when passing her by he considerately bid his farewell.

Today had been an eventful day, and he’d somehow gotten filled with more energy than he’d felt in a long time. Life felt good for once and as he strutted across the street toward his parked car, a genuine smile spread across his lips. Life didn’t just feel good. Life felt very good.