"Are you sure you're taking your medications properly?"
Dr. Lupin asked, scribbling something quickly onto his notepad. His pen scratched at the paper like it was trying to escape. Technically, he wasn't a real doctor—he was a psychiatrist. And honestly, I wasn't even sure if he was qualified to prescribe medication.
"Are you taking your meds?" he asked again, this time his voice tinged with annoyance, a slight tremor of impatience threading through his words.
"I am… I'm taking them," I lied smoothly. I knew exactly what he wanted to hear. The trick was simple: say what they want, keep them calm, keep them predictable.
But he wasn't the only one annoyed. I was done with this charade—these sterile discussions, these pointless appointments. They weren't helping. They never had.
Dr. Lupin leaned forward, locking eyes with me.
"Listen. Yesterday, a few hikers found you unconscious in the forest. According to your father, Mr. Leonard, you were sleepwalking in the middle of the night."
His tone was clipped, bordering on cold. He wasn't just annoyed—he was detached, almost robotic. It was like he was going through the motions, already thinking of his next appointment.
Maybe he regretted taking me on as a patient.
But the truth was—I didn't sleepwalk. I went outside by choice. I wanted to be in the forest. Should I tell him? Would it even matter?
He cleared his throat sharply, snapping me out of my thoughts.
"I think we should end this session here. Clearly, neither of us is getting anything out of it."
Enjoying this?
Therapy sessions aren't meant to be enjoyed. They're supposed to help you understand yourself… aren't they?
I watched him rise from his chair and head for the door. No doubt he was going to talk to my father. Again.
Maybe I should tell him. Just... tell someone.
"Wait," I said, forcing the words past the tightness in my throat.
"I didn't sleepwalk. I went outside on my own... to get some fresh air."
He stopped mid-step. His eyes narrowed slightly as he turned to face me. He rubbed the bridge of his nose like he was trying to erase a headache.
"What happened afterward?" he asked, his voice low.
"I… I don't remember."
Lie.
I remembered everything. Vividly.
But if I told him the truth, he'd say it was another hallucination. He'd smile that clinical smile and write something down—delusion, dissociation, whatever term they used to make you doubt your own mind.
He didn't respond. He opened the door and stepped out into the hallway.
I watched him through the window as he walked away, his white coat swaying stiffly behind him like it had more purpose than he did.
The lights in the room flickered. The overhead bulb died with a soft pop, but the harsh glow of the fluorescent tube light remained. I glanced at the closed windows, the shadows dancing subtly on the walls.
Maybe I'd feel better if I went for a walk.
Dr. Lupin's clinic was nestled inside the grounds of a mental asylum. The long corridors smelled faintly of bleach and old paper. Patients strolled calmly, almost too calmly, all of them dressed in identical white outfits like it was some kind of uniform.
I stepped out into the hallway, blending in with the sea of white, and made my way toward the garden. The air outside was crisp, a strange contrast to the stale sterility of the clinic.
Then I saw her.
A girl, maybe a little older than me, was walking toward me with quiet purpose. I didn't know her, and I didn't want to. I ducked behind a row of bushes and sat on a weathered bench, hoping she'd pass by.
But she didn't.
"Hi. Would you like to join us?"
Her voice came from right behind me, calm and soft like a lullaby laced with something unreadable.
She'd followed me. And now, she was sitting beside me.
She smiled, her blonde hair tousled by the wind.
"You seem interesting," she said with unsettling ease.
"No. I should go," I muttered, standing up abruptly, already half-turned to leave.
"My name is Rachel," she said, reaching into her pocket.
She pulled out a small, silver card and pressed it into my hand.
"Take this. I think you'll need it. See you soon."
See me soon?
I didn't want to see anyone.
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