Hide (Sequel to RUN)

Chapter 11

"I hear the gunshots," I screamed. They resounded in my head, coming again and again. "Please make it stop!"

Someone's arms wrapped around my shaking torso, and I leaned into the embrace. Into the warmth. I was always so cold. The warmth was so nice.

"Shh," someone whispered. "You're okay. The gunshots aren't real."

"I see their blood," I sobbed. My sisters were dying in front of me. Again. And once again, I could do nothing to stop it.

"You're safe, Lekia."

"But they're not."

I woke up then. Well, in a sense. I had already been awake.

Dr. Reicher was leaning over me, and I was wrapped in her arms. I was still shaking and sobbing, but the gunshots were over.

"What did you do to me?" I gasped, turning over so I was no longer facing the ceiling.

"I broke you," Dr. Reicher told me, as if it was obvious.

"I was already broken!" I screamed. "I was in shards on the ground, and you just stamped me into dust!" I stood up shakily from the Doctor's embrace and walked away from her. It felt like the life had been sucked out of me in less than a second. I tripped over my own feet and landed on the couch. I was broken. But I was strong.

I know. It doesn't really make sense to me either.

Slowly, I started to come back to life. After that, it was hard to pick up my pieces and put on a presentable face. But by now it was second nature.

I didn't like feeling like this, so my subconscious slowly started to turn my emotions off. A skill I'd learned in my training with Dad.

I sat up slowly, feeling numb. But that was better than feeling broken.

Dr. Reicher gazed at me, trying to tell what I was feeling.

"Well, that was a nice chat," I said. "But I'm going to go now. Have a nice day." With that, I stood up and walked out of the door.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Cry," I demanded myself. My reflection didn't do anything in response.

"Cry," I growled. I thought of everything from dead puppies to my sisters faked deaths. Nothing happened. Water didn't even well up.

What kind of creature was I? Even animals felt hurt and pain. Every creature of God felt something. So why couldn't I feel anything?

I smacked the mirror, "Cry!" The mirror shook, threatening to fall. I made no move to catch it if it did.

"Come on, feelings," I begged. "Turn back on." Some people would scoff at me for wanting to feel. Some people feel too much and would rather feel less. Some people weren't me.

With one last glare at my reflection, I stalked out of gas station bathroom. It was surprisingly bright in the store; at least it was compared to the bathroom.

"Everything okay in there?" a male worker, who was stocking the milk, asked.

"Just peachy," I replied, walking up next to him at the refrigerators. I might as well get some milk. If Dad found out I'd gone to a shrink... The thought made me shiver.

"Boy troubles?" the worker guessed. I smiled a little at how surprisingly accurate that question was.

"You could say that." I picked out the half-gallon skim milk and went searching for something else that would make it look like I was at the grocery store for over an hour. The worker followed me.