For the past few weeks, Effie watched her father walk in and out of the door constantly. She never knew where he went. Every time she asked he would say that he had a meeting. She would ask where and he would reply with a grunt and walk away. Effie could assume where he had been going, but she didn't want to admit it. She tried asking her mother for information, but she never gave her anything.
Effie walked out into the garden and sat down on the stone bench. She grabbed a weed and began to pluck at the petals trying to clear her mind. The voices have gotten louder and now she could hear other people clearly beside Patricia. Eventually, she learned how to ignore them and get them out of her head, but they still bothered her.
She heard the back door open and someone walking out.
Your father, a raspy voice said in her head.
Effie didn't pick up her head when the footsteps drew nearer and stopped in front of her. She shifted over so her father would have more room on the bench. He sat down next to her and sighed. She could sense his depression and hesitant radiating off of him.
"Effie," Mr. Richmond sighed. "I don't know where to begin." His voice sounded small and almost childish. He sounded like he hadn't gotten any sleep for over a few weeks.
Effie stared down at the weed in her hand. "You're going to send me away, aren't you dad?"
The air grew stiff and silent around them. Effie snuck a glance at her father and noticed his jaw was locked and his posture was stiff. His hands kept clenching together as if he didn't know what to do with them.
You're being sent! Effie heard another voice say to her. Better get your belongings packed. Effie threw the voice to the back of her mind and now was only a whisper that she could ignore.
"I don't want to, Effie," her father started. His voice quivered with every word. "It's not like your mother and I haven't tried to get used to you talking to d-dead people, but we know you aren't safe here. The neighbors are starting to look at you strangely and I can't take it. I don't want them looking at my daughter that way." He took a deep breath before continuing. "I've thought about it and discussed it with your mother. We both believe that it will be safer for you if you go to the asylum."
Effie opened her mouth to object, but he cut her off with a raise of his hand.
"I know you don't want to go and I don't blame you. Don't think of it as an asylum. Think of it as a boarding school." He tried to smile at her, but Effie could see that this was hurting him as much as it was going to hurt her. "You won't be gone for long." He reached his hand out and started to pet her hair. "We will come back for you once you get your voices under control more than you have. I promise."
Effie held back the tears that threatened to break through and nodded. "I'm going to hold you to that promise, dad." She held out her hand in a fist and raised her pinky up. "Pinky promise?"
Her father chuckled before connecting his pinky around her's. "I pinky promise."
YOU ARE READING
Effie
Paranormal*The prequel to The Girl in the Window* This is the story about Effie Richmond. Effie's family has always believed that she was different. After she and her family were in a car wreck, strange things began to happen to her. She had developed a stran...
