Beyond The Curtains

10

Monday approaches as do my nerves. I do not need to see a therapist, not do I wish to. My mom still can't trust me, which is worrisome. She used to trust me for anything and everything. Now she would barely trust me with my baby cousin. It's nine in the morning, clothes are on my back, but breakfast is not yet in my stomach. I plod down stairs. The sweet aroma of french toast invades my nostrils.

I slowly amble into the kitchen where my mom cooks french toast. My mom isn't that great of a cook, but her french toast is amazing. I place my bottom in a seat at the kitchen table and prepare to eat. My stomach was growling the whole time I got dressed. "Is it almost ready?" I tap my feet on the ground.

"Yeah it is just about ready," She replies. "I know you're not excited to see Dr. Finigan, but she can really help you. Please have an open mind." She grabs a plate from the cabinet and a fork and knife from the drawer. She already has a little bit of syrup poured into a bowl.

I grin. "Am I never not open minded?" I've been trying to stay open minded about being happy, that's for sure.

"I'm just saying." She sets the plate of french toast in front of me. It's steaming hot, but too delicious to not dive into right away. "I promise you'll like her. She's very nice. Talking on the phone with her was a pleasure." She rests and grabs a smoothie from the fridge. She's been eating a lot healthier recently. I think that Todd's death has motivated her to be healthier. She's missing out because this french toast is amazing. The smell feels your lungs as the taste dances on your taste buds while the sweetness fulfills your sweet-tooth.

*****

My fingers fiddle with a puzzle in the waiting room next to Dr. Finigan's office. My stomach is filled with butterflies. The worst thing that could happen is the put me in an insane asylum, the best is that she believes me.

Some woman open the door next to where I sit. She is pale, tall, and has fiery red hair. She's younger than I thought she would be, she seems to be in her early thirties. "Is there a Karin Mague here?" She steps out and looks at her clipboard then at me. I raise my hand and nod. "Come in," She reaches her hand out to welcome me. "Do you want Mom to come in with you today?" She asks. I don't like her. I don't like how she calls my mom Mom, like my mom's her mom. Stop, stay open minded. I'm probably judging her too quickly. Maybe she'll get better once I sit down and meet with her.

I shake my head. "No, I'm good," I have my reasons. I walk into the room. There lays one chair facing a couch. There is a table between the chair and couch. There are a bunch of toys on the table.

She leads me to the couch. She sits in the chair across from me. "I'm Dr. Finigan and you must me Karin." I keep a smile on my face and nod. "So what's been going on in your life recently?" She sounds like she actually cares about me, hopefully she does.

"Well at my school there was a new addition. They told us not to go behind the new addition. The new addition was a few curtains. But I am really curious, so I went behind the curtains. Then I got stuck there, I couldn't get out," I tell her everything. I tell her how I met Sara and how I figured out how to escape. "Then I found out that my brother, Todd, died while I was gone. Now my parents don't believe that I was stuck behind the curtains, crazy right? So now that's my life and I just want to go back to school and save all of the children because I never got a chance to." Throughout all of my talking she frequently nods.

She crosses her legs and rests her hands over her knees."I understand why you would be upset. It is upsetting to find out that your loved one is dead and that your parents don't believe you. Do you think that there's any chance that your idea that you were trapped at school is just an idea that helps you cope with your brother's death?" She has a poker face all through her long question.