"Lincoln? Lincoln?" I snap out of my daze and put my attention back on to my therapist.
"I'm listening."
"Did I trigger something?" Dr.Ferris stares at me with her notebook in hand and a pen in the other.
"It depends. Can you please repeat the question?"
"Sure," Dr.Ferris looks at her notebook for a moment. "What happens in these dreams of yours?"
"They aren't dreams. The way they happen...they're more like nightmares." I pull my sleeves down as different faces flash in my mind. "They all start off the same. I'm in my old house...when all of a sudden he shows up. It's...I-It's like I'm reliving everything." My bottom lip begins to quiver as the memories flood my brain.
"Take your time, Lincoln."
"I just want it to be over." Dr.Ferris gives a soft sigh as she takes off her reading glasses.
"You mention this same nightmare in almost every session we've ever had. What happened that night?"
"I-I thought you already read my file."
"Not that file." I slump down on the couch, averting my eyes from Dr.Ferris's gaze. "If you're not up to it then I don't want to pressure you."
"I can't do it," I mumble. As Dr.Ferris gets up from her chair a male nurse walks in. "I'm sorry, Dr.Ferris."
"Don't be sorry, Lincoln. Our session is done for the day." Dr.Ferris puts away her notebook in one of the drawers in her desk. "You can escort him out," she says to the nurse. I get up from the couch and walk out the room with the nurse.
"Hope you had a good session today, Link." I look up at the nurse and smile.
"It was productive. Thanks for asking."
"Nurse West or you can call me Eric. Although, you knew that already." I start to shake my head. "I've known you since you've arrived here at spring. How do you not know my name?"
"There are other things on my mind."
"Clearly." Eric opens the door to my bedroom with a smile on his face. "You have a nice night, Link."
"You, too, Eric." As I lay there that night my body trembles in fear. "You're fine. Everything's okay." In the blink of an eye I'm in my house. Down the hallway I go towards my bedroom door. With the swing of a door he pops up in front of me. "Get away!" I shout as I wake up. My pillows is soaked as well as the collar of my shirt. "I can't do this!" Without hesitation, I bust out my room and run down the halls to Dr.Ferris's office. The door is wide open and the light illuminates part of the hallway. "Dr.Ferris?" She sits at her desk writing in her notebook.
"Lincoln? What are you doing up? It's one-thirty in the morning." Tears well up my eyes as I enter. "Lincoln? Are you alright?"
"I can't do this anymore, Dr.Ferris."
"You had the dream didn't you?" I nod my head. Dr.Ferris walks up to me and closes the door behind me. "Let me call a nurse to help."
"No more nurses! No more medication!"
"Okay, Lincoln. I have to admit...you're scaring me a bit." Dr.Ferris takes my hand and leads me to the couch. She sits me down. "Just talk to me, Lincoln."
"I've kept it in for so long. Maybe it's haunting me. For what reasons? I don't know." Dr.Ferris sits down on the coffee table in front of me.
YOU ARE READING
100 Short Stories
Short Story100 Short Stories for you to read. Each one a new story with a new genre. Some will be continuous. And others will leave off where it's left off. Enjoy!
