The Vanishing Complex

Chapter 4

Her suitcase was packed and sitting by the door. The taxi was 10 minutes away.

Sofia stood in front of her medicine cabinet, putting her makeup bag together. Once it was packed she opened the mirror to grab her tooth brush and a mini tube of toothpaste.

She paused, staring at the yellow plastic bottle with the white label.

20mg of Fluoxetine assigned to Sofia Mondragon. Four tablets taken daily by mouth.

Beside it was another yellow, plastic bottle.

4mg of Alprazolam assigned to Sofia Mondragon. One tablet taken every three days by mouth.

They seemed bigger than anything else on the cabinet. It was almost as if they were taunting her. Would they come along for the ride or would she surrender their magical aid?

A knot tightened in the pit of her stomach. How badly did she need them? Would she be able to survive without them? Her hand reached out, fingers hovering over the white cap. She needed to display symptoms of Vanishing Complex.

She could fake it. Would that be enough? Maybe she could leave the medication behind, let the symptoms run wild. Her mind flashes to the years before taking the medication. The crying, the misery, the overwhelming sadness, the doubt in her thoughts that sent a crippling effect on her body. She couldn't get out of bed, go to work, eat or sleep, shower, live.

Sofia shut her eyes and took in a deep breath. That wouldn't happen this time. This time was different. She was better now and she had a purpose. Before, she was lost. She wasn't lost anymore.

A car honked outside and the decision was made. The bottles would stay. Sofia picked up her makeup bag tossing it into her purse as she hooked her suitcase with her fingers. A note with watering instructions for her plants had been left for Josh.

She took one last look around her apartment, nodding firmly to herself. This was the right choice. With that, she locked the door and tucked the key under her welcome mat. The taxi driver greeted her outside of her apartment building and helped her load her suitcase into the trunk.

Sofia slid into the backseat, unlocking her phone to send a message to Josh. The three bubbles popped up immediately as he typed his response. Sofia bit her lip hoping Josh wouldn't try to convince her to stay anymore.

Josh: Good luck out there. Also, if your plants die, it's totally your fault. I told you to stay

Sofia grinned, rolling her eyes. The driver finished shutting the trunk and made his way to the driver's seat. The ride to Pearson Airport was shorter than Sofia expected.

She grabbed her suitcase with the help of the driver and rolled into the airport. The amount of people passing in every direction threatened to overwhelm her senses. She turned left, following the overhead signage to bag screening.

Couples with children were everywhere, carryons and diaper bags in tow. Sofia settled into the shortest line she could find, and hopped onto her phone to lock her social media. She changed her profile photo to a generic image and made sure that no identifying information was available.

The Chamber of Soundness was not going to get the best of her. As she scrubbed her profiles clean, a picture of her sister halted her in her tracks. Her sister's face, young with perfect skin and beaming eyes. A moment in time, preserved as a 14-year-old.

A knot swelled in her throat, the emotion rising and tumbling like ocean waves. Sofia killed the app, sliding her phone back into her pocket as the line began to move. When she reached the head of the line, she slipped off her shoes and emptied her pockets. A TSA agent waved a wand over her body letting her pass through.