Convergence {ON HOLD}

Chapter 5

There was a loud thumping noise coming from someone knocking on Emily's door.

Who is that? Emily thought, annoyed. She glanced at her digital clock, it was 7:14am!

She sat up and stuck her feet in her slippers and grabbed a Kleenex before walking to the door and opening it.

"Hi Emily." Karen, the head manager of Friendly Acres said.

Emily nodded and gave a questionable look.

"May I come in and sit down?" Karen asked.

Emily shrugged and opened the door wider for Karen to come in.

Karen sat on Emily's desk chair while Emily sat on her bed.

"I'm here to talk about your progress that you've made in the 5 months you've been here so far." She acknowledged.

Emily's back stood straight up. She knew that she hadn't made any progress. She still does he'd morning rituals and still obsesses over everything. She hasn't changed.

"We try so hard Emily, as a staff to get you to lighten up on your compulsions, but you're very stubborn. From what I've been seeing, you haven't even made the effort to try and change. I'm disappointed Emily. Don't you want to change? Don't you want your son to be able to hug you again without you having to go scrub yourself in the shower for hours? Don't you?" Karen asked.

She had crossed the line. Emily stood up and pointed for her to leave.

"I'm giving you until 8:30 to pack your belongings and be ready to be transported to a more forceful facility. One that might be able to help you." She said bitterly and left the room, closing the door loudly behind her.

Emily sat back down on her bed and tears began to fall from her face. If this had happened a month ago, she would have been more than happy to leave this place.

But that was before Shannon arrived.

She wiped her eyes and started to rip her bedding off of her bed. She threw in on the ground in anger. She stomped over to her closet and grabbed her suitcases and began throwing her clothes into her suitcase. It bothered her very much that she wasn't folding everything and sorting it by color, article, size, and length. But in that moment, Emily's anger was much higher than her need to sort clothing.

Once Emily zipped the last suitcase, she went over to her desk and pulled out her drawing of Shannon. She hadn't given it to him yet because she wanted to color it. Emily instead pulled out and pen and began writing a letter to him on the back of it.

Dear Shannon,

I'm being forced to leave. But please know that I want to stay because of you. Ever since you started to talk to me you have made me want to try and limit my compulsions. You make me want to be a better person and a healthier person when it comes to my disorder. I look forward everyday for you to come and us take a walk or for you to just talk to me. I love hearing your voice and your thoughts. I know, I haven't spoken to you yet. I'm working on it. I'll miss you so much Shannon. You were the only in this damned rehab center that believed in me. I didn't even believe in me before you arrived. And I thank you for that. Just for being you, you have inspired me to start believing I can. I'm forever grateful. I have no idea whether I will ever see you again, I hope so. Hopefully next time I will be able to hug you and talk to you. Please write me back.

Love,

Emily

It was now 8:15 and Emily sealed the letter and put it in an envelope. She wrote Shannon's name on the front and realized she didn't know his last name. Emily knew it didn't matter, but he did mention he was in a band. Maybe she would have Internet access at the new rehab center.

Emily stood up and opened the door with a Kleenex and went to Shannon's room. She didn't knock, instead she slid the envelope under the door and went back to her room. The sad brunette sat on her stripped mattress and waited for Karen to come and get her.

Not even 5 minutes after she got back, Karen walked into Emily's room without knocking and motioned for her to come with her things. Emily grabbed all of her belongings and headed out of the door. She set her stuff down in the doorway and did an extra 45 jumps just to frustrate Karen. Once Emily was done, she grabbed her bags and went out into the parking lot.

A black car was waiting for her. Emily's back stiffened at the sight of the unwashed car with millions of germs in it. Karen opened the trunk for her and the brunette put her things in there. But before closing it, she grabbed her container of disinfecting wipes.

Emily grabbed the door handle with one wipe and then wiped down the entire leather seat with another. Once she was satisfied, Emily sat down and buckled her seatbelt with 2 more disinfecting wipes.

Before Karen slammed the door, she said, "It's for the better, Emily."

And the driver drove off.