Nightmares (slow updates!)

Chapter 21

Poppy's POV

I caught the sound of the telephone ringing from fathers office. I pushed the pause button on the tv, pushing myself off the carpeted flooring and making my way through the house, leaving Patrick sleeping on the couch. I had to admit I was a bit confused. My father usually never called at that time of day, but I happily ran to answer it anyway.

I entered the office, answering the phone quickly to greet my father. "Good morning, I miss you!" I said quickly. I heard the sound of his warm laugh from the other end of the phone. A wave of relief washed over me, even just hearing his voice made me feel better. I could hear Patrick getting up from the sofa, making his way down the hallway.

I turned to see him standing in the office doorway, his lips still pouty from sleep. "How are you darling?" father said happily. "I'm well, and you?" I asked leaning against the desk as I twisted the telephone cord around my finger. "I have news"

I scrunched my eyebrows in response to his comment. He had never had news before so of course I was intrigued. "News?" I questioned hesitantly.

"Yes... it's about your mother"

His happy tone had faded a bit now, as if he was scared to just come out and say it. "What about her?" I questioned, wanting him to hurry up and tell me already. "Yes... well, she's made lots of progress and the doctors have started a new program with her" he said still talking excruciatingly slow. "That's nice." I said, confused as to of why he would be telling me this information. "Yes... Yes, very nice. It's actually a... well poppy it's an outpatient program"

I stood frozen for what seemed like an hour just listening to my father breath. "Poppy, hello?" Father said after a long pause of silence. My hand was shaking so hard I was having trouble keeping hold of the phone. Patrick's brows scrunched in confusion as he noticed the change in my face. "W-why are you doing this to me?" was all I could get to come out of my mouth as the tears started to pour down my stone cold face.

Unable to take a breath my voice sounded horse and weak. "Poppy, darling I assure you that everything is going to be ok. There's a nurse coming to check on her often and she will still be at the hospital during the day-" before he got the chance to finish I hung up the phone.

I had never hung up on my father before but this- this was to much to process. I felt as if my mind was going 1000 miles per minute. It felt as if there was a whole in my chest preventing me from breathing.

"Poppy?" Patrick's voice came from in front of me as he came closer. I sank to the floor, shaking so hard that it hurt. "Poppy. what the hell. what happened, what's wrong?" I wanted to answer him but I couldn't. I fell, the cold ground meeting the side of my body as I lay there clutching my knees to my chest. I didn't realize I was crying until I heard my own sobs leave my lips. I felt myself being pulled upright, Patrick's arms around me.

"Poppy, calm down." he was saying as his warm hand rubbed circles into my back, but I couldn't. I couldn't calm down knowing that the person who tried to kill me, the person who treated me like garbage, the person who tortured me, was out in the world. My father had a word for this, when it first happened he had told me I was having a panic attack. He said that it happens when your severely stressed and that when it happens you should go to your happy place, but how was I to do that, this place was not happy nor could I picture somewhere that was because when that woman is free, no where is a happy place.

I kept hearing Patrick say something about me needing to breath but I just couldn't. When she was in the asylum, I felt as if I finally had control, and now that she was out that control was being ripped out of my grasp. All I could feel was the same exactly feeling I felt right before she plunged that knife into my body, and all I could think about is how now that she's out, now that she's free, she'll come back to finish the job.