LXIX | Something To Remind You ❦ I stare at him,head spinning. No, the room is really spinning. The flat carpetis warped, bent into mountainous waves, lifting all thearmchairs into the air so they float around like driftwood. Ureiis still seated in one of them, obliviousto his own contorting face, the taut line of his … Read more
LXVIII | Some Conscience ❦ Even though Asher saidhe’ll be my friend, nothing changed. A new patient is brought in on a stretcher— carried up to her roomlike a corpse with a pee bag dangling from between her legs. The nursescall her Valerie. Tammiecontinues to pretend I don’t exist, and when Itry talking to her, … Read more
LXVII | Some Consideration ❦ Watching Tammieignore me is an excruciating experience. It’s more familiarthan I’d like it to be. Somewherein my repressed memories, I’ve done something unforgivable to make herabandon me that way. Now, it’s happening again. What happened? I think about peeking in while she’s pole dancing to see if it’ll come … Read more
LXVI | Some Consolation ❦ The plain nurse comes to fetch meduring medicine time. I keep my head downthe whole time so it’s only afterwards that I notice Omanis alone. The armchairs are no longer in a straight linebut defiantly disordered again, like they werebefore. Oman looks like a new patientsitting alone, knees up … Read more
LXV | Something Between Us ❦ You thinkI’m a hallucination. I don’t. Then why won’t youopen your eyes. I can’t. You haven’t changed at all,Fiona. I haven’t? Even when we were best friends,you were always cursing me. I’m sorry. ❦ I open my eyesand I’m … Read more
LXIV | Some Sort of Threat ❦ When Asherfinallyhands me the new canvas, I tell him I don’t need it anymore. His facewent through the same stop-motionof emotions: Confusion,anger,disappointment,pity,passion,defeat. He didn’t yell at me though. He leaned the canvasagainst the window and disappeared. I painted yesterday’s tree to the soundof his yelling at Nina for … Read more
LXIII | Some Tension ❦ Nina is still threatenedby Li Wen, I explain to Tammie. (A noncommittal response.) She rubs her forehead againstmy shoulder. I pull away. She yelled at everyone today,except Li Wen. Silence. I fall into the depthsof Tammie’s grey eyes. They’re hollow one moment, they’re full of lightthe next, they’re making me … Read more
LXII | Some Law And Order ❦ Yesterday,right after medicine time, I wrote about Raymondin my notebook about Tammie so I won’t forget. Today,my notebook is gone. I’m about toaccuse the nurses but they’re goneas always when morning medicine time is overand Moonlight Sonata ends. I’ll forget his name today— alreadymy image of him … Read more
LXI | Someone’s Gone ❦ My eyes open even thoughthe sky’s not bright yet. I usually sleep until sunlight enters the room. Right now,the sky’s still purple and a heavy blanket of silence lies overthe asylum. Something woke me up. Tammie’s handsqueezes mine and I look over at her. Someone’s screaming. Aftershe says … Read more
LX | Some Reasons ❦ Tammiehangs upside down, legswrapped around the metal pole, bodytwisted serpentine. Are you still thinkingabout Raymond? I blink at her. It takesa while for me to process what she’s saying. Herapologetic smile is also upside down. ‘Mn.’ Herupside downsmile widens. Get out. You’re distracting mefrom practice. I … Read more
