Unravel(24)

I stare at him doubtfully.

He continues to talk and that’s when I start to hear another voice.

It’s distant at first, but it comes closer and closer until the voice is right next to me, and I hear, “You’re a filthy bitch.”

My skin breaks out into hives. My fingers grip the blue plastic chair I’m sitting in as I look around the room frantically. Did they hear Lana’s dad? Could they see him behind me?

But everyone is staring at Dr. Cooper with boredom.

So I try to follow their lead, thinking it will distract me. I focus on the doctor’s lips. He’s talking about cognitive behavior… I think.

“I really want you all to focus on positive traits you possess.” He looks in my direction. “Amber. Would you like to say what positive traits you have?”

She stops picking at the dead ends of her hair and glares. “None. I have no positive traits.”

My fingers drum anxiously and I keep looking all around the room. The doctor clears his throat. “That’s not true. I’m positive”— See what he did there?— “that you do.”

I look behind my seat. I tilt my head to the side and glance at the chairs stacked in the corner. He could be hiding over there.

Amber looks at me. “What the f*ck is your problem?” she snaps.

“Now, Amber,” Dr. Cooper says. He stands up and walks over to us. Before he opens his mouth, he kneels down to look Amber in the eye. His bones pop loudly.

The sound echoes in my ears.

I know Dr. Cooper is talking. I see his mouth moving. But I hear no words.

Radio silence.

My eardrums start to ache.

The silence gets stronger and more powerful. I rub my ears, trying to ease the intense pressure. It feels like my head’s about to explode.

And that’s when I see him.

Lana’s dad peeks out behind Dr. Cooper. He’s kneeling down. Elbows resting on his thighs, in the exact same position as Dr. Cooper.

But he gives me a sadistic smile. That’s the same smile he makes before he attacks. My breath is stuck in my throat.

I react instantly.

I lean back in my chair. It tips over. I fall to the ground. I scramble away from him. I don’t stop moving until my back touches the wall. He stands up and makes his way toward me slowly. He’s dressed in a navy suit, white dress shirt and a navy, striped tie to match. He looks harmless, but it’s those cold eyes that stand out. They’re eyes that don’t feel. They reveal that he has no heart and never has.

“You’re a little bitch,” he says.

A choked sound escapes me. I squeeze my eyes and try to focus on my breathing. He’s closer. I can feel his steps vibrating the ground beneath me.

“Go away. Go away.” My voice becomes stronger. “Go away!”

He grabs onto my ankle and I kick him off. My hands curl around my head.

“Leave me alone,” I scream.

He keeps saying my name and grabbing at my ankles. I fight back but my muscles ache. I’m getting weaker and that makes him stronger. That makes his grip more painful.

Distantly I hear a feminine voice.

Dr. Rutledge.

“What happened?” she demands.

Someone answers but I can’t understand what they say. Everything has become muted.

“Naomi.”

I open my eyes. Her face is blurry. All I can make out is the outline of her body. But right next to her I see Lana’s dad.

I shove my head back. It slams into the wall painfully.

“Can you hear me?” Dr. Rutledge asks.

He doesn’t care that Dr. Rutledge is next to me. He keeps touching. He grips my jaw until it feels like it will snap in half.

“You’ve ruined everything,” he shouts. “Your f*cking life is mine!”

Dr. Rutledge says my name loudly this time. “Breathe,” she commands. “You need to breathe.”

I focus on her words and the pressure on my jaw lets off before his hands disappear altogether.

I open my eyes and it’s just Dr. Rutledge in front of me. Mary stands behind her with a panicked look.

“Take a deep breath,” Dr. Rutledge urges.

Everyone else in the room stares at me as if I’ve lost my mind. I can’t really blame them.

“Get me out of here,” I pant. “Get me out of here!”

She holds her hand out and I latch onto her like a lifeline.

“Don’t make me come back here!” I plead.

Dr. Rutledge wraps an arm around my shoulder. Mary moves to my left, gently holding my forearm. We walk out of the room. My balance is off. My legs feel numb. I move carefully, like I’m walking on a tight rope.

“I’ll do anything but come back here,” I plead. I can still hear the pop of his bones. It makes my body twitch. I keep talking. “I’m trying to get better. I promise I am but I can’t stop seeing him. He’s everywhere I look!”

“Naomi, calm down,” Dr. Rutledge says soothingly. She hurries us down the hall. “Just focus on breathing right now.”

I’m still gasping for breath as we walk into her office. Mary closes the door behind us, giving us privacy.

And for once, the silence feels good. He isn’t here. I’m safe. I can breathe.

Tremors still rack my body as I sit down. My skin is clammy. The aftershocks of his attack were almost worse than the real thing. I still feel his grip on my legs, squeezing tighter and tighter until it feels like my bones will break.