Chapter Thirty-One: She Won’t Leave Me:

I stood out in the hallway, trembling. I shouldn’t be here. I am risking his life by having him talk to me. This was Mama’s idea anyway. Back when she didn’t believe me. I grabbed the sides of my head and shook it. The ringing ran lose in my mind. I whimpered with tears in my eyes.

Someone grabbed me by the back of my head.

“What did you tell him?” I heard in my ear.

“Nothing, I swear it,” I whimpered.

“Don’t lie to me!” she hissed. “I know you have been talking to him. What did you tell him?” She followed me here? I had gotten used to it being quiet around me.

“Please leave me alone,” I said. “I don’t want to talk to you anymore!” Miranda grabbed me by my hair. I tried to push her off of me.

“Stop it! No!” I cried. I tried to hit her off of me. “No! Why are you doing this to me?!”

“What did you tell him?!” Miranda shouted. “What did you tell him?!”

“Get off me!” I screamed. “Leave me alone!” I found myself tackled ground. I flailed my arms about. My feet tried to kick her off. I think they made contact with her abdomen. Miranda let off a wild howl.

“Bitch!” she screamed. She started wailing on my head and shoulders.

“Why are you doing this to me?!” I yelled. “Why do you hate me so much?!”

“Kinsey?” I heard over the screaming. I looked up to see Dr. Sherman and another psychiatrist standing over me. I just lay there, panting.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“No!” I shouted.

“What was that just now?” the lady therapist asked.

“Miranda!” I shouted. “She’s trying to kill me! I didn’t do anything wrong! I’m innocent! I’m innocent!” Tears started running down my face. The female psychiatrist knelt down and pulled me into her arms. I cried against her chest.

“It’s okay now,” she whispered. “It’s okay. It’s okay. I hiccupped with sobs. Was this how it was going to be from now on? Was Miranda going to attack me at every turn? I broke down shivering in her arms.

“I don’t want this,” I whispered. “Make her go away. I can’t take this anymore. I don’t want to die.”

“We won’t let you,” she whispered. I wished I could believe her. I really could.

----------

Dr. Sherman called Grandma to have someone pick me up. He stayed with me in the lobby. I kept my eyes to the floor.

“Has it always been like this?” he asked in a low voice. I shook my head.

“Did it start recently?” he asked. I nodded once. My body started shaking again. Then he said something that really threw me into panic.

“I would like to come by your house,” Dr. Sherman told me. “Like just to see how things are for you there.” I stared at him with big eyes.

“You can’t!” I yelped. He raised an eyebrow at me.

“Why is that?” Dr. Sherman asked. I buried my face on my knees.

“She’ll kill you,” I blurted out.

“Don’t be silly,” he said. “She’s an invisible being. She can’t hurt me.” That was the worst thing that he could say. It didn’t help that he didn’t sound like he could be convinced otherwise. I didn’t have to look up to see the look on his face. Dr. Sherman rubbed me on the shoulders.

“I won’t stay too long,” he said. “I just want to stay over for dinner and see what your home life is like.” I didn’t answer. What would be the point of arguing back? Dr. Sherman wouldn’t have listened anyway. His visit to my house was going to happen whether I wanted it to know or not. And it was only going to worse.