A Stranger Comes Knocking
By: Josie Johnson
12-8-2010
It was the year of 2010, about three days before December 17th, in the city of Berea, Kentucky. Lizzy, a sixteen year old girl that had gone through hell all her life, was in a mental institution. Who could have guessed that? It wasn't by choice that she was in there. She had been admitted by the only person that had ever, truly wanted her out of the house. It was her mother, her now sad faced mother. Her mother had worry lines above her eyes and deep crow's feet around her eyes. She was depressed, maybe not as depressed as Lizzy though.
Lizzy was fast asleep, dreaming of her father again. She hadn't seen her father for years, and she missed him with everything in her. She honestly craved, even though she denied it, a father figure in her life. In her dream, her father had his arms around her and she finally felt happy. He kissed her on her forehead and told her that he loved her. That wasn't enough though; it would never be enough to cure the damage that had been done. She would never tell him that, even if he was close to her again. She hadn't even told Lydia about her father. Just as her father was about to say, "I miss you." Her sweet dream had come to a complete halt.
"Liz! It's time to get up! It's breakfast time. I think you'll like what we are having today." Mrs. VanCoopin said, "Its chicken biscuits!"
Lizzy rose out of the bed slowly, so she wouldn't through herself off balance for the day. Mrs. VanCoopin opened up Lizzy's blinds and handed her a small cup, inside it were three pills. One was a small pink one, for her depression, the second was a small white one, for her heart murmur, and the third pill was for her bi-polar disorder, it was a large brown pill. She popped them all into her mouth and chased them down with a little drink of water.
"Come on darling; let's get some food in that little belly."said Mrs. VanCoopin.
Lizzy followed Mrs. VanCoopin out of the room; she was a small woman, with large hip bones. She had shortly cropped blonde hair. She was a rather plump woman, the complete opposite of Lizzy. Lizzy was a skinny, short girl with long, curly brown hair. She had bright green eyes and very fair skin. When they made it into the lunch room, Danielle Barkley, some chick that had tired to kill herself, stared Lizzy down. Those glances always put her in a fog and she was sure that one day, she would get the chance to ask her what was up with those glances.
Lizzy wasn't much different from Danielle. Lizzy had gone to school like a regular girl, but didn't have friends like a regular girl. Her best friend was Lydia Jenkins. Although, now Lizzy knows that she's a fake, self absorbed girl with no life and no virginity. She had thought that Lydia was her good friend but she ended up going out with Lizzy's boyfriend, Emmett. He ended up having sex with her. Lizzy had loved Emmett so much; she had personally agreed to never cheat on him. She gave him everything he wanted, but it just wasn't good enough. Nothing was ever good enough. Everyone was just expecting things from her and if she didn't hand them over, she'd be left behind to rot.
That night, when she had gotten home from school, she found her favorite razor, and cut from the bottom of her wrist all the way up to her elbow. Not caring if she died, but really wanting to die. She woke up the next morning here, in Charter Ridge, in Lexington, Kentucky. It was a relief when she wasn't at her "perfect" little home anymore.
12-9-2010
"Are you not hungry?" asked Mrs. VanCoopin, "Do I need to get the doctor?"
Lizzy walked up to the breakfast line and grabbed a chicken sandwich and a milk carton. Danielle stared at her the whole time. That was it, Lizzy couldn't take the staring, so she decided to go by and demand what her problem is.
"Mrs. VanCoopin, May I go sit with Danielle Barkley?" She asked very calmly with a smile.
"Sure, you may." Mrs. VanCoopin agreed, for once. Lizzy wasn't in the mood to want to sit by other girls, so it was a surprise that she would want that. Lizzy was a loner, after all that happened to her, with her best friend and her boyfriend, she hated everyone and everything. No time to make friends now.
Lizzy walked across the room to where Danielle was sitting, "Do you have some kind of problem?" She asked calmly then sat down next Danielle.
"We all do, that's why we are in here. Why do you ask?" Danielle said in a low, murmur.
"Then why won't you take your eyes off me? Are you in love with me or something?" Lizzy asked with a smirk.
"No, I was thinking that we could talk, or hang out if you'd like." Danielle retorted. This comment caught Lizzy off guard because she wasn't usually asked to "hang out" with the other girls. She didn't like the groups. She hated the attention and she hated the constant, mindless chatter.
"If you haven't noticed, Ms. Barkley, I'm not a social butterfly. I'm hardly even a person anymore. So if you don't mind, I'd really like to go on with my life." Lizzy went to stand up and Danielle grabbed her wrist. The other two girls that were sitting at that table got up and left.
"Lizzy, I know your having a tough time but you don't have to face it alone. I've watched you for over five months. You've not smiled once, or hugged another person or even seen your family." She said, with sympathy.
"I don't need your damn sympathy; I don't need anything from anyone. Just shut up, you don't know anything." Lizzy spewed in Danielle's face.
"I know that you need a friend." After those words, Lizzy almost cried. She wanted to confide in someone so badly, but no one ever wanted to be around her after they found out she was, used to be, a cutter.
"Your right." Was all Lizzy could find to say.
"You can sit here and finish your breakfast if you like." Danielle smiled as she said that.
"Thanks." Lizzy opened the wrapper to her chicken sandwich and began eating. What did this girl want? Why would anyone want to befriend a cutter, self mutilator, or in her mother's terms, a "bitch"? She continued to eat in silence.
But of course, Danielle couldn't improve the silence, "What happened?"
"What do you mean?" asked Lizzy.
"I mean, can I ask, why you are in here?" she asked.
"My best friend took my boyfriend away from me. They had sex and I couldn't take it. But that wasn't just it. I have a guilt that just won't go away, my step father molested me and I've never told anyone. Not Lydia or Emmett. I never thought they would understand." Lizzy finished.
"So what did you do?"
"I cut my wrist as far open as it would go. I was sitting up on my Victorian bed and just watched the blood pool under my body. Until I lost consciousness and woke up in a hospital bed with restraints around my legs and arms."
Lizzy opened her milk carton and drank the cold liquid while Danielle gathered her thoughts. Lizzy seemed unaffected by the story, Danielle was not so easily containing herself.
"I'm so sorry."
Lizzy didn't care about it anymore. I was pointless. When Lizzy finished her breakfast, she got up and said her goodbyes to Danielle then slouched off to group meetings.
"Lizzy! It's your turn. What have you done so far today?" asked Mrs. VanCoopin.
Lizzy never talked in Group, it made her feel like a weak person. But she decided to indulge the group today.
"I made a friend, my first one in I don't know how long." Lizzy said with a light smile on her face.
Mrs. VanCoopin threw Lizzy an approving look. "Now, Benny, it's your turn."
Group went by fast for Lizzy. She was overly excited to "hang out" with Danielle. It was time for lunch and Lizzy half ran to the cafeteria to see Danielle. When Lizzy made it to the lunchroom, Danielle was sitting by herself. Danielle saw Lizzy walk in and smiled. Lizzy walked across the room to Danielle and sat down next to her. Danielle was a shorter then Lizzy, but she weighted a lot less too. Danielle had blonde hair with blue and red, fading, streaks. She had bright blue eyes and a round chin. Danielle looked a lot like Lizzy.
Danielle and Lizzy had become a new fad. Everyone watched them hang out at breakfast lunch and dinner together. Then they went to group meetings together. They were best friends and they loved each other to death. They both repaired the damages that other people had done on to them. Weeks had gone by, and Lizzy knew that this friendship, like every other one, wouldn't last much longer.
"Hey Liz. How was group?" Danielle asked.
"It was long, but productive I suppose." Lizzy replied, "How about you?"
"Same." Danielle smiled. They ate lunch together in complete silence. They enjoyed each others company, mainly for the fact that they didn't require anything from one another. They just liked the peace and quiet.
12-10-10
That night, Lizzy actually feel asleep and stayed there. She didn't have the dreams of impending doom or countless horrors. It seems that Danielle was all that she really needed to cure the sickness of a cutter.
The next morning, Lizzy woke up quite excited. She jumped out of bed and waited for Mrs. VanCoopin to bring her the medicine she required. While she waited, she showered and put on some clean clothes. When Mrs. VanCoopin walked into Lizzy's room, she was very surprised to see that Lizzy was humming and dancing around the room. This is how Lizzy used to be, before that night when she was alone in the void.
"Well good morning, Liz." Mrs. VanCoopin said with an extravagant smile and laugh.
"Good morning Mrs. VanCoopin." Lizzy said.
Mrs. VanCoopin hands Lizzy the cup of medicine and she takes it without water.
"Can I go to breakfast?"
"Hm, go right ahead."
Lizzy walked out of her room and into the cafeteria. Danielle is sitting alone once again and Lizzy grabs her food and takes a seat.
"How did you sleep last night?" Danielle asked.
"I slept just fine and dandy." Lizzy said happily.
Danielle noticed Lizzy's uplifted mood and decided that now would be the best time to tell her the worst news ever.
"I'm leaving tomorrow." Danielle said with a frown.
Lizzy stared at her in disbelief. Why in the name of all that is holy, would anyone take Dani away from her now? They had great breakfasts and group meetings together. They had been best friends for only a short while. They even had nick names for one another.
"That's great!" Lizzy said with excitement. "You finally get to go on with your life. You don't have to be behind these white padded walls anymore."
"Elizabeth Sue Anne Houston!" Lizzy looked up. "You have a visitor." The headmaster of Carter Ridge yelled. Lizzy stood up and took Danielle's hand.
"Will you come with me?" Lizzy asked.
"Of course I will." Danielle replied.
They walked in silence behind Head Master Collins. He was a really strict old man and he never let suicidal kids have visitors from anyone but family. So Lizzy's mother must be here today.
They walked into the visitation room and Lydia Jenkins runs toward Lizzy.
"Liz master! Oh, how I've missed you!" Lydia said with extreme fakeness.
She tried to give Lizzy a hug but that was rejected with pride.
"Get off me. I'll press charges." Lizzy said.
"Who is this?" Danielle asked.
"This is the girl that got me put in here."
"Lydia?" Danielle asked.
"Yeah, I'm her." said the idiot, Lydia. "Why?"
"I want nothing to do with you anymore, Lydia. I'm done with you. All you ever did was use me and your probably here to find out if I know about you and Emmett. Well, yes I do." Lydia's face was shocked to hear Lizzy say that.
"I don't want you to speak to me again. I'm never going to be your friend again. You were never my friend and you have no friends. The only thing you have is a blue waffle. So get out and never text, call or speak to me again. You're nothing to me now. You always treated me like shit and now I'm just done and over you." Lizzy finished.
"But Liz..." Lydia was cut off my Lizzy.
"But nothing. Your cruel, evil and completely oblivious that your just ruining my life. Get out." Lizzy called for the nurse to take them back to the cafeteria. When the nurse came in, Lizzy had a uplifted smile that only Lizzy could understand. She had finally lifted the burden from her shoulders. Now, the only problem was that Lizzy would never see Danielle again.
As Lizzy and Danielle walked through the halls to get back to the cafeteria, Danielle asked, "Wow. I didn't know that one girl could hold in so much hate."
"Yeah, it accumulates." Lizzy replied.
The day went by fast, Danielle was leaving the next day and Lizzy still had no clue when she would be "safe to society" again.
She thought about what she had said to Lydia and it brought her great satisfaction. Lydia wouldn't be a problem to her anymore.
"Lizzy?" asked Mrs. VanCoopin from the door. "The head master needs a word with you."
"Now? It's almost time for bed though." Lizzy asked getting up and putting on her slippers.
"Yes now." Mrs. VanCoopin led Lizzy from her room to the headmasters office. She was extremely scared because when you go through those doors, your either getting your release papers or your going to intensive care for three months.
Lizzy opened up the door and peeked around, "Come in Elizabeth." said Head Master Collins.
"Hello Mr. Collins. Mrs. VanCoopin said that you needed to speak with me." Lizzy said shaking.
"Yes I do need to talk to you. Please sit down, this won't take but a minute." he responded.
Mr. Collin was sitting behind a old hickory painted desk. He had books and papers covering it. Lizzy's eyes were caught by her picture on his desk. The top of the paper, with her picture on it, said release papers. Would she be getting out the same day as Danielle?
"How do you think you have done?" asked Mr. Collins.
"I think I've done about the same as any other person in here. I've tried to get help and ended up finding a good friend on the way to mental stability." she replied.
"Do you honestly think you are mentally stable?" he asked.
"Well yeah" Lizzy paused. "I don't feel the urge to hurt myself. I talked to Lydia today. And honestly, I've never felt better. Everything is so clear in my mind and I feel like I could conquer the world." Lizzy said with a smile. The smile alone had Mr. Collins agreeing with her words because he, like everyone else, had never seen Lizzy smile.
"Well, I'm going to sign these release papers. But you will have to be in counseling three days a week until your counselor decides that you are fine." he said, Lizzy wasn't sure if she would cry, dance or scream first. So she just smiled.
"Thank you Mr. Collins." She said.
"You will be free to leave in the morning. I've already contacted your mother. She'll be here first thing in the morning."
Lizzy got up and walked out of the room. She got back to her room and just laid in bed. She drifted to sleep after laying there for half an hour and dreamed of swimming in the deepest ocean.
The next morning, she got all of her things together and walked to the front office to meet her mother. Her mother welcomed her with open arms. Out the corner of her eye, she saw Danielle Barkley. She walked over to Danielle and hugged her goodbye.
"I know I may not ever see you again, but know that you've helped me in more ways then a person should be allowed. I'm very honored to have you as a friend.
"You know? I was about to fill you up with some corny goodbye too, until I found out that we live in the same city and go to the same school."
Lizzy giggled and jumped up and down until her stomach felt like it could fall out of her body.
"No way! So I guess I'll see you again tomorrow!" Lizzy said excitedly.
"Yuppers." They exchanged hugs and walked out of their old lives together and walked into a brand new one.
Life would finally be normal, well not too normal, for this happy pair of teenaged girls. After enduring crap for years, they could finally learn to get rid of the hatred building up inside of them and learn to love everything with the fiery passion of the sun.