I always looked forward to going home, because Mommy would always let me play with Mr. Bear. Mommy often would go to into the land of the forbidden, before she picked me up; however, she never spoke a word to me about the forbidden land. She would redirect the conversation about Mr. Bear. Mr. Bear was always soft, brown and extremely fluffy almost like a ball of fur. Whenever I hugged him he would leave the scent of raspberry pie. Mr. Bear would always betray me by letting Miranda pet him and play hide & seek. Miranda was always forced to play with me; she would cry hours on end until her mom would pick her up and leave. She could never understand why I said those mean words.
"Miss Blackwood?"
I also had a friend to play with too, even though nobody could ever see them besides me. Gestas was his name. Gestas is was always my favorite. He was a long eared bunny, he had golden fur like a field of wheat that was ready to be harvested, he had emerald eyes that could always calm me whenever mommy would not play with me, pink paws, and he also had sharp nails like a knife, that could cut candy for me if I couldn't get into a bag of gummy bears. Gestas seemed harmless, happy, non-violent, and cheerful with a glimpse of seriousness in his words, and very jealous; whenever I wanted Mommy to play with me he would scream into my ears until I looked dead centre his eyes and apologized. He was always there for me; he would never, never leave my side. He would read me stories during the nights when Mommy would not, about adventurers, mermaids, pirates and princesses. But that was before it happened.
"Miss Blackwood!"
I snap out of it and slowly redirect my focus to a young woman, about the age of 25 to 28 I would say. She wore black square glasses, a pencil skirt and a white blouse with embroidery that looked like waves dancing along the fabric. "Are you alright? You looked like you were in deep thought" she nervously said as she flipped her golden locks out of her sweaty forehead. "Yes. I'm fine thank you" I replied with a hint of uneasiness and hope she doesn't focus on my tone. I always was nervous around strangers when I was a kid, and I am still now. I re-seat myself in the uncomfortable chair and look at the metal cuffs around my wrist.
"So, Miss Blackwood. You have experienced some sort of trauma, correct?" She asks. I didn't reply, and wonder around with my blue eyes which had lost the shimmer that I once had, hoping this wasn't real. Hoping that I had never done what I had did, regretting every second as time had no sympathy and left me to drown in the seconds. "Miss Blackwood. If you do not answer my questions, which I can tell you aren't going to. How can you possibly leave this place?" she asks agitated. I kept my mouth shut. By now the woman had started to lose her temper and took a controller with a button and said "I can still use this. This has the capability to electrify you at such a high voltage; it can stop the neurons in your brain to stop working. It would make my life a lot easier. Don't make me. 1, 2..." "Wait!" I quickly reply. In all these years that I have been alive I had finally went against someone. "I'll tell you what happened, just please don't use that thing" "Alright go ahead" she replied strictly, hoping I had something juicy she and her colleagues would gossip about earlier. I nod my head slowly to prepare myself to tell the story. "It had started when I was 10 years old" and thus I began my narration.
I had stayed home because my mother had requested that I would wait with her for my father to come home. My father often had business trips abroad for his company, at least that's what he had claimed to be doing. I never knew what he had looked like; I had pictured him as a faceless figure, and only had a silhouette that was all black. I was beyond ecstatic to see him again; jumping up and down is how I kept my energy contained. I would be too thrilled to stay in one spot for a few minutes, which then my mom had decided to go out on the patio. While she was out I smelt a faint burning sensation at the tip of my nose, it seemed to be coming from my mom but I had thought nothing of it. Then felt a small tug on my sleeve and saw Gestas looking eager to pull me away and bring me to my room. I tilted my head and looked complexed as I had shrugged it off and complied to his wish.
As I enter my room, Gestas locked the door with a key and held it in his paw. I sat on my comfy bed that was ocean blue, swung my feet up and down until Gestas had said "I want to play a game with you" and smiled sweetly as if all the sugar we had consumed together, had rubbed off and stayed on his mouth. "What game do you want to play?" I asked. "You ignored me for the whole day! You must do everything I say otherwise I will no longer be your friend anymore. That is the game" He said. I think for a few seconds and thought how it seemed unfair as I wasn't paying any attention to him at all. "Okay" I said with a happy smile. Gestas secretly grinned, showing off his razor sharp teeth. "Now first tell your mommy that you know her secret and the toys in her room that she keeps, and it will be yours and mom's secret "he said with a spark in his eyes.
It seemed harmless enough at the time so I went to the patio and saw that my mother was on the couch reading a newspaper. I sat opposite of her and looked at her patiently. "What's wrong child?" She calmly asked, the hours had taken a toll on her. "Mommy, I know about your secret. The toys you keep in your room will be our secret okay?" I smiled innocently, while Gestas sat next to me with pleasure written on his face. "Wh…h…at?" This left her in a state of shock and horror as her precious knew; she then blocked out any sound that came from her child's mouth and stared at her knees. "Good, now there is a fake knife hidden behind the cushion, push it into his chest when you he is hugging you" Gestas said with a grin that had reached his ears. "But why? Daddy has never done anything. Has he?" I said bewildered. "He has, he loves someone else besides your mommy…but don't worry he won't be harmed" Gestas said with a reassuring smile. "Okay if you say so..."
My father then comes through the door with a young woman behind him holding a small baby and looks at me with admiration and happiness. They come in and my mother snaps out of her state and fakes a smile to welcome them. My father comes towards me and for the first time I could see his facial features. Dark brown hair, blue eyes, wrinkles on his forehead and lips that were dehydrated to say the least. He then wraps his arms around my waist and starts twirling me around as if I was the princess that was being locked up in a castle far away from danger and he was my knight in shining armor, protecting me. He then comes to a halt causing me to be beneath him. He was facing Gestas and hunches forward, holding onto his chest looking like he had seen the biggest massacre of thousands of people, who didn't deserve to die yet still were forced to because their lives were short. He falls down on the floor with a red mark in the middle of his back for everyone to see. The rest was a blur. Sirens were wailing, loud voices were shouted across the room. Policemen took me by the arms and dragged me away from my safe, protected environment I believed I would never say goodbye too. "YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME! IT'S NOT MY FAULT! GESTAS TELL THEM! TELL THEM WE WERE PLAYING A GAME! YOU BETRAYED ME!"
"Hahaha! Oh Miss Blackwood. It's highly improbable that an imaginary friend could make you do such things" She said with doubt written all over her face. I take courage, I slowly turn my head, spit in her face and say "You bit.." "Miss Blackwood, it's time to leave" a guard states and drags me out of the room. I refuse to be seen as weak, my mother had always taught me I should never let my fears be the reason of my downfall. He takes me to my cell and locks it "Night psychopath. Sweet dreams". I start wondering if I could have just listened to myself and maybe I wouldn't have been in this rotten place.
"Well, Well. It's been awhile hasn't it? My, what fond memories we shared" I turn around, a thousand beats going through my chest, thoughts racing through my mind.
"Welcome back" he deviously grins.
