Banshee Song
Book One
Chapter Fifteen
The following afternoon…
"How is our patient today?" Marlena asked as she entered the hospital room.
"No change, Dr. Evans." Dr. Stevens replied, referring to the red haired girl who was their newest patient. Marlena briefly examined the young woman. She was still frozen in a catatonic state, her green eyes unfocused.
"I understand there was some kind of commotion here last night?" Marlena asked while taking the girl's pulse.
"Oh, it was just George. He was afraid of the wind again."
"Hmmm. I know that it is just the March wind and everything, but it did seem especially strong the past two nights. And I've never heard such a noise. Such a sad, mournful wail; I even heard it in my dreams last night."
"Let me guess, you had a bad dream, too. Ten people have told me they had a nightmare last night. I had one too. I can't remember what it was about, though."
Marlena tilted her head thoughtfully. "Well, dreams are often influenced by the senses. I can't tell you how many times my alarm has gone off while I've been dreaming and the music winds up becoming part of my dream. That's really all it is; we're just reacting to the noise of the wind outside." Marlena looked down at their patient. "No, the real mystery is our friend here."
"We've started calling her Ariel. I was tired of referring to her as Jane Doe and my kids had made me watch The Little Mermaid like ten times this week. I saw her long, bright red hair and thought 'Ariel'."
Marlena smiled. "Okay, Ariel. It suits her. So, what have we learned?" she asked her colleague.
"Not a whole lot. I have checked with every mental facility in the state. No one's missing a patient. The police have exhausted their information sources. We don't have a single clue who she is or where she came from. Also, we ran several exams. There is nothing physically wrong with her, although we did find this." Dr. Stevens rolled up the sleeves on Ariel's arms and held them up to the light. Faintly visible on her pale skin were tiny scars running up her arms and wrists.
Marlena frowned slightly and studied the scars closely. "The lines are so fine and clean; they must have been made with a razor blade."
"Suicide attempt? Or self-mutilation?"
Marlena sighed. "Well, I suppose either is possible. But these scars are so faint; they have to be very old. She would have been a child when these wounds occurred. Hmmm." She took a close look at the girl's wrists. "See these lines; they're shorter than the others and crisscross over each other like a pattern or…a symbol. Yes, these are symbols. But of what – what does it mean?" she wondered aloud. She grabbed a notepad and quickly sketched the symbols. "I'm going to find out what these symbols mean, if anything at all."
Marlena looked back at Ariel's face and was again struck by a sense of familiarity. In a sudden flash of blinding clarity, she realized that Ariel reminded her of someone she knew. She was still trying to figure out the resemblance when Ariel's bright green eyes suddenly focused. Her breathing quickened and she stared at the door.
"She's coming out of it!" Marlena tried to grab the girl's attention, but she remained fixed on the door. Marlena followed the girl's gaze and saw Colin through the thick glass talking with an intern. Ariel's eyes grew wide and her hands shook. She mouthed words but her voice was silent. Her hands flew in rapid, stuttered movements.
"Sign language." Marlena exclaimed softly. "Is she deaf?"
"The police didn't seem to think so. She had behaved fairly normally before she collapsed. But they did say that she wouldn't speak to them." Dr. Stevens answered.
"Wouldn't? Or couldn't." Marlena knelt in front of Ariel, who was becoming increasingly distressed. Tears fell from her eyes and her body rocked. All the while her hands continued their dance through the air. Her eyes remained locked on the window. On Colin.
Marlena watched as Colin ended his conversation and continued down the hall, out of sight. Ariel flew to the door, her hand turning the knob. She pounded the door in frustration when she found that it was locked. She beat her fists on the door, on the glass, and motioned to the stunned doctors inside to let her out.
Marlena shook off her stupor and rushed to the girl. She grabbed hold of Ariel's arms, attempting to calm her down. Ariel struggled even harder to find herself in a strange place with people she didn't know. Her memories were so jumbled; she didn't know where she was or who she was. But she had known that man, once upon a time. When life was simpler and happier. Before the bad man came.
The bad man killed her family, and took her away. She lay on cold stone and he cut her. Blood ran all over her, and she heard his evil voice, saying evil things. She forgot that she had no voice, and opened her mouth to scream.
That is her last clear memory before this moment. Images rushed together in her mind in a dizzying swirl. She fought the women who sought to restrain her. She only knew she had to get out, to get to that man. She threw her head back and opened her mouth to scream. But there is only silence. And then a needle prick sent her falling into oblivion.
Marlena threw away the used syringe and looked at the unconscious girl. {What was that about?} She helped Dr. Stevens put Ariel to bed. They loosely strapped her in the bed, mainly to ensure that she doesn't injure herself.
Marlena tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Examine her again, Dr. Stevens. Find out if she is deaf, or simply mute. I'm going to research these markings on her arms."
She exited the room and headed toward her office all the while thinking of the mysterious girl and her strange reaction to Colin.
Book One
Chapter Fifteen
The following afternoon…
"How is our patient today?" Marlena asked as she entered the hospital room.
"No change, Dr. Evans." Dr. Stevens replied, referring to the red haired girl who was their newest patient. Marlena briefly examined the young woman. She was still frozen in a catatonic state, her green eyes unfocused.
"I understand there was some kind of commotion here last night?" Marlena asked while taking the girl's pulse.
"Oh, it was just George. He was afraid of the wind again."
"Hmmm. I know that it is just the March wind and everything, but it did seem especially strong the past two nights. And I've never heard such a noise. Such a sad, mournful wail; I even heard it in my dreams last night."
"Let me guess, you had a bad dream, too. Ten people have told me they had a nightmare last night. I had one too. I can't remember what it was about, though."
Marlena tilted her head thoughtfully. "Well, dreams are often influenced by the senses. I can't tell you how many times my alarm has gone off while I've been dreaming and the music winds up becoming part of my dream. That's really all it is; we're just reacting to the noise of the wind outside." Marlena looked down at their patient. "No, the real mystery is our friend here."
"We've started calling her Ariel. I was tired of referring to her as Jane Doe and my kids had made me watch The Little Mermaid like ten times this week. I saw her long, bright red hair and thought 'Ariel'."
Marlena smiled. "Okay, Ariel. It suits her. So, what have we learned?" she asked her colleague.
"Not a whole lot. I have checked with every mental facility in the state. No one's missing a patient. The police have exhausted their information sources. We don't have a single clue who she is or where she came from. Also, we ran several exams. There is nothing physically wrong with her, although we did find this." Dr. Stevens rolled up the sleeves on Ariel's arms and held them up to the light. Faintly visible on her pale skin were tiny scars running up her arms and wrists.
Marlena frowned slightly and studied the scars closely. "The lines are so fine and clean; they must have been made with a razor blade."
"Suicide attempt? Or self-mutilation?"
Marlena sighed. "Well, I suppose either is possible. But these scars are so faint; they have to be very old. She would have been a child when these wounds occurred. Hmmm." She took a close look at the girl's wrists. "See these lines; they're shorter than the others and crisscross over each other like a pattern or…a symbol. Yes, these are symbols. But of what – what does it mean?" she wondered aloud. She grabbed a notepad and quickly sketched the symbols. "I'm going to find out what these symbols mean, if anything at all."
Marlena looked back at Ariel's face and was again struck by a sense of familiarity. In a sudden flash of blinding clarity, she realized that Ariel reminded her of someone she knew. She was still trying to figure out the resemblance when Ariel's bright green eyes suddenly focused. Her breathing quickened and she stared at the door.
"She's coming out of it!" Marlena tried to grab the girl's attention, but she remained fixed on the door. Marlena followed the girl's gaze and saw Colin through the thick glass talking with an intern. Ariel's eyes grew wide and her hands shook. She mouthed words but her voice was silent. Her hands flew in rapid, stuttered movements.
"Sign language." Marlena exclaimed softly. "Is she deaf?"
"The police didn't seem to think so. She had behaved fairly normally before she collapsed. But they did say that she wouldn't speak to them." Dr. Stevens answered.
"Wouldn't? Or couldn't." Marlena knelt in front of Ariel, who was becoming increasingly distressed. Tears fell from her eyes and her body rocked. All the while her hands continued their dance through the air. Her eyes remained locked on the window. On Colin.
Marlena watched as Colin ended his conversation and continued down the hall, out of sight. Ariel flew to the door, her hand turning the knob. She pounded the door in frustration when she found that it was locked. She beat her fists on the door, on the glass, and motioned to the stunned doctors inside to let her out.
Marlena shook off her stupor and rushed to the girl. She grabbed hold of Ariel's arms, attempting to calm her down. Ariel struggled even harder to find herself in a strange place with people she didn't know. Her memories were so jumbled; she didn't know where she was or who she was. But she had known that man, once upon a time. When life was simpler and happier. Before the bad man came.
The bad man killed her family, and took her away. She lay on cold stone and he cut her. Blood ran all over her, and she heard his evil voice, saying evil things. She forgot that she had no voice, and opened her mouth to scream.
That is her last clear memory before this moment. Images rushed together in her mind in a dizzying swirl. She fought the women who sought to restrain her. She only knew she had to get out, to get to that man. She threw her head back and opened her mouth to scream. But there is only silence. And then a needle prick sent her falling into oblivion.
Marlena threw away the used syringe and looked at the unconscious girl. {What was that about?} She helped Dr. Stevens put Ariel to bed. They loosely strapped her in the bed, mainly to ensure that she doesn't injure herself.
Marlena tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Examine her again, Dr. Stevens. Find out if she is deaf, or simply mute. I'm going to research these markings on her arms."
She exited the room and headed toward her office all the while thinking of the mysterious girl and her strange reaction to Colin.
