"Yes 9:30 works fine today. Thank you" I set the phone down and sighed, it was such short notice for the doctor but at least she had an opening. I showered and got ready for my appointment, I set the food out for the gremlins, brushed my teeth, braided my hair, grabbed my keys and wallet, and left in the car. The drive itself was an hour-long, parking took a good 30 minutes I swear I can never find parking when I first arrive but when I'm leaving every space is clear! I made it to the OB-GYN's office and signed in. Great 5 minutes to spare!
I slumped down into a plush chair my ankle exhausted by the drive itself. The walls were a banana flesh color and it made me think of banana pudding; moreover, my stomach started to growl at the thought of banana pudding. A frightening thought crossed my mind, I was also thinking of meat and my stomach growled loudly. Juicy sausage seasoned to perfection dip it into mustard oh yeah that would be lovely. God, I'm gonna get a sandwich after this! I glanced up at the painting on the wall, it was just a splatter of zaffre blue with dots of cherry red to the mix. I stared at it for what felt like hours "nice painting isn't it?" I glance to my right then my left and almost screamed.
"P-Pamela?" I asked with a hushed voice, she was completely limpid every detail on the wall behind her can easily be identified but she was there! I gulped as she smiled, it was the softest motherly smile I ever experienced, she glanced back at the painting. I followed her glance; the painting is stupid ridiculous why is it even in here? How is it interesting.
"God has a weird way of telling you."
"Telling me wh-" the door opened.
"Ms. Es…Esperanza?" I stood and the nurse waved, and I followed her. "Nice to see you again, any specific reason for the sudden appointment?" I nodded as she took my height and weight in the hallway then she opened the door letting me in. I sat on the examination table, the paper crunching under my butt. She grabbed a sphygmomanometer taking my pressure then a thermometer to take my temperature "open" I let her stick the plastic-covered metal under my tongue. "Alright thank you," she wrote everything down, very precise, such attention to detail. The sound of pen writing made tingling chills run up my spine to the back of my ears.
"Yeah recently I have become inconsistent with my birth control and I have had dramatic effects." She smiled and wrote my words down.
"What are your symptoms?"
"Well my period is four days late, I've been having back pain and headaches, my sleep is completely disrupted. I become very nauseous to certain smells and foods. Oh and um-"
"Sorry to interrupt but have you been sexually active in the last few months?"
"Yeah with female condoms though. But that is all my symptoms I can remember at the moment." She nodded and jotted it down.
"Alright I'll get and she should be here in a couple of minutes." I nodded as she closed the door, my knee started to bounce as my stomach churned. My nerves making me want to vomit again, I glanced around for cameras or for someone watching and rush to the trashcan and purged into it once again. I panted and leaned towards the sink to wash my mouth out, I stumble back to the table and hop up onto the table probably ripping the paper in the process. There was a soft knock on the door before stepped in.
"Hello Mireya, long time no see" she beamed glancing at her clipboard "I see you haven't been taking your birth control as consistently as before. Why is that?"
"M-my depression has spiked again to the point where I cannot leave the bed." She nodded grabbing her stethoscope and pulled my shirt down slightly and listened to my heart. She instructed me to lay down and pull up my shirt, she felt around my stomach and quirked an eyebrow. She looked back to her clipboard "everything seems normal. How about I take some blood and urine to see your hormone levels. Have you been stressed recently? Your blood pressure seems a little high."
"Yeah, mainly because of all sickness, wondering what it is and such." She hummed.
"I can see how that can be stressful. And you have been sexually active but with female condoms correct? Ever suspected the protection to break?" I felt my blood go cold.
"N-no but thinking about it now it might be an STD" I gulped and shook on the table.
"Hey, I am not saying STD. Look we will at your blood and let you know later on today what we find ok?" She laid a hand on my shoulder rubbing it soothingly. I sighed and nodded, she said her goodbye and left. I played with my hair, twirling a strand in between my fingers and tried to control my breathing.
"Stress isn't good for the body sweetie" I jumped and glanced at my side.
" I mean no disrespect, but can you stop doing that?" I said aside towards her.
"Why when you need me the most right now?"
"I am not a child; I don't need to have my handheld."
"I am here to help you relax" I leered at her once again.
"How do I know you are real?" I must be going crazy.
"Because this" she waved her hand and all the cabinets open and slam shut in a rhythm. I softly gasped as she smiled softly. "And you aren't going crazy muffin." I clasped my hands onto my head.
"Can you leave my mind alone? Where is Jason is he close?"
"He is hiding and safe honey. And you should let him know."
"Know what?" There was a knock on the door and the same nursed stepped in with needles tubes and a cup. I waved at her and held out my left arm looking away. I felt the tight band on my upper arm then the prick and hissed. I tapped my foot as I waited, I hissed again as she pulled the needle out and placed the labels on the tubes. She handed me the cup and I followed her instructions going to the bathroom. Piss in the cup put the label on and write my information and handed it back to her. We said our goodbyes and it was at the supermarket I go!
I parked and slipped into the deli section, grabbing a turkey delight and paying for it right away. I hopped back to my car and sat down, I peeled the off the wrapper and took a bite. I forgot how good turkey tastes! I chewed and swallowed down half the sandwich this should disgust me, but it doesn't. I was so lost in my feast of this sandwhichy delight that I barely heard the loud knocking on my window. I looked over and my heart dropped to my stomach and my sudden hunger had run for the hills.
The black officer gave me a skeleton smile as I rolled down my window "hello officer how can I help you today?" I wiped my mouth of mayonnaise.
"Hello, do you happen to me Me-mer-uh fuck, um Mi-"
"Mireya Esperanza?" I rolled my eyes, seriously does any American know how to pronounce names.
"Yes sorry ma'am, are you Mireya Esperanza?" I nodded, thinking of what the next question will be. "Can you come with me down to the station? We would like to ask you some questions." Bingo I nodded again and grabbed my things.
"Do I leave my car here?"
"Sure, I'll bring you right back." I stepped out and locked my car, following him to the back of the police car and started out the window as we rode off. My stomach started to churn as I thought of a story. It would have to be a convincing story.
"Never mention that you met Jason is a good start" Pamela chimed sitting beside me in the back. Well duh, but how can I explain why I went back to the camp? "Easy, use your disfigurement. People are cruel, who go to a populated area to relax when you can be alone?" Good point. "Also use that fake guy you were trying to cover up Jason with his name was Erik, right? Is that what you made up? Tell them he already went back to Sweden." I nodded to myself as we arrived at the station.
The interrogation room was cramped, a camera at the corner, a small metal table and three chairs. I sat down on the wooden chair, my back was already aching, and I softly groaned rubbing it. I looked at the right corner to find Pamela again, she gave a soft wave "just listen to me alright?" I blinked instead of nodded and the door opened two white men in work shirts and khakis walk in. I glanced at their badges Ron and David.
"Hello Mireya, how are you today?" David smiled and sat down, I glanced down letting my hair curtain my face.
"I'm fine" it was barely above a whisper and I crossed my arms.
"Is something wrong?"
"Just, self-conscious of my scar and all."
"Well I think you are a beautiful woman " Ron spoke up, his voice was nasally and I fucking hated it. "Need some water? A cigarette maybe?" I quickly glanced up and away. I took a deep breath.
"This chair is uncomfortable; it's hurting my back" I shifted in my seat again.
"Well, we can't really change that for you, sweetie, sorry about that." David tapped his pen onto the clipboard, I frowned at the name. "What did you do today?"
"It's too boring. I woke up, threw up and decided that was the last straw, called my doctor and scheduled an appointment. I took an hour's drive here and got my blood taken from me and then I went to the store to get a sandwich" I lifted my sleeve showing the hospital-grade bandage around my forearm.
"How did you get the scar?"
"Ron I sw-"
"No, it's fine, man is curious." I sighed and relaxed my shoulders, looking to my upper right as the memories passed through my head "I was in Elementary, three racists triplets didn't like my black hairstyle lit it on fire, there was oil on my face so that lit up too, and that is that. They somehow didn't get expelled or even juvie for it, probably because their dad was a sheriff if I remember correctly. And that would be a horrible look on the police if the public found out his three angels committed a hate crime" I leaned forward onto my elbows looking David dead in the eye and gave a very angry grin "now wouldn't it?" He visibly gulped as I sat back "it's all on record, but they call it an 'accident' how in the fucking hell is it an accident for an eleven-year-old to bring a lighter to school while his other two brothers hold a girl down while he lights her hair on fire." I spat venom and rested my hands onto my lap huffing in anger. "So pardon me if I seem a little anxious around American white men or authority for that matter. That is why you asked right, Ron? To see what the big deal is. Why is the bitch hiding her face?"
"Alright honey, that is enough."
"Don't you call me honey!" David sighed in defeat.
"I apologize . We started on the wrong foot. Let's try again, I heard you are an artist mind telling me about that?" I softly smiled and glanced away again.
"I just draw now and then, mainly naked bodies."
After an hour of an extremely boring conversation Ron stands up and stretches, he asks the million-dollar question "do you know anything about Jason Voorhees?" Fucking finally damn.
"I know his legend, like the little boy drowning 30 some years ago. Then camp counselors died or something like that?" Ron nodded to confirm.
"Have you been to crystal lake?"
"Yes, twice." I can't lie about that, probably caught me on security cameras heading that direction.
"Describe those two times for me."
"The first time was with my friends for spring break. We didn't have money to pay for a resort or something, so we went there. Uh, it was pretty strange, the last day we were there skinny dipping in the lake, me and Savannah, the details have left me it's been three years and some change. But anyway, she heard a sound in the woods, I had a rock in my hand and when we saw movement, I threw it and it hit someone. It wasn't Alex or Jaquan, so it was a complete stranger. I just think it was a homeless person."
"And the second time you went?"
"I graduated early two years after the incident. It was December and I couldn't go to a resort or anything."
"Why is that?"
"Because of my disfigurement asshole. Not everyone treats people who look different normally. They stare, make comments, come up and ask questions. I just wanted to have a tiny vacation to myself where I wouldn't have an anxiety attack. I know the camp was abandoned, and people usually visited during the summer anyway."
"Why would you go back after that homeless man incident?" Damn Ron got me with that one, shit think think think!
"It's been two years; he would've moved on by then, wouldn't he? That was my thought process anyway."
"How was that experience?"
"It was very peaceful; however, it was hard to stay warm though. Left the third day."
"What did you do exactly?"
"Just stayed inside reading or walked around exploring. I was completely alone isolated. How did I know? I could only find my footprints and no one else's."
David and Ron glanced at each other; David sighed "what do you know about Jason Voorhees?"
"Just the legend and that he was apparently disfigured" I shrugged nonchalantly.
"Do you believe that you were followed home, Mireya? A serious question, you might've not seen anyone there, but did you feel like you were watched?" Ok, that blew me out of the water, I rested my chin in my palm.
"Not that I am aware of no. I don't think anyone followed me home, do you know if anyone is following me? For how long? And why haven't you told me?" My frantic voice and twitching sold the idea that I was panicking.
"N-no miss! It's just- anyways. Have you ever met with Jason?" I made my eyes widen.
"Right now, I am more worried that you just basically told me I'm being stalked. By who, this Jason guy? Is he real? Is a serial killer following me and you haven't told me shit!" My eyes started to water at the memory of Jason leaving, the tears fell down my chin and I sniffled.
"No that isn't it-Mireya please calm down we are just trying to figure out wha-" my ringtone blared into the room. I took deep breaths and wiped my tears.
"M-may I answer it?" Ron nodded.
"Put it on speaker" he spat, David glared at him. I pulled out the phone and looked at the number oh god what does the hospital want now? I press accept then speaker. I took more deep breaths.
"Hello? May I speak to Mireya Esperanza?" She sounded very cheery.
"Speaking" I sniffled.
"Ok so your bloodwork came back, there is nothing wrong with you" she sounded excited, I smiled too and held the phone closer to my mouth.
"T-then what's with all the symptoms and such?"
"Well good news, you are pregnant! Your hCG levels are very high, the urine test confirmed it too! Congratulations! Would you like to schedule the next appointment to discuss your options?" I dropped the phone and my heart fell to my stomach; my hands started to shake as I let it sink in how can I be so stupid? It was so obvious! "Hello? Mireya, you are still with me?"
"Y-yeah I'm here yes I'd like to schedule another appointment."
"Does next Tuesday at 12pm sound good?"
"Perfect."
"Alright have a nice day! Bye," I hung up and laid my head down on the table and started to sob. I'm fucking pregnant and Jason is gone, I'm pregnant by him and he's gone.
"Congratulations" Ron's voice was soft, I glanced up.
"I'm done. I have nothing to do with Jason Voorhees or any serial killer for that matter. I want to go home and figure out how to raise this baby with a father in Sweden who could give less a shit about me. And no, I don't have his number if that is what you are going to ask. Just take me home, I want to go home." They glanced at each other and let me leave, I was taken back to my car and it was dark out. I got in and went home.
I unlocked the door to be greeted by Precious first, I then collapsed onto my knees and started to sob. "Just my luck eh? Pamela is this what you fucking meant! Why not just tell me right off the bat!" I yelled to the empty air. Nothing came back.
At that moment I never felt so alone, Jason isn't here, my friends are probably avoiding me, and Pam is gone too. I'm alone with a fucking baby, I laid a hand on my stomach I have to tell Jason but where is he? I sniffled again and pondered. "He's most likely at the camp… I'll go there tomorrow, he deserves to know."