"Through Dreams Haunted - 1" by Marisha Forrestine Parker

1

Aria Evans could not believe what she was doing. What madness had ever possessed her? Aria Evans, three-time prom queen of her high school, cheerleader at the high-class college paid for by her parents, still denied the fact that she was here, had gone through the small talk, and was now getting down to business. Aria Evans feared that if she hadn’t gone insane before, she definitely had now.

“Okay. So,” he said, his pencil ready, “why don’t you tell me what’s bothering you.”

“Oh,” she moaned, “I knew this would happen. You sound just like a psychologist, and pretty soon I’ll sound just like your patient.”

Dr. Johnson tilted his glasses as he looked at her. “But Aria, I am a psychologist, and you are my patient, aren’t you?”

“Yes, but… I… I don’t want a shrink to help me. I don’t need help.”

“Then why are you here?”

“Only because of Thomas.” She waved her hand negligently. “He was worried about me.”

“Thomas is… your boyfriend?”

“Boyfriend?” She blinked a couple times. “No, no, not a boyfriend. He’s just my friend.”

“I see.” He jotted something down in his notebook. “And why was Thomas worried about you?”

“Okay.. well, like, okay. I’m kind of an airhead. I’ve always been an airhead. You know? Sometimes I just can’t concentrate on what’s going on. Like my head’s in the clouds. You know?”

“Mm hmm.” Johnson jotted something else down.

“Yeah, well, he says I’m even worse than usual lately. So he thinks I’m like, losing all my brain cells or something. Maybe.”

“Ah. So when did he start saying this?”

“Couple months ago, I think. I dunno, at first I thought he was teasing me. But then he said I should go see a shrink.”

“And you agreed?”

“Well, not really. I just wanted him to stop nagging me about it.”

“So you don’t think there’s something different about you?”

“No. Well, actually… I mean, no.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah. Well, I mean, I have been having these weird dreams, but that’s not really anything important.”

“Dreams?”

“Yeah. Usually I don’t have dreams, you know, but a couple months ago I started having really weird ones.”

“What are these dreams about?”

“Um… I don’t really remember. Like, I remember like this dark place, and sometimes I’m scared when I wake up, but I can’t remember stuff other than that…” she trailed off. The mist in her eyes told Johnson that she was lost in a memory.

“What is it?” he asked softly.

“…Sometimes I wake up, and I can remember my entire dream. I get scared when I do that, and I rush to go tell someone… but then the next minute I forget it.” Her voice was quiet and solemn. “I hate forgetting things. ‘Cause I know it’s important.” She stopped and looked at him.

He stopped writing and put the pencil down. “Hm. Okay, I’ll tell you what to do. Next time you wake up and remember your dream, quickly write it down. Keep a paper and pencil by your bed. These dreams may be a clue.”

“A clue to what?” she asked listlessly.

“To what Thomas sees different about you. You might want to ask him specifically what he thinks is wrong, as well.”

“Okay.” She nodded and stood up. “And then I come talk to you again?”

He nodded with a friendly smile. “If you wish. Goodbye, Aria. I’ll see you in two days.”

“Bye…” Quietly she stepped from the room.