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CHAPTER1
The visions aren’t real.Riley repeated those words like a mantra as she sat in Dr. Henry’s waiting room.
Riley appreciated being alone in the small room. The framed artwork on the beige walls imbued a splash of colour in the otherwise muted decor. The coffee table was covered with glossy magazines and a single cardboard holder with blue pamphlets sat in the corner. She rarely had to wait long for her therapist, and today was no exception.
Dr. Henry opened her door, saying goodbye to Tracy. The woman whose weekly appointment was an hour before Riley’s. “Come on in,” she said, waving Riley towards the door with a brass nameplate.
In contrast to the waiting room. Dr. Henry’s meeting room had an eclectic array of color and artistry. The shelving unit went from wall-to-wall, with every cubicle stuffed with books and artifacts. Various subjects and genres were mixed together with an organizational pattern only Dr. Henry understood.
She took a seat on the comfy Victorian chair that sat opposite of her therapist. The room smelled of freshly brewed coffee as Dr. Henry held a coffee cup in her hand. Her doctor never held a pen and paper as she taped their sessions, and the cup gave a sense of familiarity as if they were two ladies, sitting down for afternoon tea.
Dr. Henry took a sip of her coffee before holding it in her lap and smiling at her patient. The doctor was a tiny woman in her 60s who loved pinstriped suits. Today she wore a white satin blouse beneath her blazer. “How are you, Riley?”
Riley placed her boho style bag on the floor, before removing her green camo jacket. She’d been coming to see Dr. Henry for over a year and was beginning to feel comfortable in her presence. She took her ball cap off, allowing her brown hair to fall down her back. “I’m good.”
“Last time we talked, you were having... Dreams about the attack,” Dr. Henry said.
Riley fidgeted with her hands in her lap. “They happen when I’m awake.”
“These visions, are they becoming more frequent?” Dr Henry asked.
“Yes.”
Dr. Henry took a sip of her coffee. “How is Daniel?”
Riley rubbed her chest. “Dad is the same. Sometimes he remembers me, other times he doesn’t. It’s hardest when he thinks mom is still alive.”
“The Graydon County Care Facility is the best in town. I know you feel guilty, but you had to place him in full-time care. You could no longer attend to his specialized needs.”
Riley scrunched her shoulders together. “I do. He seems happy there. The people are really nice.”
Dr. Henry wet her lips. “Do you think it’s a coincidence that these visions started when you were forced to put your father into a care home?”
Riley’s green eyes met Dr. Henry’s. “What would my father’s health have to do with these visions?”
She sipped her coffee. “That depends on what they are. Tell me about your latest vision.”
Riley picked at the sleeve of her black cotton top. “Does it matter when it isn’t real?”
Dr. Henry placed her mug in her lap. Her doctor was never impatient and Riley appreciated that trait. “Dreams or visions, in this case, are usually symbols of something else. Tell me about them.”
Riley hunched over in her chair, making herself smaller, as if she could hide from the monster in her vision. “He was big, with black sticky skin and gnarled fingers. He had long gray claws and glowing red eyes. His head seemed too big for his body, with spiked horns growing from his temple and he smiles with yellow serrated teeth before he reaches for me.”
Dr. Henry arched her eyebrows. “That’s a vivid description. What does this monster do to you?”
“He bites my neck. Fire races through my veins and my body burns from the inside out. That’s when I know I’m going to die,” Riley said.
“Dreams can’t really hurt you, Riley. They are a way for us to process the events of our real life. You mentioned in a previous session that you had instances where you foretold certain events. Do you believe you have psychic ability?”
Riley shook her head. “No. I’ve been to a few psychic conventions. I have asked them questions about their gift. Specifically, how it works for them.
“What did they tell you?” Dr Henry asked.
“Most can get an impression by touching a person or reading their tea leaves. Some use Tarot cards as a medium. The point is, they can call on their gift at will. It’s never worked like that for me.”
Dr. Henry placed her cup on the small table beside her chair. “I believe the monster is a symbol of your inner demons. A representation of the man who attacked you. The visions started when your father was placed in permanent care. Your subconscious is trying to process the fact that you will lose your remaining parent. This trauma is causing the past to resurface. It’s perfectly normal and expected.”
Riley considered telling Dr. Henry about the man from the mist. While her body is in pain, he emerges from the shadows. While she can’t see his face, she can hear his voice, comforting her as she dies. He doesn’t scare her. She thinks of him as a dark angel, materializing from the shadows to facilitate her travel to heaven.
