Page 86 of Fragmented Illusions

I’m going to puke.

“Shut up!” I bellow, smacking the sides of my head as tears burn down my face. “Shut up!Shut up shut up shut up!” I scream at the top of my lungs, using every ounce of strength I have. I throw myself out of bed and launch myself at my mother.

My hand connects with flesh once. Then again. I feel warm blood spray my face as I flail my arms haphazardly. I cannot fucking take it anymore.

I cannot do it.

I can’t.

Iwon’t.

All of a sudden, there are two big arms wrapping around my torso and yanking my thrashing body off of my mother. I throw my head back and make contact with something hard. I hear a crunch, then a grunt, and I’m falling to the floor. My knees smack the cold, hard ground with a loud crack and pain radiates through my knees from the impact.

I force the pain to help me focus.

I need to get out of here. If I don’t, I will be stuck here forever.

I need to find Solomon and Spencer.

We have to get out of here.

I spin around and run to the door, but before I can pull it open, four people in scrubs race in. I try to shove my way through them, but my tiny body is no match for one of them, let alone four. Hands grab me everywhere and then I’m shoved face first onto the floor.

I feel biting pressure in my shoulder, along my spine, and across my thighs as I’m held to the floor. My cheek aches as it took the brunt end of my fall. I have no choice but to stare out at the colorless floor as they crush me.

I feel a familiar poke in my backside and almost immediately, the polished floor blurs, muddles, then turns black.

“Fallon? Can you hear me, Fallon?”

“Shouldn’t she be awake by now?”

“She has been heavily medicated, Lily. It could take her a while, especially with how bad she was.”

“But she will be okay. Right?”

“I will make sure of it.”

The voices cut off with the sound of a door clicking shut and then locking. I keep my eyes closed because I know if I open them, it’s all over. I will have to face my reality.

I’d much rather stay in the dark.

I know I need to try to get out, but I can’t. I can’t bring myself to move, or to even care. What’s the point in fighting it?

My parents have complete control over me. If they want to lock me in here and throw away the key, I will be stuck in here forever. Iamstuck in here forever.

To pass the time I know for a fact will drag out by the millisecond, I close my eyes and let the med inducing exhaustion pull me under.

“She did something bad. I know she did—with her strange behavior and the things her friend told us. We can’t risk it, George. It could ruin the business if she hurt someone.”

“Our concern should be Fallon, Lily. Not the business.”

“It is! That’s why she needs to stay here; so she can get better and then come back home. We will keep it all out of the papers like we did last time.”

“She’s our daughter. She is our first priority. I don’t give a shit about the business, or the papers! I just want her to get better!”

“You think I don’t want the same, George! She’s my baby girl—but she’ssick.She is nothing like the girl we raised. There is something severely wrong with her, George. She scares me. There is something dark in her. Something much different than before. It’s bad this time and I’m scared they won’t be able to help her. Do you remember the day after Halloween when she told us about those masked men who were apparently trying to kill her?”

“Yes, Lily, I was there too.”