Deteriorate

Silly.

Scott

"Mitch? I have something to tell you."

He turns to me. "What's up girl?"

"So, like, you know how my mom had a miscarriage?"

He parts his mouth open slightly. "Um, uh, how do you know about that? Wait, what? Why are we bringing this up?"

"I... I saw my sister, Mitch."

He looks at me for a minute and reaches over to turn on a light.

"I saw her."

"What do you mean you saw your sister? How did you even find out about her? I mean... Are you high again?"

"Again? Anyway, ever since I was diagnosed, I've been seeing her. She told me about going to the school and talking to those kids."

"I think we need to go to Urgent Care." He says and picks up his phone.

"No, I'm fine. Please listen to me." I say more firmly.

"This is silly, Scott. You're just having some side effects. Hallucinations or something. Besides, I thought you didn't believe in angels or whatever."

I swallow a lump in my throat.

"I'm not lying."

"I'm not saying you are, this is just crazy."

I feel my eyes fill with tears. "Fine. Don't listen to me, then. I knew you would be so close-minded about it."

He starts to speak but I run into the bathroom.

I look at my hands after slamming the door.

What am I turning into?

I'm not even mad at him. I mean, I am, a little bit.

I wonder if it's the radiation.

Everything now is caused by the radiation.

I take a few deep breaths.

I cannot let this turn me into a monster.

"Mitch?" I say and crack open the door.

"Yeah?"

I walk out of the bathroom. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I'm sorry too. Come sit."

I sit facing him.

"I'm sorry. So, tell me what you were saying again."

"It's okay, I can't really believe it either... It happens mainly when I'm sleeping. I can 'talk' to her with... My mind? She tells me things."

"Like what?"

I furrow my eyebrows. "Like... She told me that we were going to the school. You know, when we met those kids. She told me I would meet someone."

"Did you?"

"I mean, yeah. Me and this one girl got pretty close."

He scratches his head. "I mean... That's weird."

"Yeah."

He puts his hand under my chin. "Were you crying?"

I push his hand away. "N- no."

"Yeah you were."

I sigh. "I'm sorry I have emotions."

"Don't be sorry. I understand. Tell me more about what you've been seeing."

"It's just... When I go to sleep or even just close my eyes, she's there. She talks to me and I can talk back."

He blinks a few times. "So like... A telekinetic kind of thing?"

"Ah... More like I just think about stuff and she hears it and I hear her."

He nods slowly. "Okay."

"Do you get it?"

"Not really but I'm trying."

We sit in silence for a minute. "So should I go see a doctor or something?"

He shrugs. "I mean... I wouldn't push you to unless you want to. Maybe if it's bothering you."

"It actually... It kind of... Comforts me...?"

"Well, I wouldn't worry about it, then. It just seems like you got some major hookup with the God Squad." Mitch says, slapping my back.

"The God Squad?"

"Just made it up. It's good, right? Anyway, I'm tired."

"Me too." I say and turn out the light.

"Goodnight. And don't (forget to) touch my butt." Mitch says.

I roll my eyes. "Nice. Goodnight."

Maybe I'll finally get some sleep.

**

"Scott!"

Oh my god.

"What? What do you want? I'm tired!"

"Sorry, hun. Time zone difference. Anyway, I just popped in to say hi."

"Hi. Can I sleep now?"

"Yep, sorry. Toodles!"

I groan and go back to sleep.

Maybe this is silly.