CHISEL- Mature content, 18+, explicit content

Chapter Fourteen - Cloud of Black Smoke

"What scares you?"

Amelie looked blankly at the older woman sitting across her. She was leaning forwards, her hands supporting her chin, legs crossed and wearing that professional concerned look on her face that was only there because of her job. It gave off the feeling that she was indifferent and trying not appear bored. She had blond hair- clearly dyed, and streaked with shades of brown and copper. Her red painted nails were distracting; the only bright colour in the dull room.

"What scares you the most right now?"

Amelie shrugged. A lot of things scared her but they didn't contribute to her life. The things that did scare her, she wasn't going confess to this woman who looked like she spent too much time on appearances.

Dr Andrews glanced at her notes. "OK then, how about what keeps you awake at night? What's the number one worry you have in your mind?"

"Never being able to see my family again."

"And who is your family?"

Amelie sighed. Therapists like this one, were always persistent. This wasn't a new experience for her. After her accident, she'd been tossed buckets full of different support from mental health care units to barristers and witness protection officers. It all did her head in in the end, but she had thought it would have been worth it. Funny that. Amelie decided she might as well try answering this woman's checklist of routine questions. She had to admit that she had longed for someone to just offload (albeit not all but most of) her worries to.

"I've have an older brother and sister. And I have a niece. She's six."

"What's her name?"

"Lily."

Dr Andrews smiled. "My sister is called Lily. Do they live close by?"

"Gina does. That's my sister, " She explained. "Lily's her daughter. My brother lives in Canada."

"Why do you feel that you wouldn't be able to see them again?"

"I don't know." She wasn't going to accuse the man sitting next to her.

Dr Andrews nodded. "OK. So back to your nightmares, is there anything that appears the same? Do you dream of a specific person or situation?"

Amelie thought about the question. "It's always dark and I always feel like there's someone there watching me. Wherever I go, I feel like there's someone behind me."

"What about the figure you've started to visualise recently? Can you describe him?"

Her lips tightened together and she shook her head a little.

"When was the first time you saw the figure?"

Amelie shrugged again.

"Are you on any medication at the moment?"

"Just painkillers." She told the doctor about her chronic injury and the prescribed painkillers.

"Do you stick to the daily amount or do you take it according to how you're feeling?"

"I take my daily dose. But my doctor told me if I'm in a lot of pain I can take more."

"How much more do you take?"

"Three or four more tablets."

There was a silence and then Dr Andrews asked, "How often have you taken four or five more tablets?"

"A couple of times."

"A couple of times? How many days a week, Amelie?"

Amelie was getting frustrated. "I don't know. Maybe three or four days a week?"