Effie

Chapter Twelve

After her confrontation with Patricia, she was finally able to get some sleep. She woke up the next morning cheerful and better rested than she's felt the days before. She made the decision before bed to tell her parents of her 'gift'. It didn't matter what Patricia said to her, Effie knew her parents and she didn't. Effie knew that they would understand and be relieved when she tell them that she's not crazy. They wouldn't have to send her to an asylum.

She walked out of her room with determination and into the kitchen and greeted her parents. Her father looked up from his newspaper and smiled at her.

"I see you finally got some rest," he said relieved.

Effie nodded and sat down next to him. "I have something to tell you both."

Her father gave her a suspicious look and looked at her mother that was starting to sit down on the other side across from Effie. Her mother had a smile on, but Effie could see the tiredness and strain underneath.

"What is it, Effie?" she asked.

Effie cleared her throat and sat up tall. "I can see and talk to dead people." She smiled and looked between the two of them. Her mother's eyes went wide and her jaw dropped. Her father's face was unemotional and Effie knew instantly that this wasn't going the way she planned it would.

"W-What are you talking about?" her mother stuttered.

"Um," Effie hesitated. There was no backing out now. She had to continue. If she lied anymore to her parents, her father was sure to figure it out. "I can see and talk to dead people," she repeated quieter and slower than before.

Effie watched as her father ran his fingers through his hair and her mother avoid eye contact with her.

"But it's not a bad thing!" she said cheerfully hoping to bring the atmosphere back to where it was supposed to be. "I mean, yeah, I can talk to people who no longer have a heartbeat, but that doesn't mean that I'm crazy!" Her mother cast a quick look at Effie before avoiding her eyes again. "I promise you that I'm not crazy. I was told that when I hit my head in the wreck that I brought out that gift."

"Who told you about your, um, gift?" her father questioned.

"Patricia."

"Who's Patricia?"

Effie looked up to see Patricia standing behind her mother. She had a disappointed look on her face and was shaking her head back and forth. "She's a girl around my age who had the same kind of gift I do. She wasn't crazy, but her parents believed she was so they sent her to an asylum."

"And, um, where is this girl?" her mother asked concerned. Effie could tell she was trying to hide her concern, but she could see straight through the mask.

"Right behind you, but you can't see her."

"W-Why?"

Effie shrugged. "It's all part of the gift. Only people who have the ability to are allowed to see her, but sometimes I can't even see her. She can choose whether or not to show herself to me." She looked behind her mother and sure enough, Patricia was gone.

Her mother abruptly stood up and walked out of the room. Her father quickly got up and began to follow her when he stopped and turned back to Effie. "We will, um, continue this talk later." He then turned and ran after his wife.

Effie sat there for a while. That was not how she planned for the talk to go. She was hoping they would understand, but they didn't. They thought she was even crazier than before! Why would she think this would be a good idea? Why would she think that she could convince her parents of the truth?

She hastily got up and ran to her room and slammed the door behind her. She calasped on the bed and began to cry.

"I warned you," she heard Patricia say behind her.

Effie sat up and wiped her eyes. "Why didn't they understand?"

Patricia sighed and sat down next to her. "Because they don't have the mind to comprehend what your wonderful gift can be. They are just too close minded."

"They think I'm crazier." Effie looked at Patricia. "Don't they?" Patricia nodded. Effie chocked back a sobbed that threatened to leak out. "I knew it. I'm going to be sent to an asylum. There's no way of getting out of this, isn't there?"

Patricia sighed sadly and shook her head. "I'm sorry, Effie. I warned you that no matter what you do, they will send you, but you didn't listen to me. I tried to prepare you for what the people at the asylum would do to you, but you refused to believe it. Now, there's no way for you to get out of this." Patricia patted Effie's head before getting up and walking towards the door. "Goodbye, Effie. I'll see you soon." She then walked through the door and disappeared.