Hush

Chapter 1:Diagnosis

I sat in the cold steel of the waiting room chair in the middle of a small hospital. I was with my mother. With all of my nightmares in the recent three days,she was extremely overwrought. My nightmares weren't normal. They were violent and vivid. It caused me to thrash in the middle of the night. My mother recalls me screaming last night and there has been other instances where she would try and wake me up and I'd end up punching her. For no apparent reason,I never had normal dreams. I tapped my finger on the arm of the chair,my eyes pacing the room. "Grayson?" The doctor in a blue t-shirt led me back to one of the rooms. I sat on the bed,as usual. "What seems to be the issue?" The nurse asked as she eyed me. I was prepping to speak,but my mom piped up before I could. "My son has been having extremely violent night terrors. Every night." She shot a look my way. I just nodded. "Hm. What goes on in these nightmares?" She directed her attention to me. "I don't really remember much when I wake up. But I die in every nightmare." I said. "That's very unusual." She pushed her hair out of her face before jotting down something on her clipboard. "Okay. I'll be back with the doctor. You two wait here." She set the clipboard on the table and walked swiftly out of the room. I looked towards my mother. "Why does it seem like she was scared?" I mumbled. "She was probably just getting the doctor. Relax." I leaned against the wall,studying the single painting on the adjacent wall. I always hated hospitals. The smell,the people and the overall energy of it. It always seemed like it wasn't even real. I was snapped out of the state as the door swung open. A tall man with dark hair came into the room. "Hello,Mrs Watt.." He said,shaking my mother's hand. "Alright Grayson. You said you were having bad night terrors?" He arched his brow. "Yes. I don't know what they're about,I can't really comprehend them. But I die in every one of them." I explained. "How odd." He said. This worried me for many reasons. Why is this so odd for doctors that see millions of patients a year. "Have you ever seen shadows in your room?" He looked up from the clipboard. "No." I replied. "Hm. Are you ever worried that anyone is following you or stalking you?" He asked. "No." I responded again. I'm assuming he thought I had schizophrenia,which would explain such violent night terrors,but I don't. "Maybe we should just put you on anxiety medication and see how that works for you. Take one before bed,every night." He said,standing up. He seemed concerned but I wasn't bothered. My mother and I stood up. We got the prescription form and headed to the pharmacy.
Before we headed into the store,I noticed a missing persons flyer stuck sloppily to the door. I stopped for a moment. "Just go in,I want to look at this." My mother shook her head and walked in without me. The missing person is a girl,my age. Which was seventeen. Her name is Reece Andrews. Last seen October 5th,1996. Only went missing a few days earlier. In a town like Woodsborrow,everyone knew everyone else but I had never met this girl. We all trusted each other so whoever took her might've been from out of town. I studied the picture of her again before finding my mother in the store. "Mom,did you hear about the missing girl on that flyer?" I asked her as I tailed behind her through the isle. "I have." She responded before stopping in front of some chips. "What happened?" I asked curiously. "The news said that she was heading to a friends house. She went into the woods for a shortcut and she never came out. The police haven't found any trace of her yet besides her phone." She looked at me. "How strange.." I said quietly,looking at my shoes. I couldn't help but to wonder who had taken her.
Once we were home,I made my way to the computer. I tried to find if anyone in my town had a criminal record,but I couldn't find anything. I sighed in defeat,heading to my bedroom. I sat in my bed,scanning my room. Movement outside the window caught my attention. I turned and saw a girl,walking into the woods. The same woods. I panicked and ran downstairs and outside as fast as I could. As soon as I got to the edge of the woods,nothing. Not a even a trace of a human presence In the area. No tracks,nothing. I looked through the trees and didn't see anyone. Confusion and Fear waved over me. How could I see someone when there was never anyone there. Maybe I am schizophrenic. Out of breath and tired,I walked back across the street to my house when I noticed the last name on the mailbox of the house right next to the woods. "Andrews".