The Collection

The Dissenters

 Caspian was extremely uncomfortable in the metal fold-out chair. 

 Maybe it had to do with the fact he had seven strangers staring at him, listening to him talk. 

 The circle deciphered every word he said, plucked all the sincerity and sugar coating from it, leaving his testaments raw and vulnerable. They did it without speaking, that was the scary part.

 They did it with their eyes, with their body language. The others laid back lazily with shaking legs and tapping fingers, bitten lips, laughing in their heads at the stupidity and utter ridiculousness of this whole process. 

 Since this passive aggressiveness could never be taken out on the doctors or the nurses or the orderlies, it was silently hashed out in the heads of the patients. He always knew they shouldn't hate each other, loathe and despise and blame one another. They had to save those emotions for the people who truly caused them. 

 Dr. Amsen cleared her throat at the head of the circle. For a long time, the only noise came from the mechanical whirring from the overhead fan. 

 There were balloon strings stuck and wrapped around the body of the fan, as if once there was a party or celebration here. It was astounding to ever imagine true joy and happiness in a place like this. 

 "Ok, we'll end with Cameron since no one is volunteering," Cameron, who sat three chairs over, next to Caspian, gave out a sarcastic breath, knowing no one ever volunteered. 

 "Well today I feel better I guess. All my... therapies are getting better." Dr. Amsen tilted her head and leaned a little forward in her seat. "How is it, getting better, Cameron?" 

 Cameron rolled her tongue around inside her mouth, looking up, trying to find the answer the Dr. was looking for. 

 Of course she did it over exaggerated and comidical because that was her personality. Her notorious quirk that constantly got her in trouble with her parents and teachers and anyone older than her. 

 If she hadn't been branded as a Dissenter, then her parents would have sent her to some other reformation program. At least it would have been a normal one. 

 Dr. Amsen cleared her throat again and looked down at her clipboard shaking her head. 

 "What's up Doc?" Cameron chimed on curiously, nodding her head at the doctors clipboard. A few in the circle laughed, or at least smiled. 

 The rest were much smarter by now and kept their humor inside, hidden, buried along with the other feelings and emotions that they were forced to leave behind once branded. "Cameron, I know you are new here. It's your what, fifth day?" Cameron nodded, no sarcasm or slyness. 

 "So you aren't used to the reparations that this facility executes," 

Silence once again filled the room and everyone could hear the hum of the low powered fan once more. 

 Cameron's face was frozen now, waiting to hear what the doctor's next threat would be. Caspian could practically see the monster called fear creep its way onto her face. 

"But you need to learn what those are. It'll prepare you for the future therapy sessions your fellow Dissenters all go through." 

 The doctor turned to the side and called out to the two orderlies standing by the hall's doors. She told them to take Cameron to an Atonement session. 

 Cameron was definitely scared now; she scooted up to the edge of the chair and gripped the sides of it with both her hands like she was holding onto the ledge of a building. Her eyes were wide open and skittered all around the room, landing on every other patient in the circle.