Reagan

Preface

Author's Notes: The ultra new and cool version of Preface-Reagan. I hope you enjoy it!

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PREFACE

Ouch.

My eyes flutter down to the pain in my wrist. It hurts when I am in hot water, but not in frigid water, for some unbeknownst reason.

It's the jagged, pink, puffy scar that runs across my wrist that hurts; my left arm this time. I stare at it in both confusion and dismay. Why did I do this? I think to myself.

The world will never know. I laugh at loud. As if my scars were a tootsie roll pop! I sigh shakily and let the hot water wash over my body and disappear down in to the drain.

I step out of the shower and get dressed for the last time. It's my favorite spring dress and sandals. I look at myself in front of the mirror and twirl around.

"You look beautiful." A voice says from the door of my dorm. I stop abruptly and see Dr. Penn in the door frame, smiling. He was my shrink during my time here, he helped me through a lot.

"Thanks. I thought since this is my last day at Shiny Meadows, I should go out with a bang." I say, looking at my reflection again. I was short and frail looking. My usually curly brown hair was thin and lifeless and hung on my shoulders like curtains, even when it's not wet.

Spending eight months at a psychiatric hospital can really wear you down.

"Well, we'll definitely not miss you!" he chuckles to himself. That was a saying at the Shiny Meadows. Whenever someone leaves to go home, everyone tells them they won't miss them, since in honesty we wouldn't. Everyone here comes with a problem, and most leave healed. Like me.

I came here because I had attempted suicide after my parents went missing. I don't remember two weeks before I came here. I barely remember life itself before I came here. It's like I woke up. Like the old Reagan was a character in a book I read a long time ago.

"I'm so excited to go home-well, Aunt Kim's home." I say, smiling like an idiot! But, I couldn't help it, I saw so happy to actually leave this place. I mean, being fifteen and being trapped in a Looney Bin will make you want to experience a normal life, since I can barely remember my old life I really want to have one.

"She is terribly excited to have you as well." He said, and stepped inside my room and touched the paintings I did during my stay.

Aunt Kim was my mother's sister and was always around when I was younger. So was Callie, her child, who was the same age as me. I remember us being inseparable. I also have a faint memory of us swinging on a tire swing, but then my memory hit a dead end whenever I thought further into it.

"She'll be here any minute to come and get you, you should start packing." He said, taking one of the paintings down and laying it on my sheet less bed. The nurse had come by and taken all of the blankets and pillows.

"I'm done packing; I'm leaving the paintings there for a reason." I say, tugging at my luggage that was hidden underneath the bed.

"Do you wish for it to stay here for the next patient?" He asked, placing the painting back onto the wall.

"You're a quick one." I laugh and pull out the bag and place it near the door.

"I try, I try." He chuckles, and helps me pull out the next bag of luggage.

"I'm going to miss you." I hug him.

"You aren't supposed to-," he started, but then he sighed and wrapped his own arms around me. He was my only friend here, granted he was my personal therapist. We parted and he smiled down at me with his glasses nearly falling off the bridge of his nose. He patted my head and wished me luck and left.

Nurse Johnson came and helped me bring my luggage down to the lounge.

"I hope you find what you are looking for." She tells me sweetly, during while we were in the elevator.

"Find what?" I asked her, but before she could answer, the elevator doors open and a middle aged woman was standing there with her arms spread out, expecting a hug.

"Aunt Kim?" I asked, before crushing myself into her. Her arms enfolded around me and she smelled like Chanel No. 5. I remember she always smelled like a sweet perfume.

"Oh, Reagan, you are so grown!" She cried, kissing the top of my head.

"I just love reunions! I don't see them often here anymore. Reagan is only the third patient to have been released this month, and there are over two hundred girls here!" Nurse Johnson said, dragging my luggage past us.

"Well, I'm happy she was lucky enough to be one of those three." Aunt Kim said, squeezing my arm. I smiled up at her and followed her out of the lounge and to her car that was parked out front.

I was about to ask her where Callie was when I noticed her silhouette in the SUV's tinted windows. While Aunt Kim was talking to some of the nurses, I got into the car and decided to have my own little reunion with Callie.

"Reagan? Is that really you?" she asked when I hopped in. She looked the same as I remembered her, and that must've been at least five years ago.

She had the same dull blonde hair and the same pale, blotchy skin. She was wearing a pink spring dress, similar to mine.

"Yes, Reagan Dufrene, in the flesh, at your service!" I said, bowing formally. She giggled.

"Wow. You look good for spending more the half a year inside a crazy house." She said, hugging me. When I hugged her back, I could feel her spine underneath my fingers. That scared me.

"Yeah, I suppose." I say, shaking my hand, as if I could remove the feeling of her bones out of my memory.

"Just one thing before you trust that b****. Don't." she said, her vulgar language making me jump back in surprise.

"What are you talking about?" I asked, my eyes widening in fear. Her hand lifted up and her skinny, bony finger pointed outside of the window at Aunt Kim who was talking joyously with the nurses.

I looked back at her and swallowed hard.

"Why not?" I asked, feeling for the door handle, just in case.

"Because she is the definition of evil. Don't trust her." She says, and places her hand over mine.

"I don't understand." I say, sweat started to build up on my upper lip. I always sweat there when I'm nervous.

"Just do as I say and you'll stay alive!" She said, and then turned away to look out of the window. Just then Aunt Kim opened the door and jumped in. She looked behind her and looked straight at me.

"What are you doing back there? You don't want to sit up front with me?" she asked. I decided to take Callie's advice at that moment.

"No, I rather sit back here."

"Alright, but you'll regret it, sitting up front, you can chose any music station!" she laughed harmlessly. I smiled plastically back at her and glanced over to Callie. She shook her head and her lips formed the next sentence:

"She hates me."

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Author's Notes: Well I hope this was a better written version of the first Preface. J