Dr. Matilda Honey has dedicated her whole life to helping children, especially those with The Shining, children with special abilities as she was. For many years, she has actively contributed in Eleven Foundation, an organization dedicated to suppor...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Shining among Darkness
By WingzemonX
Chapter 36. Fresh Air
Carrie arrived at the public park, where they agreed to meet, around three o'clock. She approached down the cemented path with careful stride or even looked somewhat embarrassed. Matilda hadn't been waiting long for her on that old wooden bench. She had sat there and used her waiting time to simply look at the other people who were hanging out there, as well as get some fresh air and think.
Chamberlain seemed like a pretty quiet and pleasant place, typical of small towns like that. Very different from Boston, no doubt. But she had quickly gotten used to city life, so she didn't immediately imagine what it would be like to live in a place like this.
But neither Chamberlain nor Boston was what was occupying Matilda's mind at the moment, but the young woman who was slowly approaching her. Or, specifically, the incident they had the other day at the junkyard. She was concerned with what she had seen in Carrie, but also the way she had reacted to it herself.
Matilda could be very bright, but she was still a girl who had just finished school and was a bit of a novice at that job. She had helped the Foundation before with other Shine children, but none like Carrie. She was definitely a case that deserved much of her attention, more than she initially thought. If that had happened to Matilda Honey four years later, she might have found a better way to calm things down. And equally, she would have known what to say that same afternoon in that park...
"Hello, Dr. Honey," Carrie said slowly when she was already in front of her. Matilda only responded by nodding her head slightly. She didn't even think about correcting her about calling her just Matilda. "Are you still mad about the other day?"
Matilda sensed quite a bit of fear in the way Carrie had asked that question. Apparently, what happened affected her as much or more than her. But it was difficult to know exactly what was bothering her: what she had done, or just the possibility of having annoyed the psychiatrist. It was probably the latter, but whatever it was, a vengeful attitude wouldn't help at all.
Matilda sighed slightly and then stepped to the side on the bench to make room for her. Right afterward, she felt the space with one hand to indicate that Carrie should sit down.
"I'm not mad, don't worry," she replied with a half-smile. "It's my fault for not being prepared."
Carrie nodded. She removed her backpack and sat on the bench next to Matilda, placing the bag on her lap and hugging it a little against her.
"How do you feel?" Matilda asked softly.
"Good... but something happened today..." Carrie whispered, her rosy gaze lowered as if she was embarrassed.
"With your mother?"
"No, no," Carrie was quick to reply. She lowered her face again, now her cheeks flushed. "Prom is in two weeks, and a guy invited me to go with him."
