The next morning was slow and tiresome. I waited for Thomas all last night but he never came. I thought maybe he'd be a little late, but he never came.
Despite that though, I couldn't fall asleep.
The night was a cold, and dark one, filled with only my thoughts and the ticking of the clock.
I got up at my normal time, dressed myself and washed my face. But just as I was about to go down stairs to eat, my mom stopped me and said I had a doctor's appointment and wouldn't be going to school today.
So here I am now, sitting next to my mom in a fairly vacant doctor's office. Though, it wasn't my normal doctor's office. Honestly I had no idea where we were.
"So why am I here again?"
I wasn't sick, I was sure of that.
My mom just smiled and pet my hair a bit. "I've just scheduled an appointment with Dr.Francis."
Dr.Francis? "But that's not my normal Doctor. What's up with Dr.Matthews?"
"He's not really going to be much... Help, today." I frowned a bit.
"Help? What kind of appointment is this?"
My mom just gave me a weary smile and soon I was called in.
"Miss.Maxwell? You can come back now." I nodded curtly and gave my mom one last glance before standing and heading back with the nurse.
She didn't look like much of a nurse. She wasn't wearing the sickly green colored clothes most nurses usually wear. Or any patterned print that should belong on a baby's bed.
She was dressed in jeans and a black t-shirt with her name on it.
Julie.
She opened the glass door leading to the office. Dr.Francis was scribbling on a plate right next to it.
"Mrs.Francis will see you now," Julie said quietly and smiled before gently ushering me in.
The room was small and quaint, much like a guidance counselor's office in school. The walls were tan and there was nothing more than a black leather couch, a glass desk, and a book shelf with a plant on the back wall.
"Please, take a seat," Dr.Francis was a tall thin lady, with thick curly hair and pointy glasses. She had a pinched face that made you seem like she could never stop smiling.
I hesitantly nodded and plopped down on the leather sofa. It was pretty soft and comfy despite being fixed to look like perfection.
"I'm Dr.Francis-"
"I know."
She pursed her lip but still kept her smile. "Yes. Well do you have any idea why you're here, Miss.Maxwell?"
"Lilly." I corrected with a small smile and nod. "And no, I have no idea why I'm here."
She nodded and clasped her hands together on her desk. "Well to start off, it's nice to meet you Lilly." I nodded. "Today I just want to talk. I want you to tell me about yourself."
I nodded a bit and shrugged. "There's not much to say. I don't have a whole lot of friends." I paused before continuing. "There's James, my best friend since I can remember; Ryder, he's like an acquaintance but still pretty chill; Xavier, he's really nice and had an awesome style; and then Austin, who is a girl and probably the only girl friend that I've had."
She nodded, writing down everything that I said. "And your family?"
"There's just me and mom, and then my two little brothers, Connor and Elliot. I don't see them as much, and same with my dad. Frankly I don't see my family as much as a whole." I frowned and gave her a pointed look. "What's all this have to do with anything anyways?"
She just shook her head and waved me off as if I hadn't even asked the question. What the hell?
"Now," she said. "Any love interests? A boyfriend? Girlfriend?"
I bit my bottom lip and sat back. "Yes." She rose an eyebrow, telling my to continue. "A boyfriend. Thomas."
"Thomas," his name sounded vile on her tongue. "Tell me more about him. Is he good to you? Does your mom like him? Friends?"
"He hasn't met any of them." I said curtly. I now knew where this was headed and already my chest heated up and my head started to spin.
"Why not?"
"Because he only visits me. At night."
She hummed and gave me a queer look before nodding her head.
"Now, may I ask about your sleeping habits. Your files say you have a small case of insomnia?"
My files? I scoffed a little and rolled my eyes. "If you have files of me then why were you asking a butt load of questions?" I frowned at her and crossed my arms.
"The files only give us the general things sweetie," she explained. "Height, weight, allergies, disabilities, any of special notes." Dr.Francis shrugged. "Your family and friends are not mentioned."
Bullshit. I bet my family was on there.
"Alright, so what do you want to know about my sleeping schedule?"
"How many hours of sleep do you generally get?"
"I dunno. Three."
She nodded and wrote that down.
"When was the last time you got a full nights rest?"
"I can't remember."
"But you seem to be well rested. No bags under your eyes, your skin looks vibrant. You look remarkably healthy yourself for someone who doesn't get any sleep."
My eyes hardened and I shrugged. "So I don't look like a middle aged man, sue me."
"Lilly, I strongly recommend that you drop the attitude. This is a friendly environment. That kind of attitude will get you no where."
"But I have no where I want to go except for home!" I gave her a dry laugh and rolled my eyes for what felt like the millionth time.
"Lillian," I stiffened and glared at her sharply.
"Do not call me that. I told you that Lilly is fine. Hell, call me Miss.Maxwell if you want. But do not call me that." I paused and glared at her. "Only Thomas can call me that. And you sure as hell are no Thomas."
She pursed her lips and sighed a bit. "Tell me about him. Thomas."
I hesitated. Did I really want to tell a complete stranger about Thomas? With the way she was looking at me I was nearly positive that I didn't really have a choice.
Whether I wanted to or not, this conversation was all leading up to this very point and we both knew that.
"He's my boyfriend. We see each other at night and that's it. There's nothing more to tell."
She didn't like my answer though. "Well how do you see him? Do you sneak out?"
"He comes through my window on most occasions. Sometimes through the front door."
"When?"
"At night."
"Yes, but around what time?"
"12:07 am."
She rode her eyebrows at my answer. "That's rather specific wouldn't you agree?"
I scoffed a bit and shrugged. "Well if you want me to be vague about this then I'll be happy to-"
"No, no, the more details the better." She gave me a small smile and nodded her head. "Continue. What's he like? How did you meet?"
I gulped a bit. Oh lord.. "He came through my window one night.." I paused and looked at her slightly concerned expression. "He needed milk for his cat, Cordelia."
Now that I'm thinking about it, I haven't seen the poor cat in ages.
"I see.." She hummed and nodded softly. "So he just.. Came in your window?"
"Yep."
"How?"
"Um I think he used a ladder."
She hummed again and wrote that down. "So he's been coming at 12:07 am through your window?"
"On most occasions, yes."
"Have you left your room with him before?"
I nodded once.
"Where?"
"Well... We went to other parts of my house. We went to a park, and the movies-"
"Stop right there," well damn. "The movie theater. Explain that."
She must have something written down for that or else she wouldn't have asked. "Look, I don't want to talk about it."
"Why not?"
"Aren't I allowed my privacy?"
"Here Miss.Maxwell I'm afraid you are required to answer my questions."
I frowned. I was allowed some privacy and limits, surely. I have no idea where my mom decided to take me but I sure as well do not like it.
"Alright then." I frowned deeper. "He took me to a movie theater. We watched Beauty and the Beast and then we went home. End of story."
"Which movie theater." Oh god. Cmon Lil, think of a god damn amazing lie.
"I can't remember." Smooth. "All I know is that I think my friends said its getting renovated soon. Either that or that was the other movie theater."
She nodded and looked down at her papers. "Was it this, by any chance?" She held up a small picture and to my surprise, it was. That was the theater Thomas took me to. The shock on my face told her enough and she nodded before setting he photo back down.
But how did she even get that in the first place? That looks exactly like the theater when Thomas took me to it only a few nights ago. It was built up beautifully and everything was just as I had remembered.
Yet, I saw it damaged and destroyed.
I still hadn't thought of a good explanation for that one, and I just keep telling myself we must've gone to a different theater.
"And do you have any relation towards this image?" The next image was the movie theater as I saw it the next morning; run down and half way to being destroyed.
"That's the theater right down the road from my house." I said.
"And it's also the same theater as the first picture." I stilled in my seat. No. No, no, no, no, no. It was not.
"Miss.Maxwell, the first image was taken nearly a year ago. How you and Thomas managed to go to this exact spot only a few nights ago befuddles me." She said softly.
My breathing started to pick up and I shook my head. "No... Not stop.. Stop talking!" She was silent now but her words still ring in my ears. "Just stop would you! I don't want to talk about that anymore!" My hands were clenched at my sides and my chest heaved up and down.
"Miss.Maxwell.. Please calm down..."
"I am calm!" A dry laugh left my lips and I glared at her. A weird combination if you ask me. Hatred and laughter together sound rather sinister.
"Miss.Maxwell I have a simple solution to all of this if you would just be quiet and listen to me!" Her voice rose and she stood from her seat for a moment, towering over me.
My breathing got rigid and I bit my bottom lip before nodding. "F-Fine.." I said softly. My hands were still clenched and I still tried to calm myself down.
Despite before absolutely terrified, I wanted answers. I needed them.
"Now I think it's no surprise that I've done my research. I've talked to your mom and contacted a few of your friends. They've told me their point of views on all of this and frankly I'm shocked to see how well everything has fallen in place." What?
When did she talk to my mom? And my friends? My eyes darkened a little bit but I remained quiet, the last thing I wanted was to be restrained or thought of being crazy.
"What.. What do you mean?" I asked slowly as she still hasn't continued.
"Your mother... She said she hasn't recalled anyone coming into the house or you leaving it. In fact, she's said it herself that besides one incident, you've been sleeping rather soundly. I've checked the data on your heart rate monitor, the one that you're supposed to wear when you go to sleep," I touched my wrist where the bracelet would lay and bit my lip. She knew more about me than I thought. "And based on the collected data it shows that you have in fact been fast asleep."
She paused.
"Especially on the days you claim you've been out with Thomas."
I bit my bottom lip and looked at my lap. My eyes slowly shit and a slow, quivering breath of air left my body as I tried to collect everything. I've... I've been dreaming it all?
"But that doesn't make sense.." I murmur. "We had sex. It was real.... His kisses, his touch... The way he holds me when we dance.. All of it was real..."
"Which is what I'm coming to next," she said, almost eagerly. "You claim that he's been real, all the feelings, emotions, and events that's happened. Your body knows his touch and his scent and everything, am I right?" I nodded. "Well, that all leads to one thing. Have you ever heard of lucid dreaming?"
What? "No." I said bluntly.
"Well, it's where the body is in such a state that you're aware you're dreaming. You're able to control your dreams and everything seems so real and vivid, that it could be reality. The only odd thing about your situation is that you weren't aware of it at all.
I believe that you're such a strong lucid dreamer, that it comes to you naturally. You're so desperate for the dream realm that your body enters it without you even knowing."
I shook my head and looked at her as if she were crazy. "So you're saying that.. That it's all fake? It's not real and it's just... It's just my dreams?"
"That's exactly what I'm saying. The adventures, the sex, Thomas himself is all just apart of your imagination. None of it was ever real."
My heart lunges out of my chest and I can barely hear her words.
They fluid together in a pool of nothingness, so confusing and incoherent that I just shake my head to rid of the thoughts.
"No. He was real. He is real. He's always been real and nothing you can say will change my mind." I glare at her and stand up to gather my things.
My chest is starting to ache and I can't stop her words from rattling inside of my brain. I take a few clumsy steps towards the door, leaning against it for support as I try to open it.
My hands are shaking and my head is pounding.
"Lillian please..."
"No, no, no, no, no!! Do not call me that!" I'm screaming now and I turn quickly to face her. She's standing now as well and she's advancing towards me.
I back away into the door and breath heavily. "Get away from me!" I yell. "Go away! You're not to call me Lillian! Never! Never! Never!"
My head hurts more and my body is growing weaker. I'm seeing double of Dr.Francis now, and she's reaching out towards me.
I shake my head and try to push her away, but in doing so I loose my balance and fall.
The last thing I hear is my name being shouted before darkness swarms my vision, and the world goes silent.
~
Well. There you have it.
That is the truth and only the truth, but it's not the end of Thomas and surely not the end of Lillian.
There's roughly seven to ten more chapters before I decide to finish it.
But even then, I doubt you guys are ready for the ending. Cause if you THOUGHT you knew what was going on, you have NO idea what's actually happening so have fun! (:
~ Mercay