--I--
It’s the same dream every night…
Clink, clink…
I’m standing on the Mega Tower andI hear the crack of the ion storm. I see the flash of light, hearing the hum as it strikes the nearby discharge rod. I can’t feel my legs, only the grip of Junkina in my hand. I look around and I can see them.
Clink, clink…
Their faces are all fucked up and Distorted, though. There’s blood everywhere. I try to stand but I can’t move my legs at all. I look towards the balcony and I see the Anubian lift Kenneth up by his neck.
Clink, clink…
He tosses Kenneth over the railing as another bolt of plasma rips open the sky. The rain has partially flooded the penthouse by this point. I can feel the water soaking my clothing and mixing with the blood on the floor. All I can smell is the sickly sweet, coppery scent, and I feel myself getting cold from the rain water pooling around me.
Clink, clink…
That final, infuriating noise takes me out of the moment, and I slowly look up, my eyes settling on the stupid cup. He was lifting the spoon to his aged, pale pink lips to taste his shitty bodega coffee for the fourth time in as many minutes. Once again, seemingly unsatisfied, more cream and sugar is put into the porcelain cup and stirred. Was he even listening? What was I paying him for? He hadn’t written anything down since I got here this time and was more focused on his lukewarm cup of coffee than anything I had to say.
“And so after that, I walk up to him and we settle our dispute with a very vicious game of thumb wars, but he beats me three to two,” I said, my tail lazily flicking next to my leg. Damn human chairs were so uncomfortable.
Even that didn’t get a response from him. He finally seemed satisfied with his coffee and leaned back in his chair and looked out the window. I tilted my head to one side, my sail flopping over as I quietly watched him.
“Hmm?” he said, turning his head towards me, probably because the silence had droned on for too long, “Yes, well,” he looked at his watch, “You’re making fine progress. Inaqia. You’re just processing what happened, that’s all.”
I solemnly looked down at my hands quietly. There was a spot on my right hand where Junkina had worn away the scale plates.
“We’re out of time for today, though,” he said after a few seconds, “let’s continue with the current exercises. Have you called your mother, yet?”
“No,” I replied dully.
I could feel his frown, “Let’s get on that, Inaqia. I’m sure she’ll be happy to know you’re alright. Same time next week.”
I nodded, standing slowly, feeling the relief in my tail from that ugly suede chair. I forced a smile at the doctor before I turned towards the door. Turning the knob, I exited the office. The blonde receptionist gave me a smile and, for what seemed to be the thousandth time, she pushed the bowl of sweets towards me. We exchanged numb smiles and I took a small handful of the little wrapped chocolates with the creamy center. I headed towards the elevator and hit the button for the ground floor, stepping into the empty lift with the muzak droning softly from the overhead speaker. I pulled the holophone from my pocket and flicked open the screen.
Forty-seven missed calls and thirteen texts. Less than usual. Maybe they were finally getting the hint.
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