Author's notes:
This story was submitted under Valentine's Day Story Contest 2017.
This story builds up slow then goes on with its pace. So if you are in for a shag then this is definitely not your story.
This is my first story so pardon me for the mistakes.
Don't forget to vote and comment.
Enjoy!
Thanks.
avinash1997
Chapter One
I woke up again, panting. This has become a routine. Sleep was far away from my eyes, so there was no point in going back to it. So I decided to make something to eat.
I made my way into the kitchen, wishing that it weren't empty. But it has been empty since that accident. Two years back my family, which solely consisted of me and my mother, met with an accident on our way back from the grocery store. A thing that has haunted me since then, because I was the one driving. The shock written on her face was a sight I want to forget. The scream was deafening.
She was a fighter though. She always told me that I was worth fighting for. She kept smiling, telling me that everything was going to be alright, till she took her last breath.
The funeral was simple and plain. Only the ones who knew my mom from her work and some of her relatives came to see her depart. My aunt Allie came to see her too. She hugged me between the pile of tears. She said that she felt sorry for not being there in her last time. I accepted her condolences with a smile even though my insides were churning, trying to settle with the fact that my mother was not with me anymore. Aunt Allie also asked me to come live with her till I completed my high school, but I refused her politely.
This is when it all started. I wasn't able to sleep that night or the night after that. Every time I closed my eyes, I would see my mother calling for me, but the more I got close to her, the more she faded away. This would terrify me to my wit and I would end up in a pile of screaming dummy. This went on for a year. I kept having those nightmares. Nightmares of her drifting away from me. The affect was obvious. She was my life. She was the one who raised me on her own when my father died in war. She was my family and she was the one who taught me what love was. That is why losing her made me have those horrid dreams. I thought that it will go away after some time. But eventually it became a part of me.
Then I started seeing her, doing her daily course as if she was alive. I could feel her presence close to me. She'd drift past me as if air, then disappear into the darkness. A month later she started talking to me. She would come to me in the morning, singing her favourite song in my ears, waking me up. I knew that it was just my mind playing games with me, but it all felt so genuine, so good. Whatever it was I didn't want it to end.
Losing my mom shocked me to my shell, but losing her all over again every night in my dreams drove me further into the dread. I went from my previous jovial self to a silent person. Many of my friends tried to console me but I just ignored them straight away. I wanted to be isolated and that's what I did to myself, shrivelling up into my shell I just went on with my life. I broke up with my girlfriend as that would have been so unfair to her, me self loathing about myself and she trying to talk me out of it.
High school was like that for me after my mother's death. I never got out of my dread until my aunt Allie found out about my state. Her daughter Sarah was in my class so it was obvious that I may be the topic of some of the evening reports. She came home and confronted me about it and that was the first time after mom's death that I broke down. I told her everything from those nightmares to the presence I feel. I kept talking and she kept nodding, listening attentively. At last she got up, kissing my head she asked me to see a psychiatrist. I nodded dumbly.
"I am going to give you her address. She is a friend of mine. You opened up to me that means you can easily open up to her."
I took the card from her and got up to fix her some coffee. After having coffee I walked her to the door to see her off.
"Give Sarah my regards and thank her for spying on me," I smiled.
"Will do. I am also going to ask her to hook you up with some of her friends so you don't die of loneliness," she teased.
I made a face making her raise her hands in surrender position. She came forward and hugged me.
"Try making friends with Melissa. She is just like you. Even if you are her patient she will try and flirt with you. That's her. So don't get wierded out okay?"
I just nodded, not wanting to talk about it. She understood and made her way to her car. I watched as she made a turn and went out of sight.
I sighed as I felt my mom patting my shoulder. "You should listen to her."
"What if she comes to know about you? That I can see you?"
She caressed my cheek and I leaned in her palm.
"You don't have to tell her. If she comes to know then It's okay. If this is good for you then I insist that you should do it," she said smiling lovingly.
"Okay mom. I will see her tomorrow."
Chapter Two
I was standing outside the house of the psychiatrist I was supposed to see. Melissa Ravenport was her name. Aunt Allie told me to see her at her place as she thought that Melissa was family. Not that I wanted some special consideration. In fact I wasn't too keen to meet a psychiatrist.
I rang the doorbell and heard small footsteps approaching. I was greeted by a little girl which I thought was Melissa's daughter.
"Yes?" she said poking her head out.
"I'm here to see Melissa Ravenport. Is she here?"
"Is my mom in trouble? Are you going to arrest her?" she looked at me questioningly.
"Uh..no! Why would I arrest her?"
"Ana! Who are you talking to?" came another voice from inside the house.
"Mom! There is a man on the door who is not going to arrest you," she said turning around and dabbing her way inside.
A little later Melissa came out wearing sweatshirt and pjs. Her face and body was denying the fact that she was a senior psychiatrist and had a daughter. Her golden blonde hair were tied in a neat bun and her face looked like she was still in her twenties. Her eyes having a deep blue shade added a decent amount of beauty to her face. Her lips were curled up in a smile which I found hard to understand.
Melissa cleared her throat bringing me back from my thoughts. Maybe I was staring too long that's why she was smiling like that.
"You must be Allen. Come on in."
As I entered her house a sweet and strong aroma of pancakes thundered my nose. I stood just inside the door unmoved as I was too lost in that wonderful smell.
She chuckled. "Oh! That must be my pancakes. Ana loves them," she said making a gesture for me to sit on the couch laying in the living room.
"Me too," I breathed, looking over at my mother who standing by the vase near the door.
"What?" Melissa asked.
I looked over there again. Mom just smiled and faded away. "Oh! Nothing. They smell delicious."
She smiled. "They taste delicious too. Just give me five minutes to collect my things and then we can begin our session. But first we will have some of those pancakes. If you promise me that you are going to behave the I can spare you some cakes too." There was softness in her eyes which indicated that she was just teasing.
I nodded.
"And can you keep an eye on Ana for me? See if she steals some of those pancakes before I serve them," she said pointing at her daughter who was sitting on the dining table, drawing something in her sketchbook. I smiled and nodded in agreement.
"Not much of a talker huh?"
"I just thought that nodding would be more convenient."
"It is, but it's good to let the words out sometimes. Don't worry we'll see to it. Because in these sessions you are the one who is going to talk."
