the doctor and the hallucination that I can’t seem to blink away.
Strangely, Dr. Ophidian sighs, losing the smile that was plastered on his face as he takes a step closer to Tyson. “You will leave now, finish your shift, and go home,” he states, his tone deep and layered with something that I can’t quite pinpoint. My illness has affected what I see, but something about the way he’s talking makes me feel like my ears might be an issue too, which scares me even more.
Tyson blinks strangely, losing the friendly smile on his face. Then, without another word, he turns and walks calmly back through the front doors of Serenity Peaks without even a goodbye wave. I watch him go, bewilderment bubbling up in my stomach. “Ty—”
My words are cut off as Dr. Ophidian steps closer to me, and I’m forced to look up into his white snake eyes. I wait for the moment that one of his snake dreads will snap out at me, but they seem to be more settled now.
“Come with me, Sable,” he orders, his voice still dipped into that unusual tone that makes an itch start just under my skin.
He reaches out and grabs my upper arm as he starts to lead me away from the building. I go where I’m led, too experienced in listening to authority figures at the cost of my own instincts. I know I can’t trust myself, that my eyes and thoughts about what I’m seeing betray me time and time again, but it’s hard to swallow down the heady fear swimming in my mind and the instinct that flares through me to run.
As I’m escorted away from Serenity, I realize that the doctor doesn’t have my suitcase with all my valuables that Tyson so lovingly packed for me. I look back to see it sitting by the curb of the circular drive up, all alone and abandoned like I’ve been since I was three.
I lock my eyes on the door, hoping Tyson will come back out, but he left without a backward glance, and I’m forced to fold up my sentimental greeting card thoughts and tuck them away as tears burn the backs of my gray eyes.
Dr. Ophidian yanks me a little, and I stumble into his side. I swing my head forward to focus on where we’re going and cringe at the feel of his wings against my side. When his hold tightens on my arm, I bite back a whimper. It seems my new facility just might be more reminiscent of the one I grew up in, rather than the one in which I’ve spent the last four years.
I try not to feel dread at that thought. I know how to keep my head down and keep myself safe. And after what I did to land myself back here, I’d probably deserve it if things were a little less cushy and warm. Maybe it’s the universe punishing me even more than it already has.
Ignoring the snakes writhing and watching me, I keep my eyes averted on the parking lot as we stride forward. “So, you’re my assigned doctor?” I ask, but the man cuts me an unimpressed glance as he hauls me away from the parked cars and instead drags me over to the lot adjacent to the mental ward, my feet trying to keep up with his long strides as we hit the grass.
“What are we doing?” I ask with confusion, but as soon as we’re under the cover of the trees, Dr. Ophidian drops his hold on my arm and faces me.
I stay still as he starts to circle me, looking me up and down with clinical judgment. I don’t know what he’s analyzing as he looks at me, but when he stops in front of me again, his lips tilt up into a smirk. “I finally got one of you,” he says, but it’s like he’s speaking mostly to himself.
My brows pull down into a frown at his words. “Got one of who?”
His smirk spreads into a full blown grin. “Stop pretending. That won’t protect you anymore.”
I brush a hand over my suddenly sweaty forehead. “What?”
“You’re going to do exactly what I say, when I say it.”
Tendrils of black begin to slink into the edges of my vision as a cold wrongness fills me at his layered voice.
His hand once again comes to my arm, and I drop my eyes to it as my head begins to spin. What the hell kind of