Chapter 2
After breakfast my mom took me to see the psychiatrist. I sat in the soft armchair, staring at the woman who claimed that she could help me. She was very tall and very… portly. She wore large glasses attached to a long chain that went around her neck and a very ugly suit. I thought that if this lady was able to get through college than anyone could.
“So,” the woman paused looking at the clipboard in front of her. She couldn’t figure out how to say my name, I recognized the look.
“Aisling,” I told her. She smiled and looked at me.
“Of course, Aisling. How have you been feeling lately?” she asked me. I stared at her with indifference, not wanting to answer. She cleared her throat, “Okay then, how about you tell me a little bit about yourself. What is your favorite color?” Again I refused to show any emotion and refused to answer. The woman looked at me slightly annoyed and looked at the clipboard she held in front of her.
“Can we just get to the part where you tell me that I am a complete psychopath and need to spend the rest of my life in an insane asylum?” I retorted. She looked up surprised and sighed.
“Fine. The information that your mother gave me says that you have been hallucinating. That not only do you hear voices that you also see things and can feel them, that you believe that there is someone named Kyre that talks to you. Is this true?” she said in a blunt tone. I looked at her and grinned.
“That is only partially true. Kyre is really there. He punched me in the face yesterday and that made me fall over, but he also told me to drop the kitten in the pool and to push my mom in the pool and not let her out,” I told the woman as my grin turned into a smirk. “Also sometimes I can float in the air or make water or fire shoot from my hand or mouth. I see things that no one else can see,” I started to get carried away but I didn’t care, “I hear things that no one else can hear and I can do special things that no one else can. I need to be able to do that so that I can fight the monsters that are trying to control my thoughts.” The woman looked at me before slowly writing something on the clipboard. She stood up and turned to me.
“Can you go and fetch your parents and bring them in to speak to me please?” The woman asked me. I nodded and walked stiffly from the room not caring that the woman probably was going to tell my parents that I was some messed up psychopath that would someday become a serial killer unless I was kept locked in a padded cell with other psychopaths.
After ten or twenty minutes I was called back into the room with my parents. My dad looked very upset at me for some reason and my mom looked like she was going to cry. I sat down on the couch next to them and waited for the news that I knew was coming.
“Aisling, let me explain something to you,” the psychiatrist said slowly, “Every person has certain natural chemicals in their brain that balance and let a person go through life normally. You also have some of these chemicals but some of them are missing. The chemicals in your brain are unbalanced and so you hallucinate. It can be treated, but only when it is minor. In your case it is no longer minor; it can’t be treated for you.” I sighed and looked at the ceiling, “Aisling,” the psychiatrist pulled back my attention, “You’re schizophrenic.” I nodded swiftly and sat tuning out her speech on how I would never be able to function normally in society and how I would always be different and that unless I learned to ignore the voices I was going to get myself into trouble someday i.e. you’re so crazy that unless you do this impossible thing you will end up as a serial killer.
“Aisling!” my father suddenly yelled. I looked at him in shock putting on my best innocent face, “We are trying to help you and you are blowing this off!” I nodded and my mother gasped.
“You stupid child, get a grip! You will not blow off your life like this,” mom yelled at me. I sighed in annoyance. They couldn’t treat it so it’s not like taking this seriously could help me.
Grab the glass figurine and break it against the wall! Kyre suddenly walked into the room. I followed his orders and stood there holding the sharp edged glass. The psychiatrist, whose name tag I finally read and discovered was Dr. Norton, looked me directly in the eye while mom and dad looked nervously towards me and the door. Cut open your arm, Kyre told me, and cut deep. I looked at him and blinked slowly. He was telling me to kill myself? I looked at him in confusion and jumped at the feeling of a hand on my arm.
Kyre you idiot that will kill her and then where will we be. Don’t cut yourself. Kill the shrink. She deserves it. Myra told me softly. I let the meanings of the words sink in for a moment before a harsh sneer crossed my face. I looked at the Dr. Norton, malice filling my eyes, and was annoyed that there was no fear in her face. I stepped toward her holding the glass knife over my shoulder preparing to stab it into her fat abdomen.
“Aisling, they aren’t there. Ignore them and let these horrible ideas leave your mind.” She told me sternly. I shook my head smirking and tried to bring the sharp glass down into her. My arm stopped. I only partially registered that it was dad’s hand before trying to pull away. I put my other hand around his throat but I was too weak and was unable to make an effect on him. He was unaffected by my hands and merely pulled the broken glass from my grip. I screamed curses at him as he pinned my arms behind my back and held me down. He was a cop; he was trained to deal with this.
You’re such a failure Aisling, Kyre tisked at me, Not even able to complete one simple task. What about the name Ash, it will match the blackness of your charcoaled skin when I’m done with you. I wrinkled my head in confusion as an odd sensation trickled down my leg. I couldn’t see it but it felt like a thick liquid was flowing across my body. I heard something being put down before Kyre crouched behind me and ran his fingers through my hair.
Such a pity, you were so beautiful. He commented as he pulled a match from his pocket. I glanced down and saw a gas can on the floor. I looked up at dad in horror but he merely looked confused.
“Dad, get away from me! They’re going to light me on fire. Get away!” I screamed at him as Kyre lit the match on the rock. Myra glanced at Kyre and then at me in concern.
You two have some really serious relationship issues, she said as she left the room. I watched in horror as the flickering flame came dangerously close to my highly flammable skin. Dad looked sorry as he stood up and stepped away from me shaking his head. Dad was going to let them; he was going to let them burn me to death. “I hate you! You’re horrible parents! You would just stand there and watch me burn,” I interrupted myself by screaming. The flame ate my hair and now skittered down my face and arms like bugs. I writhed but for some reason I couldn’t move. I had to stop the flames before they burned through the gas and started to eat my skin away. I was trapped and felt my anger at Kyre for hurting me and Myra for letting him building slowly while the anger towards my parents for abandoning me to my doom was worse.
“Mr. Collins! Please get off of her! She is having a fit. She thinks that you are burning her to death. You need to pick her up and make her realize that you are there for her.” Dr. Norton suddenly said. I looked at her in confusion. Dad wasn’t anywhere near me. Was she crazy too? Suddenly I found that I could move and was lifted from the burning ground. I looked to see who was holding me and saw my dad. He held me close as he again and again reassured me that I was safe and that I was not on fire. The flames and the burning and the sounds disappeared, just like they had the previous day, except this time Kyre stayed and Myra walked back in the room. I stared at them waiting for them to leave like they had before but they didn’t they just stood there looking annoyed.
“Go away Kyre!” I screamed, “Leave me alone, Myra!” I screamed at both of them but Myra merely punched Kyre and Kyre ran his finger down his cheek like it was a tear. I screamed curses at them but Kyre just laughed and Myra glared at him. I didn’t notice anything else until my dad began to carry me from the room. He whispered to me as we left.
“They’re not there sweetie. Just pretend they aren’t there and they will leave. Just like the bullies at school did,” he told me. I remembered him giving me the same advice when I was younger and was bullied at school. Unfortunately the bullies hadn’t then left me alone; I just didn’t tell my parents that.
When we got home my dad and mom both talked to me about a special boarding school were people who were mentally unstable went. They said that I would be surrounded by lots of kids who have the same problem that I do. I shook my in disagreement. I didn’t want to go. I wanted to stay here with them. I needed them. Mom and Dad left after a while and I sat on my bed waiting for Kyre and Myra to tell me off. They never showed. It became late and so I got into bed. At midnight I woke up to find Kyre sleeping next to me. Myra was probably on the top bunk, or maybe she had gone home. I rolled towards him and let him wrap his long muscular arms around me. I felt safe in the arms of the person I was in the most danger from.

When I woke up I knew that there was something wrong. Kyre felt different. I looked up to see what was wrong and tried to scream at the sight of giant tarantula but my voice only came out as breath. I struggled to pull away but its long hairy legs held me still as it began to spin its web around me. The moist threads clung to my skin; holding my limbs tight like rope. I attempted another scream but the spider’s web covered my mouth and I was unable to make another sound. I whimpered in fright as I stared at the hairy monster and then closed my eyes as the white ropes of silk covered my eyes. I struggled to get out of the threads but every time I pulled the silk threads became tighter. I struggled to call out for Kyre but I couldn’t move my mouth. I felt a wave of anxiety begin to build and began to panic. Anxiety attacks made my hallucinations unbearable and even more nightmare like. Instead of being wrapped inside of spider webs i would be being eaten by thousands of tiny spiders. I scrunched up my face focusing on my surroundings. I focused on my stomach and realized that it felt bare, not tied with webs. I opened my eyes and focused beyond the webs. I clicked my tongue inside my mouth and focused on the sound until it stopped sounding muffled. Slowly the webs disappeared and I found myself safe in my bed. I smiled at how easily I had controlled the hallucination. Kyre was sitting next to me with a mixture of concern and laughter on his face. He lied down next to me and wrapped his arms around me. I snuggled closer and he began to stroke my bare back. I pulled away from him in shock and looked down at my torso. I was no longer wearing a shirt. Pulling my blankets back revealed my lack of pants. I looked at Kyre in confusion and anger but he shook his head looking perplexed. I looked around but couldn’t see my pajamas anywhere in the dark. I slipped out of my bed and toward the light switch next to my door. I turned it on and saw my pajamas folded neatly on a chair in front of my closet. I grabbed them and sat down on my bed about to pull my shirt on. Kyre’s hand snaked around my bare torso and pulled me down on top of him. I wriggled as he pulled my clothes out of my hand. He pulled me under the blanket and rolled on top of me. Hello beautiful, he said as he pulled off his clothes, Ready for some fun? I widened my eyes as he leaned in to kiss me. The middle of the night was Kyre’s favorite time of day but I didn’t want this, not right now.
Kyre! Myra’s voice rang out through the room, she doesn’t want it. Leave her be. I nodded in agreement with Myra. Kyre growled and mumbled something about not ever having fun and rolled off of me. I grabbed my pajamas and pulled them on quickly.
“Thank you, Myra,” I whispered. She glanced over the edge of the bed and nodded briefly before going back to sleep. I lied down and glanced at Kyre. He glowered at me still in his boxers. “No,” I whispered sternly and lied down with my back to him. He pulled me up against him holding me tight. I wriggled a little but finally sighed and let him hold me.

Three days passed with little incident. My worst offense was dropping one of the china bowls on the floor and standing in the shattered remains for almost ten minutes. Mom wasn't happy about that, and I think it scared her especially after I told her I dropped it because Kyre was tickling me. I was in the den (I was no longer allowed near the pool) when the phone started to ring. Kyre made a face and rolled over on the couch where he had been napping.
Answer the phone, Aisling. He grumbled. I stood up carefully and did as he said. An unfamiliar voice chattered at me through the receiver.
"Hello," the woman said, "I'm the secretary at Rolling Oaks Mental Institute. I'm calling in response to your request to enroll your daughter at our school." I stood for a minute silenced by shock. Mom and Dad had decided to enroll me, even though I had said I didn't want to go. "Hello?" the woman's voice seeked for a reply.
"Hold on let me get my mom," I said in a flat voice. I took the receiver away from my ear so I wouldn't have to hear the woman's silly replay before trudging up the stairs. Myre followed me, the curiosity on her face obvious.
"Mom!" I called, "the secretary from Rolling Oaks Mental Institute is calling about you enrolling me without my blessing!" My mom took the phone from my hand carefully. Her face held no apology.
"Hello, this is Daena, Aisling's mother," My mom said in her business voice. I stuck my tongue out at her retreating back before sitting on the bannister to slide down the stairs.
Your parents are enrolling you in the crazy school, even though you said no, Myra stated. I nodded before sitting down on top of Kyre. He groaned and swatted at me but I grabbed his hand and kissed his fingers. He blinked at me slowly. He sat up quickly and wrapped his arms around me, gently kissing my neck.
Something's wrong, isn't it? he asked as he drew circles on my hip with his thumb. I shook my head and burrowed into his shoulders. He kissed the top of my head gently. What's wrong with her, Myra? He asked, Aisling is never cuddly unless I ask her to be. Myra raised her eyebrows.
More like command but it doesn't matter, Myra spoke with urgency. Aisling's parents are enrolling her in that crazy school. Kyre’s grip tightened and he kissed the back of my neck.
I thought you told them you didn't want to go! Kyre grabbed my shoulders and pushed me away so he could see my face.
"I did!" I insisted. Kyre raised his eyebrows doubtfully.
If she says she did than she did! Myra snapped, Leave her alone Kyre. I put my head on Kyre’s chest.
I don't think she wants me to leave her alone right now, Myra, Kyre said as he slid his hand up the back of my shirt. I kissed his neck softly. Kyre made a throaty growl deep in his throat as his hand slipped to my front and ventured higher. A foot step on the stairs interrupted whatever we had been about to do. I slipped off of Kyre's lap and onto the floor.
"Aisling?" My mom peeked into the den and saw me sitting on the floor. She came and sat down next to me slowly. Her knees must be hurting her again. Kyre slid down to my other side and nibbled on my ear. I bit my tongue to hold back a moan.
"What is it Mother?" I asked, trying very hard to keep a straight face as Kyre kissed my throat.
"The school has accepted you," my mom said softly. I drew circles on my knee with my fingers. "They said you can come in a week early to learn your way around campus. There will already be some students there who stay over the summer," my mom gave me a cautious smile. I stared intently at my knee.
"Whatever," I grumbled. Kyre was sliding his hand up my shirt again. Either my mom or Kyre needed to leave and right now I wanted it to be my mom. Kyre kissed my cheek.
"We will talk about this more when your father gets home," my mom said as she gave me hug. I refused to hug her back. I was still mad at her. After my mom left the room I turned to Kyre.
"What the heck?!" I snapped, "How the heck am I supposed to pay attention to my mom and act sane with you..." Kyre kissed me on the lips, cutting off all arguments I was planning on giving. His arms wrapped around me and my stomach tensed and I grew hot. Kyre knew exactly how to make me bend to his will.
An hour later I was sitting on the couch in the den next Kyre, who was only in his boxers. I hadn't let a single article of clothing I had on, come off. I was quite proud of this, except even though the clothing was on me did not stop Kyre from getting inside it. Myra was sitting the couch's armrest; she was pouting.
"I don't see why we couldn't watch my movie," she whined. Kyre sighed.
"We didn't watch your movie, because you are a whiny child," he snarked. Kyre snaked his arm around my waist and pulled me right up against him. I didn’t like Kyre when he was in this mood. He had gone from being a comforting, kind of sweet guy to being a complete d*bag with the self control of a rabbit in heat. Myra would say he never has more self control than that but I have seen sides of him that she hasn't.
"I am older than you!" Myra said disdainfully. With a sigh I stood to leave. "Where are you going?" Myra asked. They were both so oblivious sometimes.
"I can't stand the two of you sometimes," I said with a huff. Kyre snorted, pulled me down on top of him and began sliding his hand up the inside of my leg. "KYRE!" I screeched. I kicked him as hard as I could and ran out into the hall. I was going to be in so much trouble later. My mom was in the kitchen cooking.
"What's wrong, Aisling?" She asked without turning around. I glanced at her in surprise. I would swear that mothers have a sixth sense for when their child is in distress.
"I don't want to go to the school," I sat down at the table hard. My mom glanced over her shoulder.
"You need to go sweetie," my mom said, "You are sick and the school will help you get better." I pulled my knees up against my chest. I couldn't tell her the real reason of me not wanting to go. I couldn’t tell her that I was scared and that I needed her and my dad around to protect me from my hallucinations. My mom walked over and put her hand on my shoulder. "Just give it a try," she said softly, "if you hate it after one year we will bring you home." I hadn't realized I was crying until that moment. I still didn't want to go but I felt like I had no choice so I nodded. My mom gave me a hug before going back to cooking dinner. I stood up with a sigh, mentally preparing myself for whatever punishment I would receive for hitting Kyre.