When I came to, the first thing I noticed was the headache was gone and the next – I wasn’t in my room.

The tangy scent of ammonia filled the air and my stomach sank at the realization.

The infirmary.

The last place I needed to be.

“There she is,” Dr. Miller murmured. “You had a seizure, how are you feeling now?” she asked and leaned down to peer at my face. “Your color is coming back.”

“Seizure?” I repeated and winced when my voice came out raspy. My throat ached and I had a hard time swallowing because of my swollen tongue. Everything was fuzzy: my mind, the room, the doctors’ faces, heck, even the lights looked funny. “I don’t remember…” I trailed off and tried to mentally piece everything back together.

I remembered waking up this morning, getting dressed, helping Liz exit our room, and then sitting down at the dining table. But, nothing after.

How could you forget us?

This is how you treat your constant companions?

I saw a blurred movement from the corner of my eye and shifted for a better look. I inhaled sharply when I noticed the dark shadow materialize in the corner behind the door. Squinting my eyes, I blinked a few times and tried to clear the hazy overtone of my vision, but no matter how many times I did so, the shadow still remained an unidentifiable blog.
 
She sees us!

The booming voice caused me to jump. They were louder than I’d ever heard them.

You freed us, Little One. You broke the barrier. We are yours to command. You want another fire? Or maybe you just want to bathe in the guts and glory of those who condemned you? We can do that! We just need a little more power…

No. My heart sank. Was it possible? Were the voices corporealizing? For the first time in my life, I honestly felt crazy. 

Don’t listen to them Penny! Another voice cut in. We are not meant to walk this realm! They cannot be free! You must put them back!

“Penny?” I jerked my gaze back to Dr. Miller. She stood beside the bed with a worried expression marring her slightly wrinkled face. “What’s wrong?”

I watched the blob from my peripheral. It didn’t do anything more than just float. Inky tendrils of darkness feathered out every now and again, but it mostly just sat there.

“I thought I saw something,” I mumbled. I’d learned my first month here that Dr. Miller was incredibly keen on detecting lies, so I tried to keep as close to the truth as possible.

Her eyes went to the area across the room and I waited with bated breath. Her eyebrows drew together and she tilted her head as if she too saw it and my heart leapt with joy. Finally! Someone else would acknowledge their existence and everyone would stop believing me crazy.

“I see a corner that hasn’t been mopped in a while,” she muttered and turned worry-filled eyes back on me. “What do you see?”

Internal alarm bells set off inside my head. She’d asked me a loaded question and she’d promised me over a year ago that she wouldn’t do that again. Her vow to me had been the catalyst that we’d built our mutual trust on.

Don’t treat me like I’m a psycho and I won’t lie to you.

I decided to play along with her. I glanced back toward the closed door and blinked a few times before turning back to her.

“It’s gone,” I announced. “Whatever it was, it’s gone now.”

Dr. Miller narrowed her eyes at me and I tried not to squirm under her study. I hated feeling like an insect under the microscope.

Open her up, stick her under the lamp. See what’s inside of her!

Fun, fun!
“What do you think it was?” she pressed and I ground my back teeth together.

“A shadow or something?” I guessed – accurately, but she had no way to know that. “It was dark and fuzzy.”

The good doctor nodded her head once and turned to the orderly standing behind me.

“I think our patient is good to go, she’s just suffering some post-ictal symptoms from the seizure. Just note the cloudy vision, temporary confusion and agitation in her chart. I don’t think any medication is necessary at this time,” Dr. Miller explained and the young female orderly nodded in understanding before jotting down something on the clipboard in her hand. Dr. Miller turned back to me and flashed a small smile.

“Do you feel up to some group therapy or one-on-one?”

“Group,” I answered quickly. I sure as hell didn’t need to be alone with such a keen observer right now.

A/N: Please don't forget to vote!