Kirsten+Christensen

Oasis  Rocks falling. Air decreasing. Water deepens. Muffling sound. Deeper and deeper. Peaceful surroundings. Light meets darkness. Graceful show. Schools passover. All over the water. Deeper and deeper. Dancing bubbles. Rising upward. Swaying life. Blissful thoughts. Oasis away. Always wanting to stay.

Evening Song

Music emerging from the trees swirling mystically through branches. Legato tunes embrace that which is around; mourners and murderous, beggars and gamblers. Throwing their lots in the ever-growing pot. Graves deepening the minds of the broken. Lost lovers swaying to the tune. A rope hangs, twisted and braided, strung up to med bleeding hearts. Guilt burdening and pushing to the edge. Sun is now gone, warmth to be replaced with frigid pain. Singing wistfully and blissfully, unaware of those around. Filling spaces and echoing out. Bringing the strong to their knees, and the weak to their feet. The dead to heaven, walking on the stairway provided. By the music, birds evening song.

Patient 62338XC A tall dark man was walking at a brisk pace. Constantly checking the exorbitant, diamond encrusted watch clasped around his wrist. Unable to will the watch to magically go counterclockwise he quickened his pace. One last session to make and then he’d be free. Free to go to the piano recital he promised his eldest daughter he’d go to. He’d go to listen to the clashing notes that the gracious little 8 year old would put into song excerpts from composers like Bach and Chopin. He loved his daughter but the thought of sitting through other girls her age butcher songs by the greats made him cringe. He had told his wife that he would actually be there this time, and not late. This session would push that though. This was the last session for the day. A psychiatric patient suffering from delusions of voices from those she became. Other personalities stuck inside her mind. She was usually classified as a person with Dissociative Identity Disorder but in her last report the therapist suggested something out of the usual. From behind came the pounding of feet and a huffed, “Dr. Loveridge!” The Doctor turned around and saw a young man in his twenties, dressed in green scrubs, jogging the short distance between the two. He was tall, with fiery red hair and, the closer he got, the greener his eyes became. He raised his voice slightly and answered back, “Yes, what is it?” <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">The young man came to a stop a few paces in front of the doctor. He was clutching a manila folder with paper shoved into it. There were bold red words on the front that made out: Confidential. He breathed a few deep breaths and studied the doctor’s appearance. The Doctor was about average height and a little round, his deep chocolate skin contrasting with the white linoleum floor and wall. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">He smiled apologetically. “Sorry, but you this”, he lifted up the folder in his hand, “in the office when you left. I saw it a few seconds ago and thought you needed it.” His smile faltered slightly, thinking of what may happen. He had heard so many things about the Doctor, none of them being positive. Not many in the clinic liked the Doctor. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Finally he spoke with a questioning smile, “Thank you, Mr.—“ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">“Oh, Thiago. Doug Thiago.” The young man’s smile crept back onto his face timidly from surprise at the doctor’s unexpected interest in something so personal. The Doctor’s reputation had given the young and eager Doug some anticipation at meeting him. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">“//<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Maybe the occasional brown-noses who parade around the entire clinic like royalty. What douche-bags. //” Doug snickered to himself, “//<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Maybe they are all wrong to think that way. //” He didn’t see anything wrong with the doctor. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">The girl in the office upstairs told Doug about the Doctor when he had asked. “He’s a bastard. Has no care in the world who he hurts while clawing his way to the top. He only cares about the money. Did you know that he has a family? Well, why would you if he’s always here and never there. Don’t even have pictures of ‘em. A cold hearted bastard, that’s what he is.” <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">“Well Mr. Thiago, I appreciate you running to give me this file. I actually needed it. I had forgotten that I didn’t take it.” The Doctor smiled, He was preoccupied by the familiarity the young man held. He had an appeal to him; or that Déjà vu feeling. Looking at his watch again he bit the inside of his check feeling his molars cut into the soft flesh. The metallic taste of blood mixed in with saliva. Swallowing he asked, “Why don’t you walk with me?” He turned abruptly, leaving Doug looking confused and behind him. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">“O-Okay.” Doug hurried to catch up with the Doctor. “Where are we going?” <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">The Doctor looked at him, “Just up here, there is a patient I need to see before I leave for home. She has D.I.D. and I need to see if what her last therapist put is true.” He patted the manila folder in his hands. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Before Doug could open his mouth to respond the Doctor stopped. “Well this is my stop.” The door to the right of the Doctor was what he was pointing at. It said: Patient 62558XC. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">The young man nodded and said, “Oh, cool. Um… good luck with your patient...?” <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">The Doctor nodded in agreement. “Thanks.” As Doug walked away the Doctor got his keys out, unlocked the door, and stepped into the brightly lit, all white room. There was a mirror on the one side of the room, facing the table in the center with two chairs surrounding it, turned toward each other. In one was a girl, with disheveled blond hair. She was fair with deep-set gray eyes. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">The mirror was a one-way mirror which allowed people in the other room to view the proceedings going on. Nobody was in there though. Just a recorder on, noting every detail in the other room. He had told everyone to go, that it would only take a few moments and that he didn't even know if he was doing the interview at all. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">“Hello, Ms.—“, he looked down in the manila folder, “Everdelle. I’m Doctor Loveridge. This will only take a few moments.” <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">She didn’t speak, just looked away. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">“Um, why don’t you tell me about yourself?” He paused for an answer. He waited and, seeing that he wouldn’t get an answer, he continued. “How did this all begin? Your voices, and thoughts?” He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Bzz. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Bzz. Mrs. Everdelle shuffled around, making noises with her legs on the linoleum floor. Bzzz. She wouldn’t stop moving, the sound echoed around the room. Bzzz. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">She didn’t speak so he decided to let the silence push onto her, trying to make her speak by breaking the silence. He opened the file and read a section written by the previous psychiatric doctor that examined her. It said: “Mrs. Susie Everdelle, convicted for the murder of ten men. She had stated that the serial murders were not indeed her fault but the cause of a Ms. Vivian Everdelle, who resides in Mrs. Everdelle’s subconscious mind. When asked for Susie to reveal ‘Vivian’ so I could further analyze her psyche. She said, “Vivian only comes when I can’t do what needs to be done.” When asked to explain she closed up and would not speak on the topic. I believe that the ‘Vivian’ spoken of is a tool to keep the woman out of the State Penitentiary. Further questioning is necessary to discover the truth behind ‘Vivian’. – Doctor Phillip Lang” <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">“Susie?” the Doctor asked timidly. For Mrs. Susie Everdelle had gotten unnaturally quiet during the few seconds of reading the file. Looking up he saw a sneering smile on the beautiful plump face in front of him. Something was different about the smile that didn’t fit on the face that the smile belonged to. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">“Ha! No that pansy left when she couldn’t handle the pressure.” She smiled a wider, more sinister smile. “She always does that now. It used to be that I’d have to force my way out. People would treat Susie like trash and she wouldn’t do anything about it. Those are the times when she’s at her weakest and I’m stronger than ever.” <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">“So you only come out when Susie is weak?” The Doctor hurriedly scratched notes into the file. His phone began vibrating again. Bzzz. Bzzz. “Does that mean that you really did commit the murders?” <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Bzzzz. More notes. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Bzzzzzzzzzzz. Finally it got on the Doctors nerves. “Um, would you excuse me for just a moment?” He set his paper and fountain pen onto the table when the woman nodded in agreement. Standing he turned and faced the door as he pulled the phone out of his pocket. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">“Hello?” The color from his face drained from his face. Quickly he pulled his wrist towards his face to study the diamond encrusted watch. 8:30 PM. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">“Where are you? You’re late, no beyond late. Why do you always do this? Lilly is in the bathroom crying because her father skipped out on her, again! Her father doesn’t care about her.” His wife’s voice lashed out through the tiny speaker. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">She was speaking so loud that at the table Vivian could hear every word clearly. The taunting smile left, replaced by a thin slit. Fury flooded her eyes. “Ten men. Ten deserving men.” Vivian said, standing up without the notice of the doctor. “You see they had everything and threw it away. I think,” she grabbed the fountain pen, “I think that the first was the most deserving. Down right stepped all over Susie. Ruined her. That’s when I came out the strongest ever. Ever since then I’ve only been as strong eleven times. I ruined him, like he ruined her. I liked the feeling. The control, the power.” <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">The Doctor’s wife hung up the phone. Too furious to deal with him any longer. “I’m sorry, what were you saying?” He turned around and saw the hate lined in the eyes now right in front of him. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">“I’m never going to let go of this power.” There was a sharp jolt of her arm and the Doctor felt excruciating agony from the pen piercing his abdomen. There were several more jolts of her arm, the smile slowly returning to her face with each thrust. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">He fell to the ground, blood pooling around him. The Doctor lay there, his heart slowly clinging to its last few beats. Da, da. Da, da. Daaa, daaa. Slower and slower his breaths come. In. out. In. Out. His eyes wander the space above him, seeking an escape. There, in the corner of the room he sees her. Standing and waiting. Waiting in a dark solitary corner, where the fluorescent lights don’t reach. Her gray t-shirt and sweats a subtle contrast from the walls behind. Droplets of sweat cling to her forehead, not wanting to drop to the floor below. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">“S-Susie…?” He choked out. Coughing at the immense pain coming from his chest. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">“I-I should have warned you.” she whispered, barely audible to hear over the shallow breaths coming from the man’s body. She began again in a slightly louder voice, “I t-told you not to do it. She doesn’t like t-to be confronted. N-no-now you’re hurt...” Her eyes began watering at the corners and quickly spread to the middle, making her cry softly. It was a cry of shame and slight fear. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Tears began to cascade down her soft, plump cheeks. He tried to speak but his voice had left. Terrified, a face of shear horror. Horror at what had happened. Her fingers clenched, face distorted. She looked around for something, anything that could help. She saw it, there in the middle of the room, where they had sat before, was a table and two chairs facing each other. On the chair with shackles attached to the bottom was a blanket. She walked quietly over to get it. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">The man couldn’t see her anymore. The thought that she had left frightened him. His breaths were coming slightly faster. Pain shot through his chest, making it all worse. He then saw her. She was back in the corner in front of him. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Something was different though, her demeanor had changed and she was different somehow. She walked forward with her head bowed, a blanket in her hand. She spread out the blanket with a flourish of the hand. She concealed the Doctor with the blanket, leaving his eyes uncovered. Staring at him, thinking deeply. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">“Goodnight.” She whispered, the corner of her lip perked up. Letting the sneer hang there while she pulled the rest of the blanket over his eyes. She whispered now close to his head. “Like I said, I like this power.” <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">The man’s breathing slowed, heart struggling to push out a few last beats. Life was escaping, he was barely able to hold on. His last breath of life escaped. His phone started vibrating now. His daughter now. Wondering where Daddy has gone to. Bzzzz. Bzzz. Bzzzzzzzz.