I sit at the wheel, parked outside an apartment complex. The clock is slowly ticking by and I'm just sitting here. Waiting. The air is thick and viscous, filled with tension. Sitting here fills me with dread, but the thought of getting out of the truck and meeting Agnes fills me with more dread. Why am I getting scared? I asked for this. Pain in the back of my head isn't helping with any of my decision-making processes. The fall I took must've been pretty hard for my head to deal with. At least I don't have a concussion. I flip open the glovebox, find my bottle of spare Aspirin, and dry swallow one. Being so accustomed to taking pills comes with its fair share of benefits. “Come on Sean, you can do this. What’s the matter, scared of a little confrontation? That’s alright, we can work on it.” I take a few deep breaths. I swing the door open, shutting it behind me. I march my way out of the parking garage. My heart was pounding, fear wrapping itself around me with every beat and blood pump. I had no idea where I was going, but it would probably be a good idea to start looking for which building I needed to be at. Thankfully, I see someone headed my way. I hastily approach them before seeing a phone accompanying their ear. I move my hand, waving to them in an attempt to get their attention. They look up at me, holding their hand over the microphone on their cell. I probably shouldn't waste their time.

"Excuse me, do you know where Building 6 is? I'm supposed to be meeting with someone and I have no idea where I'm going." She turned around and pointed behind her, before saying "It's just over there, take a right and keep walking. You can't miss it." I gave her a polite smile. "Thank you so much.” She gave me a small nod and went back to her conversation as she walked away. I took a sharp right, looking for the building in question. It was hard to miss the giant four on the side when you actually start trying to find it. Walking to the building, I began to scour for apartment number 4-51. It wasn't too long before I managed to find it, but I couldn't bring myself to knock. I just stood in front of the door awkwardly. I wanted something, anything, to happen. How was I going to explain what happened? “Sorry Agnes! I would've loved to be here sooner, but I passed out in the forest and had a violent nightmare! But don’t worry, I forced myself to take some pills and I’m hunky-dory!” I realize I’ve been talking aloud, sewing my lips shut in case anyone heard. Biting my tongue, I knock firm against the door. As I heard the doorknob twist and the squeaky hinges creak against themselves, time seemed to slow down. I wondered to myself if this was truly worth the time. I could be cutting into her personal life. All because of my worthless problems. “Sean, I’m glad you could make it. Please, come in!” She moved out of the way, allowing me to enter her humble abode.

I followed her inside, a soft sense of serenity emitting from her interior decorating. Far more homey feeling than her office. “Sean, is everything alright?” I look up at her, my eyes focused on anything but myself. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m alright.” I wonder how many points I scored for telling the most obvious lie in history. “Did you hear what I said?” My head shakes, the embarrassment clinging to my body. “That’s alright hun, Let me get this ramen started for my daughter and then we can talk in the dining room. Is that okay with you?” Shake your head, Coeus. You need to tell her. Tell her about everything. Do it. “That sounds alright with me.” My body sinks deeper into itself. Why am I so scared of telling her about my problems? It’s literally what I pay her to do. I walk into the kitchen, Agnes near the pot on the stove, a nice cascading waterfall into a pot. Relaxing. “I would get a kettle, but honestly I just like doing it this way.” I look to the side, seeing a knife block, each handle sticking out and singing to me as it begs to be used. “So you said you had a daughter?” I ask, slashing the one-sided tension. “Mhm, my little bundle of joy! She brought her girlfriend over for the night, so it might be a little awkward if you hear them. But as long as we don’t bother them, they won’t bother us. I let her know someone was coming over so, thankfully, she isn’t blasting her tunes like she usually is.” I glance towards the other end of the apartment, seeing the hallway that leads toward what I can only assume is her bedroom. The dark winding corridor. “So, what was it you wanted to talk about? I know this isn’t the most ideal setting, but I wanted to make sure you are alright.” She went to sit down, scooching the chair out before doing so. “Well, I’m not alright, I wouldn’t be here if I was.” My body dragged itself to the adjacent chair. 

“Well, recently, I think I’ve been dealing with hallucinations from the medication I’ve been prescribed.” Her eyes readjust, as if the gears in her head suddenly stopped before going back to their well-oiled job. “That’s-” She blinks a few times, before continuing her sentence. “That’s not good, what is making you come to that conclusion?” I could tell her about the giant demon freak festival I saw in the forest that was followed by her swiftly shifting me off the loony bin. That doesn’t sound like something up my alley, however, so I’ll just do what the next best option is. “I keep finding myself…thinking things are happening that aren’t. I keep thinking the phone is ringing, keep thinking I’m seeing monsters, and I keep thinking that I hear someone calling my name but the moment I turn around-” I say, shifting my body weight as I lean and look behind me, towards the empty hallway. “No one’s there. It’s like I’m creating random voices in my head.” I lean back, seeing her scribbling against a legal pad. “Well, I have an idea. I want you to close your eyes. Take a few deep breaths and let yourself relax as you sink into the chair.” I let my eyes shut, letting the darkness slowly cover my vision. “Now, tell me what you see.”