This time, Amber felt a certain heaviness. A weight she should.
have felt by now but just quite hadn't. The cold empty white interview room, getting smaller. The walls were caving in. Soon all she would would see, would be white light.

William sat in his usual position. Seemingly nothing on his mind. She had never seen him more ready to face her. Winning must have been nice. She slowly took a hidden breath and opened her file. Recorder, doing it's job safe in her bag.

"Good morning William."

"Well you look excited to see me." He did a little rocking motion with his chair.

"I have a new question for you today," he didn't answer. The wicked smile still lingering on his battered lips. She wondered what would make a man like him anxious. "Will you answer it for me?"

He barely managed a scoff. It was so minuscule yet vexed her to no end. Today, she had something up her sleeve.

"It's about your mother."

Instantly, his entire demeanor changed. He came out of his acrobatics. The legs of his steel chair came crashing into thr white floor. She shuddered a bit and backed up. She was ready to dive for the button.

"It's about your mother," she repeated, still on edge. "What kind of relationship did you have with your mother?"

"Get out," he barely said.

She remined seated. One hand was in her purse, secretly searching for something to save her life, she had nothing. His eyes closed were even more terrifying than when they were open. This man didn't need eyes to see.

"I need to know in order to help you." Her eyes began to water. She quickly wiped it away. "I know that your real name is not William."

"I told you to get out, " that terrifying whisper again.

"It's all in your past... Sebastian Kane."

That name was like acid to the maniac's skin. He jumped up suddenly! She thought she was ready but somehow, she remained seated.

His eyes were like braches from a perverse crawler. They reached into her mind and clag to the darkest reaches. Clawing and chocking, till he found her undoing. She shivered in place, transfixed.

He walked closer, ever closer till he came to a stop some distance behind her. She turned er head to see his white slippers. He didn't come any closer. It was as if she had a ring of fire about her. Something about the wait tormented her more than any torn ear.

"Get out!" He finally yelled. The acrid hate of his speech moving her to his feet, pushing her chair to fall.

She grabbed her bag and moved quickly around him. He remained transfixed. Looking at the place where she had been.

"And be careful Dr. Amber. I'm not the only one trying to escape my past."

She pressed the button and the steel door couldn't open fast enough. She walked quickly down the hall as the man spoke. He shouted, screaming.

"I'm not the only one!"

She could somehow feel his demonic gaze on her as the orderlies took him in the opposite direction. She felt an annihilation she hadn't felt since she was a child. Things she had worked so hard to forget, pushing the flesh of her mind.

Her head began to throb, her vision blurry. A concerned Lee came rushing to her but she pushed him aside. His hand grabbed her firearm and turned her towards him. She wasn't in the right state to steer away.

"Let go of me!" Before she knew it, she had fainted. This time, the pain had lasted past her knowledge. It was getting worse.

She came to in Dr. Shepherd's office. Lee's face filled the frame of her vision and that was almost enough to send her back to the unconscious.

She pushed his face away and rose quickly, too quickly. She fell back down.

"Are you alright?" Lee asked, handing her some water which she declined thinking it was concentrated poison.

"I'm fine. I need to leave."

"Why what happened in there?"

"Nothing, I just, need to go home." She looked around for her purse but couldn't find it.

"What's wrong?" Lee asked again.

"My purse Lee! Where is my purse?" She frantically looked left and right.

"Umm... it's right at your feet."

She took it quickly and rushed out. Lee followed for a bit but gave up his persuit. She knew he now had suspicions. She had to find out who he really was.

********

It had been long since Amber had a class to teach at the university. Too many things on her plate. She however still kept contact with some of her students and one of those was Izzy Parks.

Amber spotted the athletic black girl from a far. She took a few pills, crunched them, swallowed the foam anr headed for the girl.

"Dr. Brown!" Izzy said, giving her a big hug. "What are you doing here? You coming back to teach?"

"No." Amber couldn't help but smile at the girl's enthusiasm. "I'm actually here for you."

Izzy's brow creased up in confusion. Her young face a steep contrast of Amber's recent fatigue grown wrinkles.

"You're graduating soon and I wanted to give you a job."

"What? Where?" the student practically leaped up.

"I just opened my practice. I have a psychologist and a psychiatrist in there with me. I need you to come in and start learning the ropes."

"Oh my sweet baby Jesus, yes!" Izzy took Amber's hand and jumped up and down.

"It won't pay that much. But after you graduate..."

"I don't care! Do you know how hard it is to get a job out here?"

"I'm glad you said yes." Amber laughed, she really was glad.

"Are you kidding? Working under you will be fucking fantastic! Oh, sorry, I... I meant..." Sofie began to regret her word choice.

"It's alright. Report first thing tomorrow."

"What time?" Izzy yelled after her.

"Six sharp!" She pressed her car alarm. "Crazy gets up pretty early."

AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Whew! That was a close one for Amber. Lee is becoming more and more suspicious. What did William mean by not being the only one with a past to hide?

Let me hear your opinions and guesses in the comments section. Also about this Izzy character.

Don't forget to vote, it puts a smile on my face.

See you at the next one😘😘

...Microscopic spoiler, things are gonna get even more mysterious in the next chapter. 😂😂😂 Oh, what joy?!!!