"Good evening Lucia", Matilda and Margaret chorus in a sing song voice.

It's been almost twenty-four hours and they've been acting weird and fragile towards me ever since I dozed off in the pocket watch room or whatever they call it.

"Yeah so can someone explain to me what the hell is going on?",I ask with a raised eyebrow and folded arms, refusing to sit.

"Look Lucia if that's really your name..."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"... You'll have to sit for what we are about to tell you next"

"I'm fine where I am", I state defiantly.

If falling asleep during the hypnosis is a symptom of something then they have to tell me. Don't I have the right to know what's happening to me?

Maybe you should calm down.

I just roll my eyes and still maintain my position not wavering my stance.

"Like we have already mentioned to you before, you do have Dissociative Identity disorder and an alter ego", Matilda says calmly.

Guess it's part of their profession to act so when about to deliver a news that may drive patients to depression. I brace myself up for what might come next.

"Your alter ego has a name and she's Stacy", Matilda continues while Margaret rolls her head and face palm.

Stacy? Is that why I felt so comfortable with the name Stacy during my runs?

Yes!

"Stacy revealed some pretty dark stuff to us yesterday and we want you to understand that it's okay to show emotions and not hide behind an alter ego", Margaret says. I sense a little bit of icy tone as she speaks but ignore it instead.

I suddenly feel laden with grief and release the tense muscle around my face and sit as slowly as I can. I look up at the ceiling and feel the tears welling up my eyes and I try to smile but my lips quiver with intense sadness and my brain spirals out of control. I try to steady my breathing as it becomes labored and forced.

"As a child you were molested by one of your Kindergarten teachers"Matilda drops the news and it sinks faster than a pebble being thrown into the water.

My facade changes from confused, to sad to angry, to disgusted all in the space of thirty seconds, with my brain trying to comprehend what she just said.

Nothing's normal anymore!

"And you know this how?", I ask surprising myself with how calm and collected my voice sounds despite my racing heart and my anguished soul.

"Stacy told us" They both chorus and I begin to laugh sardonically.

These people are the crazy ones not me!

"You expect me to believe that something is controlling my body? Or I exist as another version?"

"Literally? Yes", Matilda answers not getting my confusion.

"Right!", I say in between laughs.

"Alright. Supposedly I was molested, why don't I remember it? Why isn't my mum aware if it? "

"Your alter ego was there to create the barrier between then and now"

I stare at them, realizing that they are serious and that's when the tears starts to fall.

"Okay somebody gotta tell me if I offended someone in my past life because this is just too much for me to handle", I wail.

"Relax Lucia. We're here to help and all we are asking for is your honest to God cooperation", Matilda says.

"So what are you guys going to do?", I ask as I mouth a 'thank you' to Margaret who hands me a box of tissues. I blow vigorously into it and sniffle back the rest of the unshed tears.

"We are going to put you through intense physiotherapy and psychotherapy to get Stacy out of you", Matilda says with a smile.

"So basically you're going to perform an exorcism", I ask as fresh tears roll down my eyes.

"No no no honey", Margaret replies laughing as Matilda sighs and holds the bridge of her nose in exasperation.

"Basically exorcism has to do with calling out the evil spirit to leave the body of its host and..."

"And that's what you guys are trying to do... To remove this evil spirit in the name of alter ego from me" I say cutting Matilda short.

"Well if you'll just let me finish, we are not performing any form of exorcism here. We are..."

"But you can right?", I ask still cutting her off.

Just listen!

"Again Lucia, if you'll let me finish, I was gonna say we are going to use intense dialogue because that's what basically psychotherapy entails and ultrasound and maybe heat to talk to Stacy amicably ", Matilda says through gritted teeth.

Sheesh calm down.

"So basically we're going to just be talking?"

"Yes" Margaret chimes in, preventing already frustrated Matilda from snapping.

"Then what's the use of physiotherapy? Isn't it for someone with um, someone who has an injury or disability rather. I think it also prevents future injuries or illness sort of", I say with a raised eyebrow.

I remember Cousin Dominic had to go for physiotherapy when he crushed his knee bones during ice skating.

He was weak in the knee literally.

I chuckle at the last thought and notice the Siamese looking at me.

Uh oh!

"Sorry", I whisper loudly and swallow the rest of my laughter.

"Physiotherapists help patients who struggle with anxiety by teaching them how to exercise in a way that's best suited towards the needs of each person", Matilda says switching up gears so quickly.

Gimme a break please!

"So in a lay man's term we'll be doing yoga. Okay got you doc, can I go now?" I say alright tired of this bullshit.

"Wh... No! Hell no!", Matilda swears

Oh my!

"Easy Mat, easy. Yes we'll be doing yoga. You're free to go. But before you go here's your schedule, an alarm has been programmed by your bed and you have to be early. If you try disarming the alarm, you will get zapped by the electric current. If you so much try to flunk any session, you will be zapped, if you are tardy,..."

"Lemme guess, I will be zapped?"

"You got it girl. Enlisted there in is also the time table of your favorite food/snack. Someone called in a favor", Matilda says with a wink and a dismissive tone.

I observe the time table with a frustrated sigh and an exasperated tut. I closely look at the food timetable and I notice it neatly drawn and a smile creeps up my face.

"Jack", I whisper as I trace the the words on it with my fingers. A lone tear falls from my eyes. I sigh and wipe it off.

"What's good Pluto?", I ask greeting Venus as I enter my cell.

"You really gonna keep changing my name with the nine planets everyday?"

"Heard there're now eight even" I say with a wink as I kick off the slippers raggedly.

"I hope you know that calling me Pluto is offensive as a matter of fact" She says as she walks up to her cell gate.

"Huh?" I ask in confusion, suddenly paying all attention to the timetable.

Something's not right huh?

You bet!

"Well Pluto is a dog's name obvi"

"And that's offensive and racist to dogs", I sarcastically reply trying to end the conversation.

I slowly trace my fingers across the scribbled notes and an idea hits me.

"... And that's why people..."

"Uh huh" I reply absent mindedly and point the paper up to the light.

"Damien is alive...", I read out silently and still notice there's more clue.

The shaded letters are the clues and not just cursive.

"W, I, L, E, B, R, A, E, N, T, O, U, E"
I read in confusion. What's all this gibberish?

At this point I stop listening completely to whatever Pluto is saying.

"Yeah okay", I say to whatever she is saying and turn my back to her.

"I wonder what word can be formed with these letters?

Maybe it isn't a word.

How can it not be a word?

"Oh right, it might be a phrase. Let's see"

"WE LEARNT ... the other words left are I, B, O, U and E"

Nah this can't be it. Why would Jack try to tell me something and start it with 'we learnt'?

Think Samantha, think!

I stare at the words for what feels like hours and suddenly a light bulb comes on in my head.

"WE ARE IN TROUBLE" I mutter as I stare at the piece of paper.

Yup this has to be it but what sort of trouble could Jack possibly be in? Who are the 'WE'? Is mum okay?

What if it has to do with Eric or Nicholas? Not like I care though.

Wait! Could Damien possibly be associated with this trouble?
Before anything goes wrong I have to apologize to him and just clear my conscience.

More importantly, how do I get the fuck out of here.

I turn back to Venus and I see her just sitting on the floor looking intently at me.

"You just had a whole conversation with yourself", she states leaning back on the wall.

"Yeah um, I was just wondering how long you have been here and why?"

I've never really asked her why she was here and she seems pretty normal to me.

She cackles lightly and sighs deeply.

"To be fucking honest with you, I've seen things I can't even begin to comprehend. I used to be a marine engineer you know", Venus says and I widen my eyes in shock.

"Woah! That's so cool"

"Yeah, my kids always loved following me to work especially during bring your kids to work day. They always said their dad's job was boring. My husband, he was a um, he was a chef and um, uh he..."

"You know you don't have to say anything if you don't want to", I say as calmly as I can. She looks me in the eyes and I try to assure her that she can trust me.

"Yeah I know. I've just had this bottled up for so long. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that at some point at sea, I'd have to stay back on deck and oversee the ships, the offshore perimeters and all of that. It wasn't part of my job description but I didn't mind anyway. And that's when I saw this creature. It was some sort of like a merman. I wasn't even sure what it was. This merman was creepy as fuck and he had crocodile tails and God I passed out. I woke up in the hospital and I started screaming"

She pauses for a second and I just stare. Wow! This doesn't add up.

"After then no one ever took me serious and I started seeing things. It's either I see a pit of fire in my bedroom and my husband drowning there or I see a pillar of cloud trying to suffocate my children. Nothing was normal after then and I had to check myself into this asylum" she concludes with a smile.

"You checked yourself in?" I ask bewildered at the last statement. She's pretty much crazy if you ask me but hey who am I to judge right.

Condescending much!

"How long have you been here?", I ask her trying to shake off the rattling feeling of unease at the back of my head.

I have to focus.

"Seven years at least, why?"

"No nothing I was just wondering if your husband or children ever stopped by to visit or say hello"

"What husband and children?"

"Huh? You... But... I thought you said... You just told me a story about how you got here" I say with utter confusion.

"No, I was pretty much talking about Pluto if I can recall. By the way, who are you?"

"You have gotta be kidding me!"

"What?" She asks confused.

Something's not right.

"Anyway do you know how to get out of here?"

"Easy. You have to use the front door because the back door is heavily guarded and loads of security cameras are there. All you have to do is befriend a guard but you have to do so discreetly and make it look real", she hurriedly says.

"Woah woah woah! Slow down. Follow the front door and...?"

"And what?"

"Fuck me!"

"Oh honey I can't possibly do that"

Ah darn it ! She has dementia! Fucking dementia! Shit! Shit! Shit!

I guess I just have to figure things out on my own.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

The next morning the sound of the alarm wakes me up and I immediately jump out of bed with a new mindset.

If I have to leave this place the I have to cooperate. I brush my teeth and take a shit with the provided bucket.

Daughter of Finn Montero is in an asylum!

I clean up and shower with the icy water. I guess I better start getting used to this.
In only a matter of minutes, a guard shows up and I wear my brightest smile. To my amazement he smiles back.

"You know, I never quite asked you for your name", I say as I link my hand in his.

I guess I have to start making friends now.

"It's Lee. Just Lee"

"And I'm Just Lucia", I say and we both laugh at that.

"Well it's nice to officially meet you Lee", I say genuinely.

It's Nice to meet you indeed Lee. This is just my first move in this game of chess and looks like I'm in the lead.

A/N:
Author: From here on out Samantha is now a villain.

Samantha: huh?

Author: kidding! Haha, got you good didn't I?
All I can say is this is the beginning of the end. The plot twist is not what you expect (stares at the readers menacingly). Don't even bother trying to predict how it ends when you can just slide to the next chapter in just one swipe. Buttttt... Don't forget to hit the star button and leave a comment before you do so .

Bye! ❤️