Chapter 5 Silence

"You will never be able to truly keep the voices out, but you can gain control." Those words did not comfort the panicked girl who gripped the roots of her hair. The doctor's left hand slipped into the pocket of her lab coat, pulling out a purple stone. As the girl loosened her grip on the wild strands of hair, she watched the vibrant mineral glow dimly in the palm of Sara's pale hand. The woman did not offer the stone but presented the amethyst. Her pleasant smile never cracked from the unresponsive girl.

"This is my first step in teaching you." The doctor's voice was strong while her gentle eyes coaxed the girl to let down her walls. "This stone does not completely block out your empath abilities, but it gives you time to build your walls."

Sara stood up from her seat slowly as she kept an eye on the tense girl. The woman's green eyes took in the presence of the scared child with a smile. With the stone resting on the chair, the doctor's determination dug into the girl's bones. Strength came from this woman who stood poised, yet there was still uneasiness in the air. The doctor's smile cuddled the imaginative thought that she cared, but Angel was far too broken to let those emotions take her whole. Sara walked out the open door where the girl had forgotten about the two men who stood at attention.

"I want this room monitored at all times." Her words turned sharp as she led the men down the hall. The metal door clanged shut, causing the child to flinch.

Angel admired the mineral from across the room, but she could not bring herself to grab it. The paranoia swam through her mind, yet the curiosity picked at her. So many possibilities that could release a butterfly effect like no other.

What if she became worse?

How much worse could it get?

What if it helped?

Angel stretched out her legs across the mattress with nails digging into the palms of her hand. Her feet touched to icy tile as she hesitantly stood with eyes observing the purple stone. The girl took cautious steps on legs that wobbled from lack of exercise. In front of the chair, Angel looked down with a heart that pounded in her ears. Unstable hands reached out before lightly rested on the stone.

Silence took the place of the constant noise that hammered into the girl's skull. For a moment, there was relief from incessant chatter, yet Angel could only feel disturbed from the interruption. A labored gasp escaped her lips as she retracted her hand, allowing the anxiety to reenter her system. A surge of emotion stomped through her fragile mind causing her hands to tremble under the pressure.

They are trying to kill me.

Paranoia siphoned the energy from within her, so the girl fell to her knees. The girl could feel the imaginary needles digging into her skin. With fingers gripping the roots of her hair, tears burned her eyes as her cries ripped her throat apart. Using the little strength she had left, she reached for the stone inviting the silence to envelop her.

Angel did not want the stone to give her control, nor did the girl search for power. What she wanted more than anything was her sanity. A mentality that was so strong that no one could invade her mind ever again. With the stone clenched in her hands, the girl could feel the warmth flicker as she used the protective energy. She knew that this quiet was momentary, for there would be a time she couldn't depend on it anymore. That thought terrified her from the lack of knowledge she had.

On the cold tile, the girl cradled the stone to her chest. She breathed heavily, hoping she found the fight to get out of these prison walls.