Page 1 of Texting Dr. Stalker

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Sailor

Hospitals and Ghosts

I SHOULD SEE WHITE LIGHTS AND PEARLY gates, right?

So why can I only see him?

Milton’s face burned a permanent nightmare on my eyesight, thanks to him strangling me to death on the rug I’d bought in honour of my nana’s birthday. She would’ve been ninety-nine. We’d often joked that she’d make it to two hundred—

Until time decided it could stop, just like that.

Just like it almost ended for me.

Or rather,hadended for me.

Yet here I was, being wheeled at dizzying speed beneath row after row of fluorescent lights, strangers looking down at me with worried frowns, hands touching me with professional inspections.

Everything was a blur as doors banged wide, and the rush made my head swim. I closed my eyes again, but Milton was there, looming and sneering. His hands like iron shackles around my throat, his thumbs digging so painfully.

“Think he’s better than me, huh? I’ll show you—”

Blocking the memory of his voice, I tried to swallow, but fire-gushing agony looped around my neck.

Time skipped again.

I was grateful for the blips as I suddenly came to on a different bed with different people staring down at me.

Everything hurt.

Every finger and toe.

Every bone and limb.

Tears stung my bruised eyes.

Fear throttled me just like Milton had.

How was I here?

Had he stopped and called for help?

Was he here too? Playing the role of caring boyfriend all while waiting for yet another excuse to kill me?

A wash of full-body terror drenched me at the thought of him still in my house. The house my nana had left me. Prowling through the rooms where I’d always found happiness, contaminating every nook and cranny with his violence.

God, how could I have been sostupid?

How could I let him taint my most favourite place in the world?

A nurse poked me with a needle. Another nurse pressed a few buttons on a machine by my head. They looked at each other before glancing at me with a pitying smile. “You’ll be okay. You’re safe now, alright? He can’t get you here.”

I wanted to cry.

I might be safe in this chaotic place with doctors and patients and beeping, annoying monitors, but what about my home? How could I ever go back there? How could I ever be in the same room as him again?

The kind nurse with bright coral lips gave me a gentle pat on the shoulder. “Relax now. We’ve got you.”

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