Branches Book

BRANCHES

I didn’t know how to respond. Was she afraid of remembering the incident, afraid of the pain in confronting the past? Or was she afraid that if she was cured and made new friends I would leave her side? “I’ll never leave you Lily. Ever. You don’t have to worry about that.” We held eye contact for a minute before she looked away. “Alright. I’ll do it.” “Really?” I let out a sigh of relief. I slight breeze blew past us, prompting her to push the hair back behind her ear. She forced a smile. “Yes. I promise.” Content, I closed my eyes once more and embraced the sunlight's gentle caress. IV. After a couple of weeks Lillie started going to therapy. It seemed to have been going well, but she refused to talk to me about it. “Doctor patient confidentiality,” she had said with a mischievous grin. Lately though, that grin of hers hadn't been making an appearance. All I wanted was to protect that smile anyway I could, but I didn't know what to say. I was able to muster up the strength to voice my concerns during lunch one day at our spot behind the main building. The green trees rustled in the wind as the faint sounds of a busy courtyard could be heard from a distance. I stared at the blue sky. A single cloud drifted by. How I longed to be like that cloud, without weight, without problems, aimlessly drifting through the vast firmament. Yet, I was grounded by my concern for this one girl. I often wondered, why is it that I care for her so much? Why is it that I’m drawn to her ? However, that thought drifted out of mind as the cloud drifted over the building. I turned my attention towards Lillie. Her eyes, downcast yet focused, paid no attention to me. “Lillie you’ve been acting strange recently. You haven’t been smiling, you’ve barely been talking. I know this is because of the therapy. What’s going on, you have to talk to me.” After my heartfelt, yet forceful remarks she finally looked up at me. “Do you ever ask yourself why it is you keep going? Why you exist at all?” Taken aback by this strange question, I decided to humor her with a response. “Question my existence? Existence is all there is. If I put that under the microscope my entire being has no foundation.” “Interesting answer... I was under the impression that it’s a very human thing to question one's existence. Might even be the most human thing.” She was starting to scare me. “Why are you even asking me this?”

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