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The girl in the photo on her wall blinked and Renee scrubbed her eyes vigorously, her delirious state must be due to all the late nights and over time. She continues down the hall to the living room where Ms. Sarah waits for her. Renee had been working for Tri - Ward for a couple of months now. When she started working, there were 4 residents. Since then, three of them passed away, leaving Ms. Sarah as the sole resident. The house they currently stood in was donated by the city for patients. Normally, to be admitted as a patient in Tri - Ward, the patients have to have some sort of mental illness. Ms. Sarah suffers from dementia, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. However, whenever Renee is on shift, Ms. Sarah never seems to have any episodes like she does on first and second shift. Renee usually feels comfortable enough to doze off at times where there's nothing to do but lately...lately there's been an eerie feeling stuck in her head and she can't pinpoint as to why. "Ms. Sarah, what are you doing still up? It's nearly three in the morning." Renee places her hand on her hip, questioning a zoned out Ms. Sarah. Something doesn't feel right about her tonight either."Ms. Sarah?" Renee's voice goes a bit shaky as she tries to get her attention."My mother hated me!" Ms. Sarah blurts out which makes Renee jump."What? I'm sorry, Ms. Sarah what are you talking about?" Renee hesitates."She hated me! She told me she didn't want me!" Ms. Sarah slams her fist down on the coffee table next to her and the thud echoes through the house."Maybe we should get you to bed?" Renee tries to reach for Ms. Sarah but she refuses and continues on instead. "My father left me with her when I was two."Renee sits down in the recliner across from Ms. Sarah. It's evident that she isn't going to sleep any time soon."We lived in a shack. My mother, my two brothers and me. It was a cramped shack with a hole in the ground for us to use the bathroom. She loved my brothers, she treated them like they were Prince's while she ignored me. I didn't get food sometimes, I didn't get water!" She looks down at the floor with her head hung low."I'm so sorry, Ms. Sarah." Renee replies sympathetically, unaware of what else to say, she wonders if Ms. Sarah forgot to take her medication. It's very crucial for her to take her medications three times a day, maybe she skipped them? Although, the circumstance she's describing seems very emotional for her so maybe she's just in a lucid state, remembering bad things in her early life. Renee contemplates what could have triggered this outburst. After all, Ms. Sarah hadn't talked much all shift and she certainly didn't seem in a sad place emotionally or mentally at the time Renee clocked in."By the time I was five, she started letting men come over. I would disassociate and pretend I was at the beach. I loved Coney beach." Ms. Sarah's eyes seem lifeless when she says this.Renee is taken aback and sucks in a deep breath, unsure of what to do next. Ms. Sarah is sharing a very painful memory right now and all Renee can think of is she feels like she's intruding. What if Ms. Sarah isn't meaning to tell her this, what if she thinks that she's someone else. They get along fine, for the most part, but they aren't that close. Renee instantly feels a sadness overtaking her and she fights the urge to cry."Just before my sixth birthday, one of the men took me to the woods. She let him just take me. She didn't care whether I came back or not and I never did!" Ms. Sarah zones out again and stops talking abruptly."What happened?" Renee's interest is piqued now but she is met with no response, "Ms. Sarah?" Again, silence. "Did he kidnap you? What do you mean you never came back?!" Renee stands up, staring at Ms. Sarah for an answer but there's nothing.Suddenly the light flickers and then they are surrounded by nothing but darkness. "Ms. Sarah? Are you ok?!" Renee yells out for her but again is met with no response, "Ms. Sarah?!".The lights flash back on and Ms. Sarah is no longer sitting on the couch. Renee's eyes go wide and terror vibrates through her body when she hears the light tapping coming from the illuminated kitchen. Renee inches closer and closer to the kitchen when she jumps at the sound of crunching beneath her feet. There on the floor, covered in now broken glass, lies the picture of the girl Renee say on the wall earlier and she blinks twice."Ah!" Renee screams and clutches her chest, her heart slamming against it."Tea?" Ms. Sarah calmly steps out of the kitchen, handing Renee a cup of steaming hot tea. There was no pot boiling so where did it come from?"No...no...no thanks." Renee's voice trembles."Dear, you look like you've seen a ghost." Ms. Sarah laughs. She follows Renee's eyes to see the picture on the ground. When she bends over to pick it up, there is a sparkles in her eyes, "I was 5 here in this photo.""That's you?" Renee asks her, quietly."That's right. You might want to wake up or you'll end up like me." She smiles and never breaks eye contact."Wake up? I am awake...." Renee murmurs."Wake up!" Ms. Sarah now yells at her."Wake up?! What? Stop!" Renee starts to yell. "Hey!" A familiar voice tries to reason with Renee and rubs her back to console her, "It's ok.""Renee jumps up from the couch and looks around, " Where's Ms. Sarah?""The lady in the photograph?" Tina, a worker at the facility asks in confusion, picking up the picture and handing it to Renee."She was right here!" Renee starts to panic."Let's get you your meds, ok Ms. Renee?" Tina walks off to the kitchen while Renee rubs her eyes and stares blankly into the picture.The photograph of the little girl winks back at her and her jaw drops, "Ms. Sarah?!"

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Blink Twice

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Blink Twice

jessicahawkstheauthor

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Blink Twice

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Jessica Hawks

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