A Ghost To Him, A Queen Within

able. It was her first sound, a breakthrough she desperately wanted to share with Josiah, her childhood protect

uet? She's a walking trailer park tragedy. It's embarrassing." Grace froze, waiting for Josiah to defend her. He

or his peace, had made her a punchline. He was relieved she was broken.

nd quietly refused his "hush money." As he walked away without a glance, he

pte

ce

medical chair of the Upper Eas

defensive posture. A pathetic, instinctual brace for impact that I hadn't been able to shake since the car cras

wooden tongue depressor into my mouth,

stomach lurched. I dry-heaved, a harsh, involunt

ely submissive to the process. A fine layer of cold sweat

flat, lifeless sound wave. He pointed to it, gesturing

t rose and fell violently as

out except a we

t sounded exactly like the punctured tires of our crushed

handed me a paper cup of warm water. His eyes held that famil

ly shook my head. I raised my hands and

my jeans and pulled out a s

f life. He was the sole heir to a massive corporate empire, the boy w

away. My eyes softened into an absolute, desperate tenderness. I was doing this for

eyes and focused every ounce of

ush

les were literally shredding apart. The sheer physical agony forced physiological

hrough the blinding pain, my Adam'

n, it h

visible prison of my throat. It was ugly, it was

s stool in shock. His elbow

foam on the walls, but to me, that single broken syllable was the most beau

ned the notepad app and typed with tr

the send button to Josi

sed to being a burden, to never causing him trouble. I wanted to save this.

he session timer went off, sh

adly from the prolonged tension that

myself. I looked in the small mirror on the wall, sm

into the innermost page of my sketchb

e white noise of the clinic's air conditioning and

g area at the end. My footsteps felt incred

on sharing showed he was right outside the

practically rehearsed the pronunciation of his nam

It was left slightly ajar. I raised my hand, eage

nd froze

n the door, a very familia

with me. It was careless. Arrogant. It was the exact tone he used

pet in the hallway had completely muffled my foots

slithered through the crack in the do

lanning to bring that lit