“I just need to be my same charming self,” she whispered. “I’ll be out of here in no time.”
Suddenly, the light behind the window flicked on, and she could see a brunette woman facing her. She smiled, and the woman on the other side of the glass stared back at her, mimicking her smile.
The woman’s long, wavy brown hair cascaded around her face and sat perfectly against her white shirt. She tilted her head to greet the woman, and the woman mirrored the head tilt back to her.
“Wait. Is thatmyreflection?” She recognized the tired and sunken eyes, but her hair was completely different than when she arrived. “What did they do to my hair?”
I chopped it all off to prevent Sam from grabbing my hair,she remembered, her hand instinctively reached up as the confines of the white straight jacket pinned her wrapped arms around her waist.
I’m not sure why this is even needed. I’m not the real enemy. Jenkins is.She pulled against the fabric harder.
The door to the room opened, and she turned to look at a smartly-dressed woman who entered. She was wearing a white button-up shirt under a gray vest with a matching gray pencil skirt. Her curly blond hair was short to her ears, and it bounced with each step. The woman crossed the room to the video recorder and pushed a button. The once-flashing red light disappeared.
Odd. All of the conversations I’ve had in this room were recorded. Who is this person?
“Hi, Mary. My name is Sue. How are you today?” The woman straightened the manilla folder that lay on the table. Callie shifted in the metal chair, which was stabilized with bolts into the ground. “I see that question has made you uncomfortable. Why is that?” Sue smiled sweetly as she asked the question.
“My name’s not Mary.”
“Hmmm. That’s very interesting, because in my file, it clearly says your name is Mary,” Sue replied before writing something on her notepad.
“Look, I don’t know who Mary is. I just want to get back to my life.” Callie squared her body to show a sign of power and control.
“Who even are you?”I know I should be trying to charm this person, to trick her into switching with me, but there is something about her I don’t trust.She narrowed her eyes at the young woman sitting across from her.
“I am your psychiatrist, Sue. We have been meeting twice a week since your arrival when you were sixteen years old.”
Callie shook her head. “No, you’re wrong. I arrived just last week. I’m an actress. I need to get out of here and back to L.A. This is all just a misunderstanding.”
First, they changed my hair, and now they are telling me I have been here longer than a week? Since I was sixteen? No, I know I’m not crazy.
“Okay, Mary. Walk me through it. Who are you supposed to be right now?”
“Well,” she huffed, “I’m Pamela Shaw and I’m a world class actress. Iaccidentallyswitched bodies with this person.” She raised her shoulders trying to wave her arms over her body, but her arms remained tied to her sides. “Can I please get out of this?”
“No. But please continue.” Sue flipped some pages in the file to reveal some medical paperwork on one side and blank, lined paper on the other.
“Fine. I have this ability to switch bodies with people. I was born in 1841 as Jane. I was able to switch bodies with people to exist until now. I was tricked by my ex-son to switch bodies.” Callie’s chest tightened as she regarded Jenkins as her ex-son.
I need to be careful with telling lies; they add a layer of complication, and I need this woman to trust me. I’m the victim here. I just need to remember that. Who am I kidding? The police brought me here for a reason.
Sue finished scribbling and looked up at Callie. The width of the table prevented her from reading what Sue was writing. After a few moments of silence, Sue finally put her pen down.There is something familiar about Sue—like I’ve met her before.
Sue flipped up one of the pages and dragged her finger across the page until she found what she was looking for.
“Well, you were Pamela, and before that you were Darla, and then a man named Richard, which we all found quite strange. Then before him, you were a woman named Ellen, Theresa, Abigail, Jane, and then Mary.” Sue clasped her hands together, her tone serious as she waited expectantly for Callie to respond.
“STOP!” Callie screamed out with guttural desperation. Sue jumped and let go of the pages she was holding up.
Callie’s breathing came hard and her lungs pushed against the white jacket. It felt like the material was clawing at her throat. It threatened to strangle her. Each face hijacked her field of vision and guilt coursed through her.
No, this was a gift given to me. I can’t look at the past. I just need to look to the future.She closed her eyes and started rocking back and forth.
“I have never met you before this day. I came here last week, because I switched bodies with a diabolical person who stole mylife. I tried to get back to my body and my life, and she refused me.” Callie stood from her chair and paced.
“It worked so many times before,” Callie whispered to herself as she crossed between the two corners of the room. She turned to tell Sue off, but was met with an expression full of amusement.
Is she mocking me?she thought, as guilt was replaced with rage. She stormed over and leaned across the table, bringing her face close to Sue’s.
