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Description
My bare feet were beginning to get cold as Hailey led me through the tiled hall. I shuffled along behind her, listening to the waves. A few people passed us, but all stayed quiet and went on their way.
Hailey stopped at a closed door near the end of the hall. She pulled a ring of keys out of her pocket and unlocked the door, opening it and gesturing for me to enter. Hesitantly, I stepped inside and stopped a few feet from the door. I looked down at my toes and dug them deep into the blue carpet. Hailey followed me in, shutting the door as silently as she could behind her.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a figure move towards me with heavy steps. He had shiny black shoes and too-long pinstriped pants.
“Hello,” I heard him say. His voice was warm and deep.
“Hi,” I said nervously back. The man took another step towards me and firmly lifted my head.
I shut my eyes tight before I could even take a glimpse of his face. I could see an imprint of the room burned into my eyelids.
“She’s been refusing to look at me also,” Hailey offered. “I think this is our girl.”
The man dropped his hand from my chin, but I still held my head stiffly in the same position, too scared to move.
“Liz, will you listen to me?” he asked huskily. With out waiting for me to reply, he continued.
“My name is Doctor Hultz. In the next few days I will be putting you through a few tests.”
I nodded slightly to let him know that I understood.
“But first of all,” he continued, “ We have to know exactly what’s going on with you. Hailey, you can leave.”
I heard her leave the room, once again shutting the door behind her; there was a moment of silence before Dr. Hultz spoke.
“You can relax,” he said, turning away and sitting in an armchair. I looked down, nervous about the questions he would ask.
Both of us were silent. I could not hear the waves, as the ocean was on the other side of the building.
“So,” Hultz began. He spoke slowly and thoughtfully, stretching the word as long as possible. “It’s true that your name is Liz?”
I paused uncertainly before jerkily nodding. I could see his feet tapping silently on the floor.
“And you ran away from home five days ago,” he continued. I had not been counting the days. But after a quick shrug I nodded again anyways.
“How did you know?” I asked him softly. My voice was hoarse and way too high. I cleared my throat and blinked.
“Your parents care about you, you know.” I shook my head at his words, claming my hands into fists.
“No they don’t,” I hissed. The few simple words he had said had hit a soft spot. I knew that my parents had no care for me, not after I changed...
“Why did they call the police when you left?”
It was meant as a rhetorical question, but the answer boiled up inside me like a geyser.
“So their social circle wouldn’t think they were nuts and then abandon them,” I whispered angrily. I exhaled sharply through my nose. The private lives of my parents flashed in front of my eyes. My headache still would not leave.
“How do you know theses things?” Doctor Hultz asked me, starting anew as if I had not just exploded in anger. “How can you be so sure?”
Slowly, I turned my head to stare at Hultz’s knees.
“Why do you care?”

Description
My bare feet were beginning to get cold as Hailey led me through the tiled hall. I shuffled along behind her, listening to the waves. A few people passed us, but all stayed quiet and went on their way.
Hailey stopped at a closed door near the end of the hall. She pulled a ring of keys out of her pocket and unlocked the door, opening it and gesturing for me to enter. Hesitantly, I stepped inside and stopped a few feet from the door. I looked down at my toes and dug them deep into the blue carpet. Hailey followed me in, shutting the door as silently as she could behind her.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a figure move towards me with heavy steps. He had shiny black shoes and too-long pinstriped pants.
“Hello,” I heard him say. His voice was warm and deep.
“Hi,” I said nervously back. The man took another step towards me and firmly lifted my head.
I shut my eyes tight before I could even take a glimpse of his face. I could see an imprint of the room burned into my eyelids.
“She’s been refusing to look at me also,” Hailey offered. “I think this is our girl.”
The man dropped his hand from my chin, but I still held my head stiffly in the same position, too scared to move.
“Liz, will you listen to me?” he asked huskily. With out waiting for me to reply, he continued.
“My name is Doctor Hultz. In the next few days I will be putting you through a few tests.”
I nodded slightly to let him know that I understood.
“But first of all,” he continued, “ We have to know exactly what’s going on with you. Hailey, you can leave.”
I heard her leave the room, once again shutting the door behind her; there was a moment of silence before Dr. Hultz spoke.
“You can relax,” he said, turning away and sitting in an armchair. I looked down, nervous about the questions he would ask.
Both of us were silent. I could not hear the waves, as the ocean was on the other side of the building.
“So,” Hultz began. He spoke slowly and thoughtfully, stretching the word as long as possible. “It’s true that your name is Liz?”
I paused uncertainly before jerkily nodding. I could see his feet tapping silently on the floor.
“And you ran away from home five days ago,” he continued. I had not been counting the days. But after a quick shrug I nodded again anyways.
“How did you know?” I asked him softly. My voice was hoarse and way too high. I cleared my throat and blinked.
“Your parents care about you, you know.” I shook my head at his words, claming my hands into fists.
“No they don’t,” I hissed. The few simple words he had said had hit a soft spot. I knew that my parents had no care for me, not after I changed...
“Why did they call the police when you left?”
It was meant as a rhetorical question, but the answer boiled up inside me like a geyser.
“So their social circle wouldn’t think they were nuts and then abandon them,” I whispered angrily. I exhaled sharply through my nose. The private lives of my parents flashed in front of my eyes. My headache still would not leave.
“How do you know theses things?” Doctor Hultz asked me, starting anew as if I had not just exploded in anger. “How can you be so sure?”
Slowly, I turned my head to stare at Hultz’s knees.
“Why do you care?”