THE CATASTROPHE MATE

—Carol— The darkness surrounded me, pressing down like a hammer on my chest. For a moment, I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t think…I felt numb and useless. Then slowly, gently, my eye fluttered open. Fire! Fire! It was everywhere…I could hear distant screams from other people. I was in a building…a burning one. “What the hell is happening?” I muttered under my breath. I tried to sit up when a sharp pain tore through me. “Arghh!!! My legs!” I couldn’t sit up…I couldn’t run… That meant one thing. I was going to die in here? No,no,no I can’t die here…I can’t die again. Not again… The smoke began to whistle into my nostrils…the fire was spreading and taking everything in sight. Soon it will be me. My vision began to dim and I could feel my life slowly slipping away. Then almost like wind, a figure stepped in front of me. I couldn’t see his face clearly… I knew who it was. My mate, my whole life… My vision blurred with tears of relief. He was here for me… “Please…save me…Aldric…please” my voice was weak now. “Let’s get out of here. We can start again..” “You promised it will be different this time around.” Aldric said, his tone cold. So cold…that it felt like he was another person. “We can try again…we can—“ I stopped myself, my tone desperate. “We can do anything…together.plea—“ I coughed blood to the ground before I could finish my sentence. It wasn’t long now. “Please…” slowly, I forced every last wave of energy I had, and stretched mt hands to him. Take it. Please take it… He didn’t. Instead, he turned away from me. “It always ends like this. Every single time..” “No! Aldric! No!!” My voice tore shot out, to no avail. I watched as his figure disappeared into the smoke, and with him, my only hope of life. Then from above, a large log of wood, alerted on fire broke out, coming down at me in full force. “No!!! I jerked up sharply, taking in a large deep breath. “f**k…fuck..” i sighed deeply. “Another nightmare…the fourth thus week already.” I get these exact type of nightmares or at least close to it for as long as I can remember… But I didn’t know. The drive to know made me waste my college studying psychology and heck, even becoming therapist..yet no matter what exercise I did…these nightmares refused to go away. A therapist is supposed to help others but can’t even help heeled..ironic. I turned to my side, glancing at my alarm. 9:03 AM “s**t! I am late for work..” I literally jumped off my bed and dashed to the bathroom. It didn’t take long before I brushed my teeth and took a nice shower. I was downstairs now eating breakfast when my phone buzzed with a message… From Adeline, my colleague…and my best friend too. Where are you?? Be here in 30 minutes. I was still chumming down my cereals when I texted back. C: Why? Anything happening? A: Yes. We have a very high paying client coming in today…we want you to attend to him. C: Sure I’m on my way. But can I know, why me? A: Well, don’t be dumb, you’re the best therapist we got on handling…strange problems. And this client here is based on his story..seems to be damn near psychotic. C: Sure…on my way. Psychotic? The text sent chills down my spine. Maybe it was just Adeline exaggerating as usual. I finished up my cereal and grabbed my coat to step out when something when something playing on my Tv caught my attention. The headline read: THE NUMBER OF ‘ANIMAL’ ATTACK OVER THE LAST FEW WEEKS HAVE INCREASED’ The reporter then talked about a man saying he saw the attack live in his eyes. The tv turned to that man now, his eyes wide and frantic. “I know wha I saw…that was no animal…I’m telling you now.. everyone in this city of Michigan..be safe, there are beasts out here. Beasts…bea—“ The news cut him off before he could finish. Beasts? What beasts? I accidentally glanced by a wall lock. 9:37 AM Fuck!! I turned to the door and dashed out… When I arrived at the firm, business was already moving, people going in and out. I reached the desk where I saw Adeline “Carol, your f**king late!” Hee tone was sharp and urgent. “I’m so sorry, Ads..I was up late.. I had to make breakfast. Hav story seen the news, there was is the man, he was talking about some beasts..” “Carol!” Adeline snapped me back from one of my usual episodes of getting carried away. “s**t. I’m so sorry. Is the client already here?” I asked quickly. “Yeah. He is. Through the door by your left, he’s waiting. Go go, go!” She urged me foward. I was about to step out, before hee hands pulled me back again. “Carol, before you walk in there, I have to show you this..”then from behind her desk, she pulled out a brown file and handed it to me.. The name at the top read boldly… Cassien Kristof The name for some reason tugged at me..I’ve never heard the name before, but still… “Check the patient defects..” Adeline said carefully. I flipped through the pages one by one till I saw it.. Defects Aggressive. Impulsive and rash. Hot tempered and dim dangerous by colleagues. Visited ten therapists, and all canceled their meetings after a maximum of three meetings… “What?! Who the hell is this man?” “I know, it’s a lot Carol..but if it’s too much, you can leave it.” Thus man had the makings of a true psychopath. Guess Adeline wasn’t exaggerating on the phone. Getting him better would be a challenge. A challenge I will welcome. “I’ll do it.” I answer, my tone a little uncertain. “Great. Now go!” She almost snapped. I moved quickly, my legs carrying me till I was in front of to e door. “Here goes nothing..” I pushed it open when a man there turned to him and our eyes locked. In an instant, I felt a sudden wave. Something I couldn’t explain. Even though I had only seen this man for the very first time, looking right into his green dead eyes…it felt like looking right into… Soulmate!