Pharai
Just as I blinked and opened my eyes my apartment was empty. The heat from just a few seconds ago had completely evaporated and the cool air conditioning flooded the room once again. The cold shiver that ran down my spine moments before felt like just an illusion as I clasped my hands over my rapid beating heart.
I reached down for my phone to only find it was in perfect condition. Not a sign of any explosion appeared on it and when I looked to the door it was still open. Even if I wanted to call the police at this point they would think I had absolutely lost my mind.
The best thing to do was pour myself a glass of water, chug it down then very calmly call the number Lobdell had given me. The receptionist was extremely friendly and told me they had an opening for 3pm which was six hours from now. I took it because I had no other option.
Once I had ended the call I looked around in exasperation. Maybe the apartment was haunted by a weird and obsessed ghost? In my profession I studied a lot of paranormal activity but never really found a concrete reason to believe in it. That decision seemed to be haunting me now.
Deciding to not wait around to have another run in with the ghost I had officially named 'Golden Eyes', I grabbed my car keys then locked my apartment before I rushed to the elevator. The sudden cold chill travelled down my spine again and I frantically pressed the elevators down button.
Once it opened I threw myself in then pressed for the parking. I ran to my car and hopped in before I sped my way to the busy streets. I knew a mall was close by that Lobdell had shown me. I had noticed I was missing a few things that I had not packed therefore for the next six hours I decided to keep myself busy.
I bought all kinds of kitchen equipment, a few decorative pieces and even killed more time by buying myself more earth toned cargo pants. The things I had bought almost filled the trunk of the car.
By then my appointment was in just a few minutes, I put the practice's name into the navigator and made my way.
"Mister Alya," one of the nurses called out as she held the file I had just filled in a few minutes ago.
I stood up with a smile and followed her through a labyrinth of hallways.
"The Doctor will be right with you in a moment," she smiled as she held the door open for me to enter.
"Thank you."
I sat down in front of the desk and looked around curiously after she had left my file on the Doctor's desk. There was nothing special about the consultation room. It was sterile with its white walls and grey tiled floor. A hospital bed was to one corner with a curtain for privacy.
The most color in the room was the dark brown wooden desk in front of me.
The door opened seconds later, a man with grey formal pants and a white button up shirt entered. His olive skin accented his green eyes. His peppercorn hair was sleeked back. I stood up instinctively as he gave me a warm smile.
"Good afternoon," his heavily accented voice said to me.
"Good afternoon Doctor Karim," I shook his hand before we both sat down.
"Let's see what we have here, Mister Pharai Alya," he looked up to me from my file for confirmation. I nodded. "You're American, yes?"
"Yes."
"Excellent," he smiled and clasped his hands together before he looked at me, "What seems to be the problem?"
"I've been having these reoccurring dreams," I frowned, "they often feel way too real. Sometimes I think I'm sleep walking but when I wake up everything is back to normal like it never happened in the first place."
"Do you experience any hallucinations?" he wrote down in my file.
I nodded, "I keep on seeing this person in my room."
"A person," he raised his eyebrows, "do you recognize them?"
"No Doctor, I've never seen them before and they're incredibly personal, I've tried to make sense of it but there's logical explanation."
He hummed, "have you been sleeping and eating well?"
"I've been unable to sleep properly since I was still in New York, but I do try to eat extremely well."
He nodded before he continued asking me if I had had any other symptoms. From there he did a full physical check up on me.
"I would like for you to visit a psychologist and have a few sessions with them. I believe the stress of your change in environment may really be affecting you. I know it's the stereotypical answer and it may feel discouraging but sometimes our mind has layers we are completely unaware of that may reveal itself over time.
I've had many patients that come from all over the world and cry for the exact same thing," he softly smiled, "your case is most definitely unique but I think if you can talk to a professional they'll be able to assist you much better.
For now I would like to give you medication to control your anxiety and pills to help you sleep. Also a few multivitamins just to boost your body's immune system."
He explained the medication to me extremely thoroughly then gave me a referral letter to a well-known psychologist he worked with.
When I left his practice I felt extremely better about my circumstances. As a scholar I always appreciated thorough details and he spent time explaining to me why he believed my body was reacting the way it did.
Golden eyes must have represented something in my life I did not yet understand and overtime the more I dealt with the anxiety of moving, he would also disappear.
I climbed into my car with a massive smile before I drove myself back home.