It was an unusually quiet Monday morning in L.A.
'An empty house on an empty street'
Laura soliloquized and went ahead to have a hot coffee.
She had always loved that; sipping her favorite coffee while she inhales the welcoming smell.
It is another work day as usual laura feels bored in advance with the whole routine.
She had an appointment with Collins her therapist later in the day as usual, wearing a vibrant black dress while her hair shimmered in the light.
She is a sight to behold, blessed with a shapely figure similar to that of an hourglass.
Asides from her glossing brown skin, honey-sweet lips, and her velvety eyelashes with slender eyebrows.
She had other attractive qualities to her, like her alluring blue eyes, halo-white shiny teeth, and a joyous personality to her.
Accompanied by a captivating and soothing voice, euphonious and pleasant.
A top manager of one of the biggest sales companies in the states.
She has carved quite a niche for herself in the business world with diligence, consistency, and dedication.
She tries to avoid staring at the mirror in front of her to avoid the exact opposite of her smirking mischievously at her in the mirror.
A beautiful replica of her but with a more self-conceited evil look, she had hated staring at the mirror since she was a kid.
The woman in the mirror begins to make jest of her, teasing her, and taunting her.
One would have thought she will be used to it by now but the torments keep getting worse, as they intend to break free from her while she suppresses them; It has become a battle of the strongest.
'Oh common, are we going to do this again today, don't be ridiculous' the woman in the mirror said, Laura was quiet, and another voice replied within her.
A thick deep voice completely different from her sweet eloquent pitch replied to the earlier thin voice
'Enough of that Caroline, you know Laura has got to keep her perfect image of being Miss Goody Two Shoes
While the voice laughed briefly and continued 'Let it go will you' and there was silence, an anxious Laura prepared for her early morning business trip while she covers the mirror as she leaves.
She reminisces about herself and we are taken aback by her in her teens.
Her childhood was rough from the start, even though she came from a privileged home, no one had the time for her.
As an only child, she had no one to play with nor talk with and had issues with the nannies so much they usually left within a short while, her only friends were her bluebirds, she would sit still and watch the birds in flight, the clapping of the wings capturing her mind in the most calming way.
She was in love with nature and its magnificence as a child, she was in love with life itself; Then everything changed when her parents passed in an accident that could have as well taken her, the scenario keeps replaying itself in her head and she still feels the pangs of the moment to this day.
It is a new day in Fair Weather Company, Laura alights from her spotless black jeep glittering in the fluorescent light, It is another day for business as usual as everyone is up and running in their specific and collective duties.
Laura comes in with her escort and most trusted security Jamal, she is used to people staring at her by now everywhere she goes, even in places she tries to visit discreetly.
A beauty to behold and a damsel in her early forties, surrounded by a lot of admirers.
She strutted towards the workers and looks around to be sure everyone is up and doing then she takes the elevator with Jamal to her office.
'I hate my life, and I wish I can correct my mistakes, but talking to you has made me feel better' The old man smiled as he and Collins ended their discussion.
There was not much hair on his head and he had worn-out eyes with a distinctive beard.
He zigzagged his way out while Collins takes a cup of water as he awaits his next guest, a seventeen-year-old girl named Paloma, battling with the demons of pills and alcohol.
She had been getting better a year ago, Collins remembers the first time she walks into the office with her friend Gena, and her describing the addiction as a voice within her, another being inside of her that tells her things.
A pretty blond teenager so full of life and social, then she got involved in the world of drugs and became addicted.
After her father committed suicide due to the loss of his wife, she spiraled deeper and deeper into the dark web of pills and liquors, started transacting with it, and thus also influenced her closest friend Gena in the process.
Collins could still remember when she called him, crying so hard he got scared after Gena died of an accidental overdose, which is the reason she decided to quit for good and start her therapy all afresh.
After a brief moment of silence, as she enters the room and closes the door, Collins begins 'My condolences once again on the loss of your friend' but quickly stops when he sees the look on her face telling him she would rather not have this conversation.
So he changes the topic and asks her how she has been to which she responds in tears and he gives her a handkerchief to wipe her face 'I wish I can take it all back, I wish I can correct the past' she responds after a while.
'Gena would be proud of the fact that you want to get better, and I am sure your parents would be proud too'
The session ends with Paloma feeling a lot better and telling Collins excitedly that she had been two weeks gone without using, to which he replies happily and hugs her, as her session ends and she leaves his office.
Laura keeps pondering on her dreams, some of them are so real she feels like she is actually in them, she usually sees an Old man in a dark hat taking her to the past, centuries before where she sees the battle between terrestrial beings and the conquering of evil by good.
Other times she is the one fighting the battle herself and winning, she is then made a queen with a golden crown on her head that shines bright like the sun then she sees the rise of darkness again and then she wakes up.
'Tell me about these encounters, how do you feel after experiencing them' Collins asked as Laura begins to explain 'I think I have more than one being within me and I am not hallucinating, sometimes I can hear them fighting one another in my head, one of the voices tells me what to do and guides me, while the others keep whispering words into my ears, telling me things about a time I do not seem to remember fully'
Collins pauses and writes these things down on his jotter as Laura speaks, then continue
'How well have you been able to handle the loss of your parents' Laura stares for a while and replies 'I miss them very dearly, I still visit them regularly on their grave site, to tell them things about me cause there is so much to tell.
Collins goes ahead to ask her how much she had been doing the exercises he gave to her, according to him 'You need to ease your mind of mental stress, this might just be your mind playing tricks on you through illusions' a point which Laura always counters.
Laura had tried hypnosis earlier and all she sees is the same old man, sometimes fighting terrestrials beings with the speed and agility of a youngster, other times she is the one fighting, and then she gets her crown but then darkness takes over and she snaps out of it again.
As she goes into her car to leave for her Uncle's birthday party, she begins hearing the voices, several of them at the same time, jesting her while being cautioned by one of the voices, the deep voice which seemed to be the strongest as other voices obeyed it.
And then she could see the side mirror by her car and her reflection smiling again but this time with a much older look, and then it said to her 'You do not have to worry, everything will come to light with time, but you must remember for what is to come' she blacks out afterward.
She wakes up later in the car to the baritone voice of Jamal asking her if she is okay or if she needed some rest.
Laura responds that she is okay while she still reminisces on the previous event, wondering what the voice meant she can't but wonder at the similarity between the voice and that of the old man she sees constantly in her dreams and visions; she goes into her mansion and prepares to attend her uncle's birthday party that is to take place that night.
It became a very big party as there were people everywhere, screaming swarms of children ran through the house as bubbles and balloons floated in the air while drifting around aimlessly to beautify to compound.
Multi-colored banners were draped on each door alongside a stack of unopened gifts, which lay by the corner of the room.
A huge cake covered in thick red icing and decorated with tiny white roses sat at the middle of the table surrounded by brightly colored bowls filled with different food and assorted meat, and several bottles of wine stood side by side on the table as well.
Laura was seated alone in a corner drinking wine, she was not ready for the paparazzi and press drama that would follow once people noticed she was around as she is not in the right frame of mind for it.
Dressed in an off-the-shoulder top, alongside a small statement clutch and some booties.
She was ready for the night and knew she had not had many friends here, ever since the death of her parents she had not seen the man much even though they both reside in L.A, she did not want to remember everything that had to do with her parents and their unfortunate passing.