I Have Surprises Waiting….

She was tired of their taunts. She wanted them to go away. Go away and leave her alone.

That’s how Tarha felt about the people and the voices. The jeering and laughing and screaming of the voices! It seemed like whatever she said was the wrong thing, and it was always too late to take it back. She had made the wrong comment about Courtney, and now her sister Stacy was threatening her. She’d said nothing to anyone else and yet the people kept piling up. The people that were friends of Stacy and Courtney kept coming. More and more. She wanted to make them stop, wanted to make them go away. She laughed to herself. “I can back up my own shit. I don’t need worthless followers to do the job for me. Let them come after me. I have surprises waiting….”

She’d made the mistake of giving her phone number to Jon, a fun guy she’d met in a chat room. She hadn’t met him yet but he thought she was cool too. But all wasn’t cool, not on his part. Jon ended up giving The Followers her number and they called her and made threats every moment. The constant ringing of the phone and remarks and taunts and threats drove her insane. All these people she did not know called and called and sneered and told her they’d come after her and hurt her. She was afraid for a little while. But not for long. “Let the come after me, ” she thought. “I have surprises waiting.” The house was silent for a week because she had disconnected her phone. No more calls, no more voices dripping acid warnings in her ear. Tarha decided to go for a walk in Independence Park. Not for long, she coaxed herself. Just for some air. You can’t breathe in here. But before she left the house, she made a quick check around and left. The walk began as hushed and reminiscent but quietly began to coil into a fast-paced frantic. She was being watched. By someone–no…several someones. It’s them! her mind panicked. Let them come, she told herself. I have surprises waiting. The first was a male of average build and a manacing smile. “I told you we’d come, ” he seethed. “We’ve all come. And what you said was bullshit. You shouldn’t have fucked with her.” “She fucked with me first,” Tarha said. “Doesn’t matter. You asked for a problem and now you got one.” Then a female that was sitting on a bench nearby stood up and turned around. “I don’t like you, Tarha,” she spat. “I don’t like your attitude. And we’re gonna fix it.” Tarha stood grounded. She wasn’t going to let these demons tell her what they didn’t like and what they were going to do. “You talk too much shit, bitch.” This was Courtney’s sister. But Tarha wasn’t backing down yet. They wanna spit remarks, so can I! “Well, I was right about her,” she said. “Courtney did fuck Damien. And now she’s pregnant, but not by him. I feel sorry for the guy that DID fuck her. Instead of him saying, ‘Nice legs, when do they open?’ he said, ‘Nice legs, but when do they ever close?’” At that the rest came out and bodies flew forward. Here were a bunch of 20-somethings after an 18 year old because a girl couldn’t’ back up her words. And where was the precious little Courtney? Hiding from the truth, no doubt. There were soon screams–male and female screams. Screams of people realizing they are going to die. Tired and very much out of breath, Tarha looked around at aforementioned fight. Three bodies lie on the ground, cushioned in their own blood. Tarha’s hands were smeared in the red liquid and her shirt was spattered with crimson evidence. She glanced around; the rest had sped off in clouds of smoke and squeeling tires. No doubt to tell authorities. She looked at them without empathy. “I told you I had surprises waiting.” She put the knife that she’d grabbed before she left the house in her pocket. No use letting people know it was her. Tarha turned to hear the shrill of a screaming female. The woman was paled and hysterical. “Are you all right? Are you hurt? There’s blood on your hands. Do you want me to call a doctor??” Tarha studied the woman with confusion. She turned to the spot where she’d killed The Followers and not a body was in sight! But there was blood on her hands, she must’ve done it. Only…..where were the bodies?

“How do you feel? Are you angry? Sad? Tarha, are you with us?” Tarha looked up to see a man with glasses and greying hair carefully watching her. She took in the walls and the desk and the books on the shelf. She noticed a nameplate on this desk: Dr. Schilling. She was in a doctors office. Some sort of counsoling person. “Do you know why you’re here? You were discovered in a park with bloodied hands. Do you know why?” She shook her head. But the thought nagged her; where were the bodies. “Tarha, do you hear voices? Do you feel you are being watched or stalked?” Tarha was confused. The doctor patiently folded his notebook. “Tarha, I am Dr. Schilling and I will be here to ask you questions. Welcome to The Women’s Ward for Psychiatric Patients.”

–to the viewers, sorry it was so long.