Family Is Not For Everyone

Dr. Garrison’s glasses fog up. She’s been sitting so quietly but her breathing has gotten so heavy watching the Harkiss family fight silently. Every session is like this.

“There’s no room for my car in the driveway, there’s no room in the closet for my stuff, the bathroom…” Ruby Harkiss bites her lip. “It’s starting to feel like…”

“Starting to feel like what?” Her husband, Harry, looks at me instead of her. “Why don’t you just say it?”

“I’ve already said it,” Ruby looks down at the carpet.

“Oh, I must be deaf then.” Harry’s voice goes up an octave as he turns to his kids for confirmation. Scarlett, the eldest daughter, heard the sarcasm in his voice and has rolled her eyes three times. Dean, the middle child, heard the confrontational tone from the beginning and has been closed off from the whole conversation. Their youngest, Bella, plays with the toys set up in the corner. Scarlett and Dean join her at this point. Scarlett hands Bella her stuffed bunny. Dean sits on the floor next to Bella. He puts a block on top of Bella’s tower-in-progress and it all falls apart. Bella cries a single note and Dr. Garrison, Ruby, and Harry’s heads turn to the kids.

“I’m sorry, Bella!” Dean scrambles to rebuild it but Bella’s lost interest. She’s dancing away with her stuffed bunny.

“Let it go,” Scarlett places her hands on Dean’s shaking arms.

Dr. Garrison’s timer goes off. She only uses a timer for sessions with the Harkisses. Ruby mechanically goes to collect Bella, as the rest of the family shuffles toward the door.

Something shifts in the room but only Dr. Garrison is aware of it. The light dims. Dr. Garrison holds her breath and opens the bottom drawer of her desk. Stares into it like it’s her reflection in a lake.

“Wait!” She exhales and shuts her eyes.

The Harkisses stop.

“When was the last time you did something as a family?” Dr. Garrison asks.

“Does this count?” Harry gestures to the room.

Ruby smirks as she picks Bella up in her arms.

“Well, my family has a cabin down by Lake Erie,” Dr. Garrison pulls a set of keys from the opened drawer and walks over to the Harkisses. “I think — no I want you to go up there this weekend.” She places the keys in Ruby’s hands.

“You think it’ll help?” Ruby asks.

“I think the fresh air will be good for you,” Dr. Garrison nods and ushers the Harkisses out the door. She closes the door behind them and turns back to her office which is starting to dim again.

“Are you happy now?” Dr. Garrison shuts her eyes.

The office goes pitch dark. Dr. Garrison rushes out of her office locking the door behind her.

“Cancel my last appointment, please!” She says as she speeds out of the building.

***

The next day, the Harkisses arrive at Dr. Garrison’s cabin. Bella points to a window on the top floor. A woman stands there holding a burning candle.

“Look! Look! Look!” Bella repeats.

“Look at what? Harry asks.

“A lady! A lad— “ She starts.

“Yeah, we get it, a lady,” Harry mumbles, tiredly.

Ruby gives him a look.

“Alright, fine.” Harry throws up his hands. “Let’s check it out.”

***

“Is the room open now, daddy?” Bella asks.

“For the thousandth time, no!” Harry says.

Bella starts crying and Dean consoles her as Ruby and Scarlett get a fire going in the living room.

“Stop yelling, Harry,” Ruby says.

“She’s been asking the same question all day, Ruby.” Harry rubs his temples.

“Yeah, Harry, and we’ve all been hearing it.” Ruby sets her fire poker down and walks over to Bella. She picks her up and takes her into the kitchen. She sets her down on the counter to look for a snack in the fridge.

“Oh, yeah get her a snack. When is someone going to get me a snack?” Harry slams his fist on the arm of the couch.

“She’s five, Harry. You’re 45.” Ruby says. “Use your words.”

“I am.” Harry looks at Ruby. Ruby gives Bella a fruit cup.

“Alright, now use your legs to walk over here and find something to eat. Dinner’s obviously not ready yet.”

Ruby goes back into the fridge to pull the raw chicken out. Harry reaches the fridge at the same time and accidentally knocks it out of her hands.

“Ruby!!!” Harry yells before the chicken even hits the floor.

“Harry!!!” Ruby yells back.

They stare at it.

“It’s ruined,” Harry says. “You’ve ruined it, you stupid woman!”

“Hey, don’t call her that!” Scarlett rushes over and points her fire poker at her dad.

“Scarlett put it down,” Ruby says.

Creeeeeeaaaakkkk!

Scarlett turns her head to the staircase and Harry grabs the poker from her.

“Did you hear that?” Scarlett’s eyebrows furrow and her movements get sharper.

“Hear what?” Harry smirks.

THUD!!!

“Shit, what was that?” Harry drops the hot poker on his foot. He yelps in pain.

“I- I’ll go to go check it out,” Dean hesitates.

Harry smirks in between yelps.

“No,” Ruby picks up Bella. “We’ll all go.”

Scarlett leads her family upstairs and down the hall to the indignant room. She turns the doorknob slowly. It turns like a screw, rusty and spiraling to an end. As the door opens, it creaks. Scarlett opens it and steps back.

“That was the noise I heard.” She whispers.

Ruby slaps Harry’s shoulder and gestures for him to go in first. The pain has gone down but the anger is about to shoot up again.

“I’m not— “ Harry yells.

Something shoves them all inside the room and Harry shuts up. The door locks behind them. There’s blood on the walls and lit candles. Ruby reaches for her cellphone, so she can call Dr. Garrison. No answer. The window opens on its own and lets in huge bursts of cold air. It blows out the candles. Leaving the Harkisses in the same pitch dark as Dr. Garrison.

Four greyish-blue apparitions appear in front of Harry, Ruby, Scarlett, and Dean. They are transfixed. Bella feels a hand on her shoulder and turns around. She frowns but then smiles. She grabs her father’s numb hand and shakes it with joy. “See, I told you, daddy!” A white-lace-covered arm reaches out to Bella and she drops her father’s hand to take it. The woman from the window leads Bella down the stairs and they leave the cabin.

Ruby’s cell phone buzzes in her hand and pulls her out of the trance. She sees all the apparitions at once as she answers.

“Hello?” She whispers.

“What’s going on?” Dr. Garrison asks. “Why are you whispering? Are you hiding from Harry again?”

“No, I don’t know what’s going on. I can’t move.” Ruby’s voice shakes. “Why did you send us out here?”

“I’m sorry. I will explain everything when I get there.” Dr. Garrison speeds through her words and traffic. “Just stay vigilant.”

The dial tone guts Ruby but she instinctually reaches back to grab a hold of Bella’s hand. The empty space between Dean and Harry freezes her hand in place. She lets out a wail, louder than a banshee’s. The apparition in front of her shrieks.

“Stop! Please stop!” Ruby yells. “Just let my family go and tell me where my daughter is.”

The other apparitions join in the shrieking.

“Please, stop…” Ruby’s hoarse voice turns into a whisper again.

The apparitions shut up.

“Please…” Ruby whispers again.

The apparitions remain silent.

“Please…” Ruby tries her indoor voice and the apparitions start buzzing.

“Okay, okay…” She whispers again. “Where is Bella?”

The apparitions lead four fifths of the Harkisses into the woods.

Eventually, they reach a clearing, where Bella’s been playing ring around the rosie with the woman from the window.

“Bella?” Ruby says.

Bella stops and turns around. “Mommy? Mommy! Mommy! Look! Look! Look!” She hugs the woman.

“Please…” Ruby pleads with the woman.

The woman looks tired and Ruby can tell it’s not just from playing with Bella.

“Please, give me my baby back?” Ruby uses her words.

The woman sighs. “What about mine?”

“What about me?” A familiar voice rushes through the leaves.

“Hi, Dr. Garrison!” Bella squeals. “Look! Look! Look!”

“Hi, Bella!” Dr. Garrison kneels down and Bella rushes over to hug her. Dr. Garrison looks up. “I’m here. Now, let them go, mother.”

“You won’t stay.” Her mother says. “You never do.”

“I don’t have to.” Dr. Garrison’s voice cools the air. “But you have to let this family go… It’s the right thing to do and you know it.”

“Promise me you’ll talk to me before you go. Please, Lauren?” Her mother’s face softens.

Dr. Garrison nods slowly. “Okay, mom. I will.”

Her mother closes her eyes and the apparitions disappear.

The Harkisses embrace each other.

***

The Harkisses and Dr. Garrison and her mother sit around a campfire, roasting vegetables because no one has had dinner yet.

“You have to keep your apparition,” Dr. Garrison’s mother says as she blows on her roasted carrot. “That’s the only thing I won’t budge on.”

“But she keeps messing with the lighting in my office, mom!” Dr. Garrison whines. “You guys know what I’m talking about, right?”

“Yeah, I thought it was just me.” Dean says.

“What are you both talking about?” Harry bites into a searing mushroom and burns his tongue.

“Well, you’ll find out on Thursday.” Dr. Garrison dips her celery into some ranch sauce.

“About that…” Ruby says. “I think we’re going to have to see a different therapist. No offence.”

“Oh, none taken.” Dr. Garrison says. “It would be weird if you didn’t.”