Charlatan

A deep incantation of silence lingered around the room which was painted from head to toe in white. An opened window stood agile against the bricks of these walls, allowing vivacious sunlight to flood inside in ample. There were various chairs and sofas all around the room- each adorned with a cushion or two who seemed perfectly clean. Next to the sofa sat a table with a bunch of papers, notebooks and pens: hidden gracefully behind a large vase filled with roses of the brightest red. There was a mirror shinning blatantly next to the window which reflected each and every motion that could be detected in front of it where a large, wooden door stood pridefully, letting people in whenever they needed. 

In this entire room filled with clarity sat a woman of around age twenty-six, with a bunch of black hair cluttering her skin while the majority were pulled back into a slightly messy, but fine ponytail. She seemed to lost in her thoughts, analysing every nook and cranny of whatever it was which she was thinking of. She seemed to be plotting, avoiding anything around her. The endless peace never seemed to be broken, a sleepily warm day as it was that date. 

Suddenly, a loud click was heard from the background; breaking the lady's attention towards her arrival. A girl younger than her, about seventeen strutted in- a lousy body demeanour popping off her conduct. A warm smile reached the eyes the psychiatrist who was, for so long waiting for the arrival for her most new patient while wandering off her thoughts in the meantime.

A faint smile clasped up the juvenile face standing in front of her which didn’t seem too out of the ordinary for her. She was a nice girl. Not much was ever up with her.

Lydia came a month back, following her rescue from her maniac brother, Jacob Liams who happened to be a serial killer who had murdered eight prostitutes. He had attacked Lydia when she found out about his dirty little secret; but while defending herself, she accidentally ended up taking his life. You would expect a patient as horribly treated as her to take up to at least five months to convalesce. Yet, ironically it only took a month. She was a strange girl, happy-go-lucky, lost in her world of meaningfulness, yet so charming. For Dr Sanders, it was an amazing recovery- enough to get her reputation up at least. It felt as if yesterday when she came all silent, crying in solitude and fearing for other’s aid. Today, was their last appointment. Lydia would then go to her respective orphanage where she and her brother grew up. 

“Take a seat.” Sanders tenderly welcomed her. 

Nodding lightly, Lydia took her seat where she was meant to be sitting: no, actually sleeping. Lying against the sofa, she closed her eyes like every day. 

“You don’t have to do that anymore, you know.” Sanders chuckled lightly.”Today’s your last visit. We are just going to cover the basics."

“Did it have to be last, doctor?” Lydia frowned. “I enjoyed your company.” 

“Well, that’s a relief. I thought you hated me.”

“In the beginning. Not anymore, though.” she hesitated for a moment, before answering quietly, "You kind of reminded me of my brother."

Dr Sanders lips curved magnificently. She too had gained a liking to Lydia’s company. She never talked about it, nor would she admit it, but she liked her time with her. 

“Let’s just get this over with.” She sighed before continuing her words towards her patient. “So, today is the last appointment we have. From here on, I expect you to be able to take care of yourself. Is that understood? Do you accept what happened?”

Lydia nodded. She recited, like every other day, “I accept the factor that my brother was against my points of views and went his own way. I accept the fact that whatever happened was a disaster, and that it shouldn’t have happened- but I won’t let it bring a halt to my life” Lydia’s voice broke off. She seemed to hesitate in saying something which agitated the doctor sitting next to her. 

“Is everything all right?” 

Lydia opened her eyes and looked at the doctor in front of her. Her onyx irises seemed to be in search of something- which was still an enigma to the doctor. Was it peace? Peace from her brother's crimes, peace from looking at all those naked, gruesomely murdered, chopped and sliced women? Was its destruction? Destruction of all those who harmed her throughout her life, teasing her, calling her crazy over stuff she shouldn’t have had been? Yet, the answer to that was something different. 

She wanted an answer. An honest reply from the doctor. A look of approval which she had never received in her entire life. 

Dr Sanders nodded her head in approval, smiling to the naiveness of the girl in front of her. “I believe you.” She remarked lowly, but it was enough to make the juvenile be reassured. 

“and I believe in myself. I accept my past and future. I accept myself.”

Dr Sanders’ lips formed a curve, a lot more genuine than what she had used previously. 

"Doctor, you don't think what I did was wrong, did you?"

"What? Of course not, honey. Whatever you did was not wrong. The situation made you do it."

Lydia's face marked a slight smirk. Before getting off her chair.

“So this is the end then?” Lydia asked before opening a door leading to a room filled with others- each seated person with a different reason to be there. 

Dr Sanders nodded, though unwillingly. Lydia sighed. “See you soon then, right doctor?”

“Bye.” The psychiatrist replied a lot more surely than she was herself. 

“Bye.” Lydia started to walk away but stopped when she heard a call behind her. She turned around to find Dr Sanders calling her.

“Hey, I’ve got a question.” 

“What is it, Doc?” Lydia asked, her tone confused about the other's sudden request.

“Why did you end up in the orphanage?” Dr Sanders asked her. 

Lydia’s content face flickered to a more serious one. She seemed, strangely unwilling to say anything. It took some time, but she eventually said it. 

“She-she was a prostitute. Sleeping around with men, gaining money to feed us. But then, one day she just.....left. She left us for the sake of money. Leaving us to be alone and hungry. Then we ended up in an orphanage. An orphanage.” Lydia growled under her breath, but it went unnoticed by the psychiatrist. 

“That bitch....glad she’s dead. Gosh, I hate those people. Sleeping around to feed themselves.” Lydia didn’t seem so OK anymore. Feeling the sensation of discomfort, Sanders dropped the conversation.

After bidding her a proper bye, Dr Sanders made her way to her office. The same white room cheered on her return.

She sat down in her favourite chair, pulled open a drawer which had been closed for a long time to reveal a bunch of cut-out newspaper articles resting inside. Her bony fingers traced the edges of the articles, slightly shuffling them before pulling out the newest possible article. She read the text on it, before stopping at a highlight. Her face seemed to show great concern, even fear if you could say it. Finally, she read it out loud:

“Jacob Liams found not to be the only criminal involved in the serial murder of eight prostitutes. Evidence proves there is a partner who most likely betrayed Liams. Hmm.”

Sanders though for a minute, before dialling a number quietly on her phone. 

Her voice was quick to cover itself in thick layers of disgust and terror. “Hello, is this the police? I think I’ve found the partner of Jacob Liams! Her, her name is Lydia Liams, his younger sister. She too shares a strange hatred against prostitutes and, and she-she said was glad that her prostitute mother was dead! Yeah, yeah, please come quick!”

After hanging up, Sanders placed her phone on the counter, smiling inwardly to herself as she pulled a cigarette from inside her coat. Thick puffs of smoke which did not match the mood of the room, left from the lips of the smoker after a minute. A large smirk crawled up her face. 

“It’s always nice to have people with similar thoughts to blame.......especially for crime.”

 With that, came in the next patient, who she sweet-talked to until he was satisfied.

This was only the beginning. Beginning to a whole other world. A world filled with lies and destruction. A world that will always be filled with that one creature:

The Charlatan.