Story 1/1001

• architect
• round
• line

“Do you come here often?” He looked at a young woman with brown, messy hair. “Sorry, it’s my first time. Are we not supposed to talk?”

He leaned towards her in his plastic, uncomfortable chair, trying to catch her gaze. Moments passed and another woman walked in. Her heels echoed in the corridor and, the once silent waiting room, was filled with footsteps and her perfume.

“She doesn’t say much.” She sat next to him. “Sandra. Your first time? Why are you here- “

“Liam.”

“Liam. You look like a Liam, yes.” She said, more to herself. She looked at his blonde hair and suntanned skin. “What do you need from a place like this?”

“I… I don’t sleep well. What about y- “

“That is a reason to be here, yes. But you’re so young.” She leaned in, and he could feel her breath on his ear. “You are not the same like her, are you?”

Sandra pointed at the girl a few chairs away from them, who had her head buried in her lap, and her hands on her face. She didn’t cry, moan, or sigh. She just sat in her chair, like she was trying to shield herself from the world.

“I don’t think so, no.” Liam averted his gaze.

“Good. Then it should be manageable. You’ll probably need to come in once or twice again.”

Liam turned around to look at Sandra. She reminded him of his aunt. Vibrant, curly red hair, strong make up, and a bold, patterned outfit.

“Why is she here?” He whispered.

“She has troubles sleeping, obviously. This is a sleep clinic.” She smiled to herself. “What you should be asking is, why is she like this.”

“So, why is she?”

“You know what they do here. You wouldn’t be here if any other clinic helped, would you?” He nodded, sighing.

“They made her like this? Everyone said the architects here are the best. If it’s like thi-“

“Of course they’re the best.” She waved her hand, as if she was pushing his worries away. “But they are still in charge of dreams. It’s not an exact science. The more rounds you get, the more creative they have to get.”

“How many rounds did she get?”

“Many. And she’ll need many more. You should’ve seen her before all this. She’s a peach now.”

“What happened to her?”

White door in front of them opened. An older nurse walked out, with a smile on her face.

“Miss Sandra, you’re on time!”

“They say miracles happen, Louise.”

“I’ll be with you in a moment, mister Liam. Miss Anna. Ready for your round, Miss Sandra?”

“As one could be.”

Sandra walked in, the bright light swallowing her figure. As soon as the doors closed, the silence resumed.

Liam fell back into his seat. Minutes passed, making his body and mind become increasingly uncomfortable. She wasn’t looking at him, he was sure of it, but the hairs on his neck said otherwise.

When the nurse opened the doors, he jumped out of his seat, like it was on fire.

“Excited, mister Liam?” she didn’t wait for a response, but went straight to Anna. “Miss Anna, you can come in now.”

She took her hand and helped her up.

Anna walked to the door and stopped. She turned, facing him.

His eyes widened.

Her face was full of uneven lines, healed scars. One of her eyes was sealed shut, with four thin lines on it, and there were scratch marks going down to her neck.

She looked at him with her one, pale eye.

That’s when he noticed the gloves on her hands. They looked as if they were glued on, unmovable.

“Who do you want to see next, miss Anna?” The nurse’s voice was drowning in the distance.

“Him.”

She did it to herself.