The Visitation

I jumped at the touch.  "Don't touch me," I screamed, "don't ever touch me."

I rubbed furiously at the place where his hand had touched me.  I screamed and clawed at my arm.   He was stuck on to me and the pain was unbearable.  I screamed and ripped at my skin, my  burning, impregnated skin until they came and gave me the shot.   Then, as usual, I remembered nothing.  I woke in my bed in the small room next to the nurses' station.  The room was teaming with things crawling everywhere.  They did not frighten me so much because they don't touch me, in fact, they kept completely clear of me and my bed.  Writhing and creeping on the walls and ceiling, they were the size of small bats.

The nurse came in, walking through them as though she was invisible.  "How are you now?" she said cheerily. "Sorry about that earlier.  It was the new nurse - didn't know about not touching."

I watched as she began to change shape in front of me.  Subtle at first it was as though there was a shimmer around her, a glowing light.  Then slowly bits of her began to dissolve until she was only a beautiful, throbbing shadow.  I felt rested in her presence, the light making peaceful music and soft flutterings.

Suddenly she took form again, sharply and clearly.  "Your daughter, Christine, is coming to visit you."  I sat up suddenly, all the movement in the room ceased, and everything in me focussed on 'Christine'.  I felt a shock run through me.  I had not seen Christine in over a year.   Not since they had taken me away and said that I could not be at home with a child until I was better.

"It would unsettle her to see you this way," they said.

The nurse continued,   "She was so upset not seeing you that they decided to let her visit.

I have to ask you if you want to see her?"

I could only nod my head, words caught in my throat.

She walked into the small visiting room, her hair a golden halo, her eyes the same colour as mine -  hazel they call it.  Without hesitation she came up to my knees and climbed onto my lap and whispered in my ear,  "Daddy, I have  bats in my room too."