Disturbed Mind (A Grace Ellery Romantic Suspense Series Book 2) by Charlotte Raine Page B
Authors: Charlotte Raine
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now.”
“It’s about how you feel on the inside?” I guess.
“No, it’s a precaution for future weight gain,” she says. “You have to stay ahead of any possible disasters, Sam. That’s something you always did terrible at.”
She walks through the doors and they slam closed behind her. I return to my John Doe, sliding the plastic sheet back off him.
“I think I prepare pretty well,” I mutter to the corpse. “I mean, my job as a cardiologist is to warn people of future illness. Though, my job here has me arriving at the problem too late.”
I shake my head. I need to stop working at some point and have a social life again or else I’ll start talking to all of my corpses. I need to see Grace and feel the softness of her face in my hands. I look back at the skull fragments on the tray. I run my finger along the space where the corpse’s teeth should be.
What happened to them? Did the killer take them or would he have thrown them out? Could they still be in the lake?
This man’s identity was erased by his killer. I wonder if his family is aware that he’s missing or if they care.
When I’m gone, what will my identity be? Cardiologist? Medical examiner? Son? I won’t be a husband if I die anytime soon. Would my family notice if I disappeared? Whom would I notice if they disappeared?
Grace. Mom. Dad. My brother, Jake. My best friend, John Seoh.
I run my tongue along my teeth. At least I still have my teeth, but if I have to get to that level of optimism, I may be too late to fix the mess that my life has become.
Chapter Fifteen
Grace, 2015
( L ate Friday Morning ; Stoddard High School, Lake Sarabelle, Virginia)
“THE LAST POEM we’re going to look at today is “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night”by Dylan Thomas. This poem is about Thomas’s father and how his father’s old age meant that he was approaching death. Unlike many poems about death that talk about peacefully dying, Thomas encourages his father to fight against death—Thomas says to ‘burn and rave’and ‘rage, rage against the dying of the light.’ Dylan also uses a plethora of imagery. Did anyone have anything they liked specifically?”
“I liked ‘blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be…gay,’” Devon Wright says.
“Yeah, that’s probably because you are gay.” Rick Burrow snickers.
“Rick,” I snap. “Go to the principal’s office.”
“WHAT?” he yells. “Because I stated a fact? That’s not fair.”
“Rick,” I repeat. “Go to the principal’s office. Now.”
Rick grabs his backpack and storms out of the classroom. It reminds me of when I was teaching at Bishop Alternative High School and Francis had been bullied for his stuttering. Is that why he became violent later in life? Because his classmates teased him and made him feel alienated? Could Devon grow up to be a killer because some kid doesn’t know how deep his jokes can sting?
“You know what? Let’s end class a couple of minutes early,” I say, forcing a smile. “It’s almost the holidays and I know you guys have a lot of tests right before we go on break. So, go to lunch early. Just be quiet in the halls. Remember, ‘burn and rave,’ but…you know, do it legally.”
A few of the kids laugh for my benefit before gathering all of their books and notes. They shove it into their bags before rushing out of the room. Devon is one of the last ones to walk past me.
“Devon, could you stay here for a minute?” I ask. “I just want to have a short chat with you.”
He looks up at me, his eyes pleading for me to simply let him walk through life without being noticed. He just wants to be invisible so that he can’t be taunted. But I can’t allow him to be disregarded because that could lead him to ignore the fact that his actions have consequences on the rest of the world. If he goes on to create a program that helps end bullying, he could affect millions of children. If he goes on to try to stab people to death, it will
“It’s about how you feel on the inside?” I guess.
“No, it’s a precaution for future weight gain,” she says. “You have to stay ahead of any possible disasters, Sam. That’s something you always did terrible at.”
She walks through the doors and they slam closed behind her. I return to my John Doe, sliding the plastic sheet back off him.
“I think I prepare pretty well,” I mutter to the corpse. “I mean, my job as a cardiologist is to warn people of future illness. Though, my job here has me arriving at the problem too late.”
I shake my head. I need to stop working at some point and have a social life again or else I’ll start talking to all of my corpses. I need to see Grace and feel the softness of her face in my hands. I look back at the skull fragments on the tray. I run my finger along the space where the corpse’s teeth should be.
What happened to them? Did the killer take them or would he have thrown them out? Could they still be in the lake?
This man’s identity was erased by his killer. I wonder if his family is aware that he’s missing or if they care.
When I’m gone, what will my identity be? Cardiologist? Medical examiner? Son? I won’t be a husband if I die anytime soon. Would my family notice if I disappeared? Whom would I notice if they disappeared?
Grace. Mom. Dad. My brother, Jake. My best friend, John Seoh.
I run my tongue along my teeth. At least I still have my teeth, but if I have to get to that level of optimism, I may be too late to fix the mess that my life has become.
Chapter Fifteen
Grace, 2015
( L ate Friday Morning ; Stoddard High School, Lake Sarabelle, Virginia)
“THE LAST POEM we’re going to look at today is “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night”by Dylan Thomas. This poem is about Thomas’s father and how his father’s old age meant that he was approaching death. Unlike many poems about death that talk about peacefully dying, Thomas encourages his father to fight against death—Thomas says to ‘burn and rave’and ‘rage, rage against the dying of the light.’ Dylan also uses a plethora of imagery. Did anyone have anything they liked specifically?”
“I liked ‘blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be…gay,’” Devon Wright says.
“Yeah, that’s probably because you are gay.” Rick Burrow snickers.
“Rick,” I snap. “Go to the principal’s office.”
“WHAT?” he yells. “Because I stated a fact? That’s not fair.”
“Rick,” I repeat. “Go to the principal’s office. Now.”
Rick grabs his backpack and storms out of the classroom. It reminds me of when I was teaching at Bishop Alternative High School and Francis had been bullied for his stuttering. Is that why he became violent later in life? Because his classmates teased him and made him feel alienated? Could Devon grow up to be a killer because some kid doesn’t know how deep his jokes can sting?
“You know what? Let’s end class a couple of minutes early,” I say, forcing a smile. “It’s almost the holidays and I know you guys have a lot of tests right before we go on break. So, go to lunch early. Just be quiet in the halls. Remember, ‘burn and rave,’ but…you know, do it legally.”
A few of the kids laugh for my benefit before gathering all of their books and notes. They shove it into their bags before rushing out of the room. Devon is one of the last ones to walk past me.
“Devon, could you stay here for a minute?” I ask. “I just want to have a short chat with you.”
He looks up at me, his eyes pleading for me to simply let him walk through life without being noticed. He just wants to be invisible so that he can’t be taunted. But I can’t allow him to be disregarded because that could lead him to ignore the fact that his actions have consequences on the rest of the world. If he goes on to create a program that helps end bullying, he could affect millions of children. If he goes on to try to stab people to death, it will
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