Stadler House: Book One: Chapter Four

Stadler House:Book One:

Chapter Four

By: Roger Alderrman

The poor illumination of the rainy afternoon, entering through the blinds, does little to lighten the mood of the group session taking place inside the Session Room. In the center of a circle of folding chairs holding the group home children stands Rodney and Dr. Stadler just inches apart with each holding looks of contempt for the other.

Dr. Stadler steps forward, as Rodney recoils at the advance. “It’s not a punishment,” Dr. Stadler defends his actions. “A seventy-two-hour lockdown! That’s bullshit doc!” Rodney defiantly blurts out.

All of the children remain quiet and near motionless save for looks of concern shared amongst one another. That is all, but Anna whom chuckles with each new verbal jab. Anna seeing an opening to antagonize the conversation interjects as she stares at Tyler, “Better than seventy-two hours of being tied down like a dog!’ 

Everyone in the room, especially Dr. Stadler and Rodney, gasps at Anna’s announcement. Tyler leaps to his feet enraged by Anna’s comment, “What the fuck did you just say?” Maggie rushes between Anna and Tyler, “Tyler calm down I’m sure she had no idea.”

“Fuck that bitch! You need to quit protecting her,” Tyler scowls and presents a clenched fist to Anna. Everyone stares at Dr. Stadler as he grabs Tyler’s wrist, Tyler, Enough!” Maggie shakes her head as she steps away from the circle and the from the conflict. 

Maggie turns back to the circle and gasps with a look of terror as witnesses two tall looming shadowy figures studying Tyler from behind his chair.  She blinks and the shadow figures are gone from sight. Maggie recoils in response to Anna raising her eyes from her facing the floor to Maggie and gives a devilish smirk. 

“Anna,” Dr. Stadler demands, “Where did you hear that?” Tyler plops onto his chair, “yeah, bitch talk!”. Dr. Stadler uncharacteristically yells, “Enough!” and startles everyone except Anna. 

Anna sits motionless and unmoved by the Doctor’s actions, “After the fire, when my parents died, the doctors tied me down.” Anna pulls up the sleeve of her blouse to reveal horrible burn scars running up her arm from the elbow. Everyone looks towards Anna in shock by her response and revelations to the group.

Dr. Stadler looks at Anna in confusion, “What are you talking about?” Anna mimes the motion of her resisting a tube being forced down her throat, “Then they put the tube into my throat.” Anna gags and vomits black and green bile onto the floor in front of herself. 

Maggie brings her hands to her face in shock. Julie slides her chair back and looks at Anna, “Dr. Stadler. I'm going to my room.” Dr. Stadler motions for everyone to leave the room, “Alright Everyone sessions over for today, go relax in your rooms.”

Dr. Stadler looks to his wife with urgency, “Maggie, you and I need to talk.” Maggie wipes tears from her eyes. Emily walks to Maggie as she exits and hugs Maggie, “She will be okay. She’s my friend.” She places her hands on Maggie's face and turns it towards her, but Maggie interrupts, “Just, take her with you.”

Emily gets up grabbing Anna's hand. Emily looks a little confused by Anna’s look of contentment with herself, “guess the arguments over.” Emily gags at the smell of the thick chunky pool of vomit but turns and exits the room with Anna. 

John grabs Tyler's sleeve, “Come on let’s go work out and get away from this shit.” Tyler glares at Anna as she exits the room. He mouths the words, “I’ll get you, bitch.” John drags Tyler out of the room with him towards the makeshift garage gymnasium. 

Dr. Stadler and Maggie exit last turning off the room lights and carry a large stack of files with them. Maggie nudges Dr. Stadler as they transverse the hallway to his office, “You want to tell me what the hell just happened?”

Dr. Stadler hushes his wife and offers, “we can talk, but only once inside my office.” Maggie nods in acceptance as she opens the door to his office, “fine, but this had better be some real answers. Not like last time.” “Trust me,” Dr. Stadler states as he enters the office and turns on the room light. 

Maggie closes the door behind them and crosses the office to sit opposite Dr. Stadler at his desk. “Okay, So talk. What the heck was all that about and how did she know about Tyler?” Maggie demands. Dr. Stadler shrugs and stares blankly past Maggie.

“Did Anna die like she claimed?” Maggie begs Dr. Stadler for an answer. Dr. Stadler chuckles and passes Maggie the files. Maggie looks confused at the file names and looks up to Dr. Stadler,” I don’t get it?”

Maggie opens the first of the linked files, “Stephanie Long, is this another kid you want to work with? I hardly think this is the time to discuss…” Dr. Stadler shakes his head, “No, Maggie, that is or was Anna…” Maggie stands up paces a moment and sits the files on top of the cluttered office desk. 

“I don’t get it? She changed her name?” Maggie holds a look of intense confusion. “Yes, Stephanie did survive the house fire that killed her parents, but she was left in a vegetative state from exposure to the intense heat. “Then where is she, now?” Maggie pleads.

“You don’t understand. I have been working with her in the coma state. Trying to help her regain consciousness,” Dr. Stadler begins. Maggie narrows her eyes, “Anna… or Stephanie is the same girl?” Dr. Stadler nods, “yes, during our last session she died. We fought for thirty minutes to bring her back, but she kept slipping away.” “So, she died then. Just like each of the other kids?” Maggie questions. 

Dr. Stadler leans his chair back and rests his feet on the desktop, “Yes, but it happened during the second session after she regained consciousness. She was deep under suggestion then she began having a conversation with something?” Maggie seems confused by the revelation, “What do you mean… something?” 

Dr. Stadler opens a file and scans through it, “Yes, Something. Even the recorders couldn’t unjumble the words that she was speaking. Only a single word came through right at the end, Ankou?” “That’s it?” Maggie looks puzzled at the information. “Not sure. The odd thing was she seemed to be begging when she said it,” Dr. Stadler continued to offer details from the file.

Dr. Stadler looks down at his notes in the file, “I sent copies of the audio recording off to the university to see if they can make any sense of the recording.” Maggie tears up at the thought of all “Anna” had been through, “poor girl no wonder she seems off.” Dr. Stadler looks up from his notes, “The hypnotherapy has done wonders with the others. It will be another step in the evolution of my father’s techniques. I can feel it.”

Maggie gently takes Dr. Stadler’s hand to comfort him, “Why are we calling her Anna? If her name is Stephanie?” Dr. Stadler shrugs, “One day I arrived at the hospital and was corrected by the staff that her name was Anna. Apparently one of the hospice nurses somehow had a run in with her and after a conversation, she was told by "Anna" that she was to be addressed as Ankou.” 

Maggie smiles and looks to her husband, “and that seemed to male so the nurse shortened it to Anna.” Dr. Stadler nods yes at her reasoning to the story. Dr. Stadler continues, “We were not the first decision of the state for her care. There were two other families, but she was back in the system in less than six months with each.”

Maggie takes the files from Dr. Stadler and leafs through until she stops with wide eyes staring at the unthinkable, “They did not return her. It says that each family was burned alive in-house fires. In each instance, she survived unharmed?” looks away in shock. Maggie glares at Dr. Stadler, “You better get her under control or a spell or whatever hypnotherapy does before she finds a match!”

Dr. Stadler returns the glare to his wife, “That’s not very funny. She’s been through a lot. Took everything to get the courts to bury her files.” Maggie’s face fills with false hope, “Sorry, it’s fine we can get through this.” Dr. Stadler leans in his chair and rubs his face, “that’s my girl.”

Dr. Stadler stands and looks out the office window at the approaching storm, “Try to get to know her, build rapport, we need her to trust us. If we’re going to continue the experiment.” Maggie hugs him from behind, “we can do it, together.” Dr. Stadler embraces and kisses Maggie.