My Mind's Betrayal

            Haunting Perspective

    Yesterday

I open the taxi door and the pink pony jump in and sits on the opposite end of staring at me coldly like demon child. Twilight is slow to enter the cab as the driver looks at me perplexed.

“What the hell are you waiting for, an invitation?” He asks aggressively.

I take my seat besides Twilight while she seems still ill from the whisky. How was she able to drink it. I know I didn’t drink and imagine her do it. My head ach would have lighten up.

“Where to boss?”  The cab driver asks.

“Methodist Hospital. Fifty buck extra if you get there under twenty.” I tell him.

“You’re the boss, but I would buckle up!”

“Uh… I can’t grab the seat belts!” Pinky says scratching her hoof at the buckle.

“I don’t feel good.” Twilight states right before she gags with her head drifting from side to side dazed. She leans on me with her head resting on my arm. I feel her weight, her cold wet coat. The three of us are push into the seat as the driver speeds off with tires screeching zipping pass other cars while he jumps lanes.

Twilight wraps her front legs around my arm tightly as we rock lest to right violently. Pinky Pie bounces on the seat with her hooves in the air.

“WOOOOOO! This is fun! I love taxis!” She says right before her face hits the window hard. “Wooooo!” She expresses muffled as her face is pressed against the glass with her legs dangling in the air “It’s a really beautiful city.”

“Pinky? Are you okay?” Twilight asks.

“I’m stuck!” The pinky pony says. I grab her tail and yank her away from the window hearing a loud pop. She turns her head showing that her muzzle is flattened. She feels around where her mouth should be then she makes a facial expression that I can only describe as aggressive constipation. Her muzzle pops back out. “That was fu-“ The driver gives a hard turn throwing  Pinky Pie with a yelp down to the car floor.

The car stops abruptly and feeling of normal gravity returns giving the sensation of being lighter.

“I made it under fifteen! Pay up!” The driver sticks his hand out and I take out a fifty and pass it to him with a tremble. “Oh, don’t worry about the meter. I forgot to put it on!”

I jump out the cab into the hospital parking lot being drenched in rain and hold the door for my invisible companions. Pinky prances and Twilight shifts and stumbles to the side. I close the door and the taxi speeds off splashing water on all of us. My pants completely soaked, both ponies’ manes are flattened over their faces.

We rush to through the entrance of the main lobby and feel the sterilized cold air gusting. Both ponies shake off the water from their coat spraying me again. I head to the information desk where I greet an elderly woman who’s expression resembles that of a bulldog looking at me with listless irises and a hint of distain.

“Can I help you” She says as if she rehearsed it so many times it lost its luster of enthusiasm.

“Yes, I’m looking for a Dr. McHale.” I tell her. She types on her out of date computer as I glance at the large crystal bowl of peppermints wondering If I need one to hide the liquor smell.

“Reason for visit?” She asks.

“Past patient!”

“He is in the ER, but I’ll try to page him. You name sir?”

“Chester Wentworth.”

“Go to the waiting area. I call on you when I get through.”

I pull away from the desk into the nearly empty waiting area with large windows showing the depressing weather as the rain falls and water streams down the thick glass. How did I get here? How did I get placed in this estrange situation where every moment seems surreal.

I look around for my hallucinations and see Twilight vomiting into a large potted colocasia with the pink one holding Twilight’s mane way from her face with her mouth. I go and lean against the wall next to the plant and pretend to look at the lobby as Twilight continues to expel the Jack Daniels.

“How, how you doing?” I whisper.

“Not good! My head hurts, my stomach burns, I feel like someone is squeezing insides and I have the taste of the drink in my mouth with an acidic twist. Thanks for holding my mane Pinky.” She turns her not seeing her friend. “Pinky?”

“I think she got distracted.” I point at the information desk where Pinky is holding on top of edge of the desk with her hind legs dangle while she reaches for the bowl of mints. Her eyes wide and focused on the bowl. One hoof stretching as she grunts. “Find a seat.” I tell Twilight sudden realizing that I’m acknowledging my hallucinations as real cognitive beings. If they are linked to my drinking, I’m stuck with them till I die…probably from my drinking?

I walk back to the information desk and grab a hand full of the mints. The cranky receptionist raises a brow.

“Do you really need that many mints?” She asks.

“Do you want to smell my halitosis to justify my need for the mints?” I respond.

“I’ll take you word for it. Must be a bad case of halitosis if you need see an ER doctor for it.” The receptionist says then pushes the bowl closer to me where Pinky can reach. Her eye lighten up brightly and jaw drops in surprised satisfaction. “Take some more! It’ll make it easier for you to talk to people without them running away.” The receptionist adds.

“In that case I’ll keep that halitosis and just eat the mints for blood sugar.” I grab the remaining mints and Pinky gasps in devastation.

“HEY, THOSE WERE MY CANDIES!” She screams at me. The heavily breaths with a snort and her eyes narrow with overwhelming rage. I try to keep my eye contact on the receptionist whom now seems more pleasant to deal with.

“Boy, you are just chalk filled with issues.” The receptionist comments. I know it was meant for the blood sugar line, but just seems that the universe is just fucking with me.

“More than People magazine.” I reply.

I reenter the waiting area with Pinky hooves wrapped around my ankle growling as she shouts “GIVE ME BACK MY CANDY!” I see Twilight quietly sits in a chair reading a magazine while I try to shake off the angry pony that is now biting the ankle sleeve of my pants, but her vice holds and just makes her madder. I’m kind of afraid to punch her in the nose like a shark, wondering if she’ll just bite my hand then obtaining the taste of human blood.

I drop into a seat next to Twilight then Pinky crawls up my leg with her hooves planted on my knees looking rabid. I hold out my hands together offering the peppermints.  Holding her livid stare, she slides the mint off my hand with her front legs then carrying them like a babe. She ducks down and slides under Twilights seat hiding from me. The sound of crumpling plastic emits from under Twilight.

“Don’t think that I don’t have an eye on you!”  Pinky tell me. I look at her eyes peering from under Twilight’s chair large round and enrage. The sound of crumpling plastic still is heard. “I can go for days without blinking once!” She says with her mouth full.

“Pinky? Are you eating the wrappers?” Twilight asks.

“Unwrapping them is just holding me back.” Pinky replies while Twilight puts her hoof to her face shaking her hear.

“Unwrap them and go easy on Chester, he is having a hard day!” Twilight tells her while I feel a metaphoric nail hit me on the head as I turn to the reason for my hard day.

“Okay.” Pinky says then slowly recedes under that chair very smoothly and whispers. “I’ll be watching!”

Twilight turns to me embarrassed. “Sorry about that, she is a little erratic” She leans in closer with a hoof next to her face. “With a touch of insanity!” She whispers and I chuckle. “What’s so funny.” She asks.

“One of my hallucination is telling me that the other is spontaneously crazy. Do you see the irony?” I ask her pushing up my glasses back on the bridge of my nose. She looks up biting her lower lip.

“Not really?” She replies. I relax in my seat feeling alone in the deterioration of my mental status. “You know right here it says that sexual frustration and repression can affect the mind to drastic extents of anti-social behavior, aggression, alcoholism, depression, and mental defect.” My eyes widen and I feel my cheeks blush. She looks at me with apprehensive concern. “So…Is there anything you want to talk abo-“

“I’m not having this discussion with you or anybody!” I interrupt.

“I just trying to cover all possibilities. Psychology Today was on the stand and I thought maybe It would help.”

“No! It did not. It would be less awkward if my mother was asking these questions instead of a talking pony.”

“You bring up you mother. Why is that? How was your relationship with her?” Twilight asks. I stare at her blankly.

“I going to find the gift shop and buy a can opener to lobotomize myself.”

“I was trying to help.”

“I think you did some metal trauma.”

“When was the last time you…you know?” She asks.

“I am going closing my eyes and I’m not going to hear you!”

“But?”

“Not hearing you!”

“The receptionist is staring at you.” Twilight says.

“I don’t care! I’m in a hospital and they have a psych ward that seems nice.” I reply.

“She is talking to a doctor.”

I open my eyes and see an Indian doctor conversing with the receptionist.

“That’s not him.” I say looking her straight in the eye.

“Why?”

“My doctor’s name is McHale, it’s an Irish name. He’s, from somewhere else.”

“Why is he walking over here then?” I look back and see him approaching. I sit up straight in my seat surprised to see him offering his hand.

“Hi I’m Abu McHale, you asked for me?” He says. With a late reaction I shake his hand firmly.

“Yes, I’m- I’m Chester Wentworth. I was a patient of yours awhile back.”

“You would have to refresh my memory, I see twenty patients every four hours.” He replies.

“I was in a few months ago, uh…or so I’m told by my publisher.”

“Yes! Yes, I remember now. You’re the writer from the car wreck! I couldn’t recognize you without the blood and bandages. I was glad I could help you Mr. Wentworth.” His words punch a hole in my stomach.

“Chester.” Twilight says to me as I feel her place a hoof on my shoulder. Pinky Pie crawls out from under the chair.

I stand up now knowing that this is no bad joke. “Wait? I was in a car wreck?” Dr. McHale steps back.

“Yes, Mr. Wentworth.” He turns to the reception. “Call records and get the files of a Chester Wentworth and ask when he was admitted.” He turns back to me. We can clear this up. It’ll just take a moment.” He tells me.

I fall back in my seat and Twilight stares at me saddened. “I’m sorry.” She tells me then she looks down.

Pinky pie jumps into the chair on the other side with puppy dog eyes and a wrapped peppermint clinched between her teeth. She moves in closer and places it on my lap. “You can have it.” She says.

“Dr. McHale!” The receptionist calls. “He was admitted on March 14th 2012 from a car wreck. He suffered a head injury, broken ribs, right forearm, left leg, and a fractured jaw. Lives at 1564 Melancholy Ave , Brooklyn, New York.” She confirms my address.

“That’s, that’s where I live.” I mutter and look down.

“Mr. Wentworth, do you remember the wreck?” Dr. McHale asks. Pinky lays her head on my lap next to the peppermint glum. Twilight looks at me.

“Do you Chester?” She asks as well.

“No.” I reply.

“Do you remember being admitted?” Dr. McHale asks.

“I don’t.”

“You need to come with me then Mr. Wentworth. I’ll order some tests.”