Us

Beth walks into the restaurant as if her name is on the flashing sign outside, and heads straight to the patio full of tables.

“Ma’am! Wait! Wait! Do you have a reservation?” the maître d' calls out to this self-entitled woman. She stops.

“Ha! Sweet man, what if I said no? Are you really going to kick me out?” her velvety voice cooed. The man just stood there speechless, unable to grasp this woman’s boldness.

She walks back to the man, flinging her oversized sun hat at his chest.

“Oh, be a dear and hold this for me while someone works on getting my blackberry merlot.” Still stunned, the man stutters as this woman walks back towards the patio.

“Is it just you tonight?” the maître d' squeakily forces his words out.

“I haven’t decided yet,” Beth says with a flip of her hand over her shoulder.

The sun starts to set as Beth reaches for her chair. The pink sky swirled into the golden orange surrounding the setting sun.

“Great. Another beautiful sunset,” she rolled her eyes. Beth held a cigarette to her lips. The wind kept swirling about putting out the fire every time she made another attempt. No success.

“Ma’am, we don’t allow smoking. You’ll have to go elsewhere.” Goodie, she thought to herself, fresh meat. Beth stares the young waiter down.

“You notice a cigarette is in my hand, but NOT the fact that I don’t have a drink in it!” she raised her voice. “If I have to wait any longer, well. . dear boy” her eyes darken as the air turns sinister. “I don’t think you want to find out.” The waiter started breathing heavily. “Drink. Now.”

Her focus went back to the sky as the waiter frantically ran for cover. Darkness had already engulfed the colors of light.

“So much for enjoying nature’s art!” she sighs dramatically. “Great, it’s basically night. Again. I swear these sleepless nights never seem to end. The world still continues on without a care, without ever stopping. Still, somewhere I mattered long ago. Unless I have to bark orders at incompetent people! Someone somewhere will notice and appreciate my talents! I won’t be left in the dust again!”

“Ar-are you talking to me?” Beth narrows her eyes at a small skittish mouse of a person. “I, uh, don’t mean to interrupt. It’s just w-we’re the only ones out here. I can leave if-if you want me to. I’m just waiting form-my order.” What a precious soul, Beth thought, let the fun begin.

“Darling, come. Sit. Eat. Drink with me.” The small girl’s eyes widened. “Ha! I’m not contagious, child. Forget the world’s current tragedy. Let us not act as strangers, but potential lovers. Call me Beth.”

“A-a-a date?! I do not know you a-at all!” The girls hunched over shoulders conflicted with her try-hard attitude to stand up for herself. She tried to brush her hair out of her face with a shaking hand. It was kept long, probably to hide from bold personalities.

“You may be surprised with what you discover. Dare to chance it?” The awkwardness this girl’s body carried displayed her defeat.

“I-I do not agree with your terms. I prefer to view you as a potential friend, nothing more.” She paused as her attempt to straighten her back failed. “It does feel like it’s been years since I have sat down with a friend face-to-face. We eat, drink, chat, and maybe share some laughs. That’s it. I’m. . . I’m Lizzie.”

The young waiter appeared for what seemed like hours with Beth’s delayed drink.

“Darling,” Beth purrs at the waiter. “She’s going to need a drink as well. Don’t you think?” The waiter gulped and vanished within an instant.

Beth turned back to her guest, “Lizzie, so what brings you here? Tonight?” a smile formed on Beth’s face as if she somehow knew the answer already.

“I, uh, I’m not sure. . I needed to get out of my head for a while. T-to be honest, I didn’t even know this place existed.” She wraps her arms around her anxiety-ridden body.

“And did you?”

“Did I what?” Lizzie asks, puzzled.

“Did you get out of your head?” Beth chuckles. The silence lingers as Lizzie shifts in her seat.

“Uh, you, uh said. . earlier that you mattered long ago? Left you in the dust? Did something happen that you wanna talk about?”

“Darling, it’s only been ten minutes and you want to discuss our traumas already. Aren’t you an interesting one?” With another flip of her hand, Beth continues on. “Oh, Wichita. My Wichita.” Beth stared out into the night sky. The stars were already out.

“So. . is Wichita a man or a woman?” Lizzie fidgets with her napkin from the table.

“Does it matter? Isn’t love, love, regardless of gender?” Beth rolled her eyes as Lizzie patiently waited to hear more. “Stop looking at me with those wide eyes. If you must know every detail, Wichita was a country boy. Lord knows how our families ended up in Kansas,” she chuckled angrily. “Yet, that man broke every ounce of my being. I can’t even utter his name. It’s just. . Wichita.” Beth sighs. “My parents were killed in a car accident. With our families being extremely close, his took me in to finish the last dreaded year of high school. I, we. . “ she trailed off. “Have you ever been married? I can’t help but notice a tan line.” Beth reaches for her hand, caressing Lizzie’s ring finger with her thumb. “No ring?”

“You know, I was engaged. It-it didn’t work out. I couldn’t tell you why. We’d been together for what seemed like forever. Fr-from the first day I met him, I knew. Yet, we’re not- s-sorry, you’re telling the story. Please, continue.” Beth rolled her eyes while knocking back the last of her wine.

“The man-made me laugh. Made me feel human. Though, I am walking perfection. Don’t you agree, Liz?” Lizzie offers a half-smile in response. “The day he asked me to marry him. . Darling, we were written in the stars. If he wanted to make a difference, well I would burn the world down to make it so. Until..” Beth stopped abruptly. The anger radiated off of her. “Until he slept with her the night before our wedding. I saw him in OUR bed with Becca.” Beth gritted her teeth.

“I’m so sorry, Beth.” Lizzie’s voice was barely a whisper. “What did you do?”

“Let’s just say some parts of her won’t be found for a while.” Chills swept up Lizzie’s spine.

“I think I need to go. . .”

“But your drink hasn’t arrived yet! Have I scared you?”

“Yeah! I- I mean, NO! Of course you haven’t s-s-scared me! I didn’t finish. I think I need to go find the waiter.!”

“You don’t get to decide when you leave. I do.” Lizzie squeezes her eyes shut, fighting to overcome the panic.

“Lizzie? Lizzie? I need you to focus. Be in this moment.” A deep voice came from out of nowhere. “Lizzie, it’s Dr. Wren. Are you with me?” The voice sounded familiar. It resonated deep within her mind.

“Lizzie we’re going to try something new today. Are you ready?”

The darkness of the night was flushed out by the fluorescent lights and white walls surrounding this vaguely familiar man. The man held up a mirror to her face in a desperate attempt to keep Lizzie in the present.

“Wh- what? Where did you come from? Who are you!? What is going on!” Fear and sweat crept up her back. “How did I get here? The woman - Beth! We were just having drinks” She twisted and turned in the chair, but the restraints kept her from going anywhere. The only thing she could see clearly was the mirror held in front of her.

The woman screamed as she looked at the reflection, “THAT’S NOT ME! THAT’S NOT ME!”

“We keep losing more contact with Lizzie. -“ she hears as the voices fade and her attention returns to the lady with the blackberry merlot.

“Nurse, please administer a sedative to our patient.” The nurse hesitated before leaping into action.

“Dr. Wren, when we do that... you know the other one comes out, Beth.”

“Not the cocktail you ordered, huh?” The woman in the mirror winked back at Lizzie. “Well, it was wonderful to finally meet you face to face, darling. First date’s done. Here’s to many more! Cheers!”

Lizzie’s screams echoed throughout the hallway as the doctor left.

“I don’t think she even knows what she has done.” The doctor silently grieved for the life that was locked away, in more ways than one, as he walked down the hallway.

“Dr. Wren! Doctor! I’m-”

“The reporter. Yes, I knew you were coming today. Unfortunately, Lizzie isn’t available at the moment.”

“What about the other personality?” the reporter asked.

“Beth. Two personalities in one body. That we know of so far,” the doctor hangs in his head while taking in a deep breath. “What you need to know is she created this fantasy about a neighborhood boy, Greyson Scott. In our sessions, she talks about her parents being killed in a car accident and this boy’s parents take her in. But the police report says it was a bloodbath in her family home. . .” the doctor shudders. “You’ve read it, I’m sure. Don’t let her anywhere near a sharp instrument. Watch where you leave that pen. Better yet, just stick with the tape recorder.” The doctor leads the gentleman towards the girls’ room.

As the reporter enters the room holding the tape recorder he glances over to her. The grip on the device tightens as her very demeanor seems to change the atmosphere and the clinical background fades away. He vaguely recalls introducing himself as her velvety voice wraps around him. Beth smirks.

“Darling, please ask me anything,”

Flustered and a bit mesmerized, “Today is the anniversary of your parents’ murder, officials are still looking for your sister, Rebecca…”

He is cut off by her soft laughter. “Where is Becca?” A glint of mysterious knowledge in her eyes.

“This whole day is full of first dates, eh? Pour me a glass of the Doc’s blackberry merlot. I’ll spill my guts. Maybe even yours, too.”