Free Between My Thighs: An Urban Erotic Tale by Naija

she didn’t know anyone other than me, which led me back to my original question: What the fuck was the purpose of her trip?

 
    Chapter 7|
    By the time I arrived at the gym, all the treadmills were in use. I needed to exert some energy and went to the gun range instead. I was a professional target shooter. I’d gotten involved with the sport after my brother was killed. My weapon of choice was a Glock G17 nine-millimeter. I shot with precision and skill. I knew how to shoot for all occasions, whether it was to back someone off me or stop them cold.
    Once I finished my rounds, I got in the car heading toward the direction of my therapist’s office. I had a standing bi-monthly appointment with Kevin Frazier, my personal shrink. He specialized in psychiatry and had gone to school with me while I worked on my doctorate. He also specialized in hypnosis, a practice in which I wasn’t comfortable participating. Primarily, the loss of control when you go under concerned me. I didn’t know what would come out of me.
    Kevin’s office was soothing. He had a waterfall in the lobby. You could hear the sound of water flowing, hitting the rocks at the bottom. You could see clear through it from inside his office, but people on the opposite side couldn’t see in. It was a nice illusion.
    “I’ll just be one second,” Kevin said, acknowledging my presence. “Go ahead and make yourself cozy. I’ll be right back.”
    When Kevin returned, I tried to get everything out that I could before our time expired. “The nightmares have been getting worse,” I said.
    “What’s happening now?” he asked.
    “I keep having this recurring dream. In one case, I’m on this dark road driving up a huge incline. There is a large body of water underneath me, like I’m on a bridge. The water isn’t calm; it’s very angry and dark. Suddenly, the road disappears, and my car is falling down toward the water. Just before I hit, I wake up covered in water from my perspiration.”
    “What you’ve described is an emotional imbalance usually tied to stress. Your stress levels are higher than they should be, causing you to feel this anxiety. It sounds like you fear something, which is why the water below is choppy and dark. You fear the unknown. You are unsettled, Raquel. That is why the water is violent, and just before you hit the water, you pull back, just as you do in real life when facing challenges.”
    “It doesn’t end there. I’ve been seeing my brother more and hearing voices,” I hesitantly told him.
    “What are the voices saying, and are you awake when you see your brother?”
    “I’ve seen my brother’s spirit both while I was asleep and awake. The voices, they are constantly having conversations, talking about how I’m cursed, how no man will ever want me and that’s why my father left.”
    “When’s the last time you’ve been to church, Raquel?”
    “It’s been twelve years.”
    “You haven’t been to church since your brother was murdered? Do you find that odd?”
    “I pray all the time, Kevin, and I read my Bible daily.”
    “Then why don’t you worship in church?”
    “What does this have to do with what I’m telling you?”
    “Raquel, the fact that you are hearing evil voices that try to convince you that you’re cursed is not a good sign. You seeing your brother…you’ve always had a psychic gift. You need to rebuke those voices you hear and concentrate on finding your religion again.”
    “Why aren’t you concerned that I’m seeing ghosts, Kevin?”
    “Because you’ve seen them all your life, Raquel. Be honest with yourself. The real issue here is you’re suffering from the lack of a father figure. It’s common in women your age who are raised in single-parent homes.”
    “Kevin, that shit is bananas. Maybe that applies in someone else’s world, but I’m not tripping because my father wasn’t around. I never knew him to miss his ass.”
    “It isn’t that you long for your father, rather, the