The Support Group

Glenn awoke in a cold sweat. He couldn't fall back asleep. Restlessly tossing and turning from one side to the other, nothing. Frustrated, he sprang from his bed and made his way into the bathroom. After relieving himself he reached up into his medicine cabinet above the sink. A few orange bottles with white labels stared back at him. Sighing, he reaches for one of the many bottles, struggling to open the lid.

“Childproof, more like bullet proof, couldn't pop this sucker open with a cap!”

A clatter as all the pills fall onto the floor and into the drain. Glenn angrily began to pick up each pill from the floor. As he was getting up, clunk! He hit his head on the bottom of the sink. Glenn stumbled backwards and fell onto the floor. He awoke the next morning rubbing the back of his neck.

“That's one way to get some shut eye.” He starred at himself in the mirror, his unkept beard and messy hair. A far cry from the once handsome and well groomed man he used to be.

Still holding the pills in his hand he finally took a dose. He placed the bottle back in his cabinet and slowly got started for the day. He made himself breakfast and tried to eat. Picking at his food he slams his hand down on the table. Throwing the dish full of food into his sink, he decided to go for a walk. Changing out of his pajamas he left his apartment. Glenn lived in a big city, full of loud noises and people on every corner. He walked to the convenience store a block from his apartment.

“Gimme a pack of the Maverick’s.”

Glenn asked the clerk as he threw down a crumbled up twenty dollar bill. The clerk was a young girl, she looked up at him.

“Glenn?” She asked.

“What?”

He looked up at her.

“Daisy? What are you doing here?”

“I knew you'd be here, I wanted to check on you.”

Glenn said nothing as he opened the pack and put a cigarette in his mouth.

“Those things will kill you one day ya know.”

“Not soon enough I'm afraid.”

“Hopefully you won't suffer like I did.”

“What are you talking about Daisy?”

“Sir, Sir are you okay?” Asked a woman as she tried to help Glenn up from the floor.

“Daisy, I'm fine, don't worry about me.”

“Who’s Daisy?” She asked. Glenn looked at her then looked behind the counter.

“Where did she go?” The clerk looked at him with wide eyes.

“Where did who, go sir?”

“Daisy, my girlfriend Daisy, I was just talking to her.”

The clerk batted her eyes and studied Glenn intensely.

“Sir, it's just me working here today.”

“Oh, do you know when Daisy will be working next? I have to see her again.”

“Your mistaken sir, there is no Daisy that works here.” She stated with great concern in her voice.

“Sir I think you should go to the hospital, you fell and hit your head pretty hard.”

Glenn shoved passed her.

“Don't worry about me Daisy!”

He hollered at her as he left the store. Lighting up his cigarette he took a ragged breath in and blew out. Walking along the bustling sidewalk he saw Daisy again.

“Daisy?” He said quietly to himself as he watched her from afar.

“Daisy!” He called out to her again, shoving his way through the crowd. Approaching the crosswalk he could see Daisy crossing ahead of him. She turned into an alley in between two tall buildings. Following after her in a dazed state, he reached the alley where she had turned.

“Daisy! Daisy, where are you?”

His voice echoed down the alley. There was no sign of her. Exhausted, he rested against the brick wall. Racking his brain as to where she might have gone, he noticed a door on the side of the building. Swaying in the wind, half open, half shut. Curiosity overwhelmed him as he hoped Daisy had wandered into that building. Cautiously he entered slowly. Fluorescent lighting beamed down on ten fold out chairs in a large empty room. The chairs were facing inward to each other in a circle formation.

“Daisy? Are you here?”

Glenn called as his voice echoed in the room. No response. Glenn turned to walk out when he heard distant talking. People begin to enter the room and sit down on the metal chairs. Glenn was intrigued he thought he’d stay to see what was going to happen. Standing off to the side he watched as the seats filled one by one. A young man entered from the darkness and greeted the guests. The room fell silent quickly.

“Welcome everyone, good to see you again on this fine Wednesday evening.” The man scanned the room until his eyes met with Glenn.

“Ahh I see we have a new guest joining us this evening, come sit with us. We are all friends here.” Eagerly replied the man with a deep voice. Everyone turned their attention towards Glenn with such an intensity he could feel it. Hesitating and quite put off, Glenn had a hard time getting his words out.

“Oh I think I'm in the wrong place.”

He said as the guests laughed in sync with each other. Glenn was even more put off.

“No my friend, you are exactly where you should be.”

The man answered again as he slowly made his way towards Glenn.

“What's your name my boy?” He inquired as they walked side by side.

“Glenn.”

“You have a last name Glenn?”

“Beers, Glenn Beers.”

“Welcome Glenn Beers!” The room said in unison as Glenn slowly sat down on one of the fold out chairs. The cold seat sent a shiver up his spine as he looked around at all the faces staring intently back at him. Doing his best to avoid eye contact with them he looked down.

“I think our newest friend should speak first this evening.” The man suggested as the group collectively shook their heads. Glenn looked around at the onlookers.

“What kind of group is this?”

“A support group if you have trauma, grief, anything that may be troubling you my friend.”

Glenn clenched his teeth. “We are not friends!”

“Now, now, that's not the way to act. Where are my manners? My name is Dr. Merrow. I'm here to help in any way I can.”

“I see, so like everyone else your answer is to talk about my feelings and coach me through my problems?"

Dr. Merrow shook his head and looked around the room at the others.

“Lets go about this a better way, What's been troubling you Glenn?”

“I'm just trying to find my girlfriend.”

The group awed as they listened intently. This disgusted Glenn but he continued.

“She went missing two weeks ago, I hadn't seen her until today. She just happened to run down this alley where I found…”

“You found us, just like you were supposed to.” The doctor replied, nodding his head.

“Glenn Beers, you were meant to find our support group, we want to help you come to terms with your troubled past.”

Glenn raised an eyebrow.

“Troubled Past? What do you know about my past?”

“It seems your brain has been chemically modified to believe a false state of reality.”

“You're a quack just like all the other ones! That's why I stopped talking to people like you.”

Glenn paused as he leaned into the circle and whispered angrily.

“You can't help me.”

Dr. Merrow smirked and looked at the people to his left, then to his right.

“Glenn Beers, events have brought you to this moment in your life. You must tell us everything so that we can help you.”

Glenn had enough getting up from his chair and bolting to the door. Chatter from the other guests began as Dr. Merrow calmed them down.

The door slammed shut on Glenn’s face, he pulled on the knob. The door would not budge.

“Glenn…”

Dr. Merrow stood behind him with his arms crossed.

“You are not leaving until you talk to us.”

“You can't keep me here!” Glenn shouted as he struggled with the door.

The doctor chuckled.

“I'm not keeping you here, none of them are keeping you here.” Dr. Merrow motioned his fingers to the small group.

“You are holding yourself here. You must reflect on your past if you want to feel better Mr. Beers.”

Everyone was standing up from their chairs. Examining Glenn with such ghostly and vacant expressions. Glenn stomped his way back to his chair and reluctantly sat down.

Dr. Merrow followed as he grabbed the attention of the group again.

“You are all here for a reason and one reason only, to help our friend Mr. Beers, who seems to have a severe memory problem.”

Glenn snickered as Merrow approached him slowly.

“Glenn, look around you, does anyone in this room look familiar to you?”

Glenn refused to look at their faces any longer. He was frightened and wanted so desperately to leave.

“I'm just trying to find Daisy, she’s my girlfriend!” Glenn cried out as he shut his eyes tightly.

“Daisy?” The doctor asked, confused.

“You know where Daisy is, Glenn.” Dr. Merrow prodded.

Glenn shook as the air in the room grew heavier around him.

“Where is Daisy, Mr. Beers?”

Glenn shuttered to recall. He didn't want to truly remember.

“I saw her, down the alley, then she…”

“Disappeared?” Dr. Merrow interrupted.

Glenn shook his head.

“You made her disappear, Glenn.”

“No…” Glenn stammered.

“I loved her.”

“Did you?” Merrow continued to prod and poke at Glenn.

“If you loved her so much, why did you hurt her, Glenn?”

Glenn’s eyes widened with fear and intensity. Their stares felt like a cloud of smoke billowing around him.

“She was out late one night, I got scared I knew she was cheating on me!" Glenn paused.

“She never cheated on you, Glenn, you're lying again to yourself.” Merrow said aggressively.

“Stop lying to yourself Glenn, you know where Daisy is.”

Glenn’s eyes gathered with tears as he struggled to breathe.

“You know who we are too!" Taunted the doctor.

“Stop it, stop it!” Glenn screamed as he raised his palm to Dr. Merrow.

“Glenn!” Said the frightened voice of a young woman.

“D… Daisy?” Glenn’s hand was close to Daisy’s cheek.

“Daisy I feel like I'm losing my mind, where have you been?”

He shivered as he starred into the eyes of his former lover. The group stood around them in a circle. Intense and angry stares.

“Glenn, you know what happened to me that night.”

Glenn fell to his knees as he stared up at Daisy. Feeling the judgement from those around him.

“I hurt you, Daisy.”

Daisy nodded.

“How did you hurt me?”

“I hit you, over and over and over.” Glenn whimpered as he looked desperately into Daisy’s eyes for forgiveness.

“Now tell me who all these people are.” She said quietly as she pointed to the others. Glenn quickly scanned the room, staring into the eyes of his victims.

“They were innocent and I hurt them too.”

Daisy stared down at him, doleful.

“You couldn't stop yourself, you just kept going. Hoping you wouldn't get caught?”

Glenn’s breath became shallower and shaky.

“Once you got away with me, you became addicted you couldn't stop, stalking and harming innocent people. To try to make yourself feel something?”

Glenn sobbed hysterically on the ground as Daisy spoke. The group of onlookers drew closer and closer to him.

“I'm sorry! I'm so sorry I did those terrible things to all of you!” Glenn curled himself into a ball as his anguished cries carried throughout the room. All was quiet for only a moment.

“Glenn, we forgive you.” Daisy spoke softly as Glenn felt his body be lifted from the ground. He stared into Daisy’s eyes one last time until he saw a bright white light.

“We found him!” Shouted the officer. Glenn gasped as he was being handled by a stranger. Surrounded, he heard loud footsteps approaching him. The chief of police shined his flashlight into Glenn’s eyes.

“We’ve been looking all over for you Beers, you really are a sick freak!”

Glenn shut his eyes tight hoping they would disappear.

“Best part is, we caught you red handed with the body of Daisy Donahue and all those missing people you abducted!"

Glenn was shoved into the wall as the officers padded him violently and cuffed him. He was dragged out of the building kicking and screaming. The search for Glenn Beers was finally over.