WELCOME TO SERENITY

Chapter 4 : Welcome to serenity

Lyra woke up to the sound of her alarm.

For a few seconds,she lay still, staring at the ceiling.Today was her first day at work.

She slowly sat up and swung her legs off the bed. The floor was cold under her feet. She hugged herself for a moment, then stood up.

“Be brave,” she whispered.

She walked into the bathroom and turned on the light. The mirror showed her tired eyes and pale face.

Lyra turned on the shower. Warm water rushed down, filling the small bathroom with steam. She closed her eyes and let the water run over her head.

This job is important, she told herself. Don't mess it up.

She washed quickly, dried herself, and brushed her hair neatly. She chose simple clothes nothing fancy. Just clean and professional.

Before leaving, she took one last look around her apartment then she locked the door and stepped outside.

Serenity Healing Clinic looked calm from the outside. The building was tall, with clean glass windows and soft colors. It almost looked peaceful.

She entered the building and checked in at the front desk. The receptionist gave her a badge and pointed her toward the elevator.

"Third floor,"she said kindly.

Lyra nodded and stepped inside the elevator. As it rose, her chest felt tight. Her palms were sweaty.

When the doors opened, she stepped into a long hallway. The walls were lined with certificates and photos. People walked past her quickly, all busy, all serious.

She took a step forward and then stopped.

"You must be the new one."

Lyra turned.

A woman stood there with her arms crossed. She had sharp eyes and a tight smile that didn’t feel friendly at all.

"I'm Bella,"the woman said. "Senior therapist."

"Oh hello," Lyra said quickly. "I'm Lyra Miller. Nice to meet you."

Bella looked her up and down and sighed. "I was assigned to direct you ."

Before Lyra could say anything, Bella turned and walked away.

Lyra hurried after her.

"Rule number one,"Bella said as they walked. "You do as I say: No questions unless I ask."

"Yes," Lyra replied softly.

Bella stopped at a desk near the corner. "This is where you'll stay."

Lyra placed her bag down.

"First task,"Bella said. "Organize these files, alphabetically. If you mess it up, start again."

She dropped a thick stack of files on the desk.

Lyra nodded and got to work.

The files were heavy and some were old.

Before she could finish, Bella returned.

"After that," Bella said, "make copies of these. Then bring me coffee, add a little bit of sugar and cream."

Lyra paused. “Alright.”

The morning passed quickly.

Bella kept ordering her around.

Lyra ran back and forth between rooms. Her legs were hurt,her head throbbed but she said nothing.

Lyra worked until her fingers cramped.

When lunch time came, Bella didn't say anything. Lyra didn't dare ask. She stayed at her desk, barely taking a sip of coffee.

Then Bella suddenly said, "I need to get something from storage."

She glanced around. "Stay here."

"Okay,"Lyra replied.

Bella walked away, her heels clicking loudly down the hall.

For the first time all day, Lyra was free.

A soft sound reached her ears,Lyra looked up.

At the end of the hallway, a door was slightly open,the crying came from inside.

Lyra hesitated.

I shouldn't, she thought. Bella would be angry.

The crying grew louder,Lyra stood up.

She walked slowly toward the room and peeked inside.

Several children were there. Some were sitting on the floor and nobody was there to assist them .

One boy was crying helplessly, and a little girl hid under the table as though she was scared of something.

Lyra's heart clenched.

She stepped inside quietly.

"Hey,"she said softly, crouching down. "It's okay, I'm here."

The children looked at her with wide eyes.

The crying didn't stop, but it softened.

Lyra noticed toys on a shelf. She picked up a small stuffed animal and placed it on the floor.

"Who wants to help me name him?"she asked.

A little girl sniffed. "Bear,"she whispered.

Lyra smiled. "That's a good name."

She sat on the floor with them. Slowly, she started humming a soft tune. Nothing loud. Nothing scary.

One by one, the children calmed down.

The boy stopped crying.

The girl came out of the table and sat close to her.

The room grew quiet.

Lyra didn't know how much time had passed.

She didn't notice Bella standing at the door.

"What do you think you’re doing?"

Lyra froze.

She turned slowly.

Bella's eyes were cold.

"They were crying,"Lyra said quickly. "I just wanted to…"

"This is not your assignment," Bella snapped. "You don't step into sessions without permission."

"I'm sorry,"Lyra said. "I didn't mean to"

"Get back to your desk,"Bella ordered. "Now."

Lyra stood up, her face burning.

She walked out of the room, her heart pounding.

Behind her, the children watched silently.

The rest of the day passed in a blur.

Bella barely spoke to her again, but the silence felt worse than shouting.

When the workday finally ended, Lyra packed her bag slowly. Her body felt heavy,her mind was full.

As she stepped out of the clinic, the sun was already setting.

It was indeed a stressful day.