Therapy yes no Maybe

I woke with a start. My mind groggy, fuzzy. My eyes refused to focus, heavily crusted with sleep. I blinked non stop in a feeble attempt to clear not only my eyes, but my mind.

Sitting up, with the blankets tucked around me, I slowly became aware. There was a strange smell, this was not my house. I struggled to place the smell, flowery, yet intense. Inhaling deeply, the aroma clicked, Rosemary.

The room was dark, but I knew immediately, this was not my house, not my bedroom. Sitting up properly, I threw my legs out of bed and stood up. Wood, not carpet. Something was wrong. I stumbled, towards what looked like windows. Drawing back the curtains, although I couldn't see much. I could hear the ocean. Opening the window, which only slid open enough to get my hand out. Waves lapping softly on a beach, not rocks, and I could smell the fresh misty salt laden sea air.

Where the hell was I? Christ, I live in Hamilton. Miles from the ocean. More importantly, why did my head hurt, god it was like the worst headache. Why couldn't I get my bearings?

Why was I dressed in these weird PJ's? Stumbling to the door I pulled hard on the door knob, only to find it was locked. I rattled it as hard as I could.

I stumbled back to the window and yelled. "Hello, hello, is anybody there."

Nothing, I found a light switch and flicked it bathing the room in white fluorescent light.

Wandering around the little room, I could see it was well appointed. More like a hotel room, rather than a residence. There was a bathroom, with a shower and toilet, but there were no clothes, nothing, no personal belongings, where was my purse? Bags, anything. What the hell was going on?

There was a dresser, but as I wrenched on the drawers, I found them empty. I was trapped, I tried the door again, banging and screaming for help.

I went back to the bed and flopped back on the big soft spongy mattress.

It took only minutes when I heard the door being opened. Frightened I jumped up, ready to run, I looked around for something I could use as a weapon, something to throw. There was nothing, no vases, no glasses, nothing.

The door swung open and a distinguished elegant woman, dressed in a very stylish floral kaftan. Her hair tied back in a chic bun walked in.

She smiled warmly. "Hello Ashley. My name is Evelyn Myers. I am the manager here." She closed the door behind her, moving to the middle of the room. She reached out her arms in what was supposed to be a welcoming embrace.

I stepped back quickly. "Where am I? What is this place, why are the doors locked, how did I get here?"

She sighed deeply. "One question at a time. We are on Motokana Island. This." She opened her arms in an inclusive wave. "This is my wellness centre. This is where people come to get counselling, to participate in group therapy's. To take time from their overwhelming lives and rebuild, rebirth."

"Rebirth." I spluttered. How did I get here?"

"Ashley, how you got here is unimportant. You are here, that is the important part."

Her calm disposition helped, but I was awash with questions, and confusion. "Why am I here?"

"Ashley, my dear, you are here to try and mend the rift in your marriage. To reconnect with your husband, so you can recommence your life together."

"What, don't be ridiculous. I am not married, I am in the middle of a divorce."

"Ashley my dear, you are still married. You feel lost, betrayed and let down, but let me reassure you. Once you have completed our group therapy sessions, you will understand. Your marriage is the most important thing in your life, and it can be saved. We, I will teach you the value of forgiveness."

An angry fire ignited in the pit of my tummy, it was only a small flame, but it grew quickly. "I'm not undertaking anything. I don't want therapy. I want to go home."

She reached out her hands to clasp mine, they were warm and soft. "You will change your mind Ashley. All I ask is you open your mind and your heart to the possibilities that await you."

I snatched my hands from her grasp. "I don't know what this is all about, but I want to go home. I need to go home."

"Ashley, you cannot leave, the boat only comes once every two weeks. It will not be back until this session is complete."

"For gods sake. I have a life, a job, family. I can't stay here for two weeks. I don't want to stay here."

"Ashley, this is a four star resort, it costs a lot of money. Now please, I can see you have questions. First, let me explain. Your employers know and have approved your leave of absence. Your family know you are here and they are aware of the reasons for your visit."

"What, my parents know? No I don't believe you."

"Ashley, it's all right, I spoke to them myself. You are in no danger. You are here to participate in some group therapy sessions, some, one on one sessions. All of which are aimed at allowing you to open your heart and welcome your husband Kent back into your life."

"Kent, he knows about this?"

"Of course my dear. He organised it, he paid for everything. He loves you so much. He is here as well, and is dying to see you."

"Oh Christ, I should have known. You understand there is a police order against him. He is not allowed within five hundred metres of me. If he comes near me, he will go to jail."

She nodded as she inhaled, as if enjoying the Rosemary. "Yes, we are aware of the police order. For this to work, you will have to forgo that. It will be your first step in you accepting him back into your life."

"Evelyn, without sounding ungrateful. Are you fucking nuts? I am not rescinding that damn order."

"Ashley, you are making this much harder than it needs to be. For this to work, you have to open your heart. You must rescind the order, otherwise, this will be much harder."

"Then, it is going to be hard, because I will absolutely never ignore or put aside that order. It is the only thing that keeps me safe from Kent. You may not be aware of his mental condition. He is delusional, he is obsessed and he is a danger to me. If he comes near me, I will scream this bloody place down."

She frowned. "Ashley, I am going to ask you to rethink that. For the sessions to work, you must do it as a couple. I have total confidence in the outcome. We will leave you to reconsider the order. I am going to organise some food to be delivered for you. That way you can sleep on a full stomach, and it will give you time to reflect on your situation. It would be nice, if in the morning you decided to put aside the order, to give us a chance."

She turned and walked out, the door closing behind her.

I flopped back on the bed, tears welled up quickly and I couldn't stop the trickle turning into a flood. Curling up in a foetal ball I let my anxiety overwhelm me. It was much later when a knock on the door alerted me to a new visitor.

A very pretty young girl stood with a large tray of food and drink. She walked in and placed the tray on the bed. "Sorry, there's no table." She warbled.

The door remained open, and I thought about running outside screaming. Evelyn's words came back to me, Island, no way off.

The girl said softly. "If there's anything else you need, just call."

"How?"

She looked confused. "On your phone."

"I don't have one?" She looked disconcerted. "Oh, right. Sorry. Not sure what to say. I will talk to Evelyn, sorry."

She was gone quickly. I jumped up and tried the door, locked.

Going back to the bed I lifted the lid covering the plates. The food did smell good. I ate hungrily, the drink taking away the dry caustic feeling in my throat.

Afterwards I lay back on the bed and closed my eyes, at least the bed was comfortable. A king sized bed seemed a little over the top, but it was comfortable.

Surprisingly, sleep came quickly.

The morning came quickly, peering out the window, I saw people moving around, conversations pervading the morning light. A shower sounded good, at least it would get rid of the dried crackly tears.

Afterwards I had no option but to put the PJ's back on. There were no clothes.

Barely dressed, there was a knock on the door. I sat on the bed as Evelyn walked in. "Good morning Ashley. How are you feeling?"

"Better this morning, thank you."

"Good, I am glad. Did you perhaps reassess your situation?"

"I assessed it, yes. Nothing has changed for me Evelyn. All I want is to be allowed to leave. I would like my clothes, and personal items please."

She frowned, her lips curled in a deep pout. "Ashley my dear. I want you to enjoy your stay here. I want this to be the pleasant journey it could be. I was hoping that overnight you would have taken the time to reassess, and would realise this is an opportunity to repair your marriage. A chance to start again."

"I'm afraid that is not happening Evelyn. My marriage is dead. The divorce is already in progress and there is a court authorised protection order barring Kent from getting anywhere near me. So, I am pleading with you. Stop this stupidity and give me back my possessions. I particularly need my phone, so I can talk to my employers."

"Ashley, I will say this again. We are on an Island. There is no way off. We are all trying to help you repair your marriage. This is your chance to put aside the anger and animosity that stands between you and Kent. He is here and he needs to participate fully in the group sessions with you."

"Like bloody hell. Honestly Evelyn, if he comes anywhere near me, I'll scream the bloody place down."

As we spoke a young girl walked in carrying a pile of clothes. She placed them on the bed, and walked out without speaking.

"Those are for you. Get dressed and come up to the restaurant. We are all having breakfast. It will be a good chance for you to meet the other couples and have something to eat before the first session starts. Kent is dying to talk to you."

Again, she turned and walked out. I went through the clothes. They were all the same, horrid floral designed long flowing kaftans. Thinking about it, the serving girls wore them as well. It must be like a bloody uniform.

The door wasn't locked. I took the time outside to wander around the Island. The resort was fantastic, tennis courts, Olympic sized swimming pool, hot tubs, an outdoor gymnasium set up, and it looked like there was a golf course as well.

I walked down to the beach and noticed at the far end there was a jetty of sorts. I wandered down hoping there might be a boat or something. God knows what I would do if there was a boat. I could see the mainland, but I didn't know where to go.

Walking out on the jetty, it was obvious, there were no boats. If there were any on the island, they were hidden away.

Wandering back towards the facilities, I could hear laughter and chatter up by the larger main complex. The central green area was circled by chalets, much like the one I was in.

I walked into the lobby area where a young girl collected me and guided me by the elbow into what was obviously the restaurant.

The room was full of people, most sitting at tables that seated eight people. There was lots of chit chat and laughter, which all came to an end as I walked in.

The girl directed me to the buffet. I stood glancing around the room. Yes, everybody was dressed the same way, and they were all staring at me.

I picked up a plate and wandered along piling food onto my plate. Slowly, the hub bub returned.

I found a vacant table in the corner, I could see Kent sitting at a table with Evelyn, and they were deep in conversation.

As I started to pick away at the food, it hit me. "Oh fuck, this is that bloody place." Kent had tried to convince me to come here after our breakup. He tried and tried to get me to agree. I read all the propaganda he gave me, and I did some research of my own. It sounded like a cult centre. I disliked everything I read about it, which is why I refused to get involved.

As I finished my breakfast, Evelyn came and sat with me. Kent stayed at his table, his eyes burning into me.

"Ashley my dear. We are going to be starting the first session straight after breakfast. I think it would be a nice gesture, if you signalled Kent to come over and talk to us before the session begins."

Sucking in a deep breath I muttered. "Evelyn, how did I get here? The last thing I remember is going to bed, then waking up in this bloody place."

She seemed reluctant to answer. "Ashley, you are focusing on the wrong things. How you got here, is not important."

"You kidnapped me didn't you?"

She scowled. "That is a very harsh word my dear."

"How else would you explain it. You obviously drugged me, and brought me here against my will."

"We did not bring you against your will, yes you were given a mild sedative, but that is neither here nor there."

"Oh I beg to differ. I made my intentions perfectly clear to Kent, and my parents for that matter. I was not interested in coming here. Everybody knew that."

"Ashley, we all thought this was the best thing for you. We have a one hundred percent success rate at saving marriages that have gone through similar trauma to your own. If you give us a chance, we will show and teach you techniques, which will allow you to forgive Kent for his indiscretion and to accept him back into your life."

"Like hell. I want nothing to do with your brainwashing."

"Ashley, we don't use brainwashing. We focus on opening your mind and teaching you to accept new ideas."

"When will you give me back my phone?"

"You will get all your belongings back at the end of the session."

Leaning closer too her over the table I snarled loudly. "I want my bloody phone."

"I'm sorry Ashley, but you cannot get it back until you have completed the course."

She signalled for Kent to come over. I watched horrified as he moved closer. I jumped up and screamed. "Stay where you are Kent. Come closer and you will be going to jail."

I glanced around the room, all the conversation had stopped. Kent as well stood rooted to the spot, halfway across the room.

Evelyn said in a very commanding voice. "Ashley, please sit down and be quiet. You're making a fool of yourself."

I just glared back at her angrily. "Evelyn, I warned you."

She ignored my pleas. She waved to Kent and he started walking towards my table. As he neared I started screaming. "Help, please help me. That man has a protection order against him. He is trying to kill me!"

People around the room stood up, I saw the looks of concern. Evelyn stood as well, she grabbed my arms. "Ashley, stop it. You are causing a scene. You are scaring everybody."

Kent stood still, not sure what to do. "Ashley, I just want to talk. We are going to be doing the sessions together. We need to be able to talk."

"Stay away!" I screamed. A couple of men walked towards the table, I could see the anxiety in their faces.

As they neared Evelyn waved them away. Addressing the whole room she stated loudly. "Everybody, please sit down." Turning back to me she snorted. "Ashley, you need to calm down."

"Or what?" I growled, making sure everybody heard.

She glared angrily, we were locked in a stare down contest. With my heart pounding, I cried out very loudly. "I need everybody here to know, I was brought here against my will. I was drugged and kidnapped. Abducted from my bed. I do not want to be here."

I heard the sharp intakes of breath circulating around the room. The men who stood to help me, although they came no closer, they weren't sitting down either. They stood fidgeting, wondering what to do.

Evelyn spoke with determination. "People, Ashley is suffering mentally because of the breakup of her marriage. We are here to help her. She will be participating in the group sessions with you all. I implore you to work with her, help her. Give her the benefit of your experience. She needs us."

That seemed to placate the men, who looked back and forth amongst their group, before returning to their tables. As the groups all started talking. Evelyn announced. "I think the time has come, to move into the meeting room."

A couple of helpers, swung open doors and some of the young girls escorted everybody inside.

A woman approached us and Evelyn introduced us. "Ashley, this is Maria, she is a phycologist. She is here to aid and help everybody. I would like you to have a session with her now, before you move into the group session."

Maria smiled warmly, reaching for my hand she said softly. "Ashley, would you like to come and chat with me? Perhaps I can help."

I nodded, anything to get away from Evelyn and Kent. She led me off outside to a small office. She held a chair for me as I sat down. "Coffee?" She asked gently.

I nodded and she made us both a drink. "Milk?" She asked, "Sugar?"

She sat beside me, handing over the drink. "Ashley, do you mind me asking, what the issues are? Why are you so angry?"

Startled by her lack of understanding I Snapped. "Good heavens, are you as insane? Is everybody here crazy?" She sipped calmly on her drink, which infuriated me more. "I was bloody kidnapped, drugged, and brought here against my will. I have had my belongings stolen. Kent is under a protection order not to associate with me, and you have the audacity to ask what my problem is?"

She nodded. "Ashley, you are here so we can help you save your marriage."

"I don't want to save it. It's dead, and I want it buried."

"Do you mind me asking why, you aren't prepared to at least try and save it?"

"Because my husband had sex with my best friend in our bed no less."

"I have spoken to Kent, I understand the circumstances. He agrees he made a horrendous mistake and he is nothing but apologetic. That doesn't tell me why you are so adamant you will not at least try to save it."

"Because I don't want too. I don't have to explain myself to you."

"I know that Ashley, I just thought it might help if we talked. You are going to be here for two weeks, wouldn't it be sensible to at least make use of the time and give us a chance to help while you are here?"

"Maria, what do you think is going to happen at the end of the two weeks?"

She shrugged with a casual wave of her arms. "I don't know, why don't you tell me Ashley?"

"Okay, let me explain. When I get off this damn Island, I am going straight to the police. I am going to tell them everything. How I got here, that you drugged, and abducted me. I'm trying to give you a chance. If you help me, they might go easy on you. Otherwise, you might actually be looking at jail time."

Her face darkened. "Ashley, if you participate in the session. If you give us a chance. You might change your mind. Together, we might actually be able to save your marriage. You might actually thank us."

"Maria, you're an intelligent woman. Surely you can see, I'm not getting involved with this. If I have to I will lock myself in my room for the two weeks."

"But why? Don't you understand, this is a therapy session, it's counselling. It's not going to hurt you. Why not give it a chance. I promise you, we have a hundred percent success rate. We save marriages that seemed almost irreparable. Just give it a chance."

"I take back my statement. You are not an intelligent person at all. There are reasons why Kent has a non molestation order against him. He is obsessed. He is crazy."

"He isn't crazy Ashley. He is in love. He knows he made a mistake. He has tried to talk to you. He wants to make amends, but you locked him out of your life. Refused to talk to him, refused his offers of counselling."

"That's because he is crazy. Do you think a court would grant an order if there wasn't a need for it?"

With my drink finished I stood up and said. "I'm going to my room."

She stood as well. "Ashley, the sessions start in a few minutes. They are waiting for you."

I walked back to my room and pulled the door shut behind me. I tried to lock it, only to find it couldn't be locked from the inside. Great, there was no way of keeping the arseholes out. I decided on a walk, I set out on a walk around the island. It wasn't large, and the resort, was the only inhabited space on the island. The rest was mostly scrub and light bushland. What a place, if it wasn't for the horrible reason for being here, I could really enjoy this. At least my walk got me away from them, and gave me time to think. I couldn't believe my parents, especially my father knew what was happening, and were okay with it. In many ways, that hurt more than Kent's ongoing betrayal of my trust.