SHERREL HARMON - FLASHBACKS

Sherrell Harmon is studying Creative Writing for Entertainment at Full Sail University. When she’s not attending school, she’s a full time Detention Officer at the Sheriff’s Department in her local county.  In her very spare time, she enjoys inspiring her social media audience via vlogs, blogs and podcasts. Sherrell has written well over 30 short stories and affirmations for friends, students and strangers. She serves on the board of a non-profit organization called UR IMPT (You Are Important.) Last but not least she’s the mother of three beautiful children and has been married for 13 years.

Flashbacks
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Jerry rubbed his hands together like he was trying to start a fire. A crook took the place of his normally relaxed upper lip and a deep wrinkle pitted the space between his eyebrows. Mary cringed; these motions were all too familiar. The pleated curtains blocked most of the sunshine from the porch. She gaped the curtains open, propped the door as wide as the hinges would allow. The fresh air barreled and cycled in. It drug the stiff air out. But it was the sunlight that kept Jerry from having flashbacks. The shadows never danced on the wall when the door was propped and the curtains were drawn. 
“Mary, did you hear that?” asked Jerry.
The elevator dinged as it touched down in the hallway.
“How’d they know I was here? You told them didn’t you?” Jerry asked.
Much like a service dog alerting its owner of a pending attack, Mary slowly leaned in and said, “I did no such thing. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. This helped yesterday.”
“I wasn’t here yesterday. You’re lying. You’re a spy, aren’t you, Mary? Are we in China?” asked Jerry.
“Jerry, breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. I don’t want them to come back in here to restrain you again. Those needles are long,” said Mary.
He thrusted his fist in the air and said, “They’ll have to shoot both of us, or kill me first.”
Mary wilted on the floor like a rose. Warm tears patrolled her face. The psychiatric nurses mowed the door down so fast it sounded like a bomb. Jerry ran to cover Mary. But before he could reach her, a long needle pierced his right butt cheek. In three seconds flat, Jerry’s body relaxed and his face met the carpet. Mary sobbed. She crawled over to Jerry, ran her fingers through his curly brown hair and kissed him on his forehead, and said, 
“It’s okay baby we’ll try again tomorrow. Same time, same place.”
She exhaled and glared at the nurses until they shied away like little puppies who’d peed on carpet. It had been the best day Jerry’d had in three weeks since he mistook his best friends as Chinese troops.

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