A day at the Races!

[Epiphany]

It was a long day at the clinic, but doctor blake done now was back at the inn, looking as any person does after a long day's work. though he was still in his doctor fineries, lab coat with his name badge , tie, hanging out of his pocket and his button down shirt was untucked. though still buttoned. today he promised Pris he would talk to the owner here and ask her if the girl could paint the walls. and after getting the room number for Epiphany from a pleasant young lady named D'Ryanna that for some reason Donald couldn't quite place he recognized. who knows maybe she saw a resemblance between Donald and Thor too. anywho now he was at Pip's door giving it a little knock.

His knock echoed throughout the wood of his door and seemed to collect at the bottom. Quite strange considering that it was sound, and sound didn't rattle or shake like coins and marbles in a jar. This sound did. It collected at the bottom of the door then stopped. Then, another noise came about, the sound of scurrying, Then, at the very top of the door, a small opening two by three, opened up. It was dark inside that hole, the only thing showing through were two tiny needle point eyes. "So, who are you?"

"Hm?"oh the look on donalds face, priceless. confusion and bewilderment. followed by a short nod. maybe this was Epiphany, maybe she was this door. or at least the little eyeballs he could see in the door." um, hello there... My name is dr. Donald Blake and I'm a guest here at the inn, I was hoping I could ask you a few things... do you have a moment?" polite to a 't' and maybe even a bit of charm from good doctor Blake.

He wanted to ask her something? She didn't know that he was looking for Epiphany and not for the door, or the thing inside of the door. How delightful, someone wanted to see her! Actually, the door assumed that he was looking for Epiphany but she was going to enjoy this for as long as it lasted. "I don't have a moment. Moments take too much time. Though I can give it to you if you're willing to make it worth my wild. What are you willing to give? Ohh!!" such excitement. "Are you willing to give your name mister Doctor Donald Blake?"

"Well I would, but if I gave you my name, then I wouldn't have one anymore... and all of my patients would be really rather upset because they wouldn't be able to talk to me anymore... wouldn't know what to call me. I can um... give you... my pen? its a nice pen, i bought it at the CVS near my clinic for like twelve dollars." offering the pen to whom he thought was epiphany.

"No. No, no." that small door closed and more rumbling sounds were heard. After a brief moment that small door opened once more and out from it came a roll of parchment. This sheet was not much wider than that door itself and then expanded. On the sheet was a line, and under that line were the words: "Sign on the line" Laughter came out, sounding like small bells. "Would you sign?"

"Oooohhh... you want me to sign? um? what for... this doesn't mean you're going to take my soul or anything does it?" he asked with a smile, before he signed on the line."Dr. Donald Blake. M.D.... there we are?Does, that mean I can have that minute I asked for?"

A gasp was heard, was he on to her?  Had someone told?  How did he know about the stealing of souls through the paper?! She almost panicked but she saw that he was smiling.  Okay.  good, he was only joking. She wasn't really stealing souls....right?  Sure she wasn't.  Just as soon as he  signed, the paper zipped back up into the hole and vanished.  Laughter followed.  "The name!  I got the name! Oh joy oh all joys I have another name, won't she be pleased!"  yes, she was happy. "I'll give you a minute.  Who'da thought you'd want a minute with a door. What type of doctor are you?"

"I'm a neuro Surgeon. and well I never thought I would have had a minute with a door, i didn't know they could talk... I wasnt told the owner here was a door... but yes." random thoughts put aside he cleared his throat." I needed to ask about painting on the walls. I have an artist friend, who suffered from schizophrenia, and dissociative personality disorder, and painting is her only creative outlet.. and seeing her paintings are really one of the only ways to understand how her mind processes information.

And there was that laughter again. The thing that was in the door was doubled over laughing and then perhaps it fell, for there was the tumbling noise once more an the sound of something collecting at the bottom. "The owner? A door?" This time the sound of the voice came from the bottom of the door instead of the top. When she spoke again it moved. Here, there, nearly all over that it was hard to pin point it. "The owners not a door, the owner is Epiphany and Epiphany is not I." the joke was up, she couldn't keep it any longer.

"What? You're not Epiphany? oh well... what is your name then? its only fair that you tell me yours. since you have mine... and um, may I please speak to epiphany please? its sort of important..." a nod from Doctor Blake and another polite smile to the door sprite

"Yes, yes, you want to talk to her because you want to go about painting the walls." Scrambling noise as the one in the door ran up to the top again and peeked through. "You can always talk to me." said in a fascinate type of voice. "I've never had the name of a doctor before. Are you sure you want to see her? I'm oh so much better to talk too. And, if you ask me, I don't think she's all there all the time lately. I mean, have you seen her room? Ha! of course you haven't or you wouldn't be out here would you? No.."

"Yes, I am sure I'd like to talk to her at least right now... but if you'd like I could come back either later today or tomorrow and talk to you... if you still want to talk to me that is... I'm really good at talking. probably why I'm such a good doctor." a nod and then he offered the door his business card." or you could always give me a call too... if you can use a phone of course."

Oh a card. Not only did she have his name on her sheet of paper, but she also had his name on this card thing. Maybe she would use it, maybe not, it was yet to be known! "You're good at talking, I can give you a lot to talk about to get the answers. But!" and that's where it paused. No sound. Like she had vanished. It lasted a moment and then the sound came back. "She's here, in there. A strange there, but still there. But to get there, instead of here, you nee to knock three times and kick the bottom right of the door."

[Epiphany]

"Oh, well that's good, um, alright...- a nod and he did just though, a little hesitantly first, but yeah, he did as she asked. and knocked three times, followed by a nice kick to the door.-

It would have been disastrous if he had done the wrong knock. Well, maybe not in the catastrophic sense, but things on the inside would have been a bit mixed up. When the knock was done the door moved open on its own, cracking and the rest of the opening would be up to him to do. Once he was inside, it really wasn't a room at all. What our dear Doctor Blake would find himself in looked to be ancient Rome? The sun was bright and shining down, the ground was tightly packed sand. Looking behind him that door would be gone, replaced with one of the many arches in this Roman Colosseum. The thundering of hooves and the roar of wheels as a pair of chariots whipped around the corner. They seemed to be racing. Who was driving the chariots? Young boys.. They had to be no older than 12 or 13 years old and yet they were in Roman army regalia - a little big in some places but it fit over all. Way up on the viewing stands came the excited shouts and screams of the other children, boys and girls alike, all dressed like Roman citizens. Epiphany was there too - she was the oldest of the group of people and was wearing a baby blue gown with golden laurels in her hair. Currently her hands were cupped to her mouth. "Come on! Remember what we said in class!" The Doctor certainly was in an odd place.


And he was probably really out of place here too, evident by his utter confusion as he ooked around him, there where boys, and a woman, and that is who got his attention, and a confused looking physician was walking towards Epiphany, and when he got close she would hear."um, Excuse me? are you Miss Epiphany?

"Oh hey!" He had gotten her attention and she looked away from the race and ushered some of the younger kids aside - they looked around 10 to 14 - for him to take a seat on the bench. "Come, come, sit down and watch the race!" she spoke in one of those excited whisper tones. Clearly she was delighted. "The kids are learning about ancient Rome in history, currently the chariot races, so they're having a race of their own." That explained everything didn't it? She was looking back at the racers, one of the boys nearly turning his chariot over at the turn. "Ease up and pull on the left!" she shouted down. Then she smiled sheepishly and turned to the Doctor, extending her head. "Sorry about that, I'm Epiphany."

"Dr. Donald Blake." he said, eyes on the race for the most part but then over to her with a smile, offering his hand over." I'm very glad to meet you miss Epiphany." he wasnt expecting Epiphany to be so young. but thats cool. age was only a number." I was hoping i could speak to you for a few moments. should i come back after class is over?

Epiphany might not be that young, 21 but looked about 18. Depending on her outfit she could look her age, or even like a boy. Oh the possibilities. "Of course we can!" Another lady, about Epiphany's age, was coming up on the opposite side of the stage, she had with her a boy who was nursing a band-aide wrap across his head. "Susie watch them please, I'll be right back." She got up from her seat and ushered the good doctor to the shaded room behind the stage. "This way, please Donald Blake. Nice to meet you. Not many make it here to the room. Some times they get frustrated by the door." the room was a simple one and made for sitting on the floor on the large cushions. There was a table with a fresh fruit bowl and a couple pitchers of water and cups. Maybe it was a snack for the kids. "Please, help yourself."

"Mmm, no thank you, I ate before i left the clinic I work at. thank you though." he looked around the room they where in now. and then the path they had come. and then he shook his head." oh the door? just wanted to talk to someone....I didnt think it was all too bad, seems very excitable. not terrible though I told the door I'd come back and give it some attention...This is a very interesting place Miss Epiphany, very welcoming."

"Thank you, the men and I worked hard on it to give it the real type of feel. Reconstructing of something this big is really quite a task." Quite a task, but an enjoyable one. This still said nothing for where they actually where. Was there even a sky outside, or simply sunlight? "Sometimes the door can be nice, sometimes not. Depends on the mood and if it likes the person that knocked." Epiphany chuckled. "so you're a Doctor huh? What type? The last Doctor I saw was a shrink. Err.. ah.. Physcartist? " s he thought she said that right.

"I am I'm a neuro surgeon... suppose you could say I'm like a psychiatrist but you know, i'm a real doctor." a chuckle from doctor blake who was still looking about." I'm actually here about a medical issue, a friend of mine. she suffers from dissassociative personality disorder, and a type os schitzophrenia.... sweet girl, but lost in her own mind."

Listening Epiphany stretched her legs out on the floor, the dress she wore was long enough, but her feet were bare. She didn't know what 'dissociative personality disorder' meant but knew the other type, so she put two and two together and came up with the idea that the Doctors friend had many personalities that didn't like to associate with people and therefore kept her away from much interaction. "Maybe I could meet her someday. Some people say I'm lost in my own fantasy but, you know, it's...fun." she paused. "How can I help?"

She had one personality but it was inconstant never stable. "Well she likes Art, she paints and draws, she draws what she sees, and she sees things different then most others. Medically she can be controlled, but i dont like to medically treat things when they can be treated in other ways. um, well she wanted to know if she could draw on thewalls of my Inn room, and I said i would ask the Owner, because I really believe that it would be helpful for her. to be able to paint what she sees...

"Ohhh and artist." That got her attention for Pip liked art herself. Then she started to laugh and leaned back a bit on the floor. "Well of course she can paint the walls. Freedom of expression and all that. Ah.. maybe we can coat your walls first with something that she can draw on again and again. The type of paint that's washable." maybe he would know what she was talking about? "A wall canvas is only so big and once the space is used..well. it's used. This way she can draw and erase, draw and erase. "

"I... I dont know if that would be a good idea, her mind reacts very differently to chance, and i dont think she would recognize the subtlties of erase... and then draw over, she looks to her old work to help in her memories, and if she cant do that, i dont think it would bode well for her.you know?

"Hmm" Epiphany was in thought, taping her finger against her chin. "Okay then, she doesn't have to erase. We might have to find other things if she needs more wall space." Then another idea came to her. "Oh! We can put you in one of the suites on the third floor." She didn't know what floor he was currently on."They are the bigger rooms, like mini apartments, lots of wall space there for her to use. "

"That would be cool, I dont know if I need much more space, pretty used to living out of a back pack. but thats a good idea, more wall space..." a nod form doctor blake who looked down in thought." Cool, We'll see how long it takes for her to fill up the room i have now i dont think she would want to paint over the entire thing very quickly... and she's only come about the one time so far.

Loud cheering could be heard coming from the race going on outside, sounded like there was a winner and she momentarily looked towards the sound. "I say to go for it. Let her paint to her hearts content." It was a good thing he was asking Epiphany and not Ryan who might have had a heart attack at drawing on the walls. "It's only paint, so thats fine. Not like you're asking to carve into the walls." she laughed.

Donald upon meeting Ryan might have the distinct feeling the two would get along... probably for a reason he himself wouldnt entirely know, but thats okay." Thank you Miss Epiphany... its really great that you're allowing me to do this... if you ever need anything at all. dont be afriad to ask... I could uh... teach sex ed or something for your kids." a joke and that was evidant by the chuckle donald gave her before he stood from his seat using his walking stick to assist before offering her his hand. to help her stand." but for now, I will let you get back to your chariot races.

The laugh his comment got from her. It was hilarious! If only he knew that they were kids in a place run by Nuns, maybe he'd get why she thought it so funny? "Sure, sure. I just like friends. We can be friends and I can let you do whatever on the walls. " That wasn't too much to ask right? "If you're sure you have to be off and can't stay uh...the best way to get out is to walk through the arch with the word 'knock' engraved at the top. Just walk through and you'll be back outside the door." Might have sounded odd, but that's what it was.

"Of course! but yeah, I'm kind of worn from the day, I'm probably going to crash right to sleep when i get back- smiling again and giving a two fingers salute in a tap at his brow." I look forward to inviting you up to see the artwork!" and then he was off and on his way.