â€œGoing to get some ice cream! Yeah! Going with my mom and dad! I love you so much!â€ Ashley sang from the backseat of the car, bouncing up and down in her excitement. â€œCan I get mint chocolate chip?â€ No one answered her question, so she continued to talk. â€œI love mint chip ice cream. Itâ€™s so nice and cool, and even though you just ate ice cream, your breath still smells nice. Isnâ€™t that neat?â€ Still, no one talked to her or said anything. She started to feel a little bit anxious, so she started talking again. â€œI think you should get vanilla, Mom. I donâ€™t really know what kind you like, but vanilla is a nice place to start. You too, Dad, but I guess you should get the flavor you want.â€<br/><br/>On and on she went, talking about ice cream. Today had been the best day ever. Sheâ€™d spent so much time with her parents already, and now they were going to eat ice cream, like any other normal family. She smiled happily and ran her hand down the pretty braid her mom had done for her. â€œThanks for braiding my hair, Mom. I love it. Donâ€™t you thik it looks pretty? Oh well, I guess you would. Why else would you have done it?â€ She laughed happily and leaned back in her seat. The car started to slow down as it turned a corner. Then it stopped, and her dad pulled the key out of the ignition. â€œYeah! Ice cream!â€ She jumped out of the car and started running towards the front entrance, not even noticing what the building looked like. She ran inside and stopped dead in her tracks.<br/><br/>As soon as Ashley entered the building, she realized she wasnâ€™t at the ice cream place. The walls were white, and a lemony smell hung in the air. This looked more like a hospital. â€œWhat are we doing here? I thought we were going to get ice cream.â€ She turned to look at her parents who were standing at a desk, signing some papers. That was when it all fell into place. She started jumping up and down in excitement. â€œAre we here to get Grandma? Is Grandma coming with us? I love Grandma! What kind of ice cream does she like? Maybe itâ€™s mint chocolate chip like me! Wouldnâ€™t that be so cool?â€  A pretty nurse came out from around the desk and motioned for Ashley to follow her. â€œCome with me, Miss Martins.â€ Ashley obeyed instantly and followed after the nurse with a skip to her step.<br/><br/>After a few minutes of walking, they stopped and the urse opened a door. Ashley followed her inside the room but became confused as the door closed behind her. She was standing in a padded, white room with nothing in it. Only the nurse was there with her. She spun in a circle, trying to figure out where she was. â€œWhere am I? Whereâ€™e my parents? Whereâ€™s my grandma? Whereâ€™s my ice cream?â€ The nurse smiled at her gently. â€œMy name is Dina, Ashley,â€ the nurse said in a sweet voice. â€œI want to be your friend. I want to help you.â€ All Ashley heard was the word friend, and she perked up again. â€œOkay! Letâ€™s play a game!â€ She looked around for a game to play. â€œSure, we can play a game, but first I need you to stand still so I can give you a shot.â€ The nurse reached into her pocket and pulled out a shot. Ashley held out her arm for her friend and kept thinking about a fun game they could play. â€œHmm, there doesnâ€™t seem to be much we can do in this room. Ooh! I know! We can play truth or dare! You go first!â€ By now the nurse had finished with the shot. â€œHmm, Iâ€™ll be right back, okay?â€ The nurse started walking to the door. â€œWait! Where are you going? I thought we were going to play a game!â€ The nurse turned around and gave her a quick smile. â€œIâ€™m going to get us some ice cream. Didnâ€™t I hear you say you wanted some mint chip ice cream?â€ Ashley grinned widely. â€œYeah!â€ The nurse smiled again and left her.<br/><br/>After the door closed, she sat down on the padded floor. She was starting to feel tired. Then a strange beeping sounded, and she could hear voices. â€œHello?â€ She said loudly, wondering where the voices were coming from. â€œAshley, itâ€™s your mother. Your dad and I are speaking to you through an intercom.â€ Well, that explained a lot. â€œHi, Mom! I just met a really cool friend. She just went to get us some ice cream. This was a cool idea, but I donâ€™t like it here much.â€ She yawned widely and leaned against one of the walls. â€œAshley, weâ€™re going to leave you here for a little while until youâ€™re better.â€ She was instantly on her feet. â€œWhat? Why? Iâ€™m not sick?â€ She spu in a circle, trying to see where her parents were. â€œWe love you, Ashley. Good-bye.â€ Another beep sounded. â€œNo! Donâ€™t leave me!â€ She shouted as she pounded her fists against the nearest wall. â€œCome back! Mom! Dad! Iâ€™m sorry! I love you!â€ Her pounding was growing weaker now as she knelt to the floor. â€œMom! Dad! Come back!â€ Now she was laying on the floor, her fists barely raising as she pounded the floor. â€œI hate you. I hope you die,â€ she said these last words in a cold whisper as she finally became still and drifted off to a deep dreamless sleep.