Ringing in the Sane
Emergency! Emergency!
It was because of him. I didn't marry her because I loved her; I married her because I was in love with her brother. That much I knew.
I don't really know why I was because he obviously didn't care about me, let alone anyone other than himself.
Somehow, he was beautiful.
Maybe I'm subconsciously masochistic. I was currently washing dinner plates, her favourite ones with the ugly floral pattern around the edges. Pieces of pasta sauce were stuck to them, stubbornly hanging onto the porcelain.
"Pete!" her voice screeched my name from her room upstairs.
I shuddered. She was so much nicer before we had gotten married. She was incredibly attractive; lovely brown eyes with slightly wavy reddish-blond hair. Acting like I was her best friend.
As soon as we had gotten hitched, she had shown her true colours - she was a sadistic, controlling, miserable woman. She would make me do all kinds of unmentionable things for her pleasure and for some reason I couldn't stand up to her by myself, I just couldn't.
I dropped the plate into the sink, sending warm soapy water into the air. I began to trudge up the stairs, but not before I glanced at the clock - 5:42 pm. He should be here in a few hours.
I reached her room, took a deep breath and walked in through the open door.
"Pete," she paused. "Do you love me?"
She asked this, every day. Every day, my answer was always the same. "Yes." I was feeling anything but love.
"Tell me you love me," she ordered.
You called me up the stairs for this?
"I love you."
That was the last time I'll ever have to say that to you, I thought with satisfaction as I descended the stairs.
* * *
"Pete!" a voice outside the window whispered as its owner tapped on the frosty glass.
"Jared!" I whispered back as I let him in. "Are you ready?" I asked once he had climbed in through the frame.
"Of course I fucking am! Why else would I be here?" He rolled his eyes at me.
I led him silently into her room, where she was sleeping soundly, a smile on her arrogant face. He handed me his gun and I looked at him in surprise. "I thought you were going to do it?" I squeaked out, trying to hand the gun back to him.
He sighed. "Are you in, or are you out?"
"In," I replied quickly. Anything to get away from her – but I couldn't do this; I couldn't shoot her. Why?! She had caused meenough pain, wasn’t it fair that I ended her life?
Jared sighed loudly and took the gun roughly from my hand. "Here, like this," he said quietly as he pressed the point to her temple.
* * *
“Run!” Jared screamed as the sirens began. We ran into a side street, then an alley. The red and blue of the police lights rushed past us and we were safe. I sat down on the damp ground, panting from running.
“Jesus Christ.” I could barely speak. “Do you think they’ll know who did it?”
“Of course they will. Are you completely stupid?” He rolled his eyes at me as my heart sank.
We began to run again, although less frantic than before, trying to stay hidden instead of looking for a place to hide. "This way," Jared said quietly, leading me down a small street. We rounded a corner and came face to face with a policeman patrolling the streets.
We stopped in our tracks. He got out his radio and began to report he had seen us, but Jared darted forward and he had to pause in his communication. He got out his gun and held it to the policeman's head. "Don't." Jared said into his ear, and the man dropped his radio, it bouncing off the wet pavement into a puddle. I walked up to them, took the man's gun so he couldn't defend himself then backed away; I was unsure of what Jared wanted to do with the man.
"Please," the man uttered shrilly. Jared let him go and the man backed off, reaching for his gun that wasn't there. "Oh my-"
He was cut off as Jared pushed him to the ground, kicking him. "What's that taste in your mouth love?" Jared asked quietly, bending down to the man's level. The man groaned with a mouth full of bloody teeth.
I stood completely still, not knowing what to do. I was horrified by what Jared was doing. Should I stop him? Even if I had wanted to, I couldn’t of – he was too strong for me.
Jared pulled out a small knife, driving it into the man's side. "I know it's bitter," he continued, twisting the blade around. "I know it hurts." The man began to scream. "That's right..." Jared muttered. "Scream for your safety."
"Jared, we have to go," I said, thankful for an opportunity to get him away from the man, as I heard the wailing sirens getting louder and louder. I pulled him up away from the policeman and we began running again.
I don't really know why I was because he obviously didn't care about me, let alone anyone other than himself.
Somehow, he was beautiful.
Maybe I'm subconsciously masochistic. I was currently washing dinner plates, her favourite ones with the ugly floral pattern around the edges. Pieces of pasta sauce were stuck to them, stubbornly hanging onto the porcelain.
"Pete!" her voice screeched my name from her room upstairs.
I shuddered. She was so much nicer before we had gotten married. She was incredibly attractive; lovely brown eyes with slightly wavy reddish-blond hair. Acting like I was her best friend.
As soon as we had gotten hitched, she had shown her true colours - she was a sadistic, controlling, miserable woman. She would make me do all kinds of unmentionable things for her pleasure and for some reason I couldn't stand up to her by myself, I just couldn't.
I dropped the plate into the sink, sending warm soapy water into the air. I began to trudge up the stairs, but not before I glanced at the clock - 5:42 pm. He should be here in a few hours.
I reached her room, took a deep breath and walked in through the open door.
"Pete," she paused. "Do you love me?"
She asked this, every day. Every day, my answer was always the same. "Yes." I was feeling anything but love.
"Tell me you love me," she ordered.
You called me up the stairs for this?
"I love you."
That was the last time I'll ever have to say that to you, I thought with satisfaction as I descended the stairs.
* * *
"Pete!" a voice outside the window whispered as its owner tapped on the frosty glass.
"Jared!" I whispered back as I let him in. "Are you ready?" I asked once he had climbed in through the frame.
"Of course I fucking am! Why else would I be here?" He rolled his eyes at me.
I led him silently into her room, where she was sleeping soundly, a smile on her arrogant face. He handed me his gun and I looked at him in surprise. "I thought you were going to do it?" I squeaked out, trying to hand the gun back to him.
He sighed. "Are you in, or are you out?"
"In," I replied quickly. Anything to get away from her – but I couldn't do this; I couldn't shoot her. Why?! She had caused meenough pain, wasn’t it fair that I ended her life?
Jared sighed loudly and took the gun roughly from my hand. "Here, like this," he said quietly as he pressed the point to her temple.
* * *
“Run!” Jared screamed as the sirens began. We ran into a side street, then an alley. The red and blue of the police lights rushed past us and we were safe. I sat down on the damp ground, panting from running.
“Jesus Christ.” I could barely speak. “Do you think they’ll know who did it?”
“Of course they will. Are you completely stupid?” He rolled his eyes at me as my heart sank.
We began to run again, although less frantic than before, trying to stay hidden instead of looking for a place to hide. "This way," Jared said quietly, leading me down a small street. We rounded a corner and came face to face with a policeman patrolling the streets.
We stopped in our tracks. He got out his radio and began to report he had seen us, but Jared darted forward and he had to pause in his communication. He got out his gun and held it to the policeman's head. "Don't." Jared said into his ear, and the man dropped his radio, it bouncing off the wet pavement into a puddle. I walked up to them, took the man's gun so he couldn't defend himself then backed away; I was unsure of what Jared wanted to do with the man.
"Please," the man uttered shrilly. Jared let him go and the man backed off, reaching for his gun that wasn't there. "Oh my-"
He was cut off as Jared pushed him to the ground, kicking him. "What's that taste in your mouth love?" Jared asked quietly, bending down to the man's level. The man groaned with a mouth full of bloody teeth.
I stood completely still, not knowing what to do. I was horrified by what Jared was doing. Should I stop him? Even if I had wanted to, I couldn’t of – he was too strong for me.
Jared pulled out a small knife, driving it into the man's side. "I know it's bitter," he continued, twisting the blade around. "I know it hurts." The man began to scream. "That's right..." Jared muttered. "Scream for your safety."
"Jared, we have to go," I said, thankful for an opportunity to get him away from the man, as I heard the wailing sirens getting louder and louder. I pulled him up away from the policeman and we began running again.