CRACKED

BACK TO REALITY

My back arches and I feel my mouth dry out in terror. No. I whisper. No, no, no, no.

Cold hands press themselves to my head and stomach, turning me over from where I’ve collapsed on the ground. Meg! A female voice says in panic. Meg, are you ok? I feel the ice-cold hand reach my throat to check for pulse and I shiver. It’s not a comfortable feeling.

I open my eyes slowly, surveying the scene before me. Dahlia sits, straddling my hips, looking horror-struck. Daniel seems pinned to the tree by invisible forces, looking both desperate and scared. In looking at him I’m nearly pulled under again by memories but I force myself to stay with the current situation and look at Dahlia instead.

Her smile comes slowly and doesn’t add a feeling of cheer to her features. In fact this is the most murderously angry I’ve ever seen her. So Meggy, she spits, Thought you could pretend to faint so your boyfriend could get away huh?

Get off of me, I hiss and I spit in her face.

She looks appalled, her finer upbringing showing through her carefully cultivated mask of criminality. Well, obviously, it didn’t work. She says, exaggeratedly wiping it off. We’re all still here. And it’s going to stay that way. She pins my wrist down before I can get a decent shot in with my knife, and all she comes away with is a knick in the shoulder. A little feisty today, hmm? I can fix that.

It’s times like this when Dahlia’s psychosis becomes truly terrifying to me. Everyone thinks I’m the more unhinged of the two of us, but the glint of savagery in her eye currently tells me they’re wrong. I really don’t want to find out by how much.

I take the moment to act and slip underneath her like smoke. She knows me too well, however, and catches my ankle just as I’m about to find my footing thwarting my plan. Thinking quickly, I roll backwards, flipping upward and clip her chin with my foot and she goes sprawling back.

Daniel, immobile for most of this, suddenly breaks free of the mental lock when I kick Dahlia. He’s got his hand on my arm and is dragging me lightning speed through the forest away from Dahlia. Daniel, you’re going to do permanent damage. Let go of me. I shout over the din of crashing through the forest. And it might be best if you let me handle the getaway, as your plans are always “Escape first- think later”.

He slows our pace after a moment’s hesitation. Fine but if-

As if hit by a wall of concrete, he sinks to his knees. He makes horrible cut-off choking noises, like he’s being strangled by an invisible attacker. I turn, horrified to see Dahlia standing in the nearest clearing, watching the scene unfold.

Her lip is bleeding profusely where I kicked her and it’s made its way into her hair. The wind whips it around her face, making her look all in all frighteningly insane.

STOP! I scream, sinking to my knees, trying to save Daniel from something I can’t even see. Stop, please, I’ll do anything.

No, I don’t think I will Meg. You see I’m doing what you’re too chicken to do. I am doing what needs to be done and you are too blind to see. I’ve known from day one that I broke you out of Lexington that you’re still in love with him-

I was never in love with him! I scream, a surprising wetness sliding down my cheeks. Daniel writhes on the ground, pulling at an unseen force at his neck.

You were. You are. Dahlia says sadly, slowly stepping toward us. And it’s weighing you down, Meggy. I’m sure it was all well and good in Lexington, he was sweet on you and probably fed you extra servings of food to keep you happy. Just like he was at St. Peter’s. Visiting you, sending you things, loving you while I wasted away.

Is that what this is about? St. Peter’s? I cry, hysteria rising.

For the most part. The other half is your absolute blindness. She says wickedly.

What are you talking about? I sob, Daniel reaches out to me, his eyes stare straight-ahead, blind and unseeing. I know what’s coming. I’ve seen it happen before. I’ve caused it before. But this is different. I’m not enjoying this.

Did you really think I busted you out of Lexington for my own personal gain? She asks, only a few feet away now.

We were a team, what else were you going to do without me? I answer almost absentmindedly.

She bursts out laughing suddenly. A team? Really? Is that all we were to you?

Yes…? I answer hesitantly. I don’t like where this is going.

Dahlia stops walking toward us then. She stares down at the ground, her fists clenched, her whole body shaking. I should’ve guessed.

Dahlia what are you-

I can’t believe you’re this blind. You really need me to say it? Fine. I love you Meg. I have always loved you and I will always love you. Happy? She pauses, then, as if noticing for the first time Daniel’s existence, she smiles, and he stops moving entirely. And if I can’t have you, no one can.