Games Psychos Play

I paced back and forth in my room all night. The sound of the clock kept ticking away and I waited till it hit 12. I paced, jumped, did sit ups, push-ups, squats, and jumping jacks and yet nothing passed the time quick enough. I sat upright on my bed searching for ways I could take about my metal desk or bed and smashed the clock, smash it to pieces, so that it never made a sound again. After a while of failed ideas I realized all they would do was put another one in, one that was louder and more annoying. I knocked on my door and it wasn’t James that opened it, but Mike, an older security guard who would take the night shifts. I told him never mind and continued pacing.
“You guys are doing this on fucking purpose!” I screamed. “You want me to kill myself? Well fuck you!” This is how the nights usually started. Me in a crazy rage over the clock, but I knew the desperation for peace and quiet would overtake me and I would start to beg. “PLEASE!” I screamed, “Just one fucking night without the clock! Please!” I pleaded to anyone who could hear me, but no one responded. At about 4:30 in the morning my voice grew tired, my sobs stopped and I would fall into deep sleep.
The sound of the door awoke me and my eyes heavy with sleep opened to Jake standing over me.
“Rise and shine sleepy head.” Said James, no emotion on his face, looking as if he got the same amount of sleep I had gotten.
“What time is it?” I asked my eyes not yet able to adjust to see the clock.
“6:30, you meet the Congressman at 8.” James stood there patiently waiting for me to get up.
“So then why the fuck am I up?” I said throwing my thin covers over my head.
“Half an hour for shower, half an hour for breakfast, half an hour for transport.” Responded James, I removed the covers from over my head and James still stood with a straight face.
“Well where the fuck am I going?” My eyes squinted on James face.
“The sooner you get up, the sooner you’ll know.” James said with a hint of a smirk on his face answered. I groaned loudly and sat up.
Showered and fed, James took me back to my room where a pair of jeans, a white collared blouse, a black blazer, and black heels laid on my bed.
“The fuck is this?” I said staring at the clothes in disgust.
“Please don’t talk like this in front of the Congressman.” Said James, “They’re your clothes, your parents brought them in for you.”
“Yea, I know who’s the fuck they are, what are they doing here?” I said even more irritated.
“For your meeting with the Congressman.” Said James, “Hurry up, Get dressed.” I sighed loudly annoyed that not only did I have to get up early for this meeting but I was being forced to wear clothing that no longer fit me. What was wrong with my regular clothes, the white uniforms I had been wearing every day?
“What, the Congressman couldn’t bear see me in my white depressing clothes, had to have me all nice and pretty like for his comfort?” I was more speaking out loud than talking to James, who was standing there as I put on my clothes no longer uncomfortable with my nudity. I picked up the blouse and under it laid a black satin bra. I held it up and looked at James who shrugged and looked away. “God forbid I not be wearing a bra.” I said taking off my shirt and putting it on. “Dr. Brown said nothing about all this.” I said as James knelt down to put my other heel on after seeing my struggle with putting the first one on. James helped me stand up and standing back brushing myself off I asked, “Well how do I look?”
“Normal.” Jake said after taking a while to respond.
“Well isn’t that nice.” I said sarcastically.
“Ready to go?” Said Dr. Brown as he walked in a little rushed, and seeming excited about this whole ordeal. “My oh my, look at you! Just as pretty as the day you walked in here.” He said obviously over compensating for not telling me I would have to change my wardrobe.
“Lets get this over with.” I said grabbing James arm as he was helping me get my legs back with the heels and all.
We drove in a black tinted SUV for what felt like hours, passing tall pine trees, and green full forests. I hadn’t been outside in months, hadn’t been out the walls in a year. Everything was more beautiful, more colorful, more full of life. I wanted to ask if we could stop, just for a second so I could touch the leaves, but I knew that would never happen.
We finally reached our destination, a house off some road in the forest. It was beautiful actually, with a stoned pathway, oak colored doors and paneling, white pillars in the front, really extravagant looking. James exited the car first than came around to open my door, 2 other Marlborough security guards were with us but that wasn’t anything compared to the security the Congressman had. Again all this for little ole me? I walked awkwardly behind the security, James to my right, Dr. Brown to my left. We reached the front door and the suited security guard standing at the front door let us in and walked us to wear Congressman Michelle was standing watching outside a patio door that opened to a spacious back yard. Congressman Michelle turned around startled as if he hadn’t knew we were there.
“Congressman, Dr. Brown, we spoke on the phone.” Dr. Brown said shaking Congressman Michelle’s hand.
“Of Course.” Said the Congressman
“This is head of security Dennis Roberts, and Gwyneth’s’ night and day guards James and Mike.” Dr. Brown introduced the guards, Congressman started to shake all of their hands, not that they really mattered; I was the one he wanted to see. After shaking all their hands, Congressman Michelle’s gaze shifted to me, where I stood behind Jake using his body as a shield.
“Gwyneth… How are you?” Said the Congressman.
“Congressman Michelle.” I said with a smile and a nod, hardly making eye contact.
“Please, call me George.” He said trying to put a smile on his face. “Uh, could I have a moment alone with Gwyneth please?” He said looking at Dr. Brown. “I mean of course not completely alone” he said looking at Jake, and the rest of the guards. “But Doctor if you could leave the room, and few of the other guards, that way me and Gwyneth here could have a little privacy.” He said.
“Of course.” Dr. Brown smiled and nodded. Jake stayed stepping back closer to the room entrance, another guard, one of Georges’, stayed standing by the windows.
“Uh have a seat,” Gestured George walking over to the couches. He sat in a love seat across from me as I sat in the corner of a family couch. “Can I get you anything to drink?”
“No.” I said, “Thank you.” I quickly added for fear of sounding rude. I looked around the room and saw pictures of The Congressman, his wife, and Kelly together, this was their house.
“I know me asking you to come here, was very abnormal, but I figured… I
hadn’t been able to personally talk to you…ever, and I haven’t seen you since the trial. I guess I just felt like it was about time that you and I had a conversation about what happened that night.” Said George struggling to find the correct words. I swallowed hard in fear that this would be exactly what he wanted to talk about, that night. So many questions from so many people about that night, no answers that I had to give. “Is that alright?” he asked.

“My doctor, says that I shouldn’t promise you anything, I can try my best to give you the answers you need.” I said looking down at my hands.
“Well that sounds good to me.” said George picking up a cup of coffee that had been sitting there before. “How is it in there?” I was surprised by the question, why had he cared about how I was doing?
“White.” I said, his face was puzzled, “There’s a lot of white, and different variations of it, white walls… the clocks are loud.” I added, immediately embarrassed at my response, all I had to talk about were walls and clocks.
“Hmm… You don’t like white?” He asked.
“It’s depressing…” I murmured.
“Depressing?” He said, his interest immediately peaked, “Yea, I know a thing or two about depressing. Take this house for instance.” He said placing his cup of coffee back on the table. “We used to come here every winter break, sometimes in the summer. Kelly loved this place when she was younger, god. She’d run around here like a horse in a race.” He said smiling at the thought of his little girl running and playing around. “Now it’s just… depressing. My wife and I don’t even use it anymore.” I guess I was supposed to feel bad about Congressman Michelle, and his wife not being able to use their perfect vacation house anymore, but I didn’t. Why had George done so much to get me out here just to remind me of his hurt over his daughters’ death, as if I didn’t already know, as if it wasn’t made aware to me every day and every night with the damn white walls, and the damn clock? He probably was the one who had that loud ass clock put in my room in the first place. I began to shift around uncomfortably in the couch. I wanted to be cordial about this whole thing, out of respect for George and the death of his daughter, but I also didn’t want to sit here cowardly accepting the throws of hate George was bound to throw my way.
“Nothing to say to that?” George picked up his coffee and took another sip.
“I’m sorry for your loss.” I spoke very low.
“Sorry?” George sat down his coffee and this time looked me straight in the eye.
“I’m not exactly sure what it is that you want me to say…” I said again in a low voice. Georges mellow green eyes didn’t look so mellow drilling into mine. He was angry, I couldn’t just see it, I could feel it; the tension in the air, the silence interrupted by his heavy breathing. I just sat and stared, silently
“I want you to tell me why you killed my daughter” Said The Congressman after a few minutes. “Why you beat her so horribly that we couldn’t even have an open casket at her funeral because HER FACE LOOKED LIKE FUCKING CHUCKY DOLL!” Congressman Michelle was now standing, spit spraying out his mouth, and he was getting more and more angry. I could hear Jake taking steps closer to handle the situation, along with George’s security guard who was now standing right beside him.
“Maybe we should take a break.” Said Jake unsure what to do, George stayed standing for a little, staring at me, snapping out of it he took his eyes off of mine and looked at the guards.
“I’m fine… my apologies, really.” Said George regaining his composure and sitting back down. Jake looked down at me but I kept my eyes on George. I could see Jake preparing to speak his hand reaching for my arm to lift me up.
“He said he’s fine, Jake.” I said before Jake could speak. “No harm, no foul.” I said never keeping my eyes off The Congressman. Jake nodded and retreated back to his post but this time he kept a little closer, George’s security man did the same.
“Congressman--- George, If I may share a bit of information.” I asked.
“By all means.” Said the Congressman leaning back in his chair.
“My doctor says psychopaths do not feel, they have no real sense of empathy. They can’t put themselves in your shoes and feel how you feel, it’s just not possible.”
“Is that your expert diagnosis… you’re a psychopath?” Asked George a little sarcastically, I laughed a little.
“No, actually Dr. Brown thinks the incident caused a temporary delusion in my brain, causing me to reflect symptoms of a psychopath. But my point was I didn’t want to meet with you today, and not because I am suspected of taking the lives of your daughter and her friends, but because I didn’t want you to think I would able to sit here…and cry, and plead, and beg for your forgiveness because at this stage of my treatment I am not able to do that for you. So you see I don’t think you should have to stare into the face of someone you suspect is murderer, who is completely, and utterly unsympathetic towards you…” I stopped my voice breaking towards the end. I could hear the harsh words coming out my mouth and yet I knew they were all true.
“You’re right...” George said, he chuckled to himself a little and finished his coffee. “I’ve known you since you were a little girl Gwen” He said his eyes beginning to water, “I guess none of us really knew you at all.” He said. “I don’t forgive you…” He looked me in the eyes now. “I know you’re not asking for it, but when you get through this, and you realize what you’ve done, and you seek my forgiveness, I want you to know that I don’t forgive you.” And suddenly George reached under the seat cushion he had been sitting on and revealed a shiny silver gun, and which by surprise he turned to himself and pulled the trigger. I had no time to react, my body sat still as I watched the Congressman put the tip of the gun in his mouth and with a loud bang, I flinched, and the Congressman’s blood and brain fragments were sprayed on the white chair cushion behind him. The Congressman’s security guard tried to stop him but was left with an array of blood spray on his face and suit. Jake was standing next to me in seconds with his mouth covered by hands and Dr. Brown, Dennis, and more security guards came bursting through the living room entrance. I sat there still, my eyes on the Congressman, my mouth a thin line, my muscles tense, for a moment I stopped breathing.
“Jake remove Gwyneth from the room.” I could hear Dennis telling Jake, and immediately Jake’s hand was on my arm, lifting me to stand; pulling me because my body was too stunned to function. I turned around as Jake was pulling me out the room to take one last look of all the blood, seeping out of the Congressman’s head. I looked at where the pictures of the Congressman and his family were, all splattered with blood.
Red on white… what a beautiful way to die.