Status: Complete
Angel Evelyn I Die
Dance With Delusional Angels of Sin
I walked down the stark white corridor, examining each man I passed. One was crawling along the floor, screeching like a cat. One stood in the middle of a bare room, screaming at the wall. Yet another was bashing his head against the door.
But it was the last man in the hallway who peaked my interest. His hair was fire truck red, his eyes likened to sparkling jade. His body was bulky and muscular, wrapped in a cream colored strait jacket. In his arms, he held a skeleton in a waltz position, gliding gracefully across the room. As I neared the doorway, I heard his voice softly crooning, “I still hear you sing, my sweet love Evelyn.”
“I see you’ve found Zachery.” I jumped, whipping my head around to see a man with high cheek bones. His jet place hair styled in porcupine spikes around his head and his brown eyes were warm, liked melted chocolate. “Doctor Brian Haner,” he smiled, and stuck out his hand. I returned the gesture. “Seraphina,” I replied, before turning around to stare at the patient once again.
“His story is fascinating, if you’re interested in reading it. I’m the only doctor he’ll even consider listening to, and I’d appreciate all the help I can get on his case.” As I watched Zachery twirl around the room, still crooning to his inanimate partner, I found myself nodding my head.
“I’ll choose him,” I said, looking back at Doctor Haner.
“Great! Follow me, and we’ll let your professor know.” Doctor Haner led us back through the corridor to let Professor Poulsen know I had found the patient I wished to study, before bringing us to his office.
“Zachery is virtually my only patient, because he needs a lot of attention. He’s prone to aggression and is stubborn. He refuses to follow instruction. Unless, he’s dancing with his skeleton, Evelyn,” Doctor Haner spoke as he sifted through his file cabinet, pulling out a large manila folder.
“This contains many of the articles written about his case, as well as the notes I’ve made about his progress, which isn’t much.” He handed me the folder, before continuing. “You have to be alert when around him, he has been prone to viciously attack, but either a security member or myself will be present when you meet with him. With your help, hopefully we can save his life.” My gaze snapped to his face as those words left him.
“Save his life, Doctor Haner?” I asked. He nodded his head.
“After Zachery’s last attack, he was put on probation. We have one month to decrease his aggression, or he will be euthanized.” My jaw dropped at his words.
“Can I meet him today?” I asked, biting my lip. I wanted to get a sense of his personality before I judged him on his records, which I knew wouldn’t be pretty.
“Of course,” he smiled, opening the door of his office, and ushering us back to the Green Room. Doctor Haner asked me to stand by the door and keep alert as he approached Zachery.
“Zack, there’s someone I’d like you to meet,” Doctor Haner spoke, placing his hand lightly on Zachery’s shoulder. Zachery immediately stopped singing, and whipped his head around to stare at me. After a few seconds, he turned to Doctor Haner, and spoke to him in a whispered tone. He passed the skeleton to Doctor Haner, before shuffling closer to me, and reached out his hand.
“What’s your name?” he questioned, gazing into my eyes.
“Seraphina, or just Sera,” I spoke placing my hand in his.
“Seraphina,” he whispered, staring at me curiously, cocking his head slightly to the left. “Would you like to dance Seraphina?” I spared a glance towards Doctor Haner, before nodding my head, and allowed Zachery to lead me to the center of the room. He bowed like a gentleman, before twirling me around the room.
As we danced, Zacky closed his eyes and began to quietly sing in my ear:
Stay away, you’re still a big part of me
Dance with delusional angels of sin
Kill false demons you might kill false angels too
That’s not what we want to do
Evelyn visions in the sky
All on my shoulder, all in my mind
As Zacky finished singing, a guard walked into the room to bring Zacky to lunch. As I turned to walk back towards Doctor Haner, Zacky grabbed my hand.
“Are you coming back tomorrow Evelyn?” I stared at him in confusion, but simply shook my head, assuring him I’d be here.
Doctor Haner led me back down the corridor to the lobby, where I turned to question him.
“Do you know who Evelyn is?” Doctor Haner sighed heavily, before responding.
“I suggest you begin reading those files tonight. I’ll see you tomorrow at twelve p.m. sharp.” He nodded curtly, before walking back the way he came.
An hour later, I was seated in the living room of my cozy apartment, a bowl of Ramen Noodles in my hand, and Zachery’s case file laid out in front of me. The first document was a brief biography.
Name: Zachery James Baker
DOB: December 11th, 1981
Marital Status: Widower
Convicted of first degree murder of his wife, Evelyn Marie Seward-Baker, and sentenced for life at the Long Beach Institute for the Mentally Ill
My jaw dropped as I read through the final paragraph, unbelieving someone as sweet as Zachery could commit murder.
Behind the biography was Zachery’s summary of the night of the murder, and I prayed it would give me a greater insight into his state of mind, anything to give me an indication of how I could help.
We had just gotten married. Neither of us had much for money, but we had each other, and we agreed that was enough. We moved into a dumpy apartment building on Main Street, above the laundry mat. I owned and operated a guitar shop on the strip, and she worked at a local convenience store down the road.
For the first six months, everything was perfect. But after a while, she grew more distant. She’d go out at night, demanding to go alone. As time went on, her hour away turned into a few hours, into her spending whole nights away, allegedly at her friend’s house. I knew something was wrong, but I couldn’t bring myself to question her. I couldn’t bring myself to admit we were falling apart.
One night, I got home later than usual. As I was closing up the store, my investor walked in. He told me the shop wasn’t making enough money, and he couldn’t afford to keep putting money in if he got none of the revenue back. Walking in our apartment, I was already upset, when I saw Evelyn sitting at our kitchen table, her head in her hands. Immediately, I ran to the table, pulling her hands in mine and asking her what had happened. She refused to meet my gaze for a few moments, before she finally looked into my eyes.
“I can’t do this anymore Zack…I’m tired of this. I’m tired of living paycheck to paycheck. I’m tired of scrounging to put food on the table, and clothes on our backs.
“When I went out that first night, and met him, I thought it would just be a little fun, something to keep my spirits up. But I can’t lie to you or myself anymore…I fell in love with him.” After she said that…it was more than I could bear to take. I couldn’t stop myself. I was so lost with rage when I attacked her, I had no control. All I could think about was how much I loved her, how much I needed her. She was my entire life, I couldn’t live without her. I didn’t…I never wanted to hurt her. I loved her more than anything, but the monster took over. I lost control…”
My heart sank in my chest as I finished his report. This case was much deeper than I ever could have imagined. When I first saw him, I expected Zachery to be another patient with some standard disorder. This went much deeper. It was a crime of passion and love, not of insanity.
In the bottom of the file was a sleeve of photographs, labeled “Evelyn Marie Baker”. There were eight or ten photographs of a snow white blonde, with a petite body and pretty features. I noticed a few similarities in our appearance, and it began to make sense why Zack had mistakenly called me Evelyn earlier in the day. Nix our differing hair colors, our facial structures were near the same. I could only hope I could use these similarities to my advantage.
It had been two weeks since I had started working with Zack, and Doctor Haner and I were through the roof with his progress. I spent nearly four hours a day with his at the institute. I arrived at twelve o’clock sharp, and ate lunch with Zack in his room, before Doctor Haner took us to the Green Room. I discovered on my first day Zack was more apt to speaking when we were dancing, so that’s how we spent our time.
Today was one of my friend’s birthdays, and he was having a party at a posh little restaurant in Los Angeles, and I promised him I would be there. Unfortunately, this would cut into my time with Zack, since I would have to leave around two, rather than four, but Doctor Haner assured me it was okay.
I quickly got dressed, and drove to the institute, and walked into the back, where Doctor Haner’s office was located. I knocked quietly on the door, pushing it open slowly after I heard a quiet “Come in”. Doctor Haner was seated behind his desk, black frame glasses covering his mocha eyes. He looked up from his paperwork as he noticed her presence in the room, offering me a small smile.
“Ah, you’re finally here. Zack has been asking about you all morning,” he spoke, shutting his folder and standing up from his desk.
“Well let’s not keep him waiting,” I said, following Doctor Haner to Zack’s bedroom. The day began like any other. As I walked into the room, Zack’s eyes lit up, and he ran to embrace me. I knew it was unprofessional, but I didn’t have the heart to push him away or tell him no.
After we ate lunch, Doctor Haner led us to the Green Room, and Zack immediately pulled me into dance position, and twirling us around the room. After a few minutes of listening to Zack sing, I began to speak.
“Zack, do you regret what you did to Evelyn?” I asked, looking into his eyes. He sighed heavily, slowing our movements slightly.
“Of course I do. That night, I just couldn’t stop myself. She was hurting me, and I needed her stop. My entire world was crashing down around me. I was losing my store, the woman I loved…I thought I could depend on her for the rest of my life, and she betrayed me. I loved her with everything I was, I couldn’t lose her. All I could think was “if I can’t have her, no one can”. It was fucked up, but I couldn’t control myself.”
I nodded my head, mulling at his words, and allowing him to lead me around the room. I was pleased with his response. I looked at Doctor Haner, to see him equally as thrilled. I spent another half an hour with Zack, before Doctor Haner stood.
“Sera, it’s two o’clock, if you need to get going.” I nodded my head, as Doctor Haner left the room to get a security guard. I turned my attention back to Zack. He was so lost in his thoughts, it seemed as though he hadn’t been paying attention. I ceased my motions, bringing us both to a stop. Zack looked at me, bewildered, and I offered him a small smile.
“I can’t stay our whole time today Zack, I have to leave. But I promise I’ll come over early tomorrow to make up for it, okay?” I spoke quietly, placing my hand on his shoulder.
“No, it’s not time for you to go,” Zack said, latching onto my wrist. I sighed, knowing this would be harder than I assumed.
“I know, but I have to leave a little early today. I’ll be back tomorrow, I promise.” I shook my arm, trying to detach his hands from my wrist, but he tightened his hold.
“NO!” he screamed, his hold turning bruising. “YOU’RE NOT LEAVING ME AGAIN.” I screamed for Doctor Haner as Zack pushed me to the floor, pinning me down with his body, his hands holding my wrists above my head. I thrashed around under him, and Zack moved his hands from my wrists to my throat, and he began to squeeze. My vision began to blur as Zack’s hold tightened. He leaned closer to whisper in my ear.
I still hear you sing my sweet love Evelyn
In fact, I’m so cold, but I made up my mind
To see where it will lead
In fact I’m so lonely I…
I sputtered for breath as Zack’s grip was loosened. I heard men yelling around me, and Zack’s screams to let him go. I felt someone’s cool fingers checking my pulse in my neck, when I finally gathered the strength to open my eyes. I blinked a few times before recognizing the brown orbs of Doctor Haner. Slowly, I sat up, with his help, before looking towards the doorway. There stood Zack, thrashing in the arms of two large security guards, screaming for them to let him go. They began to pull him from the room, when Zack grabbed onto the ledge of the doorway staring straight at me, his green eyes glazed in fear and anger, as he spoke those four words I would never forget:
”Angel Evelyn, I die…”
But it was the last man in the hallway who peaked my interest. His hair was fire truck red, his eyes likened to sparkling jade. His body was bulky and muscular, wrapped in a cream colored strait jacket. In his arms, he held a skeleton in a waltz position, gliding gracefully across the room. As I neared the doorway, I heard his voice softly crooning, “I still hear you sing, my sweet love Evelyn.”
“I see you’ve found Zachery.” I jumped, whipping my head around to see a man with high cheek bones. His jet place hair styled in porcupine spikes around his head and his brown eyes were warm, liked melted chocolate. “Doctor Brian Haner,” he smiled, and stuck out his hand. I returned the gesture. “Seraphina,” I replied, before turning around to stare at the patient once again.
“His story is fascinating, if you’re interested in reading it. I’m the only doctor he’ll even consider listening to, and I’d appreciate all the help I can get on his case.” As I watched Zachery twirl around the room, still crooning to his inanimate partner, I found myself nodding my head.
“I’ll choose him,” I said, looking back at Doctor Haner.
“Great! Follow me, and we’ll let your professor know.” Doctor Haner led us back through the corridor to let Professor Poulsen know I had found the patient I wished to study, before bringing us to his office.
“Zachery is virtually my only patient, because he needs a lot of attention. He’s prone to aggression and is stubborn. He refuses to follow instruction. Unless, he’s dancing with his skeleton, Evelyn,” Doctor Haner spoke as he sifted through his file cabinet, pulling out a large manila folder.
“This contains many of the articles written about his case, as well as the notes I’ve made about his progress, which isn’t much.” He handed me the folder, before continuing. “You have to be alert when around him, he has been prone to viciously attack, but either a security member or myself will be present when you meet with him. With your help, hopefully we can save his life.” My gaze snapped to his face as those words left him.
“Save his life, Doctor Haner?” I asked. He nodded his head.
“After Zachery’s last attack, he was put on probation. We have one month to decrease his aggression, or he will be euthanized.” My jaw dropped at his words.
“Can I meet him today?” I asked, biting my lip. I wanted to get a sense of his personality before I judged him on his records, which I knew wouldn’t be pretty.
“Of course,” he smiled, opening the door of his office, and ushering us back to the Green Room. Doctor Haner asked me to stand by the door and keep alert as he approached Zachery.
“Zack, there’s someone I’d like you to meet,” Doctor Haner spoke, placing his hand lightly on Zachery’s shoulder. Zachery immediately stopped singing, and whipped his head around to stare at me. After a few seconds, he turned to Doctor Haner, and spoke to him in a whispered tone. He passed the skeleton to Doctor Haner, before shuffling closer to me, and reached out his hand.
“What’s your name?” he questioned, gazing into my eyes.
“Seraphina, or just Sera,” I spoke placing my hand in his.
“Seraphina,” he whispered, staring at me curiously, cocking his head slightly to the left. “Would you like to dance Seraphina?” I spared a glance towards Doctor Haner, before nodding my head, and allowed Zachery to lead me to the center of the room. He bowed like a gentleman, before twirling me around the room.
As we danced, Zacky closed his eyes and began to quietly sing in my ear:
Stay away, you’re still a big part of me
Dance with delusional angels of sin
Kill false demons you might kill false angels too
That’s not what we want to do
Evelyn visions in the sky
All on my shoulder, all in my mind
As Zacky finished singing, a guard walked into the room to bring Zacky to lunch. As I turned to walk back towards Doctor Haner, Zacky grabbed my hand.
“Are you coming back tomorrow Evelyn?” I stared at him in confusion, but simply shook my head, assuring him I’d be here.
Doctor Haner led me back down the corridor to the lobby, where I turned to question him.
“Do you know who Evelyn is?” Doctor Haner sighed heavily, before responding.
“I suggest you begin reading those files tonight. I’ll see you tomorrow at twelve p.m. sharp.” He nodded curtly, before walking back the way he came.
An hour later, I was seated in the living room of my cozy apartment, a bowl of Ramen Noodles in my hand, and Zachery’s case file laid out in front of me. The first document was a brief biography.
Name: Zachery James Baker
DOB: December 11th, 1981
Marital Status: Widower
Convicted of first degree murder of his wife, Evelyn Marie Seward-Baker, and sentenced for life at the Long Beach Institute for the Mentally Ill
My jaw dropped as I read through the final paragraph, unbelieving someone as sweet as Zachery could commit murder.
Behind the biography was Zachery’s summary of the night of the murder, and I prayed it would give me a greater insight into his state of mind, anything to give me an indication of how I could help.
We had just gotten married. Neither of us had much for money, but we had each other, and we agreed that was enough. We moved into a dumpy apartment building on Main Street, above the laundry mat. I owned and operated a guitar shop on the strip, and she worked at a local convenience store down the road.
For the first six months, everything was perfect. But after a while, she grew more distant. She’d go out at night, demanding to go alone. As time went on, her hour away turned into a few hours, into her spending whole nights away, allegedly at her friend’s house. I knew something was wrong, but I couldn’t bring myself to question her. I couldn’t bring myself to admit we were falling apart.
One night, I got home later than usual. As I was closing up the store, my investor walked in. He told me the shop wasn’t making enough money, and he couldn’t afford to keep putting money in if he got none of the revenue back. Walking in our apartment, I was already upset, when I saw Evelyn sitting at our kitchen table, her head in her hands. Immediately, I ran to the table, pulling her hands in mine and asking her what had happened. She refused to meet my gaze for a few moments, before she finally looked into my eyes.
“I can’t do this anymore Zack…I’m tired of this. I’m tired of living paycheck to paycheck. I’m tired of scrounging to put food on the table, and clothes on our backs.
“When I went out that first night, and met him, I thought it would just be a little fun, something to keep my spirits up. But I can’t lie to you or myself anymore…I fell in love with him.” After she said that…it was more than I could bear to take. I couldn’t stop myself. I was so lost with rage when I attacked her, I had no control. All I could think about was how much I loved her, how much I needed her. She was my entire life, I couldn’t live without her. I didn’t…I never wanted to hurt her. I loved her more than anything, but the monster took over. I lost control…”
My heart sank in my chest as I finished his report. This case was much deeper than I ever could have imagined. When I first saw him, I expected Zachery to be another patient with some standard disorder. This went much deeper. It was a crime of passion and love, not of insanity.
In the bottom of the file was a sleeve of photographs, labeled “Evelyn Marie Baker”. There were eight or ten photographs of a snow white blonde, with a petite body and pretty features. I noticed a few similarities in our appearance, and it began to make sense why Zack had mistakenly called me Evelyn earlier in the day. Nix our differing hair colors, our facial structures were near the same. I could only hope I could use these similarities to my advantage.
It had been two weeks since I had started working with Zack, and Doctor Haner and I were through the roof with his progress. I spent nearly four hours a day with his at the institute. I arrived at twelve o’clock sharp, and ate lunch with Zack in his room, before Doctor Haner took us to the Green Room. I discovered on my first day Zack was more apt to speaking when we were dancing, so that’s how we spent our time.
Today was one of my friend’s birthdays, and he was having a party at a posh little restaurant in Los Angeles, and I promised him I would be there. Unfortunately, this would cut into my time with Zack, since I would have to leave around two, rather than four, but Doctor Haner assured me it was okay.
I quickly got dressed, and drove to the institute, and walked into the back, where Doctor Haner’s office was located. I knocked quietly on the door, pushing it open slowly after I heard a quiet “Come in”. Doctor Haner was seated behind his desk, black frame glasses covering his mocha eyes. He looked up from his paperwork as he noticed her presence in the room, offering me a small smile.
“Ah, you’re finally here. Zack has been asking about you all morning,” he spoke, shutting his folder and standing up from his desk.
“Well let’s not keep him waiting,” I said, following Doctor Haner to Zack’s bedroom. The day began like any other. As I walked into the room, Zack’s eyes lit up, and he ran to embrace me. I knew it was unprofessional, but I didn’t have the heart to push him away or tell him no.
After we ate lunch, Doctor Haner led us to the Green Room, and Zack immediately pulled me into dance position, and twirling us around the room. After a few minutes of listening to Zack sing, I began to speak.
“Zack, do you regret what you did to Evelyn?” I asked, looking into his eyes. He sighed heavily, slowing our movements slightly.
“Of course I do. That night, I just couldn’t stop myself. She was hurting me, and I needed her stop. My entire world was crashing down around me. I was losing my store, the woman I loved…I thought I could depend on her for the rest of my life, and she betrayed me. I loved her with everything I was, I couldn’t lose her. All I could think was “if I can’t have her, no one can”. It was fucked up, but I couldn’t control myself.”
I nodded my head, mulling at his words, and allowing him to lead me around the room. I was pleased with his response. I looked at Doctor Haner, to see him equally as thrilled. I spent another half an hour with Zack, before Doctor Haner stood.
“Sera, it’s two o’clock, if you need to get going.” I nodded my head, as Doctor Haner left the room to get a security guard. I turned my attention back to Zack. He was so lost in his thoughts, it seemed as though he hadn’t been paying attention. I ceased my motions, bringing us both to a stop. Zack looked at me, bewildered, and I offered him a small smile.
“I can’t stay our whole time today Zack, I have to leave. But I promise I’ll come over early tomorrow to make up for it, okay?” I spoke quietly, placing my hand on his shoulder.
“No, it’s not time for you to go,” Zack said, latching onto my wrist. I sighed, knowing this would be harder than I assumed.
“I know, but I have to leave a little early today. I’ll be back tomorrow, I promise.” I shook my arm, trying to detach his hands from my wrist, but he tightened his hold.
“NO!” he screamed, his hold turning bruising. “YOU’RE NOT LEAVING ME AGAIN.” I screamed for Doctor Haner as Zack pushed me to the floor, pinning me down with his body, his hands holding my wrists above my head. I thrashed around under him, and Zack moved his hands from my wrists to my throat, and he began to squeeze. My vision began to blur as Zack’s hold tightened. He leaned closer to whisper in my ear.
I still hear you sing my sweet love Evelyn
In fact, I’m so cold, but I made up my mind
To see where it will lead
In fact I’m so lonely I…
I sputtered for breath as Zack’s grip was loosened. I heard men yelling around me, and Zack’s screams to let him go. I felt someone’s cool fingers checking my pulse in my neck, when I finally gathered the strength to open my eyes. I blinked a few times before recognizing the brown orbs of Doctor Haner. Slowly, I sat up, with his help, before looking towards the doorway. There stood Zack, thrashing in the arms of two large security guards, screaming for them to let him go. They began to pull him from the room, when Zack grabbed onto the ledge of the doorway staring straight at me, his green eyes glazed in fear and anger, as he spoke those four words I would never forget:
”Angel Evelyn, I die…”