Our Perfect Insanity

ChApTeR FiFtEeN

“Any horror element is as much psychological as special effects.”
~Christopher Eccleston

My fists clenched angrily as I looked over at the two that were standing in the trees.

As I blinked, the woman disappeared, though Jonathan was still standing near the trees, watching me with a sick, sinister smile on his face.

“You guys go ahead… I need to talk to someone.” I said, shooing my bestfriend and my boyfriend away from me.

The two exchanged looks with each other, before nodding at me and walking away.

I turned towards the trees, where Jonathan was still standing.

I felt rage build up inside me as I made my way over to him, watching as with every step that I took, his evil grin grew and his eyes filled more with malice.

My fists clenched and unclenched in anger, as I strode over to him.

“Why did you do it?” I questioned darkly, stopping in front of him. He grinned, his teeth looked… sharpened?

He smirked at me, his eyes glinting.

“Do what? M’dear, I’m afraid I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Jonathan mused, tapping his chin in thought… fake thought.

He was only pretending to be confused as to annoy me.

“Yes, you do. Why did you kill my mother?!” I asked, my voice rising.

Jonathan’s head snapped to face me quicker than I thought humanly possible, and his eyes flashed with emotion that I couldn’t place.

“I didn’t kill her… I never hurt her…” Jonathan whispered, and for a second his eyes lost that insane glint, before he shook his head and sighed.

“Yes, you did! First you killed your ex-wife, and then you killed your daughter and my mother!” I exclaimed, and Jonathan growled at me, his eyes filling with hate and anger.

“You’re accusing me of killing my ex-wife, my own daughter, and the woman that I loved?!” Jonathan sneered in anger, balling his fists at his sides.

I stared at him in shock.

“You loved my mother?” I breathed, surprised, and Jonathan nodded.

“I suppose there was never enough time for her to tell you, but, yes, I did love her. I did everything I could to stop… her... from killing your mother, as well as my daughter, and ex-wife, but, in the end there was nothing I could do. Now, I don’t regret anything, I’ve given in.”

His explanation only seemed to confuse me more.

“Given into what?” I questioned slowly.

Jonathan looked at me sadly, and then looked around before sighing.

“You look just like her... like your mother.” He whispered sadly, before turning and starting to walk further into the woods.

I looked behind me quickly, making sure no one was watching, before I ran after him.

“Jonathan, wait!” I called, running after him.

His legs were longer than mine, and he walked much faster, so, I was having a hard time keeping up with him. I reached out and grabbed onto his wrist, pulling him to a stop and causing him to look down at me, unamused.

“You can’t just leave, I need answers! If you didn’t kill my mother, then who did?!” I asked, and Jonathan bit his lip, opening his mouth to answer, but, someone spoke first.

“Now, now, child… we mustn’t touch what isn’t ours.” The voice whispered harshly.

Jonathan tensed up slightly, before relaxing as a sly smile grew upon his face, showing off his oddly sharpened teeth.

“Who are you?” I inquired, finally finding the figure of the woman that had spoken.

It was the woman that I had seen earlier with Jonathan.

She was pale, and quite beautiful, yet she also had an inhuman look about her.

Her long black hair was sleek and shining, and her different colored eyes sparkled with malice, and a need to be cruel.

“My name is Ariel Nex, and I’m the one that murdered your mother.”

My eyes widened in horror at her words, and I merely stared at her in horror and shock.

“You… you’re the one that killed my mother? So, I take it you killed Jonathan’s ex-wife and his daughter as well?” I accused, trembling.

Ariel nodded, smiling as she took Jonathan’s hand tightly in hers.

“They were a nuisance, they were preventing me from claiming what was rightfully mine; Jonathan.” Ariel explained, smiling sweetly.

I raised an eyebrow at her. She wasn’t serious, was she?

“He’s a person, he doesn’t belong to you.” I retorted, and Ariel glared at me, baring her pointed teeth in a feral snarl.

“He’s mine, and only mine.” Ariel sneered.

I was about to retort something when I heard voices calling my name.

“Sylvia? Syl?! Where are you?!”

That was Kat’s voice calling me, and I looked over my shoulder to where the trees blocked the view of my best friend.

When I looked back to where Ariel and Jonathan were, I wasn’t surprised to find them gone. My eye twitched as I stared intently at the place where Jonathan and Ariel had been, my fists clenched at my sides.

After a few seconds I heard footsteps behind me, and leaves crunching, before someone grabbed my hand.

“Syl? Syl, what’re you looking at?” Kat asked me, and I didn’t move my eyes from where I was staring, until someone else wrapped their strong arms around me.

“Sylvia, baby? You okay?” Jake questioned softly, his lips brushing against my ear.

I looked up at him to find him looking down at me, worried, as his arms secured around me. I let out a weak smile and nodded my head at him, but, he frowned, so I could tell he didn’t buy it.

Sometimes I curse the fact that he could read me so well.

“Who were you talking to? I heard you talking to someone, so, don’t deny it.” Jake told me, and I sighed, looking back to where Ariel and Jonathan were standing.

Looking over to Kat, and then back up at Jake, I sighed again.

“I was talking to Jonathan Kilmury and his freaky girlfriend...” I told them, causing Jake to frown down at me.

“You shouldn’t have approached him, Syl, he could have killed you just like he killed your mother!” Jake exclaimed.

Immediately I shook my head, denying what he just said.

“No, Jake... Jonathan didn’t kill my mother. He didn’t kill his ex-wife or his daughter either.” I told him, tucking a strand of my black hair behind my ear.

Both Jake and Kat stared at me in surprise.

“What do you mean, Sylvia? The police know it was him!” Kat exclaimed, and I shook my head again. That’s part of her plan, isn’t it? To make everyone think it was him?

“It wasn’t Jonathan; it was that nutcase girlfriend of his... Ariel.”

I spat her name like it was something the cat dragged in, venom seeping from my tone.

Jake and Kat looked at each other, before looking back at me and frowning in thought. Kat’s brown eyes held confusion, and so did Jake’s almost black ones.

I looked back to where Ariel and Jonathan were, and then sighed, before turning back to my best friend and my boyfriend.

“How about we go home now, Sylvia? It’s been a long day.” Kat suggested gently.

I frowned slightly, before nodding my head and allowing Kat to take my wrist and lead me away from the place where I had spoken with Jonathan.

I wasn’t sure if Kat and Jake believed me, but, why wouldn’t they?

I knew that all the evidence pointed to Jonathan, all of it blamed Jonathan as the murderer, but, I knew differently. Jonathan wasn’t the murderer, his girlfriend, Ariel, was.

She had admitted it, she had told me that she was responsible for the murders of Jonathan’s ex-wife... Samantha, I believe her name was, and then Jonathan’s daughter, and my mother.

Ariel was going to pay for killing my mother. She could count on it.