Our Perfect Insanity

ChApTeR TwEnTy

“Even at our birth, death does but stand aside a little. And every day he looks towards us and muses somewhat to himself whether that day or the next he will draw nigh.”
~Robert Bolt

Black patches obscured my vision as Jonathan raced through the trees, holding me against his chest. I could feel his heart pounding, he was just as scared as I was, if not more so.

I knew he didn’t want to be under Ariel’s control anymore, and I didn’t want to be murdered by her. She had already murdered my mother and my best friend, along with Jonathan’s ex-wife and his daughter.

No more people should be killed by her.

Suddenly, something slammed into us from the side, and Jonathan cried out in pain as he collapsed to the ground.

I was grabbed by someone and thrown away from Jonathan, hitting a tree and having the wind knocked out of me.

“How dare you?!”

I knew the voice that hissed this, it was impossible for me to not recognize Ariel’s voice, and I felt myself being lifted up by the neck and slammed against the tree.

Ariel growled at me, her eyes glinting with malice as her grip tightened on my throat.

“How dare you take him from me?! I’ll kill you!”

“Let her go, Ariel! Now!” Jonathan shouted, before he slammed into Ariel, forcing her to let go of me as she stumbled sideways.

Jonathan caught me and held me against him, while he turned to face Ariel.

The woman looked at him, hurt and anger flashing in her eyes. I knew this was killing her; after all, she loved this man.

The same man that was now trying to escape from her with the daughter of the woman that he loves, the woman that’s not her.

“Leave, Ariel... now!” Jonathan growled at her, and Ariel’s bottom lip quivered as she looked at him, silently pleading for him to return to her.

When Jonathan didn’t, Ariel glared hatefully at me, before disappearing into the shadows.

“We’re safe for now; I don’t think she’ll come back… yet.” Jonathan said, slipping his arms under my form again and starting to move quickly through the trees once more.

I felt my eyes fall shut, and I took a weak breath.

“Sylvia!” Jonathan exclaimed suddenly, to which I jolted, my eyes opening wide to look up at him, frightened.

“W-What?!” I gasped, why the Hell did he have to startle me like that?!

“Don’t go to sleep!” He scolded, and I frowned up at him. I’m tired, why the Hell can’t I go to sleep?

“Why not? I’m tired...” I yawned, and Jonathan shook his head at me, looking somewhat disappointed.

I frowned up at him, the edges of my vision going black.

“Don’t you watch TV? If you go to sleep when you’ve lost as much blood as you have, you might not wake up.” Jonathan told me, and I frowned, feeling like a complete idiot.

I knew that… I just couldn’t think of it because my brain isn’t functioning properly right now!

“I knew that…” I said, trailing off as my eyes drooped close again. Jonathan shook me, forcing me to open my eyes again only to glare up at him.

“Stop shaking me! You’re a doctor! Do something to make sure I don’t die!” I commanded, and Jonathan rolled his eyes, picking up his speed slightly as we raced through the trees.

“I’m a psychiatrist, not a surgeon.” Jonathan scoffed, and I rolled my eyes before they fell closed again.

Jonathan shook me again, rather roughly, may I add, and I opened my eyes to glare up at him. He was annoying when he wanted to be.

Suddenly, we broke through the last of the trees, and found ourselves looking up at another highway. My eyes drooped again, but, I forced them to stay open as I looked around in wonder.

I had never been in this part of the city before; this must be around where Jonathan’s apartment was.

“My apartment is five minutes’ walk away from here, so you need to stay awake, alright?” Jonathan said, and I needed my head weakly, wincing as pain spread like fire through me from the small movement.

I watched through half closed eyes as we took back alleys and empty streets towards Jonathan’s apartment.

I knew this was because Jonathan was wanted because he was supposedly responsible for the murders of three people, but, I was well aware that he was innocent.

“I still have the keys, I’m sure…” Jonathan muttered aloud as he awkwardly reached down and patted his pockets, while still managing not to drop me.

He pulled out a set of keys before looking around, then unlocking the door and walking quickly inside.

Jonathan carried me upstairs and we stopped outside a door that have Police Tape wrapped around it. Jonathan scowled before unlocking the door and carrying me inside. He didn’t rip off the tape, even though I could tell he wanted to.

If he ripped it off, it would be obvious that someone had been inside.

Jonathan closed the door and locked it again, before carrying me into the living room and setting me down on the couch. I looked around, it was a very nice apartment, simple, but nice.

I relaxed into the cushions as Jonathan exited the room briefly, before returning with a small first-aid kit. Jonathan opened it and lightly touched my head, to which I winced heavily.

When he pulled his hand away, I could see crimson blood staining his fingers.

“You have a concussion.” Jonathan informed me, before he took to cleaning the wound in my head, causing me to wince every time he touched it.

Once it was clean, he took to wrapping my head in gauze.

Despite knowing that I shouldn’t, I let my eyes fall closed. With how relaxed I now was, I felt myself drifting to sleep.

I could hear Jonathan calling me, telling me to wake up, but, I couldn’t.

Everything went black, and then there was nothing.

“Sylvia...”

I knew that voice instantly. Jake. Jake was alive! I knew he couldn’t be dead. Opening my eyes, I looked around, finding myself back in the house on 127 Casey Street.

“J-Jake...?” I asked weakly, fear building up as I looked around, frightened.

“Why, Syl? Why?” Jake’s voice questioned again, and I climbed to my feet, looking around for him.

“...why what?” I questioned weakly.

“Why’d you let me die?”

His voice was right behind me, causing me to spin around before I let out a shriek of horror. Jake was standing beside me, though, he didn’t look... alive.

Jake’s flesh was wounded, ripped and torn open, his dark eyes stared at me accusingly as his torn and bloody lips pulled back over his teeth in an evil smile.

“I- I d-didn’t...” I told him, my voice wavering as I shook my head.

“Oh, but, you did, darling... you let her kill us all...” He disagreed, taking a step forward and gently caressing my cheek, causing liquid blood to coat my cheek.

I tried to step back, but, I couldn’t move a muscle.

“I- I- I... I’m s-sorry...” I tried, tears pouring down my cheeks and mixing with the crimson on my skin.

“Sorry doesn’t cut it, daughter.”

The cold, harsh voice sliced through the air, from the figure that was approaching from behind Jake; my mother.

“M-Mom? I- I’m sorry... I... there was n-nothing I could d-do...” I breathed, and my mother sneered at me, her hazel eyes, the same as mine, glinting darkly.

“Don’t give me that... you failed to save us... all of us.” She snarled, and I recoiled, trembling in fear.

“Your mommy is right...”

I spun around, gasping in fear as I found Ariel standing right behind me, smiling down at me, her eyes sparkling with malice.

“Ariel... y-you killed them, n-not me...” I accused, and Ariel tutted shaking her head.

“Did I really, my dear Sylvia? Or was it you?” She questioned, holding up a jagged, broken piece of mirror and holding it in front of my face.

All I saw was my reflection, before the mirror flickered, and Ariel was staring back at me from the reflection, her blue and green eyes staring into my own, causing me to shriek and stumble back.

“N-No! I didn’t kill them! It wasn’t me!” I shrieked, and Ariel narrowed her eyes, the corners of her lips twitching into a smirk.

“You’re going to be harder to crack then I thought... though, you wont stay sane for long, my dear... have fun trying.”

With that, Ariel was gone, and everything went black once more.