Psychotic

Chapter 15

I perked up, since those last words caught my interest. "What do you mean.....help me?" He grinned mischievously. 

"Think about it. What did Ijust tell you?" I thought about it. 

"But.....what is David's biggest fear?" 

"Well, think about it. He makes people suffer. He gives people what hethinks they all deserve. And there's what he fears most. Suffering. Pain. But not his own pain, of course. His physical senses have numbed a longtime ago. No, I mean suffering of those nearest to him." "Those.....nearest?" 

"All of the people who live here. If one of them suffers, he'll doanything. Trust me." I gulped. Sophie? Suffering? I.......I couldn't possibly let him..........

"What do we have to do?" 

"Simple enough. One of themdies, and you go free. If he comes back, you'll threaten him. Easy, right? You can come with me, you know? Everything can go back to the way itused to be." 

"It won't." 

"It won't?" I shook my head. 

"I'd feel guilty. I have two lives on my shoulders, James. I couldn't bear to carry anotherburden." 

"I can do it! Come on! It'll be great!" He smiled, and for a moment, I saw my friend in him. My friend, who I once believed to beinnocent. I sighed. 

"Deal."I walked in the hallways, rethinking my past conversation carefully. Living with an old friend. Being free of all this. Living like I used to.....it seemsso tempting. But, like so many things, it's just too good to be true. Of course, life wouldn't be like it used to be. My mother's gone. My friendscould be untrustworthy. And James.........he's just a different story entirely. I know nearly nothing about him. Once I found out his name, Ithought everything would be clear. Of course it isn't. It's brought up many more questions. And hardly any answers at all. Darkness was fallingoutside. The days are so short now, I don't know if it's winter or if it's just me. It might be. Before I knew it, the moon was shining outside, in allits beauty. Then I saw a shadow at the far end of the hallway. A thin shadow. Scream. I started running towards it, as quiet as I could. Before Ireached him, a scream echoed through the building. I don't know how no one outside the asylum never noticed this.I looked down at Scream, then crouched so as to be at his eye level. He screamed again, and I held my ears shut. What an unearthly sound."Scream." His head, which was buried in his legs, shot up. His eyes were wide. "Scre--" He screamed again. "Are you alright, Scream?" Heshuddered, still wide-eyed, and shook his head. "Tell me, Scream. What did he do to you?" 

"He..he..." He screamed. 

"Shhh..shh.....it's alright. He'snot here right now."

"Of course he is! He's always here! He's always........watching you. Everywhere, all the time." I put my hands on his shoulders. 

"Scream, I'll give you one more chance. What. Did. He. Show. You?" 

"Pain. Inner pain. He made me relive the worst parts of my life. It's all myfault! Help me out of here!" What happened then, I couldn't change. He rapidly stood up, and charged for the window. Three stories up. With noone stopping him.