EYES LIKE RAZORS

(140) Panic

"She's being awfully dramatic," Madison says, watching Linda scream and writhe on the dining table, whilst lighting herself a cigarette.

"She is reacting like most people do to being shot," Chloe replies.

"Good thing I'm not most people," Madison shrugs.

"You sure are unique, my love." Chloe says, holding onto Madisons arm and resting her head on her wifes shoulder.

"Linda! Linda, look at me," Tommy says, "Linda, you've got a kid. If you die, he'll come to us to raise. You hear me?"

That seemed to stop Lindas complaining enough for Eddie to get a better look at her arm, "it's right above the bone."

The door clicks and Mosley walks into the room, "Mr Shelby, your guests.."

"Get him out." Tommy says, his eyes resting on Madison who looked way too happy with that instruction and was reaching for the gun he knew was on a holster attached to her thigh, "Madi, not you. Ashton, get him out! Family only!"

"Mr Shelby, on your behalf.." Oswald continues.

"Get out!" Ashton commands, walking over to Mosley, looking down at the politician, and giving him a shove in the direction of the door, "leave, else I'll be more than happy to make you... maybe even in a body bag."

"Lizzie, get some iodine from the kitchen," Tommy orders.

"Bite this," Eddie instructs, folding up a napkin and placing it in Lindas mouth.

"Is it always like this?" Adriana asks, her eyes wide as she takes in the scene before her. Edmund was on his knees, digging the bullet out of Lindas arm, whilst Arthur, Tommy and Polly were holding her down.

"Not always," Chloe says, side-eyeing her wife, who was minding her own business as she puffed on her cigarette,"but more often than it should be."

"Madison!" Tommy says.

"Yes," Madi replies.

"Do not shoot him, do not attack him, but go and check what Mosley is doing," Tommy states.

"Ruining my fun," Madison mumbles, "can I finish my cigarette?"

"Nope," Ashton says, taking it from her hand, "off you go."

Madison rolls her eyes, heading for the door, walking the corridors of the house until she reached the tent.

Mosley was on the stage where the ballerina had been performing, addressing the crowd. She made eye contact with Michael and Gina who were stood to the side.

"The human species has never faced such immense possibilities, such choices," Mosley speaks, "in the lives of great nations, there are moments of destiny which have swept aside small men of convention and discovered men of the moment."

Mosleys eyes scan the crowd, seemingly looking for someone, pausing until his eyes meet Madisons.

"Our host is such a man. For him, the little calculations of little men mean nothing." Mosley says, "he is a man well suited to the mighty mood that England is now in."

"The only reason I say this now, at this moment on this stage, is because I have some news." Mosley states.

Madison hears a slight intake of breath and glances to her side where Finn was stood with Isaiah and Richard.

"What's happening?" Richard whispers.

"... an early announcement of a long-overdue event. I want to tell you good folk first that with the dawn of a new decade, I will be setting a new course, setting up a new political movement here in the very heart of England."

"This doesn't sound good," Isaiah says.

Madison tunes out the rest of Mosley's speech, but not on purpose. All she could hear was the pounding of her heart, she couldn't even see the room around her, it had been taken over by the constant vision that usually only visited her in her nightmares.

She was in the marsh, the clock was ticking erratically just as her heart was. As the clock struck twelve the bodies screaming metres away appeared, being swallowed by the floor, and just like always she was a slither of a second too late.

A soft hand was placed upon her arm, Madison had the instinct it could be trusted and allowed it to walk her away.

They walked for a couple of minutes before she felt herself being guided onto a chair, and somebody was clicking their hands in front of her face.

She blinked rapidly, praying that wherever she was, whoever she was with would soon come into focus.

And they did.

Richard was sat beside her, Finn and Isaiah crouched in-front of her.

"Mads? You alright?" Finn questions.

"Yeah," she nods, slightly breathless, "I'm good, you guys can go back to the party."

"It's a lot more difficult than that to dismiss us when you're in this state," Isaiah responds.

"We're not leaving until we are one hundred and two percent sure you're okay." Richard says.

-

"Where've you been? I've been looking for you all night." Chloe says, when Madison walks into the guest bedroom they were staying , "you just disappeared."

Madi stays silent, removing her jacket and placing it on the back of the dressing table chair.

"Madison? Talk to me." Chloe pleads, standing in front of her, and taking Madisons face in her hands.

"I was with Finn, Richard and Isaiah." Madison replies.

"Okay," Chloe nods, "why?"

Madison doesn't respond, opting instead to rest her head on Chloe's shoulder, her arms wrapping round the red head waist as tears brimmed at her eyes.

"Mads?"

"I can't control them," Madison says, "I can't help. I can't win. They're scaring me."

Chloe places her hand on Madisons back, softly tracing patterns in the way she knew calmed her down, "you're going to be okay."

"What about everyone else?"

"You can't carry the weight of the world on your shoulders," Chloe replies.

"There's been too much death," Madison mumbles, a tear falling from her eye, "I don't want there to be anymore. Not of those I care about."

"Nobody does," Chloe sighs, "but Mads, you can't save everyone all the time. You're only human."

"I hate it." Madison says, "I hate it all. The memories. The visions. The panic. I want it all to stop."

"It will calm down eventually," Chloe assures.

"Soon?"

"I don't know, I'm sorry, darling." Chloe replies.

"It's another war... we've had two. When will it be enough? Why hasn't everyone else had enough?" Madi queries, "can't they see what it's done to us all. It's killing us off one by one."

"I don't want to be the next. I don't want anybody else to be the next one." Madison says, as Chloe gradually guides her towards the bed.

She could see Madison was out of it again. She was staring at the wall, and Chloe could practically see the mental walls building up in Madisons mind.

"Don't shut me out," Chloe whispers, as she helps her wife get ready for bed.

"Never," Madison manages to get out.