BLACK DEVOUR

Descent Into Madness

This was weird.

I had shut my mouth somewhere amid my screaming, but the screeching went on and on, ringing in my inner ear.

I threw my hands to the sides of my head and pressed as hard as possible.

Everyone was looking at me awkwardly, and Bella was saying something, but I couldn't make it out. It was after I realized my hands were still covering my ears that I dropped them.

"Are you okay?" Her voice was muffled as if I were picking it up from a great distance, like from behind a thick mattress.

"What the hell is wrong with you!" Kevin demanded, rubbing his temples.

I was, on the other hand, still digesting Bella's words. They shocked me, and it was all my mind was analyzing. She almost gave off the impression that she was worried. Bella never showed her concern for me, let alone verbally express it.

Was I still having effects from Kevin's weed?

"Are you okay!" She repeated. Now in a far more ominous tone of demand.

"Am I okay?" I asked back. " You're all going to pretend you didn't see that-that thing behind me?"

"Th-thing?"

Her tone was a little unsteady, and it seemed as if she was genuinely confused, but I wasn't buying it. I turned to Logan.

"You saw it, right?"

It was reasonable to assume that he had.

"You're crazy." he denied aggressively, sliding just a bit away from me on his seat.

Of course. Certainly, not one of them would be on my side.

" You know what? Maybe I am crazy," I pushed my chair back, dragging it with deliberate insolence, " and I've had enough. I'm leaving."

"Why are you shouting?" Bella asked, making me go silent for a moment.

I didn't realize I was.

Maybe it was the effect of the scream.

I looked through all of them. They all appeared to be rattled, with the exception of Jax, who seemed... Torn between amusement and anger, I guess.

" Look," I pointed a finger at him," I don't know what plans you made, but I won't be part of it. There is something in here, and I will not go on with this."

" The girl's just a little hopped up, " Kevin said, trying to make a joke out of it.

Micheal laughed.

It was not funny.

I shot Kevin a withering look. "I'm not stoned or whatever, I'm logical. And logically speaking, this is a terrible idea."

"I always knew there was something seriously wrong with your brain," Bella commented as Jax clenched and unclenched his fist.

"At the very least, I have one." I replied.

" Did you just say I'm stupid?"

" I'm saying you can all fuck yourselves for-"

Jax dropped his hands on the table, and the board flew some feet up before falling back.

I mean this, literally.

If no one was shocked at first, they all were now.

That was unnatural strength.

" Don't you ever raise your voice at Bella!" He pronounced each word in its entirety with a menacing low growl. " Ever!"

"I actually think we are just tired and-" Wonder, who rarely shares his opinions, was roughly interrupted by Jax's killing glare. Everything else he was going to say went right down the hatch.