The Price Of Madness

Single chapter

     The white ceiling of the room, for once, looked quite attractive for her. Not because it was the only thing she could look at, for being attached to the bed with leather stripes, or because the small bugs flying around the lamp. It was because it distracted her from his voice in her head.

—Why you didn't do it, my love?— She closed her eyes, hoping it would send him away, but it did not work—Why have you chosen to stay here? Taking all of those medicines and listening to people talking with you all day long?—She turns her head. He looked as pretty as usual. Long hair, falling over his shoulders, brown eyes, a naturally tanned skin and lips that made her want to kiss him when he first came to her.

—Why are you tormenting me again? I couldn't do it because someone with a perfect timing showed up and stopped me. Now I'm here. Trapped to a bed.—because of you, she thought, forgetting for a second that he lives in her head.—Never mind.

—Helena, my sweetie, don't blame me for what you couldn't do.—She looks at him, wishing he'd disappear.—Oh, please. Don't kill the messenger. I'm only here to take you. I didn't want to be here either.

—As if, Erick. You love being here, torturing me all day long.—The noise of the door makes her shut up. A nurse came in with medicines and a glass of water. The girl didn't wanted the medicines. They only make him stronger.

The nurse also gave her a sleeping medicine. Those she liked. With those she could get a few hours away from him.

At first, Erick was a friend. A help in her disturbed and lonely life. But when her family got her talking to "herself", they put her at the asylum, and there he wasn't a friend. There he was her nightmare. Some'd say that the place made him go as insane as her. Others, that he was never her friend and was trying to take her there all the time. But one thing was sure: he loved to annoy her.

Some nights, she had to scream to find someone to make her sleep. But it didn't helped for long. She always have to wake up.

What if Helena never woke up again? That was a quite attractive question. Erick put it there whenever he has a chance to do so. A lonely night, a escape to the gardens, during a good long shower... Always he was there with the cursed question. She wanted to find out, but on her first attempt to do so, someone put her on suicide alert. All day long she had someone watching over her.

Despite it all, there were a number of chances for the girl to try taking away her own life. A blade stolen from the mens bathroom, a rope of the bedding, a window on the fifth floor. But they always found out. She never knew how they always find her. Doors were always locked, she'd been discrete.

The nurse releases her from the stripes that kept her in her bed by first light. This time se'll be able to do it properly.

Not a floor exactly. The rooftop was visited only by crows and by her. She often took some grains for the birds, but not this time. Today she'd jump from there, feeding her beloved birds with a new treat. When sitting on the edge, her psychologist sowed up. Tried to talk her out of that. Saying that he'll heal her.

—How?—She looks pitifully towards him—I'm in here for years, and no one had been able to take him from me.

—Helena, don't listen to him, my love.—Erick kept saying—We'll be better like that. It can all be like it was before this place. Come with me—He was floating a couple feet from her, extending his arms towards her.—Come. You're only a push away from...

He'd never get to finish the sentence, or she'll never know what else he would say.