Tangled Hearts

The Verge Of Madness

WARNING: past sexual abuse (no graphic detail)

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I

Ophelia had tried to forget the argue she had with Hamlet the night before. It's sure she didn't want anything with him anymore. Her heart, though broken, was still in the hands of someone else. She was realizing that whatever she does, she can't forget that man. She never will and she hated that. He used her, he hurt her. Right now her anger is above other feelings. She only wants to go home and rest, if she can.

The candles that illuminated the corridors began to go out little by little. As she walked, she saw there was no one, not even guards. The hall was silent. So silent. She tried to ignore the shiver she felt from the silence so she speed up.

Suddenly, dark glove appeared from behind and covered her mouth, avoiding her to call for help. She uselessly tried to free herself as a fierce she is, but the arm of the mysterious figure was wrapped around her torso. He almost rose her, forcing her to walk to where he is leading her. She's being abducted by the dark figure.

Despite insisting on breaking free and screaming, the man was strong enough to carry her to a familiar door. A door she had entered before. As they walked through the doorway, the hand let go of her and she turns to see her captor who was closing the door.

"Jacques! What is the matter with you? Let me out!" She walks to him, and tries to push him away to get out.

Jacques spend days already suffering with her avoidance and indifference. He knows he deserves it, besides he was used to people's indifference. But he realized that not having her is what will be the death of him. She is the person he had come to love and she has to know that, but she has to listen.

"Not before you hear me," he demands, holding her still.

"I don't want to hear you. It's so much deceit that comes out of your mouth." She pushes him away. Although he stays in front of her preventing her from advancing

"Then give me a chance to say the truth then," Jacques begged.

"No, Jacques," she said grimly, "You can't say a truth. You can't. You are no man of word."

Jacques stays silent because she is right. He has lied before, to her, but there was a promise he made before meeting her.
"You are right. I am no man of word," he replied, "Because I swore vengeance, no matter who else I must hurt. But now I know I am to break my word the moment I realized hurting you is the last thing I would do," he confessed as he approaches to her.

Ophelia shakes her head and avoids his glance, incapable of believing him. But with his hands, he holds her head for her to look to his eyes. He knows she is able to see more, to see his honesty.

"I swore that I must be cold as the world was cold to me. Ophelia, you do not know the world hurted me in all ways they could." His firm voice was turning weak with tremble as he can't hold his anxiety or madness anymore. He can't hide that from her. "In all ways," he repeated in whisper, "Vengeance was the only thing I thought I had."

"You think that gives you reason...", she says as she slowly takes his hands off her, "...to win my forgiveness?"

He now knows nothing justifies hurting people, guilty or not. Vengeance was a plate served cold. But the plate was being served to her more than to Hamlet. In consequence, he may never gain her forgiveness.

"Ophelia, I do not ask you to forgive me. It kills me to know it might not ever happen," he says quietly and then loudly, "But I do ask you to understand. I need you to listen and understand as you did before. But most of all, I need you to believe me because I am on the verge of madness!"