The Madman (ON HOLD)

Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1: NIGHTMARE

I was running.

From what? I wasn't sure.

Where? I couldn't tell since darkness surrounded me.

The only thing I knew was where I was headed: towards the light.

But every time I tried to move forward, the door made out of light would move farther away from me. I wasn't getting anywhere if this continued.

This was tiresome. I didn't know for how long I would be able to keep running. I was never the sporty type. I started panting.

Something cold and soft brushed against my right leg. What I believed were thorns - or something spiny that tickled - began sprouting from it as it coiled across my leg. Once it had a firm hold on me, it became blazing hot and pulled me backwards. Unable to fight against it, I fell to the floor. Hard. So hard I might've broken my jaw and left arm.

My fingernails made a horribly loud scraping noise as I tried to grab hold of something, but there was nothing in my reach. I tried kicking the thing, but it just got mad at me. It strengthened its grip and sunk its thorns into my flesh. It hurt like Hell. Screaming in agony left my throat dry.

My hands came across a warm liquid that smelled funny...

It was only a little later that I realized it was my own blood.

You might expect me to panic and scream some more. But I won't. There's nothing to worry about, anyway. I could barely see the light and will probably bleed to death sooner or later.

I was doomed.

This was my end.

I would die and nobody would miss me. When my corpse is found - if it is found - it would be thrown away in the pile titled "Good Riddance". There was nothing to lose. Nothing to regret.

I closed my eyes and let my fingers trail patterns freely across the blood.

Everything would be over soon...

"JACKIE!"

Huh? Was that someone calling my name just now?

"JACKIE! YOU HAVE TO WAKE UP!"

My eyelids snapped open to find Dr. Ashley Drew holding me down by my shoulders. I was panting, tangled in my bed sheets, and covered in a thin film of sweat. Nurses surrounded me and held my legs down. Dr. Drew told them that she could take it from here. As they exited my bedroom, they shot me wary looks. A genius wasn't needed to figure out they didn't trust me.

"Jackie, you were screaming in your sleep. We were alarmed and came to check on you, but you began trashing around whenever we came near you. Are you alright?" Dr. Drew said once we were alone.

Was it... a dream? Just a dream...

"Yes, Doc. I'm fine. Just a little hungry. Is it breakfast time already?"

Dr. Drew frowned. "Jackie, it's 6:45 in the morning."

What?! How could that be? I was sure I had slept at least 8 hours...

"Can you wait?"

"Y-Yes, of course. I-I'll go take a shower meanwhile. You know... to clear my mind," I said, my voice shaking.

"Would you like me to call a nurse to come help you?"

"No." What am I, five? Sheesh. I get she doesn't trust me, but come on!

"You sure?"

"Yes."

"Okay. We'll bring your breakfast and medication at 8:00." She patted my thigh before leaving... And I was left alone in my room once more.

Still not believing it had been a dream, I checked myself.

Nope, no burn marks in my tummy.

No cuts in my leg, either.

I opened and closed my mouth repeatedly.

No broken jaw, I guess.

I moved my arms.

Apparently, no broken bones.

Nothing.

I was just sitting in my bed, under the green hospital sheets, staring at the dull, ivory walls of my room. The little furniture I had - a desk, a bedside table, and a pink beanbag chair - where still in the same place they had been yesterday.

There was no proof at all that something had happened.

This type of dreams weren't unusual. I died in my dreams once a month. Literally. But there was something different about this one in particular.

I felt pain.

In other dreams, I screamed, died, and woke up. End of the story.

But in this one, I felt the excruciating pain throughout my body and wasn't able to wake up until Dr. Drew came.

Was this some kind of premonition? Or was I just making it up?

It wouldn't be too hard to imagine. After all, I'm crazy... or so am told. I'm Jackie Sullivan, known to everybody as the Crazy Chick from the Philippines.

I sighed and reluctantly got out of bed. I headed for the bathroom to take a cold shower. I was about to turn the doorknob when something caught my attention.

An altercation between an unknown man and Randy, one of the guards. The unknown man was swearing and shouting while Randy tried to calm him down. More footsteps could be heard. Maybe Randy called for reinforcements.

A door nearby, (actually, very close) creaked and then slammed shut. Everything went silent then.

Two minutes later, the door creaked again and the people walked down the hall again. As they walked past my door, a paper slipped underneath it and into my room.

I walked towards it and picked it up.

My eyes widened as I read it.

You will seriously not believe what I saw.

Oh boy, this is seriously messed up...