Trapped in a circle

9.

***

"Who's this?"

"Never seen this kid before."

"Are you sure sir that you saw this kid set fire to the barn?"

"Yes, he ran away as soon as he noticed that I had seen him." that voice was familiar. Five opened his eyes . He was surrounded by people. And Chicago was burning.

"He's lying! He tried to kill me by first setting fire the barn and then chased me down the streets with  a knife!"

Five tried to defend himself. That old man was trying to frame him. But on the good side, Five was still alive, so he had somehow survived the night.

"What you have to say against that sir?"

"I'm being framed. Kid's insane enough to burn down buildings and now he's trying to get away. Do I look like I could chase somebody around with a knife?"

Sheriff clearly believed the old man more.

"I'm telling you, he's a killer! He killed four people."

"Where are the bloodstains then kid? You're the one covered in blood."

Five hadn't noticed it before, but sheriff told the truth. He was once again covered in red.

"He changed his clothes! You have to believe me, he's trying to kill me!"

Nobody believed him, he was just a kid nobody knew. Even the sheriff wasn't on his side. He just gave a sigh and made the final decision.

"Take him away, poor kid's confused."

"No, you can't do this! You're making a mistake!" screamed Five loudly as two officers lifted him up from the ground. No one else seemed to notice how the old man smiled, waved him goodbye and walked away.

"I'm not a killer!"

"Shout as much as you want, it won't make us believe you."

That sentence made him realize. No matter what he will tell them, nobody will listen or believe him. 'Cause all he is, is an insane kid, who burned Chicago. He had to get away to resolve this situation somehow. How did he do that weird jumping thing again?

Five closed his eyes and thought really hard. That did nothing except for giving him an headache. Why couldn't it work now that he really needed it?

He had no choice but to go in jail.

***

Oh, that was torture. Insane asylums had already started using straitjackets. He had been almost hundred years too late to miss that fun. And they had diagnosed him with sunstroke. It had been quite a debate if the sun was the cause of his problems or if he had read too many novels. Idiots. All of them.

"You won't fix me. There is nothing broken."

He was getting tired from trying to convince them that he was sane. And it hadn't even been so long since he had been put in there. He hated all about it.

"That's not true. You're being possessed by something. You keep talking about satanic things."

"Like what?" he didn't remember any of that.

"Tongues and pizza, whatever that is."

"Hey! Pizza is amazing. You'll know that after some centuries or so."

And now he knew why they'd called a pope to meet him and why he had splashed him with water. That had been uncomfortable. He had cursed what had only made the poor pope have a heart attack so he had died. Only deepened their belief that he was possessed. He couldn't completely blame them. Times were like this. People did stupid things.

"Well, if I'm taken over by the devil, why didn't the holy water cleanse me?"

"'Cause the devil is too strong."

"I just love your stupidity." he was so done. Didn't even want to talk with them.

***

He was whole once again. That felt like he had regained a lost limb what he hadn't noticed, was lost, before. Now, it wasn't hard to get out of that stupid thing. He just teleported out and nobody was going to stop him.

That had been a plan and it had been working really well until somebody stopped him. He was so ready to kill  the shit whoever had dared to do that. Until he realized who it was, knowing only flaming his rage.

"Dad." that was growl that shocked everyone. But he wasn't wrong, it was Reginald. No the one who knew him though.

"Can I keep him?"

Five wasn't going to stay there for so long that he could get an actual answer. Or at least, he didn't plan to, but everything involving old man became messed up. That also including his mind.

***

"You!" Five struggled to escape from the grip holding his shirt. Didn't succeed, old man was still too strong. "Did you come back to mock me?"

Old man didn't answer his question.

"Please give him back to us, he's dangerous." they tried to get him back to put him away again.

"He's just a kid. How dangerous can he be?"

"You said it yourself that he started the fire and they found him covered in blood. He's a killer and possessed."

"Well, I don't remember that. Someone must've been impersonating me. I want to study this poor kid, is that allowed?"

Personnel was hesitant "It's not for us to decide. You need to talk with the director."

"Very well, I will do that."

Old man handed him back to them and walked away to find directors cabinet. Five hoped he will get lost in the way and never reach it. It took two grown men to but him back into straitjacket. Five was unwilling to comply.

And old man came back after few hours. He looked bit disturbed but calm at the same time. It seemed that his talk with director didn't go well and after he left, rumors about him and director getting into fight started circling around.

Five was pleased with that. Creating problems to that wormlike annoyance, made him feel like he was getting his revenge.