Claustrophobic Mind

Chapter 6

"You're w-what?!" Billie hesitantly asked.

"Now you know me Billie boy. I don't like to repeat myself," Fink causally said while sitting back further into the couch.

Billie Joe froze. He didn't know what to do at this point. How was he suppose to react when the voice in his head has suddenly popped up in real life? It all seemed too bizarre to be true.

Without a word, Fink stood and made his way out of the living room and towards the stairs. Billie followed behind, wondering what he could possibly be doing. Fink took every step slowly and swiftly. His hips continued to sway naturally.

"Are you saying t-that you're the voice that I've been h-hearing in my head?" Billie Joe managed to stutter out.

"If that's what I said, than yes. And stop calling me 'the voice.' I have a name now," Fink answered smoothly.

Finally making it to the top of the stairs, they turned a corner into the practice room that Billie was in just minutes ago. Just minutes before he got even crazier.

"I'll call you whatever I want. You don't control me. I control you. Don't forget, you're in MY head," Billie Joe blurted out surprised by his sudden confidence.

Fink stopped walking right in the middle of the practice room. Vibrantly colored guitars circled him and amps were lined up against the wall. Billie could tell that he tensed up even from where he was standing in the doorway. He didn't regret what he said. Fink is ruining his life. He shouldn't have the ability to tell him what to do too.

"You think you control me?" Fink snickered.

Quicker than lightning, Fink wiped around and charged himself towards Billie Joe. Billie didn't even have time to react before Fink pushed Billie against the wall and had his hands firmly around his neck. Fink squeezed his hands together trying to destroy Billie's windpipe. As Billie Joe desperately gasped for air, the smirk on Fink's black lips grew. He pushed harder. So hard to Billie thought he could feel Fink's hands in his throat.

"Listen here Billie Joe. I'm the one who has control over you and EVERYTHING that you do. If I tell you to do something, you do it. Got it?" Fink said wickedly grinning.

Billie began to see black dots appear in his vision as he continued to be choked by the vicious figment of his imagination. He barely heard what Fink said and found it hard to even answer. Eventually, Billie weakly nodded.

"Good. Now, I don't want to ever hear that attitude in your voice ever again. Just remember, if I do, you'll be six feet under within days," Fink said bringing his face inches away from Billie's. His breath smelled of cigarettes.

Billie, still trying to breathe, opened his eyes widely and brought his hands up to Fink's arms. He tried to pry him off of his neck, but it was no use. Billie's weak grip was no match for Fink's strength.

Finally, Fink let go of Billie Joe's neck and watched him crumble to the floor. Billie stood on his hands and knees as he heaved in air. It sounded as though he was having a asthma attack. Fink had no sympathy for the small man. He simply knelt down to Billie's level and gently took Billie Joe's chin in his hand. It amazed Billie how violent Fink could be one second and how gentle he could be the next.

"Now...what's my name?" Fink grinned.

"F-F-Fink," Billie Joe whispered.

"What was that?" Fink asked while smiling at his control over the superior man.

"Fink!" Billie Joe tried to yell, but it came out hoarse. Fink let go of Billie's chin.

"That's what I thought."

He stood and began to sway his hips while making his way around the practice room. His hands were hidden by gloves with the fingers cut out as they traced the walls. Fink wrapped his fingers around in wires that were connected to a microphone. His soft foot steps were the only sound in the room. Billie's gasping has subsided.

"I would suggest that you be extra nice to me, considering I'm the only person you have left to talk to," Fink said while he plucked a string on the acoustic guitar leaning against the wall.

"That's not true..." Billie Joe said trailing off. He knew that Fink was right.

"Really? Well as far as I'm concerned, Mike and Tré left you, Adrienne left with the kids, and you've had no contact with anyone in the past two weeks. I think you're alone here."

Billie stared at his Elvis poster hanging on the wall in the far corner. He couldn't make eye contact with Fink.

"What's happened to you Billie?" Fink asked with a smirk playing across his face.

You! You happened to me, Billie thought. He didn't say it out loud.

Fink turned around and approached Billie Joe once more. His steps were quick this time, almost hurried. He held Billie up by his hair to force him to make eye contact with him. Billie squeezed his eyes shut.

"You're fucking insane," Fink snapped before letting go of Billie's hair and letting his head harshly hit the wall he was resting against. Billie Joe hissed at the pain that shot through his body. He still hasn't recovered from the choking he just experienced.

When Billie next opened his eyes, Fink was gone. He heaved a sigh of relief and started to prepare himself to stand. His legs felt weak with fear and anger.

Later that night Billie Joe checked in the mirror if Fink left any marks on his neck. He was squeezing his neck pretty hard, so he wasn't going to be surprised when he saw obvious outlines of finger prints.

But as Billie stared at himself under the fluorescent lights of his bathroom mirror, his hands traced where he still felt a slight sense of pain. He was relieved as well as confused at what he saw.

And what he saw...was nothing.