The Fractured Mind

I am reclining on my couch, swathed in a warm blanket. It's bitterly cold outside, and snowflakes fall gently to the ground. The fireplace is positioned directly in front of me, casting a cozy ambiance throughout the room. The sound of classical music fills the air from our stereo system. My thoughtful daughter has brought me a cup of coffee. Oh, she is such a sweetheart. Her mother is no longer with us. She passed away due to an illness... No! Wait! an illness? It... It wasn't an illness; I did it!!! I caused it!!! The wooden walls of the cabin are gradually transforming into a blinding white solidity. The soothing classical music morphs into muffled murmurs. "The fireplace! It was just here!" My daughter appears to age rapidly with every blink of my eye. My snug blanket constricts around me, limiting my movement. This old lady can't possibly be my daughter, she is holding a syringe in her hand. I shout, "Stop! What are you doing?" The muffled murmurs escalate into screams, and I too begin to scream, as if I've gone mad. "Stop! Let me go!" I find myself in a straight jacket, bound to a bed. "Let me go!" I struggle to move. "Doctor! Patient 12 is experiencing a panic attack again!" the nurse cries out. The patient's name is Jonathan Traout, "for murdering his wife and daughter," the doctor notes while examining Jonathan's file. "Honey!" I hear Joana, my wife, say. "Wake up! You've been sleeping like a log." I rub my eyes and gaze at my wife's beautiful face. I am in our cabin, and our daughter is engrossed in playing with her dollhouse near the fireplace. I am drenched in sweat. "Sweetheart, did you have a nightmare?" I shake my head. Snow is still falling outside. The music plays on, and my wife holds a cup of coffee. I hear a faint, muffled voice in my head, "The anesthetics will keep him sedated for some time. Keep a close watch on him, nurse!" I shake my head in disbelief, and my daughter stands before me, giggling. "Daddy, did you harm her?" She points at my wife, who gazes at me with intent curiosity."