The Edge Of Insanity

1-Max

Bam - a loud bang breaks the silence of the night in the heart of La Malbaie. A small town located in the north shore of the St. Lawrence River in Quebec, Canada.

Malle Baye means "bad bay" in old French due to its difficult anchorage, the place far from ideal for navy exploration.

The folks in La Malbaie rely heavily on tourism to make ends meet, but the prolonged lockdown has turned this place into a ghost town.

I rush down the stairs from my apartment, I approach the source of the sound and see my drunk neighbor destroying my property.

"Hey! What's your problem?" I say in a harsh tone, making it clear I won't tolerate this behavior.

"Oh, my dear landlord... the door is broken," the drunk ass greets me while kicking up the door of his apartment.

"Will you please stop it?!" Quickly, I pull out a key and open the door to prevent any damage.

I leave as soon as the door opens without saying a word. It is not worth my time to engage in another commotion in the triplex neighborhood. I worry the neighbors will start to complain and call the police.

A month has passed since Canadians were required to comply with the government's stay-at-home order. Etienne finds himself stuck with his lunatic neighbor.

After returning to his apartment, he resumes his interrupted conversation with his girlfriend on the phone.

"Again?! He should make a copy of the key!" she yelled into my ear.

"Forget it, Anna. You know, Sam. I'll endure it until the end of his contract, then I'll kick him"

"Yeah... sure, the famous mortgage." she remarked, wrapping up the topic about Sam.

The conversation of two love birds deepened as the dawn drew near ***

Early in the morning, I grunt as I abruptly wake up, my breath catching in my chest. My heart races as if I've just finished a sprint.

It's 4 a.m., a few hours since I fell asleep while chatting the night before. Trying to return to sleep, I close my eyes, shift positions, and adjust my pillow, hoping Hypnos will grant me his blessing. Abandoned by Hypnos, I decided to get up.

My fingers swipe across the phone screen, actively checking if someone is still active on social media.

Anna is usually nocturnal, staying awake to talk with her family in France. Unfortunately, it's already dawn, and there's no sign of her activity.

I go straight to the bathroom and begin my mini groom. The reflection in the mirror makes me realize that I need to get a haircut.

Even before the lockdown, my hair had grown long, and I had already skipped my appointment with the barber three times.

I wonder how I can manage my delicate hair. Due to excessive fall-out, I worry I might get premature baldness on the apex of my skull.

"I seriously need a hair transplant. Even my dad looks more handsome than me bald," I say, chuckling as I stroke my hair, looking into the mirror.

I grab my favorite maroon shirt and slip it on along with some black denim pants. I grab my car keys from the top of the dishwasher.

Since the weather isn't great, I throw on my winter coat and beanie. A thought crosses my mind - maybe I need to take a short drive through this small, dead city.

It's cold and foggy as I start driving, and then I see a teenager emerging from the fog. As he approaches me, he asks for a lift, and my heart sinks a bit - he seems familiar.