Crazy In Love

Betrayal and Despair

The night was too quiet, too still. After my brother's threat, I couldn't sleep. I tossed and turned, my heart pounding in my chest like a drum, an incessant reminder of the chaos swirling in my mind. I wanted to believe my parents wouldn't listen to him, that they'd see through his lies, but deep down, I knew he had a hold over them. He always did.

In the dead of night, I lay wide awake, counting the minutes until dawn. The weight of my brother's words pressed down on me like a heavy blanket, suffocating and unyielding. I could hear faint whispers drifting up from downstairs, their voices hushed but frantic. My brother must've told them everything, and the very thought sent a chill through me. The words "mental asylum" lingered in the air like a storm cloud, and I felt my whole world crumbling around me, piece by agonizing piece.

As the minutes dragged on, I imagined what they were saying. Did they believe him? Did they think I was truly losing my mind? I strained my ears, trying to catch snippets of their conversation. I could hear my mother's voice rising, the quiver in it betraying her fear. My father's tone was steady but firm, a stark contrast to my mother's growing hysteria. They didn't want to believe him; I could hear it in their voices. But the doubt was there, creeping into their minds like a thief in the night, just like it always did.

By the time I heard them go to bed, I was a wreck. Ann Marie and Lakeyah didn't appear that night, leaving me alone with the crushing weight of impending despair. Their absence felt like a betrayal in itself; they were my solace, my escape from reality, but now they were gone, leaving me to face the storm alone.

Morning dawned gray and oppressive, a fitting backdrop for the turmoil raging within me. I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, willing the sun to break through the clouds. I tried to shake off the dread that clung to me like a second skin. Maybe it was just paranoia. Maybe I was overthinking everything, letting my mind spiral out of control. But deep down, I knew that the truth was lurking just beyond the walls of my room.

I finally forced myself to get out of bed, every movement feeling like wading through molasses. I made my way downstairs, my stomach twisting with dread. The air was thick with tension, and the soft murmur of my parents' conversation felt like a foreboding chant. When I reached the bottom of the stairs, I stopped dead in my tracks.

There it was-my worst nightmare manifesting in reality. A van sat ominously outside-a white, unmarked vehicle that felt like a prison in disguise. And standing next to it was my brother, his arms crossed and that same evil smirk plastered on his face. He knew. He knew this was the moment he'd been waiting for, the moment he could finally get rid of me.

My heart sank as I took in the sight of my parents standing behind him, their eyes swollen and red from crying. They couldn't even look at me, and that was when it hit me-they were really going to do it. They were going to send me away.

"Amira," my mother finally spoke, her voice choked with emotion. "We... we think this is for the best." Her words felt like a knife to my gut, each syllable twisting deeper into my heart.

I backed up instinctively, my heart racing, my mind screaming at me to run. But before I could move, my brother lunged forward, grabbing my arm with a grip that was too tight. He dragged me toward the van, and I thrashed against him, trying to break free, but he was stronger than me.

"Let me go!" I screamed, desperation rising within me as tears streamed down my face. "Please, don't do this! I'm not crazy!"

But my parents just stood there, their faces a mix of sorrow and resolve. It was as if they had already made up their minds, and my pleas fell on deaf ears. They were lost to their own fear and doubt, and there was nothing I could say to change it.

"Amira, stop!" my brother hissed, dragging me closer to the van. "You don't have a choice. You need help, and I'm going to make sure you get it."

His words were laced with malice, and I felt the weight of his betrayal like a stone around my neck. I knew he was enjoying this, reveling in the control he had over me. I could see the gleam in his eyes, the satisfaction that came from finally getting what he wanted.