Mania

Chapter 8

Jesse

I told them not to come. I knew He would do this. And now...my parents are dead. I could never see them again. Ever. 

My friends had stood up for me and protected me, and I’d hurt them. I’m angry at Him, at myself, at them, at everyone.

I woke, chained up in the lab. I had no idea where Julia, Alex, and Hunter were, but Ireland was right across from me, conscious and beautiful. And scared. And tied up.

“Where are we?” she asked. 

“We’re in the basement,” I said. “In the lab.”

“But isn’t the lab where-”

“Where the experiments are conducted?” Adams interrupted, stepping out of the shadows. He had on his usual maniacal smirk.

“You again?” Ireland groaned.  God, nobody likes you!” 

Adams laughed. “Oh, you will,” he said. “You will.”

“Touch her and you die,” I said. And I meant it. He’d already killed my parents. He’s not getting rid of my second source of happiness.

“Don’t worry, I won’t,” he said, going over to a machine. It had lots of little tentacles. As I watched, he dragged it over to Ireland, letting the tentacles surround her head to toe.

Adams turned on the machine.

“So, your name is Ireland?” He asked Ireland.

“Bite me,” she spat at him.

He laughed again. “You know, if you weren’t so feisty, you’d actually be attractive.”

“You shut up,” I hissed. “She’s beautiful.”

Ireland looked at me and smiled.

He saw our exchanged glance and suddenly backhanded Ireland across her face.

“Ireland!” I yelled, straining against my bonds.

“I’m okay,” she said timidly. “It didn’t hurt that much.”

“But this will,” he said. “Ireland, do you know what sulfuric acid is?”

I saw the fear cross Ireland’s face.

“Oh, you do. But Jesse doesn’t, my dear, and we must educate him.” Adams looked at me. “Vampires are allergic to sulfuric acid. No one knows why, no one cares why. It hurts them, makes them weak.”

“If you-”

“I’m still talking, Jesse,” he said in a pleasant voice. I wanted to kill him. 

“I bet your powers have been getting stronger, and I really want to test your limits.”

“Of course you do,” I said under my breath, then said louder, “don’t hurt Ireland, okay? Just let her go.”

“Yeah, see, I can’t do that,” Adams said. 

“Why the fuck not?” Ireland yelled at him.

“You might be tempted to tell someone,” he said.

“Screw that,” Ireland said. “If it meant protecting Jesse I wouldn’t even tell my grandma, and she’s been dead for twelve fucking years!”

“I wish I believed you,” He said, “but I don’t.”

“You suck,” Ireland said. “You suck everything there is to suck. You suck your own dick, if you even have one.” She looked more pissed than I felt.

“Right,” Adams said, not smirking anymore, “let’s get started.”

He walked back over to the machine and flipped a switch. A puff of green air came out on Ireland’s skin and she jerked away from it, her face contorted in pain.

“Turn it off!” I hollered at him. “Turn! It! Off!” He turned the switch off.

“We were just getting started,” He said, pouting.

“You’re...you’re fucking crazy,” Ireland breathed.

“I know,” He said. “Now, Jesse. If you want this to be as painless for Ireland as possible, I’d like you to generate your powers for me, please.”

“Don’t do it,” Ireland said. I ignored her and focused, but nothing happened. I closed my eyes and tried harder. Nothing.

He turned the machine back on. I heard another yelp from Ireland. 

How dare that fucking bastard hurt her-

I felt energy coming on.

God she’s so beautiful who would want to hurt her that fucking-

I felt the rays in my fingertips.

“Yes...” He said. “That’s it...”

God that fucking bastard I want to kill him and slam his body down over and over again-

My whole entire hands were glowing now.

He killed my parents and he’s torturing the girl that makes me happy oh my god I can’t stand-

To my surprise, the glow didn’t stop at my hands. I felt it spreading to my arms.

To see her or hear her in pain if she dies I swear I’ll fucking kill myself I’ll kill him-

The rays were spreading from my arms and had covered my face and my feet. I was a glowing splotch of purple.

“This is extraordinary,” Adams whispered.

Ireland was crying now, her whole body shaking as the green mist touched her face, her legs, and her whole body. She couldn’t even stand up. All she could do was whimper and twitch as the puffs touched her skin. I couldn’t stand it. 

I don’t know what I did. I guess I sort of...shocked myself. The next thing I know, the cuffs were off, broken on the floor. Adams’s smile dropped off his face.

“Turn it off,” I commanded. He walked quickly and nervously over to the machine and turned it off. Ireland went limp like a puppet, hanging from her bonds. Unconscious.

“Give me her phone,” I told him. He stood there, flabbergasted.

“Jesse, we can talk about this-”

“GIVE ME HER FUCKING PHONE!”

He handed the phone to me with shaking fingers and let my power flow out of me so I could hold the tiny, thin square. I pushed the number keys and called 911.

After I hung up, I threw the phone down and focused on Adams.

“I should fucking kill you,” I whispered furiously.

“Jesse-”

“I’m fucking talking!” I screamed at him and socked him in the face. Adams fell backwards, blood literally gushing from his nose.

“You killed my parents,” I said, tears in my eyes. “My goddamn parents!” 

I kicked him in the stomach and he let out a loud groan.

I took a nearby knife from a table and poised it over his heart.

“Give me one fucking good reason I should let you live, you disgusting piece of shit,” I hissed in his face. To my further disgust, the bastard started laughing. Laughing.

“This is all wrong, Jesse,” he said. “You’re not a killer.”

“Wanna bet?” I growled.

“Do it,” Adams said smugly. “Kill me.”