The Typical Insanity

Y O U D O N ' T H A V E T O

Liberosis is defined as the desire to care less about things, the urge to stop bothering at all. I read about it in a book when I was in the fifth grade, it was about a Priest and a beautiful woman. I don't know why but as I stared at the fire licking the cold November air, I thought about Liberosis. I asked myself as I took a step back from the growing fire, what if I stopped caring? Would it make a difference to the lengths my delusions were willing to go? Would it stop it all or, or what? Release the gates of Hell? I seem to be taking myself too seriously, I'm only one man standing in front of a burning fire.

I feel like I've just woken up from a deep sleep, sluggish and confused. Why was there a man in the flames? Why were we in front of a corporate building vandalized by black graffiti? Rien stands in front of me, he's throwing a book into the fire?

"You know, I don't understand this concept of a God who says 'You have to acknowledge me, you have to say that I'm the best, and then I'll give you eternal happiness. If you won't, then you don't get it!' It seems to be all about ego and I can't see this picturesque idea of God operating from, it just makes no sense to me."

In the light of the fire I can see a Bible burning against a melted body.

"What are you doing, Rien?" I don't need to whisper, there's not a soul in sight, but I do. "Why are you doing this?"

"Oh I'm not doing this, you are. You're the one with the real tangible body."

There's a note beside the fire, untouched for some reason. There's something scrawled on it, in the same frenzied script I remember from four days ago.

'Tell me, would you kill to save a life? Or would you kill to prove you're right?'

"I'm not a killer, Rien."

"I beg to differ."

There's a sound from behind me and when I turn I can see a chubby girl, she looks sort of Asian, maybe in highschool, and sort of horrified. She's frozen in place and I smile at her. No, I'm not the one the smiling at her, it's not me. My hands grab her shoulders and bring her close. I couldn't, I wouldn't do these things.

"What do you see written on that building over there?" She's shivering, it is pretty cold these days.

"I- it s-says th-tha-that the, the s-secret is, is out." So that's what it say, damn these new contacts. Now she's sweating? What an odd girl.

"And do you know what the secret is?" She shakes her head vigorously. "Of course you don't, you and every other blissfully ignorant citizen of this state, this country in fact. But I want you, what's your name?"

"B-Becca." Poor girl looks so frightened, why would anyone be frightened by someone who looks like me?

"Alright, Becca, I want you to call the police and wait here as all the flashing police cars and ambulances come, as news stations park right here and I want you to tell them what you saw here. Tell them there's something very wrong happening here in this city, that this string of coincidences are all connected if you just look and finally, tell them that this person you saw burning a reprobate was Nobody, you got that Becca?"

Her shivering overcomes her head nod but I can tell she's not going to say no. Oh the things you can get people to do with just a little fear.

"Now see here, Becca, I would never hurt you and I have no intention to, so you have nothing to worry about. It's just that I'm really depending on you to do exactly what I say, you know?" She nods slowly, maybe she doesn't find me that scary anymore which is the most believable thing I've heard till now. Her eyes are wide and she starts trying to say something, she reminds me of those goldfish you see in those pet shops.