Faking Sanity

Anguished Soul (Ch. 11)

If only I had gone like we had planned... Absinthe didn't have to die.

"Do you see now? Do you remember?" The girl was crawling through my closed window; no, Absinthe was crawling through my window. She may be older with rotting flesh under the blood-stained white dress she was buried in, but this is Absinthe. I was shaking in the corner of my room, watching my dead childhood friend crawl across the floor towards me. My breath was heavy and so many tears streamed constantly down my face that I choked on them, catching them in my gaping mouth. I wanted to scream, but I was speechless. She was closer, closer, inching towards me with the dead soulless eyes of a demon inspecting it's next meal. My door shook as my parents tried to get in, calling my name. But they were so distant, all I could hear was raspy breath, overgrown nails clicking on my floor, tangled hair dragging heavily, it was death inching towards me. We were now face to face. She grinned and I could see a centipede crawl out of her mouth that hung slightly ajar, emitting the smell of death. Her skin was pale, gray, pulled tight to the point where any movement of her jaw made the muscles bulge and retract visibly. She placed a hand on my face, her rough, dead skin and long nails digging into me. I clenched my mouth shut, drool pooled on my chin from sitting with it open for what felt like hours. I shook my head, her hand temporarily lifting from my skin before she placed it back where it was, gripping harder. She took her other hand and grabbed hold of my other cheek, her grin widening as my tears streamed down her arms. They trickled along the purple veins that bulged out, ready to burst under her tight, gray skin. Her grip tightened, and tightened I felt blood mix with my tears as I finally gained the strength to scream. I didn't, couldn't stop after that. As she slowly clawed at my face, I screamed in agony, struggling against her impossible strength.
"NO!! NO PLEASE!!! I'M SORRY, I'M SO SORRY!!!" She ignored me, my pleads went unheard as she peeled back my skin, slowly, meticulously torturing every second. My throat went raw from screaming, I kicked and resisted so much that my limbs went numb. I lost what was left of my strength. Sitting silently, motionless, broken as she continued the slow torture. I don't know how long it went on, I hardly remember the police breaking down the door, the paramedics lifting me into a stretcher, my parents trying to talk to me. I just stared at Absinthe. She sat in my room, invisible to everyone else, grinning and waving goodbye. I felt the corners of my mouth slowly lift as I was placed in the ambulance, blood pouring of my nearly skinless face. I grinned with wide eyes and started to laugh as salty tears burned my injuries.
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm sorry..." All the way to the hospital. My parents asked who I was apologizing to. "It's my fault" I replied. They asked what I had done. "She's going to kill me." I replied, and burst yet again into uncontrollable laughter, jolting up in the hospital bed as doctors and nurses tried to hold me down. "SHE'S GOING TO KILL ME! HAHAHA!!! SHE'S COMING... SHE'S COMING!!!!! AHAHAHA!!!" I laughed until my voice was lost, the doctors sedated me but I didn't sleep. I stared up at Absinthe, she was on the ceiling grinning down at me with her dead smile. Police came, asking questions, doctors of all sorts came in and out, poking needles into my skin and asking about my pain level. I just stared up blankly while they talked, motionless for hours. I felt the need to go to the bathroom but didn't bother moving, after a while urine soaked through the blankets but I didn't care. I refused to take my eyes off Absinthe. We stared at each other for hours, both of us grinning. I smiled despite the pain it caused to my shredded skin. Mom and Dad tried to talk to me at first but eventually gave up, Mom started to cry and Dad struggled to comfort her. I heard Dad talking to Grandma on the phone, asking her to keep Minnie for the night but unable to clearly explain why. My mind wandered, unable to follow a train of thought for very long before losing it. The room dimmed, I'm guessing the sun was setting. Soon the lights were shut off and the doctors pumped me with a large dose of medicine. Despite my efforts I feel unconscious. I opened my eyes to find Absinthe leaning over my bedside, her cold head pressed against my chest. She noticed I was awake and stood upright.
"I was checking your heart. It's a shame you're still alive." Absinthe sighed, pushing some tangled hair behind a tattered ear. "Hey Sage," Her voice was playful. "You want to do me a favor?" I scrunched my eyebrows in confusion. "You should just die already." She sat on my bedside, undoing the Velcro straps on my wrists. Mom was asleep in a small, cushioned armchair and Dad had used his jacket as a pillow, sleeping on the floor. I swung my feet over the edge of the seat, slowly standing up. I sifted through a small bag that Dad had brought. It contained some clothes, probably for when I was released. However at this rate I'll be admitted to am insane asylum rather than sent home. No way are they going to lock me up. I followed Absinthe into the hallway, she warned me for when a doctor or nurse was passing by. I took the elevator to the first floor and slipped out a window. Absinthe sang as we walked.

Ring around the Rosie's,
Pocket full of posies,
Ashes, ashes
We all fall down

Ashes, ashes
We all fall down

I found myself humming along as we strolled down the street in the dim morning light. There weren't any people in sight, which was good because my bandages must look suspicious. Absinthe led me to the river where we used to play. We stopped at the river bank. Starting out at the calm water. I remembered Absinthe's small body floating in the water before sinking to the bottom, promising to take me with her. I felt her cold, smooth skin as she took my hand.
"Come on Sage, let's run away together like you said we could." I looked into her dark eyes, the amber and red around wide pupils glinted in the growing sunlight.
"Yeah," My throat was dry, making my voice raspy. "We'll go wherever you want, together." The corners of her red lips lifted into a soft smile and her eyes welled with shimmering tears that drizzled down her pale skin.
"I've been waiting for so long Sage. I wanted you to come with me that day. I waited for you but you never came. I started walking home but i tripped and feel into the river, i couldn't swim so i reached out only to grab a rose bush. I should have held on but it sing so bad I let go. I'm glad you'll be joining me, we can move on together to a better world. I love you, Sage." Absinthe pulled gently and I followed her into the cold river, the rocks smooth under my bare feet as I slid deeper and deeper.
"I love you too, Absinthe." I pulled her close, sinking into the waves together we both smiled as my last breathes floated away in the crystal current.
And so, I sunk into the depths with the corpse of my dear Absinthe. This way we can stay together, forever.