Our Perfect Insanity

Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

I unlocked the door to my apartment slowly, pushing it open and looking around cautiously. 

Already, I could tell something was not right about this room, I just knew it. Ariel had been here, I was sure of that fact, the house seemed creepier and slightly unnerving, just like the feeling one got when in Ariel's presence.

"She's been here. I can tell." I murmurred, and Kathryn looked over at me, frowning. 

She was worried, I could tell this as well, after all, she knew Ariel was after her now. I couldn't let Kathryn out of my sight, Ariel would strike and kill Kathryn the moment my back was turned.

Kathryn clutched onto my arm as I walked with her into the kitchen, seeing nothing unusual as I moved on into the living room. 

Immediately, I saw the rose on the coffee table. 

It was dripping blood onto the dark wood table, and there was a note attached to it.

Walking over to it, I plucked it up off the table, taking the small note in my fingers and examining it, reading the words that were written on the paper, in Ariel's handwritting.

The angels, not half so happy in heaven,

Went envying her and me- 

"Its a quote, from Edgar Allan Poe's 'Annabel Lee'." Kathryn observed, reading the paper over my shoulder. 

I nodded, as that much was clear, but, where was the rest of that poem? Why had she only written that one part?

"Jonathan..." Kathryn trailed off, and I looked down at her, seeing her eyes had a slight look of alarm in them, as they stared at the floor. 

I followed her gaze, looking at the floor to see a trail of blood, leading away from the coffee table and into my bedroom.

With Kathryn at my heels, I followed the trail into the bedroom, and saw another rose on the bed, the blood pooling on the black sheets. 

I felt my stomach turn as I couldn't help but wonder... who's blood was it?

I walked over to the bed and reached down, picking up the note and taking to reading it.

Yes!- that was the reason (as all men know,

In this kingdom by the sea)

"It's the next part of the poem... I think there's another rose somewhere in the apartment, and it has the last part of this verse. But, why would Ariel want me to find these parts of the poem?" I mused out loud, and Kathryn shrugged.

"Maybe, if we find the last part, it will tell us?" Kathryn suggested, and I nodded. 

Looking down at the ground, as I suspected, I found another blood trail. Following it, I walked out of the bedroom and towards the balcony.

Pushing open the glass doors, I let the light breeze card through my short hair as I looked around, finding a rose on the balcony banister, sitting there. 

Suddenly, the breeze died down, and in a split second there was no wind, no breeze, the air was still and the rose was dripping blood down over the banister and down to the ground below, as well as some of it hitting the ground of my balcony.

I walked over to it quickly, picking up the rose and ripping off the piece of paper. I glared at the rose before tossing it over the edge of the balcony, watching as it hit the ground below, the blood making a splatter around it before I looked away and down at the paper.

That the wind came out of the cloud by night,

Chilling and killing my Kathryn. 

My eyes widened in shock, and I whirled around as I heard a shriek come from inside my apartment. I stared, finding that all the lights inside had shut down, leaving the apartment submerged in total darkness.

"Kathryn!" I gasped, running inside, and immediately slamming into someone. 

Whoever it was, was shaking in fear, so, I didn't think it was Ariel.

"Jonathan?" That voice belonged to Kathryn, causing me to wrap my arms around her shaking form and pull her against me, as the the lights switched back on.

"...what did the last note say?" Kathryn asked hoarsely, and I gave a nervous swallow, looking around the apartment in fear that Ariel was here, before, seeing nothing, I looked back down at Kathyrn.

"That the wind came out of the cloud by night, chilling and killing my Kathryn." I recited in a mumble, and Kathryn wrapped her arms around my neck, holding herself closer to me while I wrapped my arms around her waist.

"Jonathan, why wont you let me kill her?" Ariel's sad voice asked, and I looked over Kathryn's shoulder to see Ariel watching me curiously. 

I growled and gently pushed Kathryn behind me, glaring hatefully over at Ariel.

"I don't want her to die! Don't you understand?! I never wanted anyone to die, Ariel! Why would you kill everyone?! Is it just to get to me?!" I hissed, and Ariel tilted her head to the side in confusion.

"I thought you understood... I want you, Jonathan, and to make sure I get you, I have to kill everyone that stands in my way. You are mine, and mine alone." Ariel told me, her voice sinisterly sweet, which caused me to narrow my eyes even more at her.

"Killing the people that I love, is no way to get what you want... I don't think you'll ever understand that, Ariel." I growled, and she frowned, brushing a few strands of hair out of her eyes and observed me carefully.

"Oh, but, Jonathan, I don't need to understand it. I've still gotten one thing I wanted, and that's your daughter." She said, and my eyes narrowed even further, as I had to fight back the urge to attack her.

"I swear, if you hurt her, I will not stop until I have killed you myself." I snarled, and hurt flashed through Ariel's eyes, though it was soon replaced by anger.

"We'll see what you think when she's dead, and everyone else it too. I'll bring you over to my way of thinking, Jonathan. I promise you that." Ariel vowed calmly.

Kathryn had to hold me back as I attempted to lunge at Ariel.

"Jonathan, if you attack her, she'll only kill June." Kathryn whispered, and I stopped, sighing deeply in an attempt to calm myself. 

Ariel smiled over at the two of us smugly, but, I saw when she glanced at Kathryn, jealousy flared in her eyes.

"Your little friend is right, Jonathan. Make one wrong move, and little June is dead. You'll have to come save her, and to do that, you need to figure out where I'm hiding her." Ariel told me, and walked slowly over to the two of us, beginning to circle us like a vulture.

I spun around, keeping Kathryn as far away from Ariel as possible. 

Ariel stepped out the doors and onto the balcony, and suddenly the lights shut off again, and I couldn't see anything. When the lights flickered and turned back on, Ariel was gone.

"I'm scared, Jonathan." Kathryn whimpered, and I pulled her closer to me, letting a shaky sigh escape my lips.

"I know. But, we'll find a way to stop this. To stop her. When I find her... this ends."