AMACon Book 2 Extension

House of the Insane Sisters- Epilogue

They were all gathered in the living room a day after the Feast Day.

It was a cold night due to the harsh rain. Serena had prepared them cups of hot chocolate with marshmallows as they enjoyed the quiet comfort the sound of the rain brought.

The loud clang of the gates disturbed this comfortable silence that was rarely ever present.

It was Pi who first saw the cause of the clanging. His face was unreadable as he turned away from the window.

"Maine, you have a visitor," he said evenly.

No one said a word. It was Serena who had made the first move. She went towards the window and peeked outside.

She didn't say a word, but instead ran out, bringing an umbrella with her.

No one had said a word still. Everyone was quiet.

But all of them were now watching Maine, whose face remained expressionless.

They heard the loud bang of the front door. Soon enough, Serena appeared.

She wasn't alone.

RJ was with her.

Or probably someone who looked like RJ.

RJ's doppelganger was wet. And bloody. But that's not what made everyone doubt if it was him.

It was the severed head on his hand, which he was holding through the hair. A severed head of a man. The coppery stench was still fresh, indicating that the severing had been recently done.

"I killed him," RJ finally said, his voice strange as it was breaking. His eyes were on the floor as if shy. "He was pissing me off. He kept mocking me and..." He pulled at his hair using his free hand, smearing it with blood. "I slashed his throat with pinking shears. And it felt so good."

No one said a word.

"He was a disgusting freak," RJ continued. "He had been mocking me ever since and I had enough. And... and.... he told me that I sucked at my job. And that---"

His words were cut off by the sudden feel of familiar cold hands cupping his cheeks. RJ finally lifted his face and met Maine's gaze.

"I missed you," he whispered, his strange eyes boring into hers as he covered her hands with his. "I missed you so much."

Maine stared at his eyes for a moment before she finally smiled. "I missed you too, RJ. I missed you too."

RJ let out a huge sigh of relief and rested his forehead on hers, his strange eyes suddenly feeling...less strange as tears spilled from them.

"Let me be crazy with you, Maine," he said, his voice soft. "Tell me I can, tell me I can," he pleaded.

"You can," Maine whispered. "Oh God, you can."

Then she pulled him towards her for a kiss. A long sweet kiss that tasted of salt and copper.

It tasted like forever.

They didn't notice Eliza snatching the severed head off RJ's hands and tossing it to the fire.

She has no need for ugly heads.

---

"Should we tell him?"

"Tell him what?"

"That it runs in his blood. That his mother was confined here. And that Albert had sent him here to trigger his insanity because he just couldn't keep covering up for his little murders in the office."

Maine smiled. "And what would happen? He killed his stupid editor already. The one called Dao," she said as she stroked the fine hair of said man with her fingers. "Albert called. That lunatic was actually happy that RJ had taken that burden out of his hands. He also said he'll see us at next month's Feast Day. All the blood caused him a relapse. He needed purgation."

RJ was seated on the couch beside her, his head on her shoulder this time.

"Let RJ find his peace here in this crazy world," Maine said softly.

"With you."

"With me." Then Maine stared at the other occupants of the room. "With us."

Serena nodded.

Pi smiled. Caila matched the grin he's sporting.

Flora snorted. Hilton remained focused on his game console.

Armin giggled and started singing as he played with his kewpie doll.

Mary had a little lamb, little lamb, little lamb.

---

It was still far from nosy eyes, but now it was out there in the open.

The sign at the gate glinted when the sun's rays hit it, outlining the words carefully carved on a brass plate.

HOUSE OF THE INSANE SISTERS

"Be the sanity to my insanity"

Since the 1800's

"The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance."

- Alan Watts

FIN