Beautifully Insane

Chapter Thirteen

     After an hour of being in the car, Mitch made the decision to abandon the car and walk the rest of the way. Mitch face the car toward the bridge standing above a hard covered icy water on the empty, snowy road. I put Kurama in my shirt to keep him warm with my body heat as Mitch put his foot on the break with his door opened. The wind isn't as cruel as it was early this morning, I observed while standing far away from the car. Mitch got out of the car and it started rolling towards the barrier of the bridge at high speed. The stolen, beige car broke the barrier and dove into the icy water, making a loud crash. Kurama's ears perked up as he winced. I scratched behind Kurama's ear. "It's alright," I assured to him in a soothing voice.
Mitch placed his hand on the middle of my back and guided me off of the bridge.
    It was complete silence between the two of us as we walked towards Mitch's father's house. I wasn't sure on how to break the stillness. The quietness made me able to think. I know that he is a killer, his last name is Wright, he is a fighter and a lover, but I really don't know him. What motivates him, what his goals are, who is parents are, if he has any siblings, what is favorite color is, his favorite animal. Do I truly love him or do I love the things that he does?
I think you are being too hard on yourself, Charlie told me. I think you are too scared to really get connected with someone again.
I slept with the guy, how connected can you really get?
Was there strings attached or was it just sex?
I...don't...know, I slowly answered while looking back at the moment Mitch and I shared before breaking out of the asylum. I wouldn't have agreed to go with him to his father's house if I didn't at least love him a little, would I?
You are a protective person, Shelly shared.
Protective means caring, right?
It can, Charlie answered.
I glanced at Mitch for a second and then back on the road in front of us. I do care about him, I admitted.
"Talking about me?" Mitch whispered in my ear as he hunched over, from being a few inches taller than me, a bit as he walked.
"No," I answered hastily as I could feel my cheeks getting hot.
"If you says so," Mitch said singingly, giving me a hint that he knew I was, even if it was for a little bit.
I stopped walking for a moment and turned to face him. "Have you ever been in love before?"
Mitch nodded. "I have, but it didn't work out."
"What happened?" I asked hesitantly as I wanted a more elaborate answer.
Mitch started walking on the path to our destination. I walked along the side him. I could tell his past was tough by how he carried himself. I needed to remind myself to be patient as I was new to the single and getting to know people thing. "I suppose asking what your favorite color would have been a better conversation starter. I'm sorry," I apologized.
"Her name was Sarah," Mitch began. "We were together for two and a half years. I was madly in love with her. We were just getting out of high school and we got an apartment together. Before summer began, I have enlisted in the army. I've always wanted to be in the army since I was eight years old after always hearing my grandfather's stories he told while serving. I wanted to make him proud. I had to get on a plane and report of duty not to long after. Around Thanksgiving, Sarah called me and told me that she was pregnant. At this point in my life, I couldn't have been happier with how life was going. It made me sad that I wasn't home to hear the news sooner, but I knew once I was home to rest my hands upon her lower stomach, I would be alright. I came home a few days before Christmas. I was expected to arrive after Christmas, but I was allowed to go home and I was going to surprise her. I stopped at a jeweler to get a ring before I even went to the house. When I entered the apartment, I saw trash all over the floor, dirty dishes stacked up to the faucet and moldy food on the counter. I go into our bedroom after seeing the living room and the kitchen empty to find Sarah on the bed with a little baby bump. A needle was sticking out of her arm and her skin was cold. I called an ambulance and we went to the hospital. The doctor came out of her room after a while and tells me that she had lost the baby. I went into Sarah's room to confront her of what she as done. She looked at me, pale as a ghost with a blue tint to her lips, and tells me that the baby wasn't even mine. After that, I never seen her since," Mitch ended his terrible story.
I didn't know what to say. I was speechless. What do you even say after hearing something like that? I I asked myself. There were no words.
"I haven't been with anyone since then, but know I think I found someone worth giving love another chance," Mitch added.
I smiled sadly while watching him to see his expression hasn't changed. He has healed from that, I noticed. "Is that what made you start killing?"
"Kind of, but mostly because, as corny as it may sound, it was the only thing that made me feel like me."
"It is a little corny," I giggled, "but I understand. I'm really sorry you had to go through that."
"It was a long time ago."
I truly admired his strength to go through all of that, come to peace with it and try to love again. I rested Kurama on my left forearm to hold Mitch's hand.
"Blue," Mitch spoke.
"Blue?" I echoed curiously.
"My favorite color is blue."
I giggled and placed my head against his arm.
    I saw a large, Heather gray mansion standing tall and wide, giving off the illusion that it must have more than two floors with at least five rooms on each floor, including the kitchen, living room, dining room and bathroom, behind an enormous fountain with an angel holding a harp in its hands. Green, rope like vines, thick enough to climb up and down from a window, ran along the left side of the house. The mansion was closed in by a giant, Victorian, wrought iron fence with elegant designs. I couldn't help but stare at the snow-covered lot, admiring the beauty, imagining what it must look like during the warmer weather while my sore, ice cold feet slowly stopped walking. Isn't that something? Shelly enthused.
I would love to live in a place like that someday, I shared my fantasy with Charlie and Shelly as I saw in the corner of my eye Mitch walking up to the heavy, iron gate. "What are you doing?" I asked.
"We are here," Mitch elaborated as he motioned me to follow him while the gate opened.
I almost fell to my knees by the shock that this place was our destination. What is his father? I wondered, the president?
    The closer we got to the doors of the mansion, the more my anxiety started to noticeably creep up on me. I was expecting a tiny, abandoned house with mold on the ceiling and rotten wallpaper. The magnificence of what was standing in front of me was intimidating. Kurama was shivering as the heat left my body a long time ago. A man in a suit with white gloves on his hands opened the door shortly after Mitch had rang the doorbell. Mitch allowed me to enter the enormous house first. I took a deep breath to relax my nerves and stepped inside. It had beige marble floors with two grand staircases a few feet away that branches off at the landing and connects symmetrically with the second floor with a statue placed directly under a chandler. Although the set up was different, it reminded me of the asylum in a way. The heat burned my frozen cheeks, but it felt good. "Your father is still working," I heard the butler inform Mitch as I was mesmerized by the  splendor of the decor, forgetting that my body was numb and sore from the harsh winter snow. Colors complimented others beautifully and paintings along the walls that cost more than it did to send a man to the moon and then some. I wanted to see more of the mansion, but I knew that had to wait until later. Mitch took my hand and guided me toward the living room. There was a fireplace with wood burning. I allowed Kurama out of my shirt and placed him on my lap as I kneeled in front to of the fire. Mitch sat next to me as he threw a throw over blanket around us. Mitch placed his head in the nook if my neck. His forehead felt warm as the rest of his face was guild. Was he coming down with a cold?
A fever? Shelly guessed.
He probably just needs to sleep, Charlie insisted.
Charlie was right. We have been on the go since about six o'clock this morning I wanted to say. I was worn out myself. Footsteps echoed through the room as the butler entered. "Would you like some coffee, perhaps hot chocolate?"
I glanced down to see if Mitch was going to want anything. I found his eyes closed. I made eye contact with with the butler and kindly declined any beverages. The butler placed his hand over his chest. "I'm Glen," the man in a soft voice introduced himself, being careful not to wake Mitch. "Yes, I recognize you from the news a while back and early this morning. It's nice to meet you. Does the canine need to relieve himself?"
I completely forgot from all the walking, Kurama's bladder was sure to explode by now. "I can do it," I say removing the blanket from my left shoulder as right side of the blanket was around Mitch.
"Nonsense," Glen expressed before I could get my ankle out of the crisscross position I have been sitting in for a short while. "You have been in the cold long enough. Come on little pooch, we are going for a short walk by the bushes," Glen added shifting  his gaze onto Kurama.
Kurama lifted his head and yawned, his soft pink tongue curling, while his little legs extended from his body before leaving my lap. In the middle of Glen and I, Kurama stopped walking. He looked over his shoulder. I waved my hand away from myself, "Go ahead," I tell him knowing that he needed reassurance that it was alright to go with the stranger.
I watched Kurama follow Glen out of the living room. I placed the blanket back of my shoulder and laid my cheek against Mitch's head. Mitch snuck his hand into mine and held it. I couldn't tell if it was me or the heat that was making my palms a little sweaty. "Are you alright?" I whispered.
Mitch nodded as he explained, "Just tired. Are you hungry?"
Now that I paid attention to my stomach, I noticed the hunger pains, "Sort of."
"What would you like to eat?"
I thought about it unsure of what I want. Now that I was out of the asylum, I could have whatever I wanted. Why haven't I had in a long time?
You haven't had Chicken Alfredo in a long time, Charlie acknowledge me.
My mouth watered just by the idea. I gave Mitch my order as Charlie had made up my mind.
    After getting a whiff of food cooking, I stood up from my spot to feel the numbing sensation go up and down legs. I followed the smell with the blanket still around me to wonder into the kitchen I was taken back to see Mitch behind the stove. I thought that Glen had been cooking all this time after he took Kurama for a little walk. "I didn't take you for the cooking type," I confessed to Mitch as I sat on a chair, watching him cut pieces of chicken and added it to the mix.
"It's from all the years of being a cannibal."
My eyes widened as they swiftly from looming around the kitchen to find high class appliances to see Mitch straight in the face. I know he is a killer—
"Paige," Mitch cut my train of thought with laughter in his voice. "I'm kidding."
I shook my head while chuckling from me being gullible. Mitch poured some of the finished Chicken Alfredo onto a plate and slide it over to me. "Thank you," I say picking up my fork.
Mitch smiled as a way to say 'you're welcome' while he made himself a plate before sitting down across from me. I dug my fork into my plate trying to get some noodle, chicken, and broccoli all into one bite. I could only eat broccoli if it is cooked. It's funny how people of different quirks when it comes to eating things a certain way. "How is it?" Mitch asked.
"It's really good. Where did you learn to coon stuff like that?"
"His grandmother," A voice coming from the archway that allowed people to enter and exit the kitchen spoke.