I jolt awake, my wrists irritated and raw against my sleeves, which I pull up, gasping in horror as I see what I've done this time, pink marks decorating my skin all the way up to my elbow.
I bury my face in my hands and start to cry, the tears hot against my cheeks as I quietly sob.
"Sweetheart, what's wrong?", my father's voice asks from behind, his footsteps coming over from the dining room.
"What did I do?", I cry, my shoulders shaking. "What did I do now?"
"Don't worry about it, Theresa", he says quietly, patting my shoulder. "It was a plastic knife."
I look up. "But it was still a knife", I hiccup. "And it's wrong. People are going to think I'm suicidal."
"It'd be better than calling you insane."
"But I am insane.", I point out. "It's only a matter of time."
"You're just different from everybody else now", Jonathon replies, calmly sitting down on the couch beside me. "It just means that sometimes you lose control. And that's okay."
"You won't be saying that if I kill somebody." I sigh, then ask, "What'd I do to Kevin?"
"Broke his nose. Other than that and his pride, he's fine. I promise."
"I don't want to do this anymore", I whisper to myself. "I can't do this anymore."
Ding dong.
"I invited your sister over to spend the day with us", my father says absentmindedly. "I'll be right back, okay? Just- Just stay here."
I nod and bury my face into my knees, rocking myself back and forth as he gets up to answer the door.
"Dad, what's wrong?", my sister's voice asks quietly. "You look a little stressed out."
"Let's just say there was an incident earlier", Jonathon answers. "It's over though, but your sister's having a little meltdown. I don't really blame her, to be perfectly honest, but I don't like seeing her this way."
"Dad, she may not be the same person as she was before, but she's strong", Kylie replies. "We're going to get through this."
"We'll just have to see. Come on, I don't really want her to be alone for very long."
"Sounds like a plan." I listen to their footsteps come closer and uncurl my body, resting my head on a pillow and closing my eyes, not really in the mood to talk or even do anything at all.
I feel my father run his hand through my hair.
"Theresa?" I remain limp, keeping my breathing even as someone, I think Kylie, sits down by my feet as Jonathon covers me with a blanket. "Must have cried herself out."
"Tell me what happened, Dad", my sister says quietly. "What did she do?"
"Your sister has something she calls 'episodes'", he explains. "Usually triggered by pain. She loses control of her mind and body, and wakes up sometime later with no memory of what happened."
"Keep going. I'm still listening."
"Theresa gets... dangerous when this happens. What she does is usually directed at herself, but a few times it has been towards people who hurt her."
"Is that how she got shot?"
"Yes. Pain doesn't bother her at all during the episodes, and from what I saw, the feeling made her happy."
"Just tell me about today. I get it."
"Kevin came by", my father sighs. "Wouldn't leave until he talked to her. I heard her scream, came into the room, found her being held in his lap. She shoved him away, his hand ended up on her leg, and the pain made her laugh before kicking him in the nose. Called the blood art and ended up on the floor then rolled under the bed."
"Okay", Kylie says slowly. "Where does the self harm come in?"
"She tried to get a knife, Sweetheart", he says. "Wouldn't calm down until I got a plastic one."
I feel him reach over to take my arm, pulling up my sleeve before tucking it back underneath the pillow.
"Dad, Theresa needs medical help", my sister tells Jonathon softly. "I know she's been through a lot, but there has got to be a medicine that can help. Take her to someone who can give her a mental exam. We have to help her."
"She doesn't need that right now", he says. "Your sister needs to get used to us and heal more before we do this to her. She needs her family right now, and we have to be one."
"I know, Dad. It isn't wrong to worry."
"What do you think I'm doing?"
I move my head a little bit to one side, letting out a quiet noise as I shift more onto my side.
"Shhh", my father soothes, pulling the blanket over my shoulders. "Go back to sleep, Baby."
YOU ARE READING
Insanity
Mystery / Thriller"Oh, my God." I look up from my hands, the blade wet with red liquid. "Hi", I say cheerily, giving him a wave, laughing as more drips onto my lap. I gently set the knife down on the counter top beside where I'm sitting, my legs covered in knife mar...
