Insanity

Chapter Twenty Three

"No." Jonathon glares at the agent, his eyes full of anger. "I will never send my daughter away. Not after what she's been through."
"Your daughter is getting worse", Sol says back, shoving his hands into his pockets as he looks up into the taller man's face. "She needs the help."
"I agree that she needs help", my father says through clenched teeth. "But to be sent away to a mental asylum is just madness!"
I let out a quiet sigh, carefully reaching over to quietly pull the handcuffs off of Detective Brown's belt before clicking one of the rings onto my left wrist, playing with the metal while the men glare at each other.
My father looks over at me, then switches his gaze to the detective. "Why did you even give her handcuffs?"
Brown glances at me, his jaw dropping. "I didn't", he replies, holding up his hands. "I swear to God."
I lift the corner of my mouth into a smile, wiggling my fingers in a little wave.
"What do you think about this?", Jonathon asks quietly, gingerly taking a seat on the couch beside me, moving my free hand away from the handcuffs. "Do you want to go?"
I tilt my head and think.
I don't want to. But I might have to.
After a few minutes, I shrug and click the other half of the restraint over my other wrist before resting my head on his shoulder.
"Sweetheart, answer me."
I sigh again and make a writing motion, but my father shakes his head.
"No. You're not writing this out, Theresa", he says. "You need to say something."
No.
I stay silent as the voice says, Don't worry. It will all be over soon.
I reach up and hold my head as I shake it, squeezing my eyelids shut as it keeps talking.
Everything will be perfect, it says. All you have to do is draw the blood.
A quiet noise escapes my lips as I start to shake in fear.
Then our art will finally be eternalized.
"Theresa. Can you hear me?"
I make another noise, shrinking away from Jonathan's touch as I feel his fingers rest on my shoulder.
We'll be beautiful.
"No. No, no, no", bursts out of me quietly. "No, no, no."
"No what?", Agent Sol's voice asks from right in front of me.
They can't stop us. Nothing ever can.
"I'm not going to!", I scream, the edges of the handcuffs digging into my skin as I try to pull my hands apart. "Stop it!"
"Get them off of her!", my father snaps. "It's hurting her!"
Pain is only temporary, the voice urges. Now put them out of their suffering. You'll save them.
My eyes snap open, and I tilt my head up so all I see is the ceiling as the locks over my wrists click, and the handcuffs fall onto the floor.
Kill them.
"No!", I shriek as someone, from behind, pushes down on my shoulders until I fall onto my back on the couch, holding me in place as I jerk around.
You have to. It's the only way to start over.
"I can't!" I shut my eyes again, trying to sit up, but I'm not strong enough.
It's the only way, the voice says sadly. It's the only way.
"It isn't", I whisper. "You're a liar."
It doesn't reply, and I let my body relax, keeping my eyes shut as I try to calm myself.
"Theresa." I roll onto my side, curling into a ball as I start to cry.
"I don't want to go", I sob quietly. "But I'm too much of a problem not to. You have to send me away."
"Sweetheart-"
"I'm not who you think I am", I interrupt, sitting up quickly, my vision blurred with tears as I look Jonathon in the eye. "I'm different. Insane. Send me away so I can't hurt anyone."
"You're not-"
Once again, I don't let him finish speaking. "You weren't at the doctor with me", I say wiping tears off of my cheeks. "I'm getting worse. You have to send me. Please. I don't want to hurt anyone."
"Is that how you really feel?", my father questions, looking as if he might cry himself.
I hesitate, thinking before dipping my head.
To my surprise, he pulls me into his arms, holding me close to his heart as he whispers in my ear, "I will visit you every goddamn week. You have my word on that."
I nod my head against his shoulder, unable to speak as Jonathon rubs my back.
"We'll make the call", Detective Brown breaks in quietly.
I squeeze my eyelids tightly shut, hiccuping as I slowly stop crying.
Maybe now I can finally be somewhat normal.

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Hey guys.
It has been a few days since my last update, but I was suffering from minor writer's block. Luckily, today I got inspiration and this is what I have done.
- Elise