The Mind's Paradox

The Start of Something Awful

Artemis K. Rivers can see into people's minds. She does it on accident sometimes, but normally does it when she's bored. She was sitting in her 8th grade math class one day, when she finished all her homework. She scanned the back of her classmates' heads.

There. The perfect target. She had examined the minds of most of her classmates, they're all pretty boring in her opinion. But there's a new kid here now. His name is Riley, and he sits by himself any chance he can. His nose is always buried in a book, and it's usually a manga. Truthfully, Artemis really liked those kinds of things, and she would've really like to get to know Riley better. Unfortunately, he avoided social contact at all costs.

So today, Artemis was eager to, for lack of a better word, invade Riley's mind. He seemed interesting. She looked around the room to make sure no one was watching her, and then proceeded to start her 'invasion.'

When Artemis first entered someone's mind, she could pick where she wanted to go. So when she went into Riley's head, she looked over his thoughts. It was foggy, making Artemis more intrigued, so she picked a random one, and entered it.

Big mistake.

She was sucked in. She was pulled along by a mist, and it threw her into a wall. Great, just perfect. She groaned, and reached up to her forehead. Bleeding. Huh. She'd never gotten hurt in any of her other explorations, so she was interested by the new experience. She started to gaze around the room she had been thrown into. It was white. Just pure white. Artemis wanted to get out of the now blinding light. She felt a shudder, and the blinding light began to fluctuate, bringing the room to complete darkness.

Well, not exactly better, but Artemis didn't really want to stay here any longer for fear that anything else creepy would happen. She stood up, and reached to the wall as a guide, almost as if she were blind. Well, in the circumstances, she really was. Just when she finally managed to walk a small amount, she tripped. She face-planted. Nothing new, Artemis was quite the klutz.

No, scratch that. This was different. As she hit the concrete, something scrunched, and it splattered something along the wall. She couldn't see it, but she could hear it spray on the wall. She swiped her hand on the structure, and definitely felt something wet. She tried to bring it to her face to get a better look, but once again, it was pitch black. When she stood again, pain shot through her right leg, and she hissed in pain. Fantastic.

Using the wall once more as an usher, Artemis felt her way through the room. Every step she took hurt her right leg, but she managed it. Wounds from falling were commonplace, so she could deal.

When Artemis felt a door, she let out the breath she hadn't realized she was holding. She groped for the door handle, and when she tugged it, it opened immediately, throwing her head first into another room. She had almost fallen again, but something metal caught her jeans, and a ripping sound followed. She fell, but stood again. She walked forward, or at least attempted to, and caught her jacket on something else. This tore too, and she stumbled to keep her balance. The teen looked up. This room was different. It was connected to a corridor, and it was dimly lit.

Now, Artemis wasn't one for lethargically lit rooms, but it was better than the one behind her. She gathered herself, and stood. She was falling way too much. Artemis, against all her don't-be-a-horror-movie logic, started to wander towards the coulier. As she trekked along, she realized that she was still able to leave if she wanted to. Any visit to anyone's mind could be abandoned at any moment. Artemis was curious as to what was at the end of the hallway, so she decided to wait.

When she entered the next room, all that was standing in the middle of it was a full length mirror. Upon further inspection of the room, Artemis found writing on the wall. The letters looked precise, but they also appeared to have been rushed, like someone needed to run, but they were a perfectionist. Artemis looked closer to be able to discern the letters.

"Look what I've done to you already. Can't wait to have more fun."

Artemis shuddered. Great, this was amazing. Out of sheer curiosity, she decided to look in the mirror. It was broken in many areas, but Artemis could make out her reflection. Torn, bloody fabric hung from her knees, and her jacket had lost half a sleeve. Her hair still looked the same, as well as her glasses, but her face was imbrued. She looked down at her hand.

Blood. Blood, blood, and more blood. This had never happened in anyone else's mind. In fact, most people had aspects of personality that led her around the mind. It normally didn't take long for the visit with them. No one was here for Riley, and it unnerved Artemis. She wanted to leave, right now. She focused, and wished to be out of Riley's mind, as she always did when she wanted to cut a tarriance short. However, when she opened her eyes, she was still there. The full length mirror stood hauntingly over her, and she backed up to the wall.

"Well, I'm trapped. Not so bad, I can get out. I have faith in myself." A door she hadn't seen before opened, and she jumped. Nothing really happened for a few seconds, but a crow soon came bombing towards her, screaming bloody murder. Artemis sank to the floor as she saw a small child run out of the room as well.

"Belladonna!" He called this name over and over until the crow flying over Artemis aviated to him. She landed on his shoulder, and immediately started nuzzling his neck. Artemis thought this was cute until the crow yanked her head back, and the sound of ripping skin proceeded. She pulled a strip of his flesh off, blood dripping from it, and started chewing it slowly, as if savoring it. Artemis turned her head to the side, and vomited. Yeah, she had mild hemophobia, but this was too much. The child didn't seem phased. He walked to Artemis, and held out his hand. She took it, and gave him a once over. He looked like a normal child, but his clothes were entirely black, and his eyes were as well. Tear tracks ran down his face, but they were dark red.

Great, more blood.

His breathing was labored, as if he had been running an insurmountable distance. She tilted her head.

"What's wrong kid, were you running?"

"Yeah."

"What from?"

"People want to hurt me here. I didn't do much do deserve it, but-I swear I couldn't help it! He left me, I needed him, and Clarice taunted me so much! I didn't want to, but Belladonna-everyone seems to think otherwise. You need a little help?"

The teen nodded. She walked over to the child, and he turned towards the door, walking out of the room. When she followed him, she swore she could hear the faint chatter of the crow, and the child whisper, "Belladonna, it's alright. I think she knows she can't leave."