Insanity Was A Man

10. I Can Break You

I walked with Knowledge in silence for a while, following closely behind her as she led me. The landscape around us hadn't changed much, there were still thick forests and healthy green grass, but a neighborhood had emerged as we walked further and further. It held a mixture of different kinds of houses, with what looked like freshly paved streets. From atop the tall hill that Knowledge had brought us too, I could see for miles ahead of me, even making out a small city in the distance.

"Wow," I whispered. "You really do all live like humans."

"Not all," the mistress replied. "Some choose to roam free in their original form, in the woods and the sky. But a lot of us, yes. We have evolved a lot since the beginning. Power and control gave us what we have now."

Knowledge led me away from the edge of the hill and to the opposite direction.

"How long have we been walking?"

"Hours," she replied, as we walked past a small pond and into an open area with few trees. "But we are far from our destination. Do not worry. Your grandmother is still alive."

"Good," I said, actually feeling hopeful. "But where exactly is our destination?"

Her face went hard and serious. "Insanity's palace, don't you listen?"

"Well, I know. But what is it like?"

Knowledge looked at me curiously. "Poor boy. This must be a lot for you to take in."

I didn't reply, I could only think about how right she was. A mission with one simple goal, with one thought in mind, had turned into something I couldn't begin to understand. Still, none of it made sense. Just a day ago, I had believed Max was just a kid who wanted to help me out. Now everything was just out of comtrol.

"Insanity's palace is just as one would expect it to be: insane. There's an unsettling aura around the place...a feeling of no control, a feeling that something else is taking you over. It's a tall, menacing building. Insanity never really comes out, and no one really comes in. Insanity likes to keep to himself. Very dark and mysterious, and very private, Insanity. He's the Father of us all. Every spirit that possesses your mind comes from insanity."

My face crinkled in confusion. "So every part of the human mind comes from insanity?"

She nodded. "Yes. But we are not strictly just parts of the human mind, boy, we are our own spirits. We just took you over. You should have seen humans when you were first out on earth. Stupid, idiotic things you were!"

I wasn't sure rather to be offended or confused. "Max - I mean, Sympathy - told me everything about the human mind was just spirits possessing us. Is it true? It's so far fetched. Like, every time a human is born, you all know, and you just possess it? Or at certain times you just possess random people? It's all so confusing!"

Knowledge looked down at me, beautiful face holding a thoughtful expression. "Far fetched to you, yes. Far fetched to something powerful, no. I don't think you will ever understand."

"But I want to?"

"No use explaining the complex to the stupid."

"What?! Stupid?! Anyway, aren't you Knowledge? Can't you, like, give me the damn knowledge?!"

Knowledge suddenly stopped walking. She sent me a hard glare. "Yes, I am. I can give you knowledge of things that would destroy you forever. I can break you. Also, I would not recommend speaking that way to someone that owns your mind."

She began walking again. And I silently followed, feeling powerless and small.

*****

A horrible thirst ate at my throat as we continued walking. I don't know how I managed to keep going for so long without refreshing myself. We had found ourselves in a thick forest. The sun barely seeped through the tops of the trees, and I didn't hear a single bird tweet or animal run by at all. It reminded me of one of those cliché forests from fantasy novels where no one was supposed to go because of all the horrible creatures that silently lurked there, waiting. I was beginning to think that's exactly what it was.

After a little longer, the thickness of the forest seemed to lessen, and the sun became more noticeable. It was still pretty dark, but it was slowly getting brighter.

"We are nearly there. You should be able to see the castle through the trees in a second. I warn you, it may not feel so good."

I nodded, trying to prepare myself, even though I had no clue just how extreme the situation was about to be.

"You are on your own from this point on."

I gave her a horrified look. "What? Why?"

"I don't want to go in there," Knowledge said. She turned around in the opposite direction and began to move back towards the way we'd come.

"But I don't know what to do!"

Knowledge didn't even turn back to look at me. "It is fine. You will know."

And she left. I watched her go, watched her get smaller and smaller as she was swallowed by the forest. And I was alone again. But this time I wasn't alone in the city. I wasn't even alone in my own world. I was alone, on my way to see Insanity.