Insanity Was A Man

12. Chop, Roll

A rare occurrence took place that day. A rare occurrence, frightening to all. Insanity was going to the general population that day, bringing with him his aura. It did not take long for his messengers to get the word out to the rest of the spirits, and it did not take long for us to get to the little town square area. It all happened in a blink. Insanity changed his image from the crazed old man in the striped suit to a thick, swiftly moving black cloud. He strode through the sky quickly, somehow managing to take both me and my grandmother with him, wrapping us both up in his darkness.

And I couldn't even feel myself melting.

Even through all the madness that rode with us and affected everyone around us, the crowd waiting for us was still cheering. It was a a crowd of animals, people, and colored their strong excitement able to shine through the madness. The excitement in all of them was too strong for the madness to completely get to them. They jumped and pounced around happily, their joy not letting them melt with us.

Insanity dropped us down on a wooden stage in front of them. As soon as he did, the black cloud dissolved, replaced with the old man.

"My children!' He boomed. "Spirits of the mind! It has been a long time."

The crowd roared. Just in the first row, Max and his family. They cheered like the rest.

"Sympathy," Insanity said from the stage, having somehow known about our little adventure . "Is their something you would like to say to your dear friend before his head is removed from his body?"

Just as he said it, a hand fell down on my back. I couldn't feel it, and I couldn't see the tall man, holding an axe. He had a rope in hand, which he then proceeded to use to tie me up so I couldn't move. Beside me, someone else was doing the same to my grandma.

"Yes, grandpa," came Max's voice. "There is."

"Well," Insanity replied. "Go on, then."

Mac sighed. "Greg...you know I'm Sympathy. When I heard you were just aimlessly searching for your grandma and you were just a little kid, I felt bad. Especially after Knowledge told me how close you two were. I wanted you to find her. I really did. That's why I helped you get here. I didn't want you to just be searching for someone you had such a bond with, that you would never find. But I knew this would happen. Greg, you have to understand. Even more than our main personalities...we spirits all enjoy messing with humans. From day one, we have. That's what we all have in common. I helped you out of sympathy. But I knew this would happen. There was sympathy, yes. But really, in the long run, I was just playing a game with you. I'm sorry. It's what we do."

I heard nothing. So it was all worthless. Everything he wanted me to know, I couldn't.

"What a fine way to put it, Sympathy!" Insanity praised. "He's correct. You see, we all have specific personality traits that show more than others. And we manipulate based on those traits! We our selves have them, but in the long run our mischief towards humans is even more prominent! We really don't care about you, even if our main personality is one that would make you think we do! Your 'mind' is just a bunch of spirits messing around! Every human's is! The human world is but a lovely puppet show."

I couldn't listen to what he was saying.

My future wouldn't see me be a writer or an artist, because I wouldn't have a future. My dreams, dreams thought up by some spirit that wasn't even myself, were gone. At least I would die with someone I loved, with the person who meant the most to me, even though our entire relationship had most likely been weaved and authored by someone messing with us, who knew what would happen to us.

But I didn't know any of this. I didn't know any of this, because I couldn't see or hear or feel. I didn't know I was about to be killed.

At least I would be free from this sick world.

At last, an undetected movement from behind us.

Grandma up first.

Chop.

Roll.

My turn.

Chop.

Roll.

And I didn't even know.