The Parasomniac

Prologue

Britt dumbly stared at her brother who stood across the room talking with one of the cops. It was a busy day in the station but all the movements felt silent while she tried to focus on the lip reading. Her parents sat on her either sides trying to make sense out of all that had happened.  Melanie, her mother, held her cuffed hands and nodded at everything her father said. Britt's hands were all sweaty and her throat was dry; she wanted something to ease her stiff situation but more than that, she wanted Isaac to come and tell her that the cops had made a mistake, that she was not guilty of anything. 

The way he came walking towards her, it seemed otherwise. She stood up, eager to know what was going and Isaac asked their parents to give them some privacy. They stared at him in disbelief but they did step away for a bit. 

"I couldn't reason with them." he sighed.

"What?" Britt stressed and held back her tears. "The polygraph tests--"

"I know, I know. You tested negative, which is the only reason they are not putting you behind the bars. You're being sent to an asylum. T-they think this might be a different condition; t-that you might be mentally unstable-- which is bullshit, I know, but--"

"Where am I going?"

Isaac paused to look at his little sister in the miserable situation that she was. It was past sympathy that he felt for her. He was left completely helpless, and clueless just as before. "They've admitted you into Teresa."

Britt gulped. "Who is 'they'?" 

"The Harrisons." he answered spitefully. "They voluntarily got you signed into Teresa. They might have something to hold against Judge Keller, because when have you ever seen the supposed victims decide the fate of the culprit?"

"Or maybe, they're just trying to help me out because they know what is wrong with me." She shut him up. "How long will I be gone?"

"Until I prove you innocent!" he said strongly. "You're not serving a sentence, Britt. You haven't done anything--"

"They've got proof I did it, but the polygraph tests negative... which means I did it without my literal knowledge. Meaning, I was sleep walking, again. These neighbours have a classic homicidal sleepwalking case against me, Isaac. Be glad they're not putting me in jail."

He was left speechless because he least expected their conversation to go like it just did. He could not process what to say next, and that is what worried him the most. Their parents were gullible and naïve, and Isaac knew he was the only one who could get Britt out of this mess. For now, however, he did not know what to say. 

The realisation had begun to dawn upon Britt, her tears backing her delicate facade. She let out a low blow of air and stepped closer to rest her head over his shoulder. Isaac's arms came shielding her. He broke down while running one hand down her hair, knowing he was failing miserably at being the protective older brother. 

"What are we going to tell mom and dad?" Britt sniffed.

"You don't worry about that. I'll handle them, and everything else. Now while you're gone, remember that it is not going to be easy. The doctors, the nurses, whoever, are going to keep an eye on you... they're going to treat you differently, but I want you to know that I am a hundred percent sure you've got nothing to be afraid of. Just do as they say, without questioning it, okay?"

She nodded. "Were you able to get in touch with Dylan?"

"He has been waiting outside for a long time. You have ten more minutes until I get done with the paperwork. It took our lawyer some efforts to convince Judge Keller and the cops that you are in your complete senses and wouldn't run away, so they're going to un-cuff you. Go talk to Dylan, and pleas ease the news out. He doesn't need to freak out, okay?"

Britt nodded again, and stepped away so she could be un-cuffed. She was taken into one of the interrogation rooms and a minute later, Dylan was let in with permission. 

He had been sweating ever since he had come to know that Britt had been arrested, and it sure was not the weather. There was a slight sense of relief when he finally saw her, but the confusion simply overpowered all of his other emotions. He wanted answers, just like everyone else, but most of all, he wanted to get out of the place. Not just alone, but with Britt by his side. 

The composure that Britt had in front of her brother, shattered in less than a second when she saw Dylan. She sprung out of the metal chair and hugged him like it was the last time she was going to see him. She cried like a baby because she could now freely admit that she was scared to her shit. Unlike what Isaac had told her, she let it all out to Dylan. 

Dylan's strong arm held her tightly against his chest, shushing her periodically, attempting to calm her in any way he could think of. It pained him to see her so distressed but it was not enough to stop him from doing what he had gone there to do. "Britt, you have got to breathe. Babe, you have to hear me out, understand what I have to say. Hey, hey!" he held her at his arms length, and gently wiped the tears off her cheeks. Holding her face, he breathed with her to calm her down. "Good, that's good. You're doing great."

He smiled down at her and brushed the sleeve of his shirt against her running nose. He brought her close until their heads touched and kissed her a couple of times. "Britt, your life has not been an easy one and I fell in love with you knowing it wasn't going to be. I've been there for you no matter what but babe," he whispered, "it hurts me to see you this way. It's just too much!"

Britt sniffed and straightened up. "Isaac is going to get me out. Don't worry."

"I'm sure he will. But I don't know how long it will take. Britt, I've loved you with all my heart, and for all the right reasons--"

"But now you don't...?" she stepped away and Dylan towards her. 

"I still love you, but I understand what my parents have to say about whatever's happened--"

"They don't even know the whole story!"

"Neither does the public. Everyone outside this station has been talking about you as a murderer. The media has been harassing my parents since this morning. It took me an hour to get here only because of the huge crowd that has gathered in front of my house. As much as I love you, it is not fair to put my parent through all of this. They're old now, and all they want for me is a happy life! A-and you make me happy, you do! It's just that--"

"I make you more sad than happy." 

It was one of Britt's specialties, to come directly to the point and shut the other one up. That happened earlier with Isaac, and now it was happening with Dylan. He decided to change the subject a bit. "You're not going to have it easy... at Teresa. There are going to be different types of people, who'll try to make you do things you don't want to. I'd like to sit here and sympathise but I won't. That's because I know you're going to hold yourself just fine. And if... if you feel like you're going to lose it--lose your composure, just count your fingers over and over again. It'll help more than you know... and you'll be fine. My love, you'll be fine. And after all of this is over, I'll be waiting for you. We will carry on from where we left off and--"

"But..." Britt said joining the distorted dots he'd scattered all over the place, "you're here to call off the engagement."

"I won't lie to you. Yes I am, but know that it breaks my heart to pieces--"

"Not as much as someone who is being sent to a mental asylum on no strong basis and now has literally nothing to look forward to when she gets out." She muttered, "If, she gets out."

***