Mind Games

Chapter 38 - Ryan

The first thing he was aware of was the intense throbbing in his head.

It felt like his brain was wrapped around a tight elastic band that relentlessly kept squeezing.

He didn't want to open his eyes. He wanted to sink back into the bliss of unconsciousness where this pain didn't exist.

But his now conscious brain didn't want to slip back. And the band kept tightening.

Ryan couldn't remember what just happened to him.

His mind was foggy.

He vaguely remembered a woman. A woman he hadn't ever seen before. Claiming that his existence had destroyed her.

He tried to breathe deeply. Trying to tame the pain that threatened to overwhelm him.

At last, after what felt like a long, long time, he opened his eyes.

He didn't know where he was.

It was dark all around, except for a faint gleam of moonlight that spilled out of the next room.

He realised he was in a corridor. The main door of this house was right in front of him.

Like a nightmare, he remembered trying to open that door. And a bolt of electricity throwing him back.

There was no sign of the woman.

He tried to move cautiously.

Arms and legs seemed to be working fine. But as soon as he tried to sit up, pain radiated intensely down his spine.

He gritted his teeth against the pain and waited for it to subside.

The night was silent. Even through his jumbled thoughts, some instinct warned him against calling out for help.

He took a deep breath and tried moving again. If he kept his head still, the pain was manageable.

He got up slowly.

Why were the lights off? If the power was out, he should be able to open the door.

He walked stiffly into the moonlit room.

He spotted what looked like a walking stick in the corner.

In a flash he remembered the old woman who lived here. The one whose body now hung by a noose in this very house, at this very moment.

A shudder rippled through him and the pain momentarily intensified.

He took a deep breath. This was not the time to panic.

He had to find out if the power was out.

He grasped the walking stick. It felt like wood.

Cautiously, he stood a couple of feet away from the switchboard and flipped the switch with the stick.

The lamp switched on.

Ryan didn't think he would ever be so disappointed to see light.

The power on meant the door could still be electrified. And in another flash he remembered who he was running away from. Amy.

The windows were latticed. There was no escape from there.

Looking around, he spotted a metal figurine.

He had to check.

He moved back to the front door, looking around for Amy.

There was no sign of her.

Aiming at the door knob, he threw the figurine at it.

He jumped back at the sizzle of sparks.

A wave of desperation washed over him. There was no escape.

He looked towards the stairs.

He could possibly check upstairs. May be the windows there weren't latticed. May be he could climb his way down.

But his head hurt too much. His thoughts were still muddled. His body felt like it was on the verge of giving up.

So he curled up on the couch and shut his eyes. He would figure in the morning. Now, he just wanted to sleep.

He let his mind drift away.

A few feet away, the dead body of the old woman continued to hang lifelessly.

Driven to death by the ficticious woman who convinced her that her son was blinded with love by woman he married. That he no longer cared about his old, lonely mother.