Lovely Obsession

Paranoia

Brooke

I don't remember when she was born. I was only two years of age. She was a strange child, I knew that. She cried and whined relentlessly, always wanting attention. She hated being alone.

I labeled her, and I was sure Leon did too, as the worst baby sister ever, the biggest brat in the world. Even our parents had called her that on some occasions. A brat who thought the world revolved around her.

She had shed gallons of tears each day. 

And now... Now I was shedding gallons of tears each second.

I kept entering her room, hoping to find her there scrolling through her scrapbooks like always. She was never there. I always waited for her to barge into my room and scream about how her day went. She never did. 

I was waiting for the police to come and tell us they found her body buried in a field. They haven't. Yet.


"There," Explained the man, "Has not been any notable leads as to where she is yet."

I've just been walking along the streets of the town every night since it happened. It was around Midnight when I finally answered my cell, when Leon had called me for the sixteenth time.

"Brooke!" He sounded beyond annoyed, "Just - Jesus Christ! Stop doing this useless crap and hurry home!"

My eyes were blank as I stared in front of me, "O-" My voice was lacking emotion, too, "Okay." I said, "I'm on my way."

I hung up on him right in the middle of him saying something.

I was beginning the pass the old abandoned school. The elementary school we all attended when we were young. But due to the shortage of money, it went right out of business, resulting in lots of transfers. Things became crowded in the rest of the elementary schools at that point. 

The gates were firmly locked, everything out there just as dark as it was out here. At the end of the fence that surrounded the school, I turned. My boots clinked with the sidewalk with each step I took. I kept my eyes to the ground.

I was still thinking of that conversation me and Sophie held a few years back, when another disappearance had happened. 


"The hard truth is," She had said, "When I see a poster of a missing person, it's cruel, but I'm gonna assume that they're dead."

I asked, "But I remember hearing this one time that someone who was missing for ten years was finally found, alive. What about that, huh?" I was sort of angry. How could she say that? And, the missing person - she knew them, was close with them. How could she say such a thing?

Sophie was quiet for a long while. She wasn't even gonna defend herself. When she spoke, I could tell she was trying to keep herself from shaking or crying. Or both.

"To be missing, for so long, and with no one finding you... It's-... That feeling, being trapped and lost, knowing everyone else thinks you're dead and most likely have given up...-"


I walked down the road as the fence ended, leading to the empty streets. There was a clinking sound farther off near the fence, and I looked over by instinct. My eyes widened slightly in surprise and shock. And some curiosity.


"-It's horrifying."


There, seeming to jump from the fence, was a familiar boy. 

He looked at me with shocked, wide eyes. His body seemed to turn to stone, for he froze and went rigid.

My reaction was just the same, although my eyes didn't show any shock. Just the emptiness and somehow through it, curiosity.

The silence hadn't stretched that far. Still, I found it unbearable, so I broke it, "Did you just break into the school?"

"... I was just..." He stumbled back a bit, then went rigid again, "In the gr-grounds."

I stared at him for a moment. Familiar face. I think I remember him somewhere in school. In Snack, I think, I remember him in the background somewhere.

I released a soft, irritated sigh as I turned around and walked off.

Blake

That girl - that little rat... She saw me. Why was she there? WHY WAS SHE THERE!?

I had went back inside the school after she was out of sight. I had to watch over the place, now. The lights were all off, the heater was turned back on. Sophie was turned over in her bed, releasing heavy breaths, fast asleep.

I was at the table in the side of the room, hands over my mouth, eyes narrowed. I couldn't stop shaking. 

Sophie's older sister saw me exiting the school, the school meant to be abandoned. Does she know? She can't. She can't, she can't, she can't! If she knows, she'll take Sophie back. 

I should have done it. I had the knife, no one else was around. I should have sneaked up behind her while she was walking away, cover her mouth and stab her, preferably in the back of the head. Then I'd keep her body with Tristan. Dammit, why didn't I do it?! I SHOULD HAVE DONE IT!

She could tell the officials now, and they'd find Sophie... My Sophie...

I buried my head in my folded arms, shaking.

Next time. If that sewer rat tries to interfere again, I'll kill her for sure.


I decided to miss school today for two reasons. One, poor Sophie was still sick, I had to stay and take care of her. Two, because of that little rat. I had to watch over everything here and make sure no one came in.

Sophie wasn't getting any better, but she wasn't getting any worse, either. I gave her the usual, repeated chicken soup and tea. She never said anything against it, so why not? Then again, poor girl could hardly speak. She just looked so sick and her words were always so choked up and hoarse. 

She slept all day, I let her. I didn't want to irritate her with my questions and constant bugging. She needs rest, peace and quiet. Occasionally, she'd tear up enough to let them slip down her face.

"Shh," I wiped the tears off her face, "It's okay."

So, for the rest of the day, she slept or cried and shook with pain. Occasionally, I had to leave the room and have a breakdown.

I heard the voice again.

"Why are you crying!?"

I jumped, feeling as if the slap had been delivered. But when I looked around, no one was there. Just me. Just me...

I was okay. But Sophie wasn't. That was holding me down. Goddammit, Sophie...

What could I do to make her smile? Yes, there was what I said about her scrapbook. If she smiles at those pictures, I would hardly be happy. I'd just be angered with jealousy. Then there was the other thing that made her happy. Jokes.

Oh fuck me. I have no sense of humor. And again, fuck me for doing something stupid.


When I entered the room, Sophie glanced at me. Her breathing has calmed down a bit. She was shaking, yes, but much less than before.

I gave her a look that said "I'm sorry", before I sat on the chair. We both stared at each other for a moment, before I sighed and lifted the book in my hands. I scrolled through the very few pages and chose one.

"Why can't your nose be twelve inches long?" I should have looked in this earlier, I was already about to rip it to shreds. Sophie made no attempt to make any sound in response. "Because, then it'll be a foot."

"... Why did the bunny cross the road?" I paused, "Because, it wanted to show it's girlfriend it could hip hop."

I didn't get one sound. I shut my eyes, "Knock knock,"

I was surprised she actually responded. When I heard a shaky chuckle, my eyes opened, "Who's there?" Her voice wasn't as hoarse as it usually was. When I looked up at her, she had a small shaking smile. She pulled her blanket higher to her face to hide it, though I still saw it in her moistened eyes.

"... Uhm," I looked back to the book, "Ben."

She also paused, "Ben who?"

"Ben knocking for ten minutes."

I saw her cheeks rise with her smile.


"Bad jokes," She had once said, "They're just... Bad. Corny and awkward. But I guess that's what makes it hilarious to me."


I left Sophie with her medicine, alarms, many bottles of water, and food. Since I would be in school, I couldn't make Sophie any food. So I left her with some citrus fruit. She had given me a weird look when I told her that before I left for the night.

"I know it'll be too sour and sweet for your taste, especially in your condition. But," I explained, "It could help fight your cold. Just drink lots of water afterwards."


It was the same. I kept hearing the same things involving me, from those people. It was all around that vile girl.

"If you really think it," A friend told her, "Then go tell the authorities what you think."

"I want to be sure." She replied.

To be sure? How would you be sure? My grip on my pencil tightened, going hard against the paper. The lead snapped. 

If you try to get between Sophie and I, I'll kill you. I'll kill you, torment you in the most brutal of ways. I'll show you everyone else, to let you know you'll end up just the same. Yes. Yes.

That girl was next on my list. If she or Brooke interfere again in the slightest, I'll kill them. 

Others were starting to creep their way onto the list.

One of the officers were downright obsessed with solving the case. A student asked when he returned to see if anyone had anything to say.

"Did you know any of them?"

I know.

"... I..." He stood up straight, "Clark's older brother - I'm a close friend of his."

Yeah, I know that. When Leon would come home, this rat would be at his side. Him and Sophie got along, in a teasing manner. So I guess they've been friends much longer, when Sophie was little. 

Brooke was close to him, too. She would say something, she'd tell him she saw me in the abandoned school. Officials would go in and try to find any damage. And they could find Sophie...

I had to think of a precised plan. Should Sophie and I relocate? But where? There was no where else. Maybe we could hide once if they enter. But where? Probably farther off from the campus, hiding in the bushes in the fields.

But they'd see everything. The fully stored rooms, working lights and heating, all items to show living life.

Or maybe, Brooke already knew I was hiding Sophie...


When I entered the field, with the linings of the fence holding the elementary school, I looked around, making sure the coast was clear. It was much more risky in the daytime. Cars were more likely to pass, and on top of that, see me. 

Once I went through the broke fence, I rushed to the building.

Sophie was slowly progressing. Her breathing was gradually becoming more well paced, her temperature starting to head back to the mid nineties. 

I was heading off to prepare the soup when Sophie called out. I went rigid, it took a few seconds for me to turn to Sophie, "Yes?"

"... Where's..." She looked down, pulling on her sleeves, "Th-That book?"

"Book?"

"The one you were reading from yesterday."

Sophie

I was starting to get better. One side of me went, "That's great! The pain was unbearable.", while the other side is going, "No! But when I'm sick, Blake acts less..."

I couldn't find the word.

He didn't talk much, that delusional gibberish. He didn't hug or kiss me, that obviously being concern for his own well being. It was just more... Peaceful.

No, not peaceful. Being trapped here, it can never be peaceful. But it was better than being forced to look and converse with him. Being sick, I got to sleep lots, just lay there and rest - an excuse. I wanted to stay sick. I know that was stupid, the pain was, well, sickening. But, my own mental well being was at stake, too...

I could still act sick. My fingers curled into my pillow, the others in my blanket, to secure it tightly around me. The book I once held had fallen to the floor.

Blake was sitting at the table at the side of the room. With an open textbook, papers littered on the table. School. School, school, school.

I softened, and turned over, shutting my eyes. It seemed that Blake awoke me three hours later, for the wrist clock I still held onto now read eight o'clock. "It's ready."

The hot water was not what I wanted. It was soothing, in a way, but still. My body was too sore, I was still, too, sick. I tried to finish quick, wrapping myself in the towel and remaining that way for what seemed like eternity. Finally, I dressed in the new pair of pajamas, much more like the ones I had at home.

Fuck, I can't think of many things. Home was one of them.


I thought about it... Asking Blake questions again. Or, more of a request.

"Please let me go back." I imagined saying, "I swear I won't tell anyone about this. We could think of a cover up, but please let me go."

I imagined him saying, "But, I don't want us to forget this happened! Remember? We're finally together, I don't want to throw that away."

"We could still talk," I would plead, "Every second of free time I have, I swear to God I'd devote it to you, just please..."

"But," He'd stubbornly say again, "Everyone will hurt you again. I have to take care of you..." His fingers would curl in my hair, his lips close, "My precious Sophie..."

My eyes went wide as I snapped out of it.

Oh God. I was having imaginary conversations. 

I pulled on my wet, tangled hair. My eyes were wide - narrowed.

Does exposure to madness create more madness?