Insane - Who Are You To Judge? (Gripping Psychological Thriller)

Chapter 2 - Avery

5 months, 1 week, 6 days, 5 hours and 32 minutes earlier...

I scan my eyes across the eerie, chilled streets and I glance up at the morbid sky that set the scene for tonight's earlier event.

I click the door shut as I slide the old rucksack off my shoulder and kick off my tatty shoes, dropping them into a plastic bag. I look at my wrist – 4:15am.

"Not bad, well done me." I applaud my time efficiency and make my way into the living room.

I strip down to my delicately woven lace underwear, leaving all my clothes folded with the rubber gloves placed on the top in the hallway and I pluck up my comfy old trackies and hoody.

Newly clothed, I aim straight for the oak desk in the corner and settle myself in the chair behind it. The chair's leather cushioning moulds to my body shape, the soft leather clinging to my perfectly sculpted legs, as I relax into it.

Pulling the chain draped around my neck, I take hold of the small key at the end and unlock one of the drawers. There is only one item that resides in this drawer. As I slide it open, it catches on the rusted metal rollers. I pick out the little brown book, placing it in front of me.

Only the corner where I am located is lit by a small, cream side lamp to avoid suspicion because, let's be honest, who the hell is mad enough to be up at such a stupid time?

I breathe in the rich and addictive smell of the nappa leather and run my fingertips over the intricate handstitched design, feeling every curl and twist etched into its cover, before flattening the notebook out on the first page.

I stretch out my mouth and let out a shriek as I yawn. The quicker I get this done, the quicker I can get some damn sleep.

I close my eyes, take myself deep within my mind and recall everything. Every smell, every sight, every expression, every scream...

And I begin to write.

Poor little mermaid. She was sound asleep, dreaming about her prince. Her prince with another woman. The woman he chose over her.

Silly little mermaid. Thinking that she would have her happy ever after. Believing her prince really did love her. Dreaming that one day they would ride off into the sunset to the echo of wedding bells and the cheers of the whole kingdom. That they would share true love's kiss and have six children and she could tell them about their parents' inspiring love story. That everything she sacrificed paled in comparison to what she had now.

What an idiot.

The foul stench of her fuzzy flea bag came to settle in my throat and left my tongue scarred by the taste. I scrunched up my nose in disgust at the wretched thing resting there – completely ignorant of my unwelcomed presence. It was a rather pointless creature if it hadn't even woken up to me sliding through the window. Is that not the only reason to keep such a being?

It's safe to say that the little mermaid hadn't been the most fortunate of fish; looking at her...place of residence. The entire contents of the space were squished into a single area, with every room represented by a single corner. The place looked as though it hadn't seen a hoover since it was built and the amount of insects that had taken up residence were enough to create an entire ecosystem.

Thank goodness this was all only poorly illuminated by a tacky, sea blue night light which I could only imagine the little mermaid acquired from a hobo selling junk out the back of his car. I don't think my eyes would have survived seeing this carnage in full light. For the life of me I don't understand how anyone could allow themselves to reside in such a sad location.