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

Chapter 84 - Avery

By the time I force myself to return home, the light is beginning to fade away as the sun gives up.

After struggling to open the door for quite some time, I am finally thrown into the hallway. As soon as I do, my shoe lands on something that isn't my wooden floor. I glance down.

Buttercups.

I walk cautiously into the lounge, expecting to see a familiar shadow at my desk – but I am disappointed. Suddenly my radio switches on.

Why do you build me up, Buttercup
Just to let me down, mess me around

Although he is not sitting behind my desk, I can see something lying on it. As I approach it, my vision becomes clear and I see that it is a USB with a tag attached reading watch me.

Sitting behind my desk, I open my computer and plug the device in. When I do, a video comes up onto my screen. The quality is poor and the lighting is dark – I can hardly see what it is of.

And then it becomes clear. My jaw drops. I lean forward and listen to my voice.

"I saw my opportunity and when I paid a visit to the police station last week, I snuck into your office...since they have a strand of your hair at the Sleeping Beauty crime – oh and James saw you there – you've practically set yourself up."

The sound crackles. Then another voice speaks.

"They'll see you're the victim's daughter and realise you are responsible."

I squint my eyes as the video suddenly jumps and my dear brother is no longer there. It is Him and me close together. I see myself lean forward and put my lips to his ear. I have to look away for the next part – I can't see it. I won't.

The video jumps again and once I am certain that the scene has changed, I glance back. The camera is on Julian's face.

"Hey, Buttercup. What did you think of my short movie? I'm thinking of entering it in this year's competition. You killing the boy? That was cold, Buttercup – even for you. Then again, I suppose it's for the best. He wasn't right for you, you need someone more like you. Someone more...twisted." His voice is raspy and the camera shakes with each footstep. "But I digress. I told you I would get something on you. A stupid little restraining order can't save you, now. You know," he swallows and glances away for a moment, "you reporting me? It really hurt. I understand why you turned me in, but I never thought you'd want a piece of paper keeping us apart. So, I continued paying visits to your house – when you weren't there of course. I watched hours and hours of CCTV from the station. I get why you enjoy that so much, it really is quite intriguing. But anyway, I'm drifting from my point. So, in one of those Chief-Detective conversations, the fat one doesn't believe your bro did it alone. He still believes there was someone else. And who better than his very own sister to tie it all in pretty little bow, hey?"

He stares directly into the lens. I can feel his eyes on me.

"Oh, now don't worry your pretty little head. You took seven years of my life – you really think I'm going to hand this in to the police and let that be that? Why would I have erased your prints from their system if I was going to do that? No, that's not enough. This video gives me what I've always wanted – control of you. You're going to wake up every single day thinking is today the day that the police knock on my door? Your heart will leap with joy whenever you see me – because it means I haven't turned you in yet. You'll wonder if I'm ever going to turn you in. If so, is it going to be tomorrow...next week...next year...in ten years? When you're on your death bed?"

He laughs into the camera and grinds to a halt underneath a streetlamp. Its light bleeds onto his head, making his menacing grin even more so, and his emerald eyes burn right through me. "Don't worry, Buttercup. I'm not going anywhere anytime soon. You and me are gonna get real cosy." Finally, Julian winks and blows a kiss at the camera before the screen goes black.

I suppose many of you think I deserve this. That this is my comeuppance. But you're basing that on the assumption that I'm insane. Do you not know that one person's craziness is another person's reality?

Besides, if you think this is so, you better be careful. Insanity is contagious.