Love of Madness

Chapter 1: Judgement Day

When I finally landed in L.A., I saw Mark standing there and an odd feeling crept down my back. The way his lips curved slowly into a smile made something in my stomach not feel right. However, I knew it was just Mark trying to be himself. As I went up to him, he hugged me really tight. It felt different. More different than any other hug Mark has given me. It didn't feel like a warm welcoming Mark hug, but something darker. I might have just been going paranoid. As he let go he finally spoke, "Ready to go to my place?" I simply smiled and nodded slowly. He didn't say anything after that. Not a word was said down the way to his house; not by him nor by me. I didn't know what was wrong but I had a bad feeling that something was not quite right with Mark.

Entering his house, I felt a little weight lift off my shoulder. Thinking it was the weight of emotion, it was simply just Mark taking my bags to put them in the guest room. Smiling at him as he walked away, he gave me an odd little smirk. Though a little confused, I didn't want to question anything. I sat down on the couch and he came back with a warm glow to him. The smile on his face said it all. It seemed he was actually happy to have someone around. "I really appreciate that you came all this way man. It truly means a bunch to me," he spoke calmly as he sat beside me. "It's no problem Mark. Anything for my best pal." I smiled sweetly to him, "Besides, after what happened to Chica, I don't blame you wanting some company around to keep you occupied."

It was then that I made the biggest mistake of my life. "What did you just say about my Chica?!" He stood up and his voice sounded angry. "I-I didn't say anything Mark," I stuttered, somewhat surprised and scared. Then, all at once, he took me by shirt and we were suddenly face to face with each other. "You never speak a word about her, you understand me?!" With a loud growl he finally let go of me. As I fell back, he slowly walked away from me. I definitely touched a nerve when I spoke about Chica. "I-I'm sorry Mark," I said in a soft voice, hoping he wasn't going to get anymore angry. However, I was wrong. My words only antagonized him more.

Black; that's all I could see for quite some time. I couldn't feel anything. Everything hurt. Nothing would move; not my arms, legs, my head, or even my eyes. The only image I saw was something unreal; though I knew it was all in my head. It was Mark with his lovely smile. What was it? A dream? If it was, it was a very lovely one. Soon, though, I slowly came to. I only saw a single light that dangled from the ceiling of what seemed to be the basement and Mark stood there in the corner as if he was watching his favorite show with a crooked smile across his face. I tried to stand but it occurred to me that I was tied down to a chair. "Don't struggle. You'll hurt more," he said in a dark voice. "M-Mark..what are you doing? What happened to me?" No answer. I could only focus on him slowly approaching. I started to shake where I sat. Even though he told me not to, I struggled to try and break free of the rope. No luck.

With one painful backhand to my face, I felt every part of my face go numb. This wasn't Mark. This could never be him. Not the Mark that I know. The one I know is all about love and acceptance; not about torturing his friends. I felt another hit to my face. "Speak won't you?! What else do you have to say?!" I looked up to only stare him in his dark and devilish eyes. My eyes started to fill with tears and there was something I knew I had to say. I couldn't say it though. He'd think I was crazy. With one more hit to my face I finally yelled out, "Mark stop! Please!" He laughed straight in my face. "Why is that Jack? If you give me a good enough reason, I might just consider it," he spoke as he walked around me. I started to cry a little and I knew I had to do what I thought was the only way to get to him. "B-Because...I love you." I sighed deeply as tears still went down my cheek and with a moment of silence I spoke again, "There, I said it. I love you. I've loved you for a long time now."

Within a few seconds of silence, I heard Mark untying the rope. The moment I was free, I darted. I ran for the door but Mark was too fast for me. He dragged me back to the floor by my ankles and held me down with all his force. "If you loved me you wouldn't run, now would you dear?" He stared down at me with this deranged and psychotic look then lifted me up to tie me once again by my feet to a hook attached to the ceiling. He duct taped my mouth shut and tied my hands behind my back. One by one he swung blows at me with the baseball bat that sat idly by. I was hopeless. I didn't know what to do. Everything hurt. I thought that by this point, I could just accept my fate and just die here. However, as I slowly blacked out I could hear Mark's faint words, "I'm sorry." Right after that, I was cut down and dropped to the floor. When everything went black, I heard Mark whisper into my ears, "I love you too." Everything I knew disappeared from sight and mind. It was total darkness. No light, no feeling, no sound, no taste; was this what dying felt like? Was this really how my life would end? With a sudden splash of cold water on my face from Mark, here I am. Still miraculously alive. I guess this wasn't going to be my death bed after all.