A scream. Such a bloody, terrifying scream. It instantly sent fear through my spine; a needle injecting it into me. Sure, it wasn't loud, but it was enough to send me running. Opening the door to Mushnik's, I saw something that will never be erased from my mind.
Audrey. Audrey II, of course. God, it took up the entire room! It had grown exponentially, inspiring awe to the general populous and fear to me. Well, me and those unfortunate victims. Branches devoured the walls, green vines lying in wait, surrounding those who dare enter. What a monster. And now it was eating again. The muffled screams escaped the death hold, and white fabric was everywhere. It was terrified, anxious, sad, and angry at the same time. If that was possible. My fears only intensified when I recognized the voice.
Audrey. Wait, Audrey? This couldn't be happening. She was still in her apartment, across the street, surely. But sure enough, it was her. I acted without thinking for the first time in my life. Dropping whatever forgettable, useless garbage I held in my hands, I flung myself towards the chaos.
"Get away from her!"
Ironic. Fighting against Audrey II, while fighting for Audrey. Ironic, when you think about it. II let out a muffled giggle, barely taking notice that I was there. It seemed that no matter what I did, I couldn't win. Yet, Audrey screams encouraged to me to keep up the struggle. But it was too late.
Her white shoes disappeared into green hatred.
A scream escaped my own lips, and I watched it fall, practically unaware. Audrey II laughed, reveling in blood and horror. I stared in disbelief at the remnants of the scene. The all too recognizable voice rang out in the empty world.
"Someone had to feed me."
"But not Audrey! Not her!"
"Well, tough shit!"
That was it. Reaching for an axe, I hacked away at the monster I helped create. Rage circled my eyes with a red haze, and adrenaline pumped through me. The feeling that was clouding my brain was unrecognizable; something that I've never felt before. But it took over my body and soul, setting the real me aside.
But the monster predicted my anger. Before I could even come close to landing a blow, those horrendous green vines tripped me. Not like it took much, I was already clumsy. But before I knew it, I was pinned to the grounds, barely clutching the axe.
Poisonous laughter stung my ears. My life practically flashed before my eyes as I stared at the end. Audrey II, the evil monster I helped create, open its mouth wide. My blood would be its next meal. I swore I could smell Audrey's perfume as my head was in the mouth of the beast.
Suddenly I blacked out, and I took the back seat in my decisions.
All I remember is hacking. Hacking away at invisible demons ailing me with the axe stuck in my hand by some unseen force. Blood, real or imaginary, filled my view, making me swing harder. I didn't even know what I was doing. My body, devoured by rage, overthrew my mind, attacking unseen enemies. I was quite literally not thinking. I was observing, almost, watching from afar, and not really understanding what was going on. Even as I tried to clear my vision to see what was happening in that shop of horror, I couldn't. I was locked, unable to move the way I wanted. My motions were out of my control.
It continued for who knows how long. Eventually the violent swings of the axe slowed. Just as I was gaining a shred consciousness and control, the axe hit a counter. It flew back at me, rendering me useless and sleeping.
I woke up on the floor. The past minutes, hours, days, hell, my whole life, was a hazy mess floating around in my mind. I tried to sit up, only to be pushed down by the banging in my head. So I lay there, on the ground. Waiting for nothing but a chance to sit up and remember. The world was black.
Slowly I itched myself into a sitting position, back leaned against the wall. Looking around the destruction, things started to come to me.
Green vines and blood. Everywhere. Leaves were dampened on the floor, covered in red death. Among the masses of green were chunks of cement, tile, and metal. Upon looking around some more, I realized the origin of the chaotic rubble. The whole room was up heaved, turned upside-down, and spun around a million times, leaving only remnants of what used to be my home. But the cause seemed unclear to me, at least for a moment.
It sat in the corner. The dismounted head of Audrey II. Threat to humanity and sanity. Granter of fear. Creator of absolute anguish. All fed by my stupid actions and the blood of innocent (well, and those slightly less innocent) people I knew. Dead in the corner, chopped beyond recognition.
The cops came in the morning. I didn't really say anything. I was more told what "really" happened. Some psycho maniac had escaped from prison earlier in the week. In a murderous rampage, he killed Audrey, the plant, and attempted to kill me. I was lucky, only receiving a concussion. I should count my blessings.
And, oh, the press ate it up.
Myself, I tried to buy into it. But the cold hard fact of reality still hits me in the face every morning. I killed three people. Four, if you include myself.