DO NOT OWN THAT '70s SHOW NOR THIS MOVIE BASED PLOT. NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED.
InSanity
Chapter Eleven
Jackie rubbed her eyes in disbelief after reading the time on the nightstand clock once awakening from a deep slumber. It was one twenty-seven in the evening and she had over slept; but one thing in particular that really had her going was nobody woke her for breakfast which would've been six hours ago now. "Well of course they wouldn't care if I starve," Jackie said to herself. "I scared Hyde away and Eric is still probably upset after last night." Looking angrily at the ceiling, she thought about her service bunny.
He was now an emotional support companion in her eyes and petting his soft fur and holding him close to her chest became a desire in her current state of despair; something that made her happy. But before meeting Junior, Jackie brushed her teeth and washed her face. She even stopped by the kitchen to see if they had in fact cared but all that was left were cold eaten leftovers on the remaining plates and despite each person's dish was color-coded, she still didn't trust eating off of Eric's plate just in case they decided to switch it up today.
Instead of cussing at her inconsiderate yet absent roommates, Jackie tied her robe tightly around her nightie and sped walked to the cardboard box in the living room, lying on the carpet in its own little corner. Kneeling down with the hopes of picking up the bundle of fur, Jackie screamed once coming face to face with the contents in the middle of four sides, sending everybody in the house to see what the fuss was about.
"Somebody chopped my bunny's head off," Jackie cried on the staircase, extending the cardboard box that contained him to show its once white fur drenched in blood. In response, the three suspects either cringed or scrunched their faces in disgust from the gory site, thus making it quite difficult to find a sign of deceit. "Now who did it, huh," the sad brunette asked while setting the box down on a step to stand up and hold on to the banister. "I overslept until one in the evening, thanks for not waking me up for breakfast everybody, and then somebody slaughters my pet?"
Eric sighed and shook his head at a lost for words. He looked really sick, maybe queasy from the sight of blood and found it hard to find his voice. It was hard not only to see the dead animal but to know how much Jackie loved it and to have it taken from her in such a ruthless way. "Damn. I—It's really scary to think somebody in this house is a murderer. Therefore, I'd like to think of other possibilities. Maybe a bird got to him?"
"Nope," Hyde disagreed bluntly. "It's a clean cut through, see. It was done on purpose, and with a knife." He glanced at Marie, maybe for approval but her response was delayed, questionable actually. She remained quiet and shook her head up and down as if she were forced to.
Jackie gave Eric a 'what now' look after Hyde's discovery, wondering where they should go from there. "I don't know what to say, Jackie. I honestly don't think Hyde or Marie would do such a thing—."
"Would you," Jackie quickly questioned. When he glared, she couldn't help but stutter. "I mean, after last night, I can only imagine you were angry that I—," she glanced at her audience secretively. "You know."
Eric's lips were partly open, his jaw tense while giving her the coldest look. How dare she accuse him of something so sick and twisted. "I'm going to leave for a while to cool off, you hear? When I get back, we'll talk," he scowled before turning his back on her and exiting the front door.
Marie walked up a few steps to apologize to Jackie after an awkward moment of silence. "Hey, Jackie, I'm so sorry," she squeezed her arm. "God, I don't know what to say. I'll be outside to get some fresh air. All of that blood has made me a little queasy."
Hyde waited for Marie to close the front door patiently, itching to inform the brunette of information he had gathered. "Come," he whispered while running past Jackie, heading for the attic. "I need to tell you something."
"Alright, Hyde, so much has been going on and there's so little I can take before my heart gives out. I think Eric thinks I killed my own bunny! Did you see how crazy he looked at me? God, I had a dream he dumped me off at an insane asylum with mentally ill patients last night. The doctors were abusive, forcing me to take pills and would use electroshock therapy unnecessarily. The part that bothered me the most was that I was normal, really normal. There weren't any voices or imaginative images... Things are changing between me and Eric. I need his word that he'd never do that to me in order to make me feel better. Do you think he'd send me away? Oh, who am I to ask you that? You think I'm crazy yourself," she exclaimed before leaning against the wall Donna's portrait hung on with her arms crossed.
Hyde folded his lips inwardly and shook his head to oppose. "Jackie, I'm beginning to believe you." A gasp escaped the brunettes mouth as she relaxed and backed off the wall a little, only for him to hold his finger up to nonverbally ask her to hold her thought as he continued to explain. "Last night, I heard Eric and Marie speaking—well I don't know what they were talking about exactly because I was two rooms away but...I heard Eric make a noise that of pain. Immediately after the commotion, Marie returned to the room—we sleep together in the same bed—and out of curiosity I told her I was going to get a glass of milk—and you know me, I don't even like milk by itself—."
"Spit it out."
He inhaled and looked upward briefly. "I saw Eric asleep on the couch, that quick...and on the carpet were signs of a 'struggle.' An object glinting in the moonlight caught my eye which turned out to be an antique knife. It had blood on it."
Jackie's eyes widened and in an instant came an accusation. "You knew what happened to my bunny and you didn't even tell me!"
"I didn't see your bunny until two minutes ago, Jackie! Why do you think I asked to tell you something in private?"
She uncrossed her arms and let them hit her sides loudly. "So, what? You think Marie killed my bunny and Eric participated?"
"I think she killed your bunny and did something to Eric too. He's been different ever since."
Jackie rubbed her cheeks nervously and suddenly became scared. "Hyde...was the knife a slanted blade, really shiny with a black handle?" When he nodded his head, she touched her forehead. "That knife belongs to Donna Pinciotti. I'm sure you've heard the legend already, about Donna Pinciotti?"
Hyde nodded after looking over his shoulder at the chest. "Yeah, Marie told me about it one night before bed."
"So how has Eric been different since last night?"
"Well you saw. He's been a little crabby. Also, I woke up early this morning and wanted to tend to the apples but I ran out of supplies so I decided to go to the store and who did I see? Eric...at Devoe Paints with old men. They all stood on the porch quietly in a creepy way but as if welcoming him and went into the store, staying inside for about an hour. I'd like to think it was a meeting of some sort. Who knows? Maybe he's making a truce," he joked.
Jackie suddenly remembered Mr. Coffin's story about Peter, and that's when her heart sank. "Did the church bells ring?"
Hyde raised his eyebrows. "I did, now that I think about it. Why? What's the significance?"
"It's a long story," she sighed, crossing her arms again and leaning against the wall.
He smiled at her, something he rarely did. "Well maybe you could tell me someday. I'm actually skeptical as to what he is up to right now so if you don't mind, I'll be gone for a while."
"Thanks, Hyde." Jackie breathed and allowed her head to drop down, looking at her bare feet. Thinking about everything he had shared, she couldn't help but spin around in the direction of the photo of Donna, hearing the seashell sound again when she stared at the woman's familiar features; and finally it clicked this time. A sudden noise from behind startled Jackie, shuffled shoes. Turning around cautiously she faced Marie who walked toward her slowly with a quizzical look on her face. Stopping at at least a foot away from Jackie, the fearful girl explained nervously, "I was just looking at this picture and...God, it looks so much like you."
Marie looked at the photo on the wall ahead with a squint. "Gee, it does! How weird." She glanced at Jackie, who began to jitter at the thought Marie was probably Donna. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing, it's just that, uh," her voice shook, "it does look a lot like you."
The red-head shrugged and said defensively, "Well hey, it's an old print. Can look like anybody."
"No. No it's...it's the piercing blue eyes and fiery hair." She backed up until she was leaning against the window on the adjacent wall, cornering herself accidentally.
Marie walked up and moved Jackie's hair with her finger. "You're so warm. I'm sorry about your bunny and anything else you're upset about," she murmured; her voice so gently deep and her touch so soothing that Jackie couldn't help but look skyward in pleasure before resisting by shaking the woman's hands off. Marie stepped back and stared, triggering Jackie's audit.
"Jackie, come Jackie. My eyes, look into my eyes. Come with me. Come with me."
A feeling of euphoria consumed Jackie's sense of reasoning, her sense of morality, and her sense of thought. There wasn't an ounce of fear within her and she felt free. All she could do was see and agree.
"It's so stuffy in here," Marie sighed. "How about we go for a swim, huh?"
Jackie's face remained dazed, almost as if high which was the reason why Marie suggested they'd go for a swim in the first place. She seemed ill. "Okay. Let's just please not get near the cove. I'm scared of water."
"That's fine. If you don't want to swim, we can just sunbathe, you know. I could use a little color. Come on. Come."
