Psychotic Break-out

Hi everyone! Thanks for all your kind reviews! Won't be able to update for a while as I'm leaving the country! Heading to the USA on holiday in a couple of days, so this is all you get for the moment! Hope you enjoy. . .

All Disclaimers Apply

Chapter 3: Touching Evil

Jesse wrenched the steering wheel of his convertible hard as he raced to Chloe's aid; she had sounded desperate when she called, hysterical even. Richard was there! He was attacking her! He could be killing her right there and then! Jesse had to get there on time! He was a doctor, he couldn't let her die!

The tyres screeched piercingly as he sped towards her house; Richard's car was parked domineeringly outside. Jesse had barely brought the car to a halt before he was out the door and sprinting towards the front door of Chloe's house. A crashing sound broadcast from within, followed by a woman's scream. Chloe's scream. Everything became more urgent as Jesse shoved open the front door and looked around him for the source of the noise.

The sight that met his eyes made him convulse with anger. Chloe was grappling with Richard, his hands clenched around her throat. Her eyes met his as she saw him enter; they were brimming with terror. Jesse could stand it no longer; he ran up to Richard and pulled him away. Richard's answer was to floor Jesse with a blinding punch to the head.

Before he knew it, Jesse was on the floor, seeing stars, then his mind cleared and he frantically began searching for a weapon. His hand closed around a sword from one of Chloe's ridiculous costumes. The cold metal in his hands, Jesse stood slowly, his eyes fixed on Richard Lock as he crushed Chloe's oesophagus. The man turned round as Jesse approached, clocked the sword in his grasp then took a menacing step towards him. Chloe seized her chance and picked up a wooden prop from her display, she swung it at the Richard's head. The startling blow pushed him forward and impaled him on Jesse's waiting sword. Jesse caught the man in shocked reflex as the sword drove itself into his abdomen, bringing from his lips a guttural grunt of pain and surprise as the man died in Jesse's arms.

"Ugh!" Jesse grunted in surprise as he flinched awake. It was dark, his senses told him as his eyes opened slowly and he began to shake off the effects of sleep. He sat up and rubbed his eyes, trying to erase the knowledge of his dream. Only it hadn't been a dream, it had been a memory; one he had tried to forget when Chloe Marsden had been admitted to a mental institution years ago. He'd tried to put it all behind him.

He'd thought that was the end of it; but when Steve had told him the news last night. . .She was out! She was really out! Fear pricked at the edges of his subconscious, but he shook his head to rid himself of the feeling. What could she possibly do? He told himself unconvincingly, and, as Steve had said the previous night, she would probably get the hell out of LA rather than waste time with him. He knew Steve was just trying to reassure him, and he appreciated it, but that didn't necessarily mean he believed it, no matter how many times he told himself that he did.

He checked the clock by his bed, it read 7.30 am. Two hours before his next shift. He was unlikely to get any more sleep, so he decided to just get up and go for a jog. Pushing himself drowsily off the bed, he padded over to the window to let some light into the room. The view from his window was a dreary one; last night's rain still hadn't cleared up, the sky was grey and the rain was dripping down the window pane and onto the ledge, making little spider webs across his line of vision. "So much for a jog" Jesse muttered to himself.

He dressed slowly and made his way through to his living room and kitchen area. He glanced up at his front door as he went in, it was ajar! "What?" Jesse muttered as he checked around the living room, a wave of panic washed over him. Had someone been here? Were they still here now? As he looked at the coffee table his face darkened; on the surface lay a leather bound book of mythical creatures. He didn't own anything of the sort; it could only mean one thing. Chloe had been very into all that mythical crap, even telling him one time that he looked like – what was it? – a Varseuvian Windrunner! This had to be her doing!

In a split second he had it in his hands and was examining it all over. There seemed to be a bookmark in one of the pages. He opened it slowly, afraid of what he might find.

A piece of folded up paper marked the page headed "The Devil". A small illustration of a red, horned beast with a long pointed tail was presented, along with a small explanation and various myths and legends. But Jesse noticed none of this, his attention focused on the paper bookmark. A sinking feeling entered Jesse's stomach as he opened up the paper. A roughly drawn picture of a sleeping Jesse Travis met his eyes. She had been in his room! While he was asleep! Jesse felt chilled to the bone; she could have done anything to him while she was there! Written below the image in a crude scrawl were the words: "You will get what's coming to you, I will have my revenge"

So absorbed was he in the book he was holding, he did not hear the creak made by the woman creeping slowly up behind him. She raised the two-by-four up above her head, with a malicious self-satisfied smile on her face, then brought it down upon Jesse's unprotected head. He slumped to the ground instantly, book and paper falling from his grasp.

Chloe slipped on some latex gloves, tied her hair back in a hairnet and stepped quickly over to where one of Jesse's tall potted plants stood. She gave it a hard shove, sending it flying towards the carpet, where it ultimately landed with a resounding thump. The tip of the plant ended roughly where the sofa began, so Chloe lifted Jesse's surprisingly heavy body and dragged it towards the fallen plant.

The angle at which the two now lay made it appear, and very realistically so, that the plant had fallen and knocked Jesse unconscious. Chloe stood for a moment to examine her handiwork. "Phase Two: completed" Chloe muttered happily to herself as she stepped lightly over Jesse's fallen body picking up the book and drawing as she went. It wouldn't do to leave any evidence.

"I'll be seeing you soon" She blew him a kiss as she tiptoed out the door and closed it softly behind her.

To Be Continued. . .