Well, I can't find my way back home

I'll listen to you if you want me to

But you have to share a smoke

Yeah, I've been running against the wind

And I can hear the angels calling

The madness has been pulling me right

- FOSTER THE PEOPLE

After our first encounter, I found myself spending more time with Arthur. The days following his mother's hospitalization seemed to breeze by. I tried to study and pay attention in my classes, but ultimately found daydreaming in class more fulfilling. I wouldn't hesitate to join him for a meal if it meant skipping a class or two.

I knew in the back of my head that it was a terrible idea, but the high that I felt when enjoying life make the guilty feelings go away.

Then my exams happened.

I entered the class with a pit in my stomach and a sense of unease. I didn't think I was fully prepared, but I reassured myself that I had studied- even if I didn't study as much as I had hoped to initially.

The proctors handed out the exams and as soon as I got mine I skimmed through the content.

I know this stuff… but can't really do those problems. Might be able to do this… no, yes, no, no...

I felt a lack of confidence, but decided eventually to just go for it. It wasn't like I could go back in time and study more.

Then, after two hours of work, I was finished. I handed the exam off to the proctors and headed straight home.

I made it into my apartment, threw my things on the floor, and collapsed onto my bed. I stayed quiet to see if I could hear Arthur next door.

There were zero signs of him being home.

I sighed and pulled the covers of my bed over me. Might as well take a nap , I thought.

The next thing that woke me up was laughing. Still dazed, I tried to get out of bed and put my ear to the wall to listen closely. Sure enough, sounds of laughter moved through the air.

I throw myself back onto the bed and sighed. Doesn't his condition get worse the more distressed he is emotionally? The only time I've really seen it is when I yelled at him in the lobby.

"Is he okay?" I wondered out loud, trying to devise some sort of way to comfort him. Would he even want to be comforted? Unsure but determined, I picked up one of my blankets and wrapped it around me.

I made it to his door and gingerly knocked. The laughing continued and I sighed.

"Arthur, it's me, Victoria. I just wanted to see if you were okay. If you need anything I'll be right next door." I said through the door, listening intently. The laughing continued.

I began to walk back to my apartment until I heard a door open behind me. I spun around to see Arthur looking in my direction. I shuffled back towards him.

"Can I come in?" I asked as he continued laughing. He nodded and ushered me in. I quickly closed the door behind us and looked at him sadly.

"Did something happen?" I asked.

He nodded again and headed towards the couch with his continuous laughter. He picked up a new cigarette, lighting it clumsily. He could barely smoke it. I sighed and sat next to him.

"I wish I could help you," I started. "But I'm not sure how, so just know that I'll be here if you need anything." I placed my hand on his knee and stared at the coffee table that contained miscellaneous items. An empty cup. A television remote. A lighter. Arthur's prized pack of cigarettes.

"Can I have one?" I asked as I pulled one of his cigarettes from its carton.

"Sure," he said and handed me the lighter. I placed the cigarette in my mouth and lit it. We laid back on the couch and relaxed. I said nothing to him while he laughed so much that he could barely find time to breathe, let alone smoke.

Ten minutes later, he stopped and was silent. I breathed a sigh of relief.

I waited a moment, scared that I might say the wrong thing.

"Feeling better now?" I asked. "And is it okay for me to ask what happened?" He shrugged and silently continued his next cigarette. I understood and also continued smoking.

Then, a few minutes passed and he spoke.

"I went down to the state hospital to find the truth."

"I stole the file." He stood up and walked to the kitchen. He brought me back a neutral-colored folder with the words 'Penny Fleck' on the front.

"Is this your mother?" I asked. He nodded. I opened up the file and began to read. My heart sank as I shifted through the documents and newspaper clippings. I didn't know what to say.

"This is… absolutely terrible and unfair. I'm sorry. You never deserved any of this." I said to him, biting my lips.

"I'm going tomorrow." Arthur started. I looked at him, perplexed.

"Going where?" I asked.

"To see her. I'm going to see her for the last time," he continued.

That's understandable , I thought to myself. If someone allowed me to be abused or abused me I would never want to see them again, for my own sanity.

"Do you want me to come with you?" I asked him, thinking he might have some moral support. He looked at me and shrugged. "You can come to the hospital, but I want to talk to her alone."

I nodded and smiled at him. "Of course," I replied.

I checked the time on my watch and then started to stand up. "It's pretty late Arthur, and if we're going to see your mom tomorrow I probably need to get to sleep." But as soon as I started to move away from him, he abruptly grabbed my wrist.

"Wait, don't go." He said and pulled me closer. Surprised, I pulled my wrist away from him and sighed.

"Arthur, I had a long day with my exams. So I'm just going to relax for a while. It's nothing personal." I said while crossing my arms. He got up quickly and moved in front of my path to the door.

"What is it?" I asked, taking note of his slightly defensive stance. I tried to move around him but was stopped in my tracks when he also moved in the same direction.

"Come on, you're going to tell a known killer 'no'?" He smiled at me. I furrowed my brow. He seemed less emotional than before, but now he was definitely acting different.

"What the hell? You're saying I don't have a choice or something? What's wrong with you?" I asked, trying to hide the intimidation in my voice.

"There's nothing wrong with me," he said with slight offense in his voice. "I've just been feeling more like myself. More... confident I guess." I looked at him and slightly shook my head.

"What does that even mean?"

He laughed slightly, "It means I stopped taking my medication. After I found my mother's file, I realized she was wrong. There's nothing wrong with me. I feel so much better now, too."

My eyes went wide. Shit, this is news to me. I sat back down on the couch and just looked at him.

"You've thoroughly threatened me. Now what? Obviously, I'm not gonna leave for fear of my life. You're just going to make me sit here while I die of boredom?" I took another cigarette and lit it, then motioned my hand to tell him to hurry up.

He smirked. "Don't worry, we'll have plenty to do." I froze up and felt adrenaline in my veins again.

"I'm going to be on Murray's show. And it has to be perfect. Just sit there." He said, smirking.

Whew, I thought, I was concerned it was going to be something really bad.

Arthur ended up putting on a show of sorts, and then we fell asleep in the bed.

The next morning he woke me up so we could head to the hospital. We left, and I begrudgingly stopped by my apartment to freshen up.

When we arrived to the hospital Arthur instructed me to stay in the lobby. I found a seat and collected as many magazines as I could to keep myself occupied. I partly wished I was at home and for a moment considered just leaving. Is he a good tracker? I wondered to myself.

If I timed it right I guess I could catch a train to my parents. I wonder if they'd take me in with the excuse of 'I'm being chased by a murderer.'

But before I could even finish reading one of my magazines, Arthur marched out of the ICU area. I looked at him bewildered, but before I could say anything he pulled me up by my arm and said, "Let's go."

"That was fast," was all I could say as we speed-walked through the hospital.

"Why are we walking so quickly? Your mom can't walk yet- can she?"

Arthur basically dragged me out of the hospital. Once we got closer to the trains and away from the hospital, he pulled me into an alley.

"I did it. She's gone." He said, lighting a cigarette and bouncing his leg while leaning against the building. "She suffocated."

" What?!" I exclaimed. "I thought you were going to tell her 'goodbye, see you never again', instead you fucking killed her?"

He looked at me, almost surprised. "You know everything she did. All the lies she told. Don't you think people like that need a taste of their own medicine?" I just looked at him, mouth agape. Speechless.

I pondered my options and took a moment to really consider his homicidal tendencies.

I turned to walk towards the trains again.

"I'm leaving," I said quietly but was stopped again.

Arthur forcefully grabbed my arm. I pulled against him.

" Let me go! " I screamed at him. He carefully released my arm. I looked at him, surprised at his reaction.

"I know you've felt like me, Victoria," he started. I scowled at him.

"I am not like you. I'm not a murderer," I said. He laughed slightly at my statement.

" Think about it. You're just like me. We live in the same place, we both don't know what the hell we're doing in our lives. You might feel good going to college or whatever, but we both know it doesn't matter in the end. You told me this." He stepped towards me, and as he spoke to me, his voice almost had a sing-songy tone. Strange for something so depressing.

"Maybe all of that's true, but why the hell should I let you drag me around? Clearly, you're doing your things and I'm doing mine. College, or whatever." I looked at him, ending my sentence sarcastically.

He grabbed my hand.

"Just help me, help me punish the bad guys."

He smiled a strange smile.

I frowned.

"Ok. But it'll be just this one thing."