Chapter 5: Jeff Hardy

I had to admit that I was nearly shitting myself as I held on to the unknown man in front of me. My heart was racing so fast I thought it would burst and the only thing keeping me from sweating profusely was the wind slapping me in the face. I didn't even know who this guy was, yet I was riding off into the night with him like I just wanted something to happen to me. He could've been a killer or a rapist. Or worse: he could've been both! I swallowed hard like reality was just sticking needles in my skin to get my attention.

But I was too afraid. Too afraid of the cops catching me and putting me in jail for murder. I'd be there for life...and then who would be able to save Matt? I couldn't let that happen to me.

"Where do you live?" The large man asked.

"Don't take me home. That's the first place they'll look for me." I answered quickly, shaking my head.

"Then where the hell are you supposed to go? Got any relatives?"

"Not here in Texas."

"Jesus." He mumbled. "Then you're gonna have to come to my place, kid."

I stared at the back of him for a long, drawn out moment. I had been thinking the same thing, but was too afraid to actually put the idea out there. For some reason, this guy seemed like he'd been through something like this before.

"I never got your name, by the way. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but I'd prefer to know." He glanced once over his shoulder.

"It's Jeff. Jeff Hardy." I told him hesitantly, looking around almost frantically right afterwards. I just had an inkling that people were watching from every possible angle. I could feel eyes burning into my skin, scowling at me for what I had done, but as I looked around, I discovered that no one was actually looking at me. It was all in my head, maybe. Yeah...it's all in my head. Get it together, Jeffro. Get your shit together.

"I'm Mark." The big man introduced himself, speeding up his chopper.

…...

In a matter of minutes, we'd driven past most of the city area and reached a more quiet side of town. It was a lot more rural and rather scary since it was so dark. We made a turn into a pair of black gates which opened up into a long driveway lined with overgrown trees. I looked around nervously and could've sworn the trees themselves were watching me, reaching their enormous, dead limbs toward me and each time the wind blew, they'd howl,

Psycho.

Murderer.

You're going to burn in Hell.

I swallowed so hard it almost hurt, peering over the big man's shoulder to see exactly where we were headed. My eyes grew even wider when I saw the huge building all the way at the end of the driveway. It was made entirely of brick and had windows just about everywhere. It reminded me of the haunted mansions I'd seen in movies, but it wasn't rundown like the typical 'House on Haunted Hill.'

We pulled up in front of it and Mark killed his Harley's engine. "Well, here we are, kid." He sighed softly in relief, disembarking the chopper.

My eyes kept darting back and forth between him and the house. None of my muscles wanted to move at the moment, neither did I want to speak. It was like he'd superglued me to the damn bike. He looked at me and frowned, obviously concerned. "You comin'?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at me.

"I,uh..." I could barely speak. Perhaps the trauma of the whole matter was catching up to me from the long ride.

"Alright. Fine." Mark swung one leg over the chopper and sat back down, facing me this time. His legs were open so far that my knees could only touch his inner thighs. I felt awfully small looking at him like this. I mean, this guy was fucking huge! I looked up into his piercing, acid green eyes and felt my spine quiver slightly. Despite the fact that he was so intimidating, he was actually a really good looking man. Something about his hard facial features really drew me in, including the way he held his head a bit tilted when he looked at me. Like he was peering down into the very depths of my soul. I swallowed again.

"By the looks of everything, you might be here in hiding for quite a while." He told me. I hadn't noticed his Texan drawl at first, probably because I was so scared I couldn't focus completely on him at the time. "Since you might be here for a while, you might as well know what goes down at this house."

"What do you mean?" I frowned at him. Oh, my God. What if he kills people in this house!

He glanced at the enormous brick structure and sighed. "I call it the Madhouse." He began to explain in a calm voice. "I know. Doesn't sound all that invitin'. But its home for me and everyone else in there who are...well let's just say...not in their right minds."

"What? Like crazy people?"

"Exactly. I know what its like for them out in the world. That's why I've decided to take them in and help them out. This here is where I do all my studies and observations. I basically protect them from the outside world where people's only solution is to toss them in asylums. They don't deserve that. I know what its like."

"So you're like...a psycho doctor?" My eyes widened once again.

"You can say that. I'm a licensed psychiatrist. My job was the root of my idea to make this place a home for crazies as other folks like to call 'em."

"Wait. Wait. Wait." I shook my head, trying to sink it all in. "So, you must think I'm crazy."

Mark frowned at me, then shrugged. "Maybe."

"Yeah. You think I'm crazy or else you wouldn't have brought me here. Matter of fact, you wouldn't have followed me into the alley." I back-flipped off of the chopper, which made Mark reel back in shock, and landed on my feet behind it, pointing an accusing finger at him. "Let's get somethin' straight right fucking now! I ain't fuckin' crazy, man!"

Mark simply gave me an unconvinced look. "Yeah...they usually don't admit it when they're in your state of mind."

"Oh, really? And just what in the hell is my state of mind?"

"Right now you're pretty normal. But back there in that alley, I saw something different. Like I was talking to two different people at one time. Except, that second person didn't come out until much later."

I stared at him, my chest heaving up and down as I felt myself becoming angry. "You know what?" I looked away for a minute, then back at him. "Maybe you're right."

Mark narrowed his eyes questioningly.

"If this is what you call a Madhouse...I fucking belong here."

"No shit, Sherlock." Mark stood up off the chopper, swinging his long leg over the back. "Now get your ass in here or I'll have to drag you."

I put my head down a little as I followed him toward the front door. He didn't have a big porch like I did back at my place; just a staircase leading up to a brick platform with enough space to put a bench. I assumed it was where he had his smokes when he needed them and I was pretty sure that with his kind of life, he needed an awful lot of nicotine.

He pulled a key out of his pocket and unlocked the front door, opening it to expose a huge foyer. The lighting was rather dim as I stepped slowly inside and he walked in behind me. I could tell by the décor of the house that he was into a rather dark taste. Most, if not all, of the wooden furniture was mahogany and the walls were painted a dark green. Even the tiles on the floor were black marble. He had an interesting collection of art decorating his walls. Art from hundreds of years ago. Portraits of people who looked like fucking vampires, paintings of peaceful graveyards, and even a painting of an eerie meadow. I swallowed once again and felt him tugging at the vest he'd given me. "Showers are upstairs. I'll get you a room to stay in for the night. Let you settle in and get comfy."

I whirled around to face him, giving him a frantic look. "I don't have anything else to put on." I informed him. "And going back home to get clothes is pretty dangerous at this point."

"Kid. I got all that taken care of." Mark replied. "Just get out of those filthy clothes and get in a fucking shower. I don't need my damn house to smell like piss and blood. Speakin' of which, let me show you to it." He began toward a tall staircase that winded up to the second floor. The place was fucking huge. Big man; big house. We climbed up the stairs and as I followed behind him, I couldn't help but notice how nice his ass looked in the jeans he was wearing. I bit my lip, but stopped immediately when the taste of blood filled my mouth. I made a funny face and wiped my mouth with my arm. I was startled to see that I still had so much of it left on me. How did no one notice on the way here?

When we got to the second floor, I noticed that it was just as dark and macabre as the first floor. There were several doors leading to several bedrooms lining the long hallway before us and I could see an elevator all the way down at the end of the hall. Wow, I thought to myself as I lifted my brows. "How do I know I'll be safe here, uh, Mark?" I asked curiously, looking up at the back of Mark's head.

"Because no one knows what's in this house...except for the residents here." He answered. He found an empty bedroom in the middle of the hallway, opening the door for me like a gentlemen. I thanked him as I walked inside and looked around. The room was nice...and dark, of course. "And if anyone other than the residents find out...well, let's just say its the last thing they'll ever know."

I frowned at that, but by the time I turned to ask him what he had meant, the door had already slammed shut and he was gone like that, leaving me alone to handle my business. I blinked several times then took a moment to look around the room. There was a dresser, an arm, a nice sized bed and a closet that I was pretty sure could hold a damn car. The door was wide open so I could see that there were clothes on the inside. Walking over to the closet, I flipped a switch next to the door and instantly a light flashed on from the inside. I didn't know whether or not Mark had taken the time to pick these clothes out for someone whom he knew would eventually join the manor or if they were clothes he'd worn way back in time. Nevertheless, they were quite stylish and I couldn't help but admire his badass biker fashion.

I found a bathrobe in the closet, wrapping it around me after I had stripped myself of my own clothes. The robe was enormous on me, probably belonged to Mark once upon a time. It was white, cotton fabric, soft and comfy as a mother fucker! I went to my new dresser to pose in it, just to see myself act silly, but then I saw something that immediately killed the silly mood. Blood. There was still blood all over my face, hair, and chest. The reality of what had happened moments ago struck me like a lightning bolt and for a moment all I could do was stare at my own reflection in silence. It was like looking at a character from a horror movie, a psychotic escapee from an asylum who had just committed an awful crime. "Oh, Matty." I breathed quietly, reaching up to touch my blood-stained face, a face that had brought me pride and dignity for years in the past. "I'm a monster, Matty."

A loud knock on the door interrupted me. In fact, the suddenness of the knock made me jump hard enough to backhand a tall wine bottle onto the floor. I was grateful when it hit the carpeted floor and stayed in one piece, but I was sure whoever owned it would have been pissed to see it there. "Come in." I yelled, quickly scooping up the wine bottle and placing it back on the dresser. Who the fuck was drinking in this room anyway?

The door opened a second later and I looked up in time to see that badass redhead sticking his head through the doorway. "Can you hurry up? I gotta show you to the bathroom." He said.

"Sorry. I was just coming out." I answered quickly and a bit nervously, gathering up my robe as I began toward the door. I noticed the way he looked me up and down while I was in my bathrobe and I blushed momentarily. Hopefully he hadn't noticed. He held the door open for me as I walked out. Such a gentleman, I thought. Which somewhat contradicted the way he looked. We walked down the hallway side by side and I purposely moved a bit close to him without him noticing just so I could feel his huge, muscular arm brush against mine.

"Hey, kid." He spoke up, causing my eyes to snap up to look at his face.

"Yeah?" I answered almost cheerily.

"Ever heard of personal space? I mean, I know you're kinda nervous about being here and all but..."

"I'm sorry." I quickly apologized, moving myself away. "So how long have you lived here?" I tried to change the subject, feeling a bit awkward now.

Mark arched an eyebrow at me before answering. "Been here since 1992, son. It was the first year I noticed my own illness."

"Illness?" I frowned up at him.

He took a deep breath and tucked his hands into his front pockets. "Yeah. Don't wanna call it nothin' else. I didn't wanna move into a neighborhood full of mansions because then I would be around people. I would've been dangerous around...so many people." It looked like he shuddered at the thought. "I prefer the peace and quiet of isolation. Where do you live?"

"North Carolina originally. But...me and Matty had to move out of that place. We figured Texas would give us...y'know...a bit more."

Mark nodded as we turned a corner and stopped. "There's the bathroom, kid." He inclined his head toward a tall, wooden door. "Don't take long. Dinner's in about an hour."

"Oh, sweet! Feels like I haven't eaten in days, man!" I beamed. "And, uh, thanks...Mark. Thanks for everything. I don't know what would've happened to me if you didn't show up in that alley."

At first Mark didn't respond, then a small smile appeared on his rugged features. I smiled back at him uncontrollably, then turned and went inside the bathroom, shutting the door behind me.

The bathroom was relatively large and I could tell that it was used by several people. The sink had toothbrushes, razors, and makeup utensils everywhere so it was evident that I was sharing this piece with a woman. I took off my robe and hung it on a hook, stepping into the large, glass shower and turning on the water. Immediately, the cold liquid met my bare skin, causing me to shiver pretty hard, but pretty soon, soothing warm water was running down my body. Sighing in relief, I closed my eyes and hung my head down, allowing the water to soak my hair and wash the makeup off of my face. I began to hear one of my favorite songs in my head, Highway To Hell by ACDC, and as usual, I started to sing it quietly, my head eventually beginning to bob to the rhythm of the music.

When I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was the blood coming off of my body running down into the shower drain. It scared me at first and I sucked in a gasp, taking a few steps away from it as quickly as I could. Why was I so afraid? Perhaps I was afraid of the fact that I had actually enjoyed killing that man in the alley. The feeling of his bones cracking and breaking under my fists and the sound of his neck snapping as I ended his life brought such joy and satisfaction to my heart that I could hardly contain it. But why? I hated it! I hate not being normal.

Suddenly becoming angry, I grabbed a bottle of Dial shower gel off the rack in front of me and popped open the lid, squirting the cold gel all over my torso. I began rubbing my hands vigorously all over my body, lathering the soap all over me. It smelled so strong, so masculine. As a matter of fact, the manly scent made me think of Mark. There was no denying my strange attraction to him. I mean, he was like a hero when he rescued me from that alley. Yeah...maybe that was the reason. If only he had joined me –

"Excuse me?"

Oh my, God! A sudden female voice had spoken and I jumped so hard I accidentally scratched myself across my right nipple. "Shit." I hissed as I crouched forward a bit, looking through the glass door of the shower to see who the hell it was that had just intruded. "Occupied!" I shouted, squinting.

"I know that. You don't have to tell me." The female spoke again.

"Well, can you get out of here until I'm done? I don't like people intruding while I'm showering."

"Oh, keep your balls on." I could hear the woman walking toward the sink. She stopped to look at herself in the mirror for a second, then started walking again. At that moment, the unthinkable happened.

The shower door swung open and I didn't know whether to react from the sudden burst of cold air of the sight of an unknown naked woman standing directly in front of me. I immediately jumped back against the wall and covered myself, my eyes and mouth falling agape. "Oh, my God! What the hell! Who the fuck are you?" I shouted frantically.

"Doesn't matter." The woman answered, tossing her long, brown hair as if she were in a Cover Girl commercial. "Now get out of my way."

"What the fuck do you mean get out of your way? I'm trying to take a fucking shower!" I felt myself wanting to throttle this lady for barging in on me like this, but then it hit me. Fuck...she's one of the crazies in this house. I guess I should expect the worst at all times.

She stepped into the shower without answering my question and used one hand to push me to the back, completely disregarding the fact that I was there first...and I was naked! "What the fuck are you doing!" I yelled at her, staying against the wall.

"What's it look like, douche bag! I'm taking a fucking shower!" She barked at me, hissing at me over her shoulder like some kind of animal. She walked under the running water and started to rinse out her hair. I couldn't help but look her up and down while she got soaking wet in front of me. She had the most amazing body I had ever fucking seen! I swallowed and forced myself to look away, then sighed in defeat. "Fine." I huffed in frustration. "I'll just let you have the fucking shower."

I had just started to exit when she suddenly whirled around and grabbed my arm. I instantly gawked at her like she was completely insane, her iron grip sending a hint of pain through my arm. She glared at me through strands of brown hair falling down her face like the grudge as if I had said something offensive to her. "Don't you dare fucking leave me." She demanded.

Okay, now this lady was giving me the creeps. "Alright." I put up one hand in defense, afraid that she would bash me upside the head with a bar of soap if I didn't obey her. "I won't leave. Just...don't fucking touch me okay?"

She gasped at that and pulled her hands to her chest in shock, giving me a puppy dog look. "Well, why not?" She asked.

I frowned at her, still trying my hardest to hide my junk with my hands. "What do you mean why not? Cause this is some fucking awkward shit, lady! I don't even know you and we're sharing a shower!"

She reeled back and hissed at me again, this time baring her teeth like she was a vampire or something. I flinched for a second, my eyes widening at her. We were both silent, looking each other in the eyes, predator and prey. Then she stood up straight and started to giggle like a little girl.

Oh, my God. This bitch is fucking psycho! I swallowed. "What's so fucking funny?" I lowered my voice.

"You're so pretty, Mr." She said in a high, child-like voice. Like the voice of the scary little girls you see in horror movies singing, "One two, Freddie's coming for you."

"Uh, thank y-"

"Tell me...do you think I'm pretty?" She tilted her head a bit as she smiled innocently at me, her eyes sparkling as they looked deep into mine.

My groin twitched, but thank Odin I was still soft. "Uh...you're pretty? Yeah, you're very pretty." I said it just to get myself out of whatever trouble had suddenly come upon me. This lady had nothing but bad news written all over her.

"Aw, you're so sweet. Can I touch you now?" She reached for me before I could even respond,slapping her hands to my face.

I immediately jumped back, breaking the door open with my body. I caught myself from stumbling as I began backing away toward the door and this crazy bitch followed me, her arms still outstretched toward me like she was chasing a magical unicorn who promised her candy. "No, stop it." I commanded, using my shoulders to block her hands as best I could as she now began to touch my chest area. "You're so dirty! Get away from me!"

She exploded into kiddy laughter and suddenly leaped forward, wrapping her arms around my neck. Before I knew it, I was falling backwards under her weight, shouting for help. My back hit the bathroom door and immediately broke it open sending me and the crazy bitch collapsing out into the hallway. I landed faceup and she landed facedown on top of me, giggling and snorting as she kicked her legs in pure excitement. "Yay! Pretty kitty's got the itty bitty mousey!" She cheered.

"Bitch, get off me. Now!" I grunted, struggling to push her off of me.

I heard a deep voice clear its throat after that and immediately froze. Damnit, I swore at myself, assuming that it was Mark. Hesitantly, I turned my head to the side and the first thing I saw was a pair of feet dressed in black socks. Above that stood a pair of long, denim-clad legs but as I looked up even further, I discovered that this man was not Mark at all. No, he was much shorter than Mark, and had finely tanned skin unlike Mark. Instead of long red hair, this man had his hair cut short and instead of acid green eyes, this man had intimidating gray eyes planted into a face chiseled out of stone, both flawless and hairless.

Without taking my eyes off of the man, I shoved the crazy bitch off of me as hard as I possibly could, hearing her shriek loudly as she flew aside and hit the floor with a thud. Looking into this man's eyes, I felt a sense of familiarity come over me. His look told a story that I felt I had been apart of. Every feature of him brought something back in me and I knew I had seen this man before. Yes, I definitely knew him from somewhere.

"Trish." He spoke, his deep voice swimming around my head and into my ears like needles. "Trying to have your way with unknown men again? How many times do I have to tell Mark to put your ass on a leash?" Even the sarcasm in his tone was awfully familiar and I frowned at him, wonderingly. "Now get your ass up and get yourself together, you slut."

The woman named Trish jumped to her feet angrily, pouting at the man. "You never let me have any fun!" She whined, then stormed back into the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind her.

I rolled over and pushed myself up to my feet slowly, covering myself with my hands again. I couldn't help but stare at this man in shock as recognition hammered itself into my brain.

"Randy!"