CHAPTER 45: Insanity

The POVs will alternate between Elyssia, Elias and Peater.

ELYSSIA'S PERSPECTIVE

I gasped at Ash's idea of a bargain. Let Peater die, and yet serve justice? Let the proof die, and yet spare his life? I weighed the pros and the cons, but it was difficult. Ash, meanwhile, was giving me a mocking stare.

"Still deciding on what to eat for supper, or are you gonna let me kill you right now?"

I heard a mocking voice come from somewhere in the room, and yet Ash didn't appear to have spoken.

"Ash, if this is one of your ventriloquism tricks, I recommend that you cut it out. NOW. " Ash just frowned at me.

"Mind playing tricks on you again?" he asked tauntingly.

I gasped, and resisted the urge to let my fresh tears pour onto my cheeks.

Great ― now I'm hallucinating. Perfect!

I, Elyssia Antonia Maccabaeus, am having the delusions of a madcap who has tried to commit suicide at least ten times! Congratulations, Elyssia! You aren't just plain sailing downhill ― you're galloping downhill, just like a mad horse!

I shook my head once, twice, three times.

Since when did I ever talk to myself in my head in this way?

"YES you are galloping downhill like a wild horse! A wild, crazy horse indeed! NEEIIIGH!"

I heard that taunting voice again.

And this time, I could see where ― or rather, who it was coming from. Mar was in the room, and insane smile on her face.

"Ha HAAA! You ridiculous freak!" she crowed, slapping her skinny knee with one green hand.

Ash joined in the laughter, picked Mar up, and set her on the meeting table.

"Turn and go. NOW!" they both commanded in unison.

"It's a free country, and I don't have to do what you want me to do!" I sang tauntingly.

"SHUT!" Ash yelled as he whacked me hard with a plank of wood that was on a nearby shelf.

PEATER'S PERSPECTIVE

I looked up at the ceiling and frowned. There was yelling, mad laughter, and the sound of ripping paper. My father could hear it too, because he was looking at the ceiling with a look of apprehension on his face.

"What in the damn name of hell is going on in this damn, damn place?!" he growled, stomping his root on the ground with each damn.

"I don't know! Do I look like Nikola Tesla to you?" I quipped.

"Go up there and see what's going on." my father ordered, one leaf pointing at the staircase.

"Why don't you go up there?" I grumbled.

"I . . . JUST GO!" my father yelled. "Just go!" I mocked quietly as I made a dash towards the stairs.

ELYSSIA'S PERSPECTIVE

I yelled out in pain as Ash whacked me yet again. Then, weird sounds started to fill the room.

Buzzzz . . .

Click-click!

Buzzzz . . .

My body was hurting again. My face must have reflected my pain, for Mar and Ash were high fiving each other.

"Success!" they hissed. I screamed out loud for the whole world to hear as the room began to dissolve into blackness.

PEATER'S PERSPECTIVE

I heard the scream yet again, and I heard it coming from the top of the stairs. As I arrived at the landing, I saw a sight that I knew was going to haunt me for the rest of my life. For right in front of my eyes, Elyssia was on the floor, blood pooling out of several stab wounds.

"Elyssia!" I gasped as I knelt down beside her.

Jesus! Why must I always be the one who is almost always the cause of her injuries?! WHY?! WHY?! My tears started to flow onto my leaves, mixing with the dark red blood. I then remembered all those times when I attacked her with a knife ― Mar was there each and every time. Although this discovery was somewhat comforting, I couldn't move; I was stuck on the spot, holding the girl that died all because of my stupidity.

"Whoever did this will pay one hell of a heavy price!" I yelled, to nobody in particular.

I held Elyssia's leaves, wishing that she'd spring back to life again, like on so many occasions. Oh, stupid life! Stupid, stupid, crappy, double-damned thing called LIFE! Always a living hell, so full of REGRETS! I wish that I had paid attention, I wish that I wasn't so damn stupid, and I wish to hell and Satan and the angels that I could just prevent these things from happening! JESUS CHRI ―

ELIAS' PERSPECTIVE

I sat back for a moment and did some deep thinking. Elyssia wasn't all that bad ― in fact, she's quite amiable. Damn . . . that girl is strong, lovely, smart and honest. Just the kind of girl-plant that I want my son to hook up with. Who cares is she has a tattoo? Who cares if she looked ugly and acted dumb as a sprout? She's grown up now. She's this Coponeva Insuperabilis girl that everyone's been talking about ―

Now hold on for a sec there, Elias! Isn't she the one who deserves to go to an insane asylum? Already beginning to have cognitive decline like your son?

WAIT! Why am I talking to myself? Has Elyssia's illness gone into me as well?

That's IT!

If Elyssia is sick with some contagious mental illness, and she has passed it onto me, well I SHALL SEE TO IT PERSONALLY THAT SHE AND PEATER NEVER SEE EACH OTHER AGAIN FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES!

Oh boy, the world spins without a care, and yet everyone in here is going insane!

PEATER'S PERSPECTIVE

My mental rant was interrupted by Elyssia's body dissolving. The blood dissolved along with it, and I was left seeing nothing on the floor. I then facepalmed.

"PERFECT! I'm going insane! Someone call the psycho ward, I think that they've got a missing inmate! Namely me!" I muttered to myself.

Hold on a sec . . . what is going on in here?

Calling myself a missing inmate of a psycho ward . . . is that sane?