Chapter 28: He's Back

It was the middle of the night a few weeks later and I couldn't sleep. Liza was next to me and already soundly tucked in. The thunder outside was loud, along with the pouring rain. I didn't have a good feeling so I got out of bed slowly, and left the room. Walking down the hallway I thought about everything that had happened to me before now, and how I got here.

I didn't like thinking about my past but it was all my brain could think about. All the years of suffering and torment couldn't leave my head. I walked past the dark, rain-hitting windows and down the stairs. I walked into the living room and sat on the sofa. I decided that I wouldn't be able to sleep until these thoughts left my head, so I waited.

The only sounds I could hear were the loud storm outside and the screaming of my thoughts and memories. I grabbed my forehead suddenly, trying not to scream. 'Am I going to have another insane attack?' I haven't had one in so long that I started to hyperventilate. Placing my other hand over my face, my body shook fiercely.

I desperately didn't want to become hungry because of this. I usually did after, back when I was in prison. Before I could find out, I felt a small warm hand on my shoulder. I instantly calmed down and looked up to see Liza sitting next to me. I looked at her in surprise. "Why are you awake?"

The ghost of a smile was on her face that was barely visible in the dark. "I noticed you leaving the room. Did something make you upset?" I turned away from her. "I don't know. I-" I paused to a loud crash of lightning outside, and the shadow of a person appeared on the wall in front of us coming from out the window.

My eyes widened and I quickly turned around to look through the window behind us. Nothing was there. "Did you see that?" Liza started to get uneasy. "I-I think I did." I grabbed her hand quickly and pulled her up away from the window and behind me. Her shaking fingers gripped my shirt. "What's going on?"

I kept my gaze towards the window. "Nothing good." A moment of silence passed before something came through the window startling Liza. Among the broken glass that now covered the sofa and the floor, there was a rock rolling towards us. It turned around to show the word 'Die' written in blood across the surface of the rock. Suddenly, there was a bang at the door. Liza gasped and another loud bang came from outside.

I didn't have time to react as the locks blasted off and the door swung open. I kept Liza behind me as the silhouette of someone entered the room with a shotgun in hand. Another crash of lightning came from outside, the light reflecting across the figure's face. I stared in shock seeing the man I hated most in the world standing there in front of us. He was soaking wet from the pouring rain, and there were bandages on both his arms and around his jaw.

I tilted my head to the crazy look in his eyes as he raised the shotgun and walked towards us. Liza was shaking but I could tell she trusted me because she didn't move. The inside of me wanted to laugh at his stupidity of coming here alone and immediately kill him, and I would've done that if I didn't have someone to protect. Even so, I wasn't afraid of him. I could tell that his sanity was slipping.

I knew how to read the insane side of people. Sighing, I crossed my arms and rolled my eyes as he pointed the gun at my neck. "Long time no see warden." He glared at my lack of a reaction. "You think you're so smart, hiding in this god-forsaken place, thinking I wouldn't find you." I blinked. "I thought you were dead. Why would I hide from a dead guy? I just live here."

He raised his voice the moment I finished my sentence. "Shut up! I expected you to try to kill me by now! What's wrong with you?!" I shrugged. "I'm just trying to understand why someone as smart as you would come here alone, to commit murder in the mountains no less. I thought you knew how the government worked." He pressed the gun into my neck and smiled.

He then pulled a phone out of his pocket and dialed 911. "Once you're dead, it would've all just looked like a horrible accident." The phone picked up saying the usual line, and he raised it to his ear. "I just witnessed the murder of two civilians. The murderer ran away and I need help..." He continued, giving them the address, and hung up the phone.

I raised an eyebrow. 'So that's his plan? I can already see holes in his story. Why would someone break into a mansion just to kill two people and not steal anything? And how would he have happened to witness it? We're in the middle of nowhere. Did he just happen to pass by in the pouring rain wearing a suit in the mountains? Man, he really is losing his mind. But, we're still going to die no matter if the police catch him or not. I need to figure out how to get out of this.' I thought.

He put the phone back in his pocket and placed his hand back on the gun. "You two have been a pain in my ass ever since we met. Any last words?" I nodded. "Yes. Fuck you." Without thinking, I grabbed the barrel of the gun and forced it up as it fired. The blast went through the ceiling and Liza fell down, a short scream escaping her lips as a piece of drywall fell next to her.

Me and the warden both held each side of the shotgun, pushing it harder and harder. I kept the barrel in the air and I could tell that his grip was failing him. I used this opportunity to knee him hard in the stomach and kick him away. He let go of the gun and hit the floor cringing in pain. I then turned the gun around and pointed it at the warden loading it.

He looked at me with shock. I walked towards him angry. "You're obsessed. You've lost your mind like me. You've become the very thing you sought out to destroy." He glared at me. "I don't care. Die!!" He then pulled a knife from behind him and threw it at me.

I jolted back as the knife hit me in the stomach, reopening the wound Liza gave me. "A-h!" Liza yelled for me. "Kip!!" But for a moment I had forgotten pain's effect on me. I started to feel so good that I lost focus. I then pulled out the knife and the feeling doubled. My vision clouded over and I could feel the adrenaline flow through my veins. 'Oh no.' I thought. The craving for human flesh came to my tongue and smelling my blood only made the feeling get worse.