CHAPTER 3 : Madness

I was laid sprawled out on my bed, my headphones on, listening to a song by Imagine dragons. I had just finished my homework and not feeling particularly sleepy I figured this was a good way to kill time.

My eyes were squeezed shut as I sang along-off key-to boomerang, when a hand clasped my shoulder and I squealed like a child as my eyes shot open. I sat up on the bed to find Harrod standing in front of me. I took off the headphones casting them aside.

"I didn't mean to startle you. I did knock," he explained.

"It's okay," I got onto my feet straightening my clothes. "Did you want something?"

"Dinner is ready," he announced.

"Oh, okay."

He left my room and I followed after him.

I dined alone in the dining room. It was quiet, the only sound was the clinking of the silver utensils against the china plates resounding through the massive dining room. I hated how lonesome the house seemed. It used to have so much life, back when my mother was still alive. Now it stood cold and dreary.

This was so different from when I was at the boarding school. Dinner was always so lively and noisy, about two hundred students piled up in one large dining hall . I hated it at first, I hated large crowds but soon I grew accustomed to it. I found myself actually missing it at the moment.

After I had finished my meal I decided I would call it a night. I had nothing left to occupy my time. In the quiet moments, when I had nothing but my thoughts, all I could really think of was how much missed Jack. I hated it when my mind inadvertently drifted to memories of him. I was trying to move on. I hated how sad thinking of him made me, how guilty I felt. Was it so much to ask to just forget him?

He was my best friend and begging to forget him probably seemed terrible but remembering him was crippling. It was consuming. Moving on was the only way. But in order to move on I needed to forget.

I laid on my bed again, trying to find sleep but none came. I stared up at the ceiling fiddling with the sheets until I sighed exasperatedly, before I sat up in my bed. I scooted until I was seated at the edge of the bed then I got onto my feet. I grabbed a book off the book shelf then slumped down by my bay window.

I had only gone through a few pages when something outside my window caught my eye. It was dark so I couldn't be exactly sure what it was. I leaned in closer but the figure disappeared into the woods. I could have been mistaken, but it looked like someone was watching me or the house. It sent a cold chill down my spine.

But I shrugged it off, I was tired I was probably just seeing things. I set the book down returning to bed. I just needed sleep, that's all. I'd feel better in the morning. When I finally did fall asleep I was plunged into a nightmare.

Cold, coarse hands gripped me, and I screamed as they pulled me further into the darkness. I pleaded for the brute that had me at his mercy to release me, but he only laughed. The sound was raspy, and cruel. He was stronger and his tightened grip promised nothing but pain.

He opened a door tossing me into the room before he slammed the door shut. He left me alone but that wouldn't be the case for long. He was coming back, I knew it. I scrambled to my feet shuffled through the room looking for a hiding spot. I found one, under the bed.

My breath was heavy, my heart was racing and tears trickled down my cheeks. Genuine terror consumed me and I shuddered anticipating the worst. When the door swung open slamming the wall I almost shrieked.

"Come on little bird," his husky voice called out to me and I pulled my hand over my mouth trying to remain as quiet as possible. "You know I don't like it when you play games," his steps grew louder as he approached the bed.

I knew he'd find me, he always did...

I woke in a fright, tears stinging my eyes. I scrambled off the bed and onto my feet as bile rose in my throat. I made it to the bathroom where I fell before the toilet and proceeded to empty the contents of my stomach. I retched over the toilet long after my stomach was empty as I dry heaved. It was painful and when it was finally over I curled up on the floor, silently weeping.

I hadn't had a nightmare that bad in years. I thought I'd outgrown them. I sat there, my arms wrapped around my legs, my head rested on top of my knees for what felt like hours.

When I finally regained my composure I rose on shaky legs, stumbling to the sink. I splashed water on my face, rinsing out my mouth. I felt horrible and looked it too. Peering into the mirror I retched at my reflection. My bloodshot eyes were frantic almost crazed, my hair was sticking all over and my skin looked ghostly pale. I looked sick, I felt sick.

I adverted my eyes turning back towards my room where I slipped back into my bed. I didn't fall back to sleep that night, too afraid to shut my eyes. I curled up in my bed whispering 'it was just a dream' over and over again, hoping that I'd eventually believe it. Logically I knew it wasn't real but I could still feel coarse hands on my skin. It was real enough.

When the sun rose I was still a mess, mentally and physically. I moved through my morning routine mechanically, taking a shower, brushing my teeth and getting dressed. I didn't have the appetite for breakfast so I went to school on an empty stomach.

Harrod dropped me off like he did yesterday and drove off. As I walked through the school halls I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched. It's difficult to explain but I could just sense it. However each time I turned my head all I saw behind me were teenagers making their way to their classes.

I shrugged it off as my paranoia. One bad dream and I was losing it. My anxiety always seemed to flare up every time I didn't get enough sleep. I pulled up my book bag, tightening my grip as I maneuvered my way through the horde of teenagers.

Out of nowhere someone bumped into my shoulder, the touch sent an ice cold chill going through my veins. It woke every survival instinct in my body and they were screaming for me to run. I looked up to find a guy, an inch taller than me and with incredibly pale skin. His eyes were hidden behind sunglasses and his hair beneath a black hood.

I tried to apologize but the moment I opened my mouth he ducked away from me. There was something eerily familiar about him, but I could have sworn I had never met him before.

I followed after him. I had no idea why but I just did it. He ducked into the boys locker room, then out into the gym. I followed his black hood all the way out through the back exit, but the moment I stepped outside he was nowhere to be seen.

"What are you doing?" I jumped two feet in the air before I whipped around. Leaned against the wall was the blonde haired boy.

"Adrian," I said, clutching my chest trying to clam my poor racing heart. It took a second before I regained my composure. "I was just- I w-was... You didn't see anyone coming out here, did you?" I scanned the area, but besides Adrian and I, there was no one else.

"Besides you?" He asked, and I replied with a simple nod. He pushed off the wall coming to stand in front of me, "No."

"Oh-okay" I said, bitting into my bottom lip, "What are you doing out here?" I asked, trying to distract from the fact he was mere inches from me and it was making my cheeks burn up.

"Needed some air," he shrugged, then asked, "What are you doing out here?"

The moment I opened my mouth to answer the school bell rang, literally saving me. I had no excuse in mind, odds were I was probably going to stand there bumbling like a fool.

"I have to go," I mumbled.

He leaned in closer and my breath hitched before he whispered,"Bye, Marcus." And he stepped back.

My farewell came out as an incoherent murmur, but he was already back inside, my words went heard. I stood there for several seconds, calming the fluttering butterflies in my stomach. Why did he have to get so close to me? With a huff I walked back into the school.

I got into class missing the late bell by a hair's breadth. I settled in my seat which was right next to Adrian's. Our eyes met for a brief second and my cheeks heated up. I jerked away fumbling through my bag for my note book.

Mr Sheerly began the class and as he drawled on my mind remained preoccupied. The nightmare added on to my lack of sleep and the hooded stranger where leaving my mind frazzled. I had a really bad feeling. It could have just been paranoia.

Paranoia and I were old foes. I never saw things as they were, my mind always found ways to blow things out of proportion. I saw ghosts were there were none. And trying to convince myself that there was nothing there was damn near impossible. Logic told me there was nothing to worry about. Tried to console Paranoia, convince him that there was nothing to be so anxious over, but Paranoia was frantic, refusing to see reason.

Paranoia whispered to me, telling me that we were being watched. That something bad could happen at any moment. I tried to ignore him, his rumblings were madness. But even a mad man with enough conviction can make fools of us all. He seemed to have a point. He reminded me of the incident last night, the guy in the black hood and the feeling I couldn't shrugged off. These things had to mean something, didn't there?

"Are you okay?" Abby asked as we walked out to the parking lot. I had been nervously checking behind us every three seconds looking for my hooded stalker. Every time I checked all I saw were teenagers chitchatting. There was nobody there but I couldn't shake the feeling that I was been watched.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I shrugged away her concern, tightening my grip on the strap of my book bag.

She obviously didn't believe me. She was too perspective to buy into my lies. She furrowed her brows scrutinizing my face. My cheek heated up under her gaze. She seemed to find whatever truth she was looking for before she shrugged and walked out the front entrance. I followed after her.

"Wanna hang out?" She asked nonchalantly, "Adrian is coming over to my house, you could join us."

"Um-" I never got a chance to finish my possible decline or acceptance of her offer as she interrupted me.

"You can't say no," she stated crossing her arms over her chest, her face morphing into a pout.

I giggled at her childish display, "I wasn't going to," I claimed even though we both knew that wasn't true. It's not that I didn't want to hang out with Abby and Adrian but I just didn't know how to. It was easier at school, not much was expected of me. We just talked at lunch, random things in fact. For instance today we rumbled on for the entire hour about our favorite bands. That was easy, simple. But what if I said something wrong and she didn't want to be my friend. I wanted us to be friends. I just hoped I didn't screw it up, but there was no point in obsessively worrying, I was going either way.

I scanned the parking lot for Harrod, finding him immediately. "I just have to do something first," I said and she nodded. I approached Harrod.

"Good afternoon, master Marcus. How was your day?"

"Good" I lied, and he seemed to have noticed but he brought no attention to my little fib. I shrugged my book bag off my shoulder.

"I'm going to a friend's house," I said dropping my bag into the backseat, "I'll text you after I'm done."

"Very well sir." He said before I turned back and jogged to Abby. I got into her car and she drove us to her house.

We pulled up in front of a two story suburban house. It was painted white and had a lovely flower garden in the front.

"Now are you going to tell me what's been bothering you?" She asked as soon as she had the front door shut.

"Did you bring me here just to interrogate me?" I crooked a brow.

"No, we can watch a movie later," she spotted me a playful grin, "Now spill."

"Nothing. It's not big deal. I just had a bad dream, it's making me jumpy."

"I have the perfect solution for that," she said grabbing hold of my forearm pulling me further into the house.

We entered the kitchen. The shelves stocked with jars of herbs and other commodities I didn't quite recognized. She filled a kettle with water before placing it on the stove.

"This will make you feel better," She grabbed a mug and one of the jars from the top shelf, scoped out a tea spoon full of the herbs and mixed them in with the hot water, before she handed me the mug.

"What is it?"

"It's a herbal tea, my mom makes it for me all the time, whenever I'm stressed or anxious. I promise it works wonders."

I watched the still swirling liquid warily, before I took a sip. The taste was foreign but not unpleasant.

"It's nice," I said before I took another sip.

"Trust me you'll be feeling better in-" she was interrupted by the door bell.

"That must be Adrian. I'll be right back," she said before rushing out of the room.

I was left nursing my mug of tea. I looked around the kitchen. I liked the way it was decorated, the Celtic symbols carved into the cabinet doors, the statue of the mother goddess placed in the center of the counter and the witch bells hanging from the door handle. To be honest it reminded me of my mother. She was a believer in the earth goddess, the harmony of nature and the natural order of things. She was eccentric. I found her beliefs fascinating and maybe when I was younger I even shared them. I'd outgrown them without her guide.

Abby came back with Adrian a minute later and we headed for the living room. We watched a movie eating too much carbs laughing too hard. I had fun. For the first time since my fight with Jack I was actually enjoying myself. All the anxiety from earlier melted away. The paranoia I'd been feeling all day silenced. I felt worlds better. The tea actually worked and I was glad of it. It was so good to stop worrying even if it was just for an afternoon.