Micaden’s Madness

by Mason, V. F.

  I picked up my duffel bag and checked everything important there. ID, cash because credit cards had no use, and a few of my drawings along with the phone charger. I had no clue what our plans were, but running away was our best bet.

  Even if it seemed stupid and might anger my father more.

  I glanced through the window, but Donovan was nowhere in sight, so I rested my back on the windowsill and tapped my foot, waiting, a small smile gracing my lips at the prospect of seeing Brochan.

  My actions were reckless, but I couldn’t be happier, because we’d be together. Maybe young love was not forever, but I wanted to live through my own experiences and pain if such should happen. Not live by the rules of others who claimed they knew better.

  I once heard a saying with which I agreed wholeheartedly. You couldn’t be wise and old if you weren’t young and reckless.

  My door shook as my dad once again thumped his fist, but I ignored it, like I did with all their previous attempts to talk to me. Throughout the day, they tried telling me how my behavior was irrational and stupid, demanding I come out of the room and pack my stuff.

  I gave them the silent treatment, which was childish as hell, but I didn’t care.

  “Emerald.” I blinked in surprise at the voice on the other side, shaking my head. But then it sounded again, sending chills downs my spine. “Emerald, please open the door.”

  Yeah, right.

  They brought Elijah here of all people? I couldn’t stand the guy, because he constantly tried to put labels on me that made zero sense, like depression or teenager rebellion. Why Dad kept him as his personal shrink I would never know, but I didn’t need his professional help, that was for sure.

  I screamed as the door broke when he kicked it open. While he stood in the doorway with the light shining brightly behind him, he had an even more sinister appearance.

  “Emerald, this shouldn’t have happened like this,” Mom spoke from behind him, remorse crossing her face right before the familiar carelessness entered. “But this will help you.”

  “Don’t come inside,” I warned, grabbing the vase from the table and lifting it up. “Don’t even think about touching me.”

  That was when Dad appeared next to Elijah and sighed. “See? Like I told you. She has lost her mind.”

  Elijah nodded, speaking gently. “Emerald, put the vase down and let’s talk, okay? This behavior is not healthy for anyone.” What the hell were they going on about?

  They acted as if I was crazy. Just because I refused to break up with my boyfriend? What was it, the dark ages where parents decided your fate? “I’m okay, so you can leave.” I never liked this guy. Even though he was around ten years older than me, he always had this creepy look about him whenever I caught his gaze on me. He liked to study me a lot and comment on my drawings even when no one asked his opinion.

  Not to mention how much his parents loved to frequent our place while he invited me to go into the garden alone many times. The dude was nothing but a perv in my opinion, and I would never understand how he managed to convince my father otherwise.

  Sometimes I thought they didn’t object to me becoming a psychologist only because he was one. Otherwise, Dad would have pushed me into law so I could follow in his footsteps, to keep their family tradition intact.

  I was their only child, after all.

  From the corner of my eye, I saw Donovan on the street, waving at me frantically, pointing down, as it was time for me to go. From his view, he couldn’t see I wasn’t alone in the room, and I didn’t want to create problems for him too.

  I shook my head violently at him so he wouldn’t come any closer and he froze, disbelief written on his face. But I couldn’t dwell on it for long, as Dad’s next words froze me. “I think there’s no point in prolonging this.”

  “Eric, I’m not sure it’s wise.” There was nothing but softness in Elijah’s freaking voice, and I had never hated the guy more. Only I knew what evil was hidden behind this lamb’s costume.

  “Do it. We love you, Emerald, but a few weeks in a psychiatric ward should help you.”

  “What?” I rasped past my lips as two men, my dad’s bodyguards, stepped inside the room and grabbed both my arms. I struggled in their hold, thrashing from side to side, but my strength was nothing against theirs. “Dad, don’t you dare do this to me.”

  “I told you not to challenge me, my child. You didn’t listen. Now both of you will pay for it.” He walked to my phone and pressed on the messages as he clacked his tongue. “The meeting won’t be happening.” The way he spoke, though, implied something else would.

  “I’ll never accept it,” I cried out, shouting, “Nona, please!” But she was nowhere in sight, only my mother, who turned away from me so she wouldn’t have to see this picture, I assumed.

  Elijah took out a syringe from his case and strolled toward me then pressed his fingers in the crook between my neck and shoulder, but he couldn’t inject it, because I kept jiggling my arms and pulling at my hands. “I’m sorry it had to come to this,” he said, right before inserting the needle in me. I groaned as coldness rushed through me followed by dizziness, and slowly I didn’t have any strength left to fight.

  My eyes could barely stay open and my knees wobbled.

  The last thing on my mind before the medication won was Brochan.

  And what my father would do to him.

  Island, United States

  July 2019

  Emerald

  “So is there a point to this?” I ask, shifting the heavy paper bag in my arms to a better position when we step onto the beach. Immediately, sand slips into my sandals and tickles my toes. “I should always wear flip flops.”

  Eve laughs, slips off her sneakers, and wiggles her toes at me. “I can’t wear flip flops. They hit the back of my foot so hard I can’t walk at the end of the day.” Yeah, I could imagine, since she constantly has to serve customers and hold heavy trays. Slipping in those shoes would be catastrophic too. “Answering your earlier question… I’ve thought about a bonfire.”

  “Bonfire?” I repeat dumbly, looking around, but surprisingly no one is on the beach. “How do you plan to do that?” I’ve only seen this in the movies, but don’t they usually have rocks around and stuff?

  “We need to walk a bit more, to a secret place,” she finishes on a whisper, and then gestures for me to follow her… while her backpack rattles inside. Is she carrying stones with her? She hops from foot to foot, turning to me periodically and throwing happy smiles my way, and she reminds me a little of a bouncing bunny. I hold back a chuckle at the image in my head.

  We’ve spent the entire day together. We started at the local pizza place where we cooked our own pizza while the old lady taught us how to prepare it, and she complimented me for grasping it so easily. It’s like my fingers knew what to do before my brain even registered it.

  Then we walked around town while she showed me various artifacts, tourists hanging around with ice cream, and I even bought a few shirts for my students and Kaden. The place is a bit far away from the inn and main areas, so I didn’t want to come back to it later alone.

  We stopped by the inn to drop all our shopping bags, because my arms had had enough of a workout as it was.

  All the way, she chatted about the locals and stories, and then told me how she and Tom had bought a new house and recently started trying for a baby. Her mom died a few years back, leaving her the coffee shop, while Tom’s parents cruised around the world.

  Among all this chatting, it was clear she avoided the topic of Micaden like the plague, because not once did he come up in any of the conversations, and based on what I’d seen, her husband was his friend. But it was for the best, or else I might have spilled the beans about last night.

  All in all, the day has been awesome and not once did I feel like we are basically strangers. Instead, it felt like I got my best friend back, and we instantly reconnected.

  “Earth to Emerald.” Eve waves in front of my face, and
I pull back from my thoughts, realizing she’s been trying to tell me something. “You are always like that. Live in your head a lot.” She shakes her head, but there’s adoration in her gaze.

  “Considering you are seeing me for the second time, that’s not a statement you can make.” I point at her and expect a giggle, but instead, some cheerfulness leaves her and she nods, albeit strained.

  “Right.” She clears her throat and claps her hands. “So let’s get the fire started.” I blink at the rapid change of emotion on her face, but then shift my focus to the secluded place near the rocks where waves are crashing. The round hole has stones all around it, and it’s clear it’s used for bonfires. The water is several feet away, and with the mesmerizing sunset in front of us, it’s truly a magnificent place to be.

  Gasping, I realize this exact image, sans the ships, is from the painting on Micaden’s wall. So the person must have come here too, if she was able to portray it so accurately? I sigh at the nature’s art, and Eve shakes her head. “Girl, you’ll have plenty of time to admire it. Let’s get the bonfire ready.”

  “The sun will set soon. And we can wait for the fire,” I tell her, still keeping my gaze on the horizon.

  “The moon and stars will replace it, and once again you’ll have something to stare at.”

  “What’s with you and the fire anyway?” I grumble, placing the bag on the sand and dropping next to it, moaning in relief as I slip my sandals off and wrap my hands around my foot. “I have blisters.”

  “Who wears sandals for a day of walking? Emerald.”

  I open my mouth to argue, but then sag my shoulders. I lie back on the sand and not care in the least that it’s getting in my hair, because the peaceful sky above me calms the chaos inside me. “You have a point.”

  “Well, duh. I always have a point.”

  “Showoff,” I reply, and we laugh, but then I freeze, placing my hand on my stomach as images once again assault my mind.

  “Hey, have you ever thought about modesty?” I ask Olivia, and she shrugs, putting on her baseball cap and swirling in front of the mirror.

  “I did.”

  “And?” I twirl a lock of my hair in the curling iron, wanting to have the perfect look for our double date tonight.

  “Someday, the day for the new me will come. But today is not that day.” We stay silent for a bit, but then burst out laughing while music continues to blast from the speakers.

  I rise up swiftly, breathing heavily and scrunching my eyes, ordering the stupid story to go away for now and let me enjoy my reality.

  “Hey, are you all right?” Worry laces her voice as she places her hand on my shoulder, and I nod, but then sigh.

  “Honestly, no.”

  She pushes the bag away and sits next to me, crossing her legs, and then waits a minute before asking, “Do you want to share, or—”

  Do I?

  As long as I can remember myself, I’ve always kept everything hidden, because I didn’t think anyone would understand me. People tend to shy away when they learn about my difficulties, or stammer a lot, giving me reassuring talks, which I don’t need.

  But humans are not meant to be alone. I guess that’s why I blab before I can talk myself out of it. “For months now, a story in my head won’t let go of me. I mentioned it before.” I lick my lips, searching for better words to describe my emotions, but decide to give it raw, because I simply fail to find anything that sounds good. “And sometimes I have these images in my head like flashbacks as if I’m seeing a memory. But I know for a fact those are the scenes from the book.” I rest my chin on my knees, and whisper, “Sounds insane, huh?”

  I expect her to comment on the situation or frown thinking I’m a psycho, but instead her eyes widen, and then she clears her throat. “What kinds of things happen in the story?” Only when the question is out of her mouth do I realize that in all these months I’ve been writing it, no one has asked me about it. The plot always stayed secret, but it’s now vitally important for me to share it.

  “Two people fall in love in the summer and her parents are against it.”

  “Is it done? How does it end?”

  “Probably they run away somehow and end up together. I’m not sure. Right now, I stopped at the part where she’s taken away from him by her father.”

  Eve wraps her hands around mine, squeezing them so tightly I wince, but she doesn’t let go. Instead, she moves closer and wants to know more. “So she never left him?”

  “I don’t know.” My brows furrow and I chuckle, even though it lacks any humor. Something inside me unsettles and a slight tremor rushes through me, because this conversation pulls at the strings in my mind that I can never reach. Whenever that happens, I can expect a headache.

  And the last thing I need is to ruin this day with stupid headaches.

  “You came here, because the story in your head happens here,” she guesses, and I nod.

  “I thought it would be more authentic this way. She loved him a lot. That’s what I know. I’m writing only from her point of view. But deep down, I know it was an excuse to come here without my overprotective brother breathing down my neck.” I slide my hands from under hers and rub my forehead. “I think I’ll drop the idea of finishing it.” It brings nothing but trouble anyway, and besides, I thought at some point this madness would end.

  But ending is nowhere in sight.

  “Continue writing.”

  “What?” Maybe Eve isn’t the best person to discuss it with after all, because she does have rather strange views on things. “Finish the story. Stay here as long as you need. And once you have all the answers, all the weird shit’ll go away from your head.” She sounds so convinced, so sure.

  Shouldn’t she be a little freaked, all things considered?

  A shadow falls over us, and I glance up to see two looming bulky figures above us. Although I don’t see them clearly, I recognize them anyway.

  Micaden and Tom.

  “What are you doing here, guys?” Her tone holds nothing but annoyance, and I shift a little so I can face them right in time to see Tom kneeling next to his wife and giving her a hot kiss right in front of us.

  She’s dazed for a moment but then finds her tongue again. “This is not an excuse. It’s a girls’ night out.”

  His brow rises while he grins. “I thought it was girls’ day out?”

  She circles her arms around his neck, bringing him closer. “Same thing, baby.” Being in their company at such a moment makes me feel like an intruder, because although they don’t do anything out of the norm, all the touches and words are filled with such intimacy I want to go away and leave them alone.

  But with it also comes unexpected grief and resentment, and I’m confused by it all. It’s truly a gift when people can be so in love after all these years, but I don’t find it cute or awe-inspiring.

  Why is there resentment?

  I get up, dust my knees, and murmur, “I’m going to the ocean.”

  Eve gives me a curious stare but just nods, ordering Tom, “Since you’re here, mister, prepare the fire. I want a hot dog like yesterday.” He groans and whispers something in her ear, and she blushes.

  I chuckle in amusement and walk slowly to the beach, passing Micaden and doing my best not to touch him in any way, although it’s almost impossible with him standing in one place like a freaking mountain.

  Breathing in the ocean breeze and dipping my toes in the water stills time, and everything fades away as the serenity of the moment washes over me, keeping me in a tight cocoon that nothing can break.

  Until he speaks next to my ear with his deep, husky, toe-curling freaking tone. “Fancy seeing you here.”

  Fancy seeing me here.

  Fancy freaking seeing me here?

  “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

  He raises his brows at my outburst, but replies, “Tourists don’t come here.” In other words, you are not welcome.

  Message received loud and clear. “I ca
n’t believe you. Out of all the things you could have told me—”

  “There’s something to talk about?”

  I look at him in disbelief, my jaw dropping. “You think there isn’t?” We had sex last night! Shouldn’t we at least mention it somehow to each other?

  He has no reaction to my question though, and my cheeks burn in embarrassment. I cross my arms and spin around again to study the ocean, hoping he’ll go away soon. “I apologize.” I mentally high-five myself for keeping my voice cool and matter-of-fact, no stupid emotions in sight. “I just don’t do that, so I don’t know how I’m supposed to behave.” Honesty is the best policy, or so Kaden claims.

  Not that he’s all that honest with me though, but then again, I never ask questions. So in his case, it’s just not sharing.

  “Do what?”

  He comes closer, splashing water a little on my calves, and I blab, “One-night stands.” I glance at him and blink, because a completely murderous expression crosses his face and his hand grabs my shoulder, bringing me closer. I have to place my hands on his chest so I won’t fall.

  “For everyone’s sake, let’s not talk about you and other men, Emerald.” Anger and—is it possessiveness?—and fury all mixed together to create something dangerous and alarming.

  I’m trying to take a step back, but he doesn’t let me, holding me tightly in his grip. So I do the most idiotic thing ever.

  I tell him the complete truth. “There has been no one, but you.” He freezes, and I close my eyes, because for sure now he’ll run in a different direction. “Well, I mean…there was someone before my accident. Or many someones. I just never had sex after the accident, so yeah.”

  Kill me now.

  Micaden

  There has been no one.

  No one that she remembers anyway.

  Pure pleasure rushes through my veins, igniting hidden desires of staking my claim of ownership on her so she knows she belongs to me and only me.

  Her confession though changes nothing, because my path stays the same; she only solidified it.