Page 40 of Madness
White scoffs, but I see the way her head jerks at the venom in my tone, “I don’t have to do anything, little sister. I run this place, and you know it because I own you. Shall we play doctor and patient again? See if you can stay conscious this time?” she smiles, but it’s fake – brittle.
“I said get out!” I scream, unable to have her in my space any longer.
She’s taking enough from me already.
This is my room… my space. The only space I do have in these twisted walls of Wonderland, and I feel like I can’t breathe with her here.
Her heels click against the floor as she leaves, and I almost breathe out in relief until I remember that my mural is no longer on my wall, and the tension coils tighter in my gut with the need to paint.
White pauses at my door, “Remember, sister. For as long as you are in these walls, you are at my mercy.”
I open my mouth to respond, but she clicks my door shut behind her, and I’m left staring at the spot she was standing in.
My eyes slide to the now-streaked mural.
No signs of my work are there apart from a few red specks of blood that dried into the wall too long ago to be removed.
The blade appears in my hand, but I have no recollection of ever grabbing it.
My mind turns hazy, and I barely register the sting as I cut into my skin like I so often have, nor do I care about the wasted blood as it drips from my wrist onto my carpet.
What’s one more scar to add to my collection? Jameson and Bander may get mad, but we all have messed up ways of surviving in Wonderland, and this is mine.
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
The puddle below me get’s bigger, and my head wobbles in an effort to keep it up. I lose thebattle and lay on the floor, waiting for the sweet oblivion of unconsciousness to pull me under.
I won’t die.
The cameras in the corner prevent that.
“As if I would ever let you leave me, my love. Not even in death will you be allowed to,” his voice is muffled, and his arms cradle me as if I’m made of glass, his lips press to my forehead tenderly.
I chuckle.
Why would I ever be made of glass? I would probably fall through the ground into another world that is entirely mad.
Though Wonderland is quite mad… am I mad? Or am I just so broken from my sister’s playtime that I can’t find what way is up or what way is down?
“Definitely mad,” I whisper to myself as I tumble into the dark hole of my mind.
Safe – she can’t touch me here.
Down.
Down.
Down the mad rabbit hole.
“I’ll protect you, Atropa. Sleep.”
“We’ve got you, my love. Now rest.”
Chapter Fourteen
