A Tale Of Madness

The nights where as black as the universe, covered in shining stars and endless beauty. The wind whistled throughout the lands, thumping against the trees, brushing against my soft skin. This motion send a swift feeling throughout my body, a chilling yet warming touch I felt often as I slipped through the midnight streets, listening as the cobra swirled and slithered, dragging its soft but rough scales along the ground around me. I listened. It was near.

 

            My name was Don. Nothing more nothing less, just Don. It was better people didn’t know my full name because when it was herd, trouble always seemed to appear. I walked along the streets as my daily routine, saying hello and what not. I’m pay attention to the groups of people, looking for familiar faces but never found any. It was strange to me this walk. What hadn’t I seen anyone? Have they all skipped town? Would I ever see them? I usually tried not to think about it and continued on.

 

            I’d circle around the block, waving to the officers and by standers here and there.  The silent cobra always stayed close, hidden in the park grass or within the small alley ways. This also made me think. Why couldn’t anyone see the snake? Was I the only one? But alas, I tried not to think about the snake, and continued on.

 

            I’d find myself in some sort of limbo at the end of the walk, finding nothing familiar, collaborated with familiar objects. I didn’t know what was going on but I’d continue down the planned trail, turning around from time to time. The Cobra was growing more aware of my pretense, quickening his pace I could tell. The scales raked hard against the concrete, a thick rusty noise following behind his motions. Dark green eyes watching my every move as I silently marched. He was a pleasant fellow at the least, never looking to put anyone in harm’s way. But he was a snake, true to his nature, even if he could resist it from time to time. . .

 

            This Limbo would make my stomach ache, my head pound and my eyes water. I thought I’d be use to it but it never changed. The pain only grew worse, the sights grew more intense.

“Hello” I said in surprised. I found a dark figure standing above me, watching and staring. He didn’t say a word, nor move a muscle. He just stood in wait. . .

 

            “Who are you?” I asked. He said nothing. I moved towards this figure but he seemed to be slipping away. I moved faster but nothing changed. “Wait! Come back!” I yelled. “Where am I?” I yelled. This Limbo was different. The path was gone, everything reawakened. Nothing was the same. Nothing. I kept running, not wanting to lose the only source of information I had. 

 

            But I made the wrong move. It was like a game of checkers. Move the wrong piece, you could lose it. I was the piece, I had lost it all. The game was over. The Cobra had taken me. I thought I was far from his deadly grasp but he was always behind me. This was the day he decided to snap, the day he won the game.

 

            This leaves a mysteries in my mind. Why hadn’t the moon shown throughout the night? Why hadn’t the sun awoke? Why was I the Cobra’s victim?  It is said the Cobra strikes those with bad thoughts. I couldn’t remember a single bad thought… but then I remembered the day she died.

 

I walked calmly through the near empty park, looking at the flowers, grass and different rocks. I enjoyed looking at the physical features of the world, not caring for much else. I sighed slowly trailing the path over and over, making sure I didn’t miss a single detail. Like the small bruises on the trees, the over grown roots or the soft swaying of the flowers in the well-kept gardens. The Park was perfect in my eyes and nothing would change that. I’d sit on the park bench each day and wait for someone to join me. I would wait as people walked past me with their pets and children, wondering if one of them would take a seat. I waited each day. No one bothered to even look at me.

           

I would imagine conversations with people at times. Sad conversations dealing with hardships and loss, or happy conversations filled with laughter and smiles. I’d tell stories and give my thoughts to random figures in my mind. I was fine with it but others didn’t think so. They’d give me strange looks and ask me if I was alright. I’d scowl and ignore them for a while until I was alone again. Then I’d continue my conversation until the day was over.

 

I walk home in the middle of the night while the street lamps buzzed and the road was silenced. It was perfect, nothing to interrupt my thoughts. I grinned scornfully as I looked at the quiet buildings, hearing the soft buzz of a television or the creaks of floorboards in others. My shoes would tap along the concrete smoothly making a soft noise as I walked. I enjoyed knowing I was the only one awake to enjoy the beauty the night had to offer. All  kinds of beauty.

 

Hear an ear splitting scream I stopped to listen. It grew muffled and then louder once more. It repeated for a short moment until I sighed. I crossed my arms in irritation. I hated screaming, it was the most terrible noise imaginable in my mind. But, it also gave me pleasure from time to time… when I caused it. I picked up my pace slowly feeling the madness swell. Who was causing this pain? What was the reason for it? Would they get the same pleasure I would? I asked myself, breaking into a short sprint until I stopped, slowly turning towards a near ally. I had a dark grin on my face, my eyes blurred with a black hollow look of no end. It was madness.

 

I happily invited the Madness into my body, surging through my veins, taking control of my mind. My heart raced as the man watched me. He watched me with a scowl before pointing his gun towards me. Unaware of the danger I stepped forwards quickly as he pulled the trigger. I heard the loud Bang of the gun, feeling a slightly uncomforting feeling in my shoulder. I slowly turned to look at it with stiff movements, watching the crimson blood slid down my chest and arm. I shrugged before lunging towards the man.

He screamed suddenly as he collapsed onto the ground. He punched me then, roughly sending his fist into my jaw line. I flinched for a short moment showing a mask of weakness before pressing my hand onto his neck, quickly grasping tightly around his throat. I thrusted his hand onto the ground several times until he was dazed. I grabbed the gun in his hand and stood with an uneasy stumble quickly throwing my heel into his neck. HE coughed hard, gripping my ankle. I grinned and pointed the gun towards his head, holding it upside down. My even stare pierced his eyes with emptiness, a hollow look of nothing. His jaw dropped in horror as I pulled the trigger, watching the bullet fly into his skull.

 

The girl was on the ground, staring at us in horror. I sighed pressing my bloody hand onto my face, slowly running it downwards onto my throat and them my sleek. She watched me dumbfounded and petrified. She was bruised everywhere, bleeding from the side of her head and hands. I thought quietly to myself, pacing around the dark alley before hear the faint sirens in distance. She sat up slowly and brushed her knees off. “T-T-Thank you… S-Sir… I can’t... T-“she said trailing off. I chuckled and looked at her softly, bend down. I pressed my fingers under her chin as she winced and started to cry.

 

I watched her awkwardly feeling an emotion unfamiliar to me; guilt. Her eyes where bright and dauntless, with sadness to fill. It irritated me more than anything I had experienced, so I figured I’d get rid of the feeling. Without hesitation I pulled the trigger, sending the bullet into the bleeding skull of hers. She screamed for a split second, dropping backwards onto the ground. I sighed and threw the gun towards the limp ‘killer’ in the corner. I brushed off my hand slowly as a man rushed into the dark ally. I dropped onto my knees and forced false tears from my black eyes. I sighed and started to cough as ran to my side, helping me stand. “Sir! What happened? I heard gun shots?” he said loudly in alarm. I scowled at the noise level he used but tried not to show it, hearing the cops in the distance.

 

“I heard screaming so I ran down to help but she was already dead and then he shot me in reaction… I wanted to help him but he didn’t believe me and took his own life…” I hacked out in one breathe, slowly gasping. He shook his head in mourning and looked at crime scene. “I’m glad you’re alright…” he said softly, leading me away from my own crime. I was free once more. Alive to live another day, Alive to commit another crime, unaware of the danger I was in. In time I would learn the name of this danger… The danger called Cobra…

 

 

As the dark figured vanished I sighed, feeling the pounding in my head grow with each breathe I took. I had forgotten about that day. The day I escape… It was one of my most favored days but I never thought the Cobra would take me for it. I turned around, finding everything mirrored. I suddenly felt sharp pain in my shoulder, blood dripping slowly down my arm. What was happening? I had never been in this state of madness before... The pain was more real than it ever was. I fell onto the ground, gripping my bleeding shoulder. I looked around, hearing soft whispered and hushed voices. Each voice was familiar, but I couldn’t put a face to a single one. My head throbbed as I attempted to.

 

      The night was everlasting at this point; the sky was pitch black without a single star, full of nothing. My breathing grew heavy as I crawled onto the grass in the park. The very park I had sat in days on end. The day’s end was the place I was trapped. I fell backwards and removed my hand from my shoulder, sobbing to myself. Being trapped wasn’t something I planned on happening in my life. I was perfectly fine with being in Limbo but everlasting Limbo would drive me mad. I smiled slowly at the thought of being driven mad from Limbo, for I was already mad. I loved Madness because it kept be going, it fueled my life.

 

      I chuckled and pushed myself off the ground, slowly sitting up. I broke into stick laughter, getting louder and louder as I looked around. This made no sense to me, this ‘Limbo’. How could I be swallowed up by something I was? Was it possible? I was Madness itself. I couldn’t be trapped in the Gates of Hell without my own reasoning. I got up and twirled around slowly as I laughed, watching the miss matched blurs start to form into shapes. A few buildings placed here and there. Everything was changing randomly but I had no idea why at that point. Had I said something? Where my thoughts too much for this world?

 

      I stopped my laughter suddenly being overwhelmed with anger. The Cobra was in front of me, resting a few feet away. He lashed his tongue towards me with bloodshot eyes. His skin was black and shiny in the darkness. I smiled slowly as he watched me. Letting his eyes scan my ever move. This snake was like no other. He lived to put the evil in their place. I sighed and took of my shoes, slowly removing my socks to rest my feet on the cool, shaky ground. I slowly tensed my muscles, watching him flinch. This was the day I was waiting for. It all started to make sense now. The Cobra had been waiting for me and took the advantage of the night, this was the very day the girl died.

 

      I opened my eyes slowly, feeling a sick pain in the side of my head. I looked around slowly feeling the warmth of the sun. I crossed my arms slowly pushing myself off the bed, looking around the pale white room. I grumbled and swung my feet over the side of the bed, pushing off the mattress to stand. I ran my hand over my straightened brown hair and stared at the emptiness of the room. A man soon walked in with a vile and a needle to give me my medicine. I grumbled and took it calmly before I was let out. I wasn’t happy being forced to stay in an Alyssum at night but I got to do whatever I wanted during the day.

 

I had been having the same dream each night after that. After all, being stuck in Limbo does that to a person I suppose… It wasn’t going to be the end of the Cobra and his reign but I was glad to have been another victim…

 

Author's Note

old but gold