Chapter 14

"Insanity's Knocking"

The next morning, Jasper woke up to go to the church and talk to the priest. The priest greatly helped him at Rosemary’s funeral the day before. When he arrived at the church, Jasper shook hands with the priest, and the priest asked, “What can I do for you, Jasper?”

“I need more advice.”

“Come, Jasper,” said the priest kindly. “Let’s sit down.”

They sat down, and Jasper said, “Oh, by the way, I spoke to a celebrity yesterday.”

“Is that so? Who?” asked the priest. Jasper answered, “Brian Jones. You know, that guitarist for The Rolling Stones.”

The priest looked at him for a moment, then said, “But Jasper, Brian Jones is dead.”

“No he’s not,” said Jasper. “I just spoke to him yesterday in this church. He was sitting right where I’m sitting.”

“He died in sixty-nine, Jasper. Come with me.”

The two walked into a small room with many small television screens. The priest rewinded a video on one of the screens, then played it for Jasper. It was what the security cameras had recorded the day before. Jasper was playing the piano madly, then he stopped. Jasper watched himself talking to himself on the screen. Brian Jones had never been there. He had been hallucinating.

“This can’t be possible,” gasped Jasper. The priest put a hand on Jasper’s shoulder and said, “It’s alright, Jasper. Don’t worry. All you need is a good night’s sleep.”

That evening, Jasper went out and drank himself silly. He had not gotten drunk in over a year, but he decided to give up his sober way of thinking.

When he got home from his drinking, Jasper walked into his bedroom and gasped.

“Rosemary! What are you doing?”

Sprawled on Jasper’s bed was Rosemary, and the Rolling Stones guitarist, Brian Jones, had his arms around her, and he was kissing her neck. Rosemary, dazed, looked up at Jasper and said, “I’m sorry, Jasper. I couldn’t help myself.”

Brian flipped over on the bed, and wide-eyed, he looked at Jasper. Jasper yanked Brian off the bed and punched him in the face.

“No one touches me wife!” cried Jasper as he punched him. This made Brian angry. Brian punched Jasper back and yelled, “Well, I just did!”

Brian began pummeling Jasper with punches, and Jasper couldn’t fight back.

Jasper’s neighbor, Alice, knocked on the door a few times, and since Jasper didn’t answer the door, she walked in the house. As she walked into his bedroom, she was horrified to see Jasper punching himself and yanking on his own hair. Without a word, Alice ran out of the house.