Fractured

         The bar was loud this time of night. Nearing closing time, but no one wanted to go home. No one wanted to leave the atmosphere of false hopes and dreams. Of sweat and corner booth sex. It was a place they could escape to and no one wanted to head back to their lives when the realities of what they’d done hit home. They stole, they cheated, they stepped on the little guy.

         Remy smiled as she poured another round of whiskey shots for a guy and his three wingmen at the bar. She was pretty sure none of them had done as bad as she. None of them had offed their own family.

         “Cheers Remy,” Billy, the man who’d been hitting on her since he’d walked in three hours ago, saluted her. He tossed the shot back as Remy mirrored him. Poor bastard. He was slurring his words and wavering back and forth on his feet.

         She slammed her shot glass down and smiled. Her boss tapped her on the shoulder. Time to close up shop. She sighed quietly in relief. The same man who’d been appearing at the bar every night for the past week was once again sitting in his corner booth. Normally she didn’t notice people, but this one watched her. Made her skin crawl with anticipation. There was no way the cops had found her, but this guy…he was strange and for the first time in a while, Remy began to fear what would happen if they were caught. 

         “Alright boys,” she said turning back to Billy and his gang as the man casually got up and left. “Going to have to cut you off. Stagger your way home.”

         “Aw, come on baby, don’t you want to spend more time with me,” Billy said winking drunkenly. “Give me a kiss.”

         I’ll give you something, she thought and shook her head, plastering a smile on her lips. She leaned over the bar so her breasts were pushed up in her corset top. “Oh honey, you couldn’t handle this. Now get out.”

         Billy glared at her and she flinched. He threw some cash on the bar to pay for the drinks, but there wasn’t enough for a tip. He muttered as he turned. Remy caught the word bitch a few times, but ignored it, counting the bills. She was faltering, always around men. It was strange and she couldn’t put her finger on it. Riley was little more than an annoying voice in her mind. It had been months since she’d gotten out of the police precinct and shot their brother. She’d been on the run until she found this little bar in a beat up, rough part of town five states over. She dyed her hair, got a tattoo and some piercings and gave her face a few random scars to hide Riley’s beauty.

         And besides that man, there had been no mishaps…well that wasn’t really true. Remy smiled, remembering that night. She had to hitchhike one more state over so she caught a ride with a young guy about Riley’s age. The car ride wasn’t unpleasant, but the guy was a rich bastard who thought she should pay him back with her mouth. Remy waited until he took a detour off a back road so she could make her “payment”. All she saw was Brandon’s face on his when he’d used her over the years. Expecting her to just bow down to his every need.

         The guy put the car in park and turned to her while he unzipped his pants. Remy smiled then drew the knife she had in her pocket and stabbed him first in the groin then as he screamed, she stabbed him through the heart.

         Once he died, gurgling in disbelief, she dumped his body in a nearby creek, took his money, and drove his car until it ran out of gas. It was an interesting night to say the least, one that led her to this shitty little Podunk bar.

         “Remy, bring me that drawer,” her boss called from the back office, pulling her out of her thoughts.

         Her fingers stilled their counting. He had that tone of voice. Will had hired her without a second thought. Paid her in cash so there’d be no records. It was easier, he’d told her, than dealing with paperwork. But there had been a condition, one Remy learned to accept and use to her advantage. The extra cash came in handy.

         She opened the register and slipped the bills in then pulled it out. She went into the office to find Will, smoking a cigar as his nightly routine and counting down the other drawer. At least he wasn’t horrible looking, a little gruff around the edges, rarely shaved. He was about ten years older than her, she figured, but didn’t act it. Remy set the drawer on his desk then closed the office door.

         “Make good tips tonight, or do you want a little extra,” he asked without glancing up.

         “Do you want me to have a little extra,” she replied.

         “Haven’t decided yet…can’t get a good enough feel of how the evening went yet.”

         Remy reached behind her and grabbed the zipper on her corset. She wasn’t wearing anything underneath it. She made a slow, seductive smile as she turned.

         “How ‘bout now,” she asked and pulled the zipper down in one smooth motion.

         As the top fell to the floor, Will set the money down and leered, his eyes falling to her chest.

         “Why don’t you come here and we’ll have a closer look?”

                                                                                              ***





Remy

         I count the bills the second I’m through my apartment door and make sure it’s locked, with three dead bolts, behind me. Three hundred extra bucks tonight. I go to the kitchen and dig out my stash from behind the cabinet and shove the bills in with the rest. So much money saved up sitting right there. Enough to run with. Enough to finally be free.

         Where are we going to run to, Remy? We can’t go anywhere.

         “Shut up, Riley. You don’t understand anything, do you?”

         I rub our temples hoping she’s done for the night, but she’s just getting started. I feel her reaching into our thoughts to see what I’ve done tonight. For the first couple of months running, she’d stayed silent, locked away inside our head. Lately, she’s been forcing her way back. Stumbled over a few things she really didn’t want to see.

         Too late now.

         I understand that you lied to me, she whines and it pierces my ear drums.

         “I did it to keep us safe.” I slam my purse and toss my boots across the room. They thump against the wall and my neighbor pounds his fist back, yelling at me to keep it down. “Screw you,” I yell ‘til it stops.

         You killed them all, Remy. Why did you have to do that?

         “Why do you care so much? After what they did to us, come on Riley, get with the program.”

         She’d seen every last image of her perfect family life crumble around her. No, we hadn’t gone away to college that day. We’d stolen our father’s keys and taken the old truck and run. Then we got a call from daddy dearest threatening to come after us and beat the living shit out of us if we didn’t come home. He promised to hunt us ‘til we had nowhere left to hide, make us paranoid. So we came home.

And I took care of the rest.

         She’d found the bloody images in my mind and played them over and over for weeks. Then she’d gone silent again and I thought I was finally free of her, that overbearing little child I’d protected for so long.

         Until now, the damn bitch-I suddenly stand and start walking without realizing I’m doing it. Then I realize it’s not me. I concentrate on my feet and force them to stop. It’s jerky, but they do.

         “Riley stop it,” I growl. She’s trying to take back control. “You’ll hurt us.”

         I feel her sifting through our mind once more and her shriek doubles me over with pain.

         “Damn it Riley!”

         You’re turning us into a whore! What’s wrong with you, Remy? Do you have no respect whatsoever for us?

         I stand straight and breathe. Forgot I’d been keeping those memories from her as well. I walk over to the mirror in the bathroom and glare at our reflection.

         “We need the damn money and the job.”

         She’s silent and I think she’s given up then her voice is sad. You’re sore. Did he hurt you? Remy do you realize what you’re doing-

         “I’m doing what I have to so we can survive-”

         It’s been getting rougher with Will. Can’t you tell? Remy you have to stop this. It’s just going to repeat like it did before-

         I yell and hit the mirror with my open palm. The glass cracks down the middle, but doesn’t shatter. A small sliver cuts my hand and I pull it away as blood wells in my palm.

         You’re hurting us…all over again…she whispers then recedes back into our mind.

         It’s not like before. It can’t be. Then I couldn’t do anything about it, but take it and hide it away from Riley. We were a child, couldn’t fight back against two of them. Now we can…and I won’t let it happen. It’s not going to happen. Will isn’t that evil. I know evil. I am evil.

         I stare at our reflection and see fear for the first time in my eyes.



         It’s almost dawn and I don’t think I slept at all. Riley stirs in our mind.

“What is it?”

         It’s just…don’t you feel her? She’s scratching at the wall…I didn’t notice before, but it’s there. She’s so much closer now.

         I sit up angry. “It won’t happen. You’ve had your turn and now it’s mine. She’s done.”

         I want back out, too. I don’t want to be locked up inside here with her. What if she breaks free?

         “We’ve held her back all these years.”

         I barely hear her agree with me. She’s scared, but Riley was always the scared one, the one that wanted a perfect, happy world and that’s what she got. She wouldn’t be able to stand up to her if she was trying to break through. That meant it was all on me.

         I roll over and try to fall asleep and ignore the small twinge of pain starting at our temples.



         The man’s sitting at a table near the bar tonight. He just keeps creeping closer and he’s always looking at something on his phone. Gotta be a cop. Damn, and Will’s not working tonight and I’m not closing. I glance around for a way out. If I leave alone there’ll be trouble.

         Over the din of voices, I hear Billy, good ‘ole drunk Billy. I smile as I clock out and head for his table, feeling the eyes of that man on me the whole time.

         “Walk a girl home tonight, Billy,” I say pulling him around. “I’ll make it worth your while.”

         He nods absently, shooting back one last shot then we’re out the door and I’m safe another night from that strange man.



         Riley’s been yelling inside my skull since we left the bar because I let Billy take us home tonight. I can barely walk straight. Billy looked at me strangely a few times, but we’re in my apartment and all he cares about is filling his hands with whatever parts of me he can grab. All I care about is not being alone for that man to come snooping.

         Clothes are dropping carelessly along the floor. My shirt then his, belts, shoes, socks. I’m trying to lead him to the bedroom, but somehow he winds up pushing me back onto the couch. He stands over me panting with a crazy smile.

         “Still don’t think I can handle you?”

         “Haven’t proven anything yet, Billy. What are you waiting for?” I really shouldn’t be goading him, but couldn’t stop myself. He’s full of himself. “Come on Billy, let’s see what you got.”

         A few minutes later my head starts to really pound. We’re just about to go at it when Riley rears her head up and suddenly I’m thrust back inside our head. I hear our voice, loud and clear and feel our arms forcing Billy off, trying to shove him to the floor. But he’s strong, so much stronger than Riley.

         “Get off of me you asshole!”

         I quickly readjust to being inside and turn my gaze outward to see Riley struggling against Billy. He’s pissed, glaring down at us as she struggles against his iron tight grip around our wrists. It’s biting pain and it hurts. Riley’s trying not to whine, but one escapes our lips.

         “What the hell? You’re one of those girls, are you,” he growls and the stench of alcohol hits our nose brutally. Turns out Billy’s an angry drunk.

         “I changed my mind. Let go of me!”

         One of his hands disappears from our wrist and before Riley can react, he backhands us. Our head is flung to the side painfully, numb for a split second before the pain explodes. I feel tears brimming in Riley’s eyes, and her mind grows weak enough that I can throw myself forward and shove her back into the darkness again.

         “Don’t you dare touch her again,” I yell.

         His brow scrunches. “Her? What the hell are you talking about you crazy bitch?”

         My answer is bringing my knee up into his groin before he can move. I grind it against him and he yelps in pain, releasing my hands and falling with a painful thump to the floor. I scramble off the couch and race towards the front door where my crowbar is leaning. I grip it tightly and as he gets to his knees, I swing it back like a bat, aiming for his face.

         “Get out of my apartment!”

         “You psycho-”

          “I said get out,” I yell louder and bring the crowbar smashing down to the floor beside him.

         He fumbles across the floor on his hands and knees for his clothes, but I kick him out before he can grab everything. I take his other shoe and pants and chuck them out the door, hitting him hard in the back of the head. He stumbles and falls, but I don’t care. I watch him run away naked then slam and bolt the door. The crowbar falls from my shaking hands and I slide to the floor. My heart’s pounding away in my chest. I’m scared, but it’s not Billy that scares me, it’s what I feel in my mind. A breath of life that hasn’t been there in years. The apartment is freezing, but I can’t find the strength to move. I hug my knees close to my chest and knock my head against the door, over and over, trying to get the pain in my temples to go away.

         “Riley, what did you do,” I whisper, hoping for once she’ll answer me.

         I’m sorry Remy, but he was like the others. He was like dad…I couldn’t stand to have him touch us.

         “Riley, I had no choice. We’re being watched at the bar,” I finally tell her. “Think it’s a cop.”

         She’s silent for a long minute.

         Are you sure? How did he find us?

         “Don’t know, but we’re going to have to leave sooner than we thought. Have to get where we’ll be safest, where they’ll never think to look.”

         I sigh again as I feel the stirring behind the wall.

         “You have to trust me Riley and stop fighting. You’re breaking the wall down the more you fight me.”

         No, no I’m not. It’s still here, it’s whole. I can feel it…

         “Check again, Riley. She’s starting to wake up. There’s holes, they’re small, but they’re there.”

         Remy…I didn’t mean to …I couldn’t help it…did I really hurt it? Do you think she’s coming back?

         “I know you didn’t.” Her whining is starting to hurt just as much as the pain at our temples. “And I don’t know. It’s been so long…I’m surprised she’s still around at all.”

         We both fall silent. The only sound in the apartment is the humming of the refrigerator. I sit on the floor for almost an hour before I grow too cold to stand it any longer. I make my way to the couch, kicking aside clothes and shoes then fall onto it. I pull the blanket off the back and wrap it around our shivering body.

         We’re breaking down. I didn’t think it was possible after so long. Riley had been in almost complete control for fifteen years with me taking over when daddy decided it was time to play. It had just been the two of us. All the strength we’d built up was disappearing and the wall we’d built, it was going to come tumbling down, down, down…



         I haven’t left the apartment in days. Haven’t answered my cell, haven’t even looked out the windows. I can’t. Our head has been pounding since that night. Our temples throbbing to the point of crying out in despair. The pain won’t stop.

         It’s her knocking on the wall, knocking with her strength growing every day.

         I tried to drink myself into a stupor last night just so I could sleep, but it didn’t do anything except make the pain worse. Then I got sick and all my alcohol wound up in the toilet. It was a vicious cycle that lasted the whole night until Riley begged me to stop. It was hurting her too and she couldn’t stand it like I could. The abuse, the strain against our mentality.

         I’m lying in the middle of the bed now, staring at the ceiling. The pounding goes on regardless of pain killers. It’s starting to drive me insane.

         Remy. I feel her moving next to me, Riley says in a whisper as if she won’t hear it anyway. Who knows? Maybe she hasn’t been aware this whole time, maybe she has.

         “She’s not going to get out.”

         I think she is and I think she knows it too…Remy…there’s a crack in the wall!

         I bolt up and storm into the bathroom, glaring at our reflection. I’ve started to see more of Riley in this face with each passing hour. My focus on keeping her in the darkness is waning, too. She pushes too hard to stay in control, to keep me under her thumb and I fought too hard to get to the surface to lose it now.

         “You shut up right now, Riley. There’s no crack. She’s not getting out.”

         What will she do to us you think? She sounds dreamy now and it rubs against my already raw mind.

         “She can’t do anything to us.”

         She’ll lock us away, don’t you think, like we did to her. She’ll locks us up and throw away the key forever. We’ll be done, Remy, done. Dead and done!

         I yell in response to her confident tone and swipe my arm across the counter, throwing everything to the floor. I grip the counter hard, until our knuckles are white.

         “We will not die.”

         I glare at our reflection and flinch when Riley speaks again.

         “But we will Remy…you’ll be the first. Look at how much control you’ve already lost…and you’ll just lose more.”

         She spoke aloud, our lips moving as I watch in the mirror. But she isn’t in control, not completely.

         “No,” I shake my head violently, “No this isn’t happening!”

         “Can’t you feel her scratching? Here, let me show you.” Our lips move again and I start to back away from the mirror.

           A sharp pain shoots from the base of our skull down our back. It happens once, twice, and a third time. I fall to my knees, biting our lip so I don’t scream. Then it’s gone.

         “You see,” Riley says and I feel our lips move even as I struggle to keep them closed. “You’re not the only one that can hide things.”

         The quiet, calm Riley is gone. The pain twisted her. She’ll never be innocent again. Fear overwhelms me.

         “We need a plan, Remy,” she says and helps drag us to our feet so we’re once again glaring into the mirror. On one side of the crack, I see a softer version of our face and on the other, a rougher one. Mine.

         “I don’t know what to do…”

         We sneer. “Poor Remy, finally amongst the lost souls. We’ll kill her,” she says and we lean closer to the mirror as we plot. “We’ll kill her and bury her forever…what’s that?”

         We pull back from the mirror and listen. It’s Will. Has to be. He’s the only one who knows where we live, well besides stupid, drunk Billy, but I don’t think he’s dumb enough to try for seconds. He’s pounding on our door. “I’ll take care of him,” I tell Riley and stumble my way to the door, trying to fight back the pain. The moment I open it, Will is leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest.

         “Give me one damn good reason I shouldn’t fire your ass?”

         “I’ve been having some health issues. I meant to call,” I lie weakly.

         “There’s always more bartenders, Remy.”

         It occurs to me that I’m only wearing a t-shirt and sweat pants, but I put on a seductive smile anyway and lean into him, making sure my breasts rub against his arm. No bra. He shifts and clears his throat.

         “Let me make it up to you, Will. Please? I’ll give you some reasons not to fire me.”

         He nods absently. “Yeah, that sounds…sounds doable. Come by after the bar closes and we’ll work something out.”

         I promise to be there then shut the door and lock it.

         Remy what are you doing? It’s not safe for us to go out.

         “It’ll be fine, Riley. We have to otherwise I lose this job and all the money it’s been bringing us. We don’t have near enough yet-,” my words cut off as our head explodes in pain. Riley screams inside our mind as I scream outside of it, falling to the floor. Then it’s over and I’m left panting on all fours.

         After a moment I get to my feet and stumble towards the bedroom. The bar won’t close for another eight hours. I can sleep for a bit. Make sure that she’s not going to break through the wall. Riley’s silent except for a pained whimper that lets me know the wall is cracking.



         The bar just closed. I watch the other bartender leave through the back before I make my way across the parking lot. My heeled boots click on the pavement and the slight breeze gives me a chill. No jacket. Just short skirt, corset top, and high heeled boots. I’m saving my damn job and getting as much money out of this bastard as I can. Our head feels better. No pain since we woke up, but Riley warned me again not to go before we left. She tried to take over, but I’ve regained a bit of strength. My determination beats hers every time.

         Just as I assumed, the back door’s unlocked and I stroll in, sliding the deadbolt home behind me. Will should be in his office counting the money like always. I set my purse down on the bar and go back to find him sitting at his desk. There’s a cigar in his mouth, but the money’s already been counted. He’s been waiting very impatiently and the second he sees me, his cigar almost falls out of his mouth.

         “Remy.” His voice is rough and I smile stepping slowly into the room.

         “Will,” I say gently moving closer until I’m leaning over his desk. “You want it or not?”

         I was going to take my time with this, but already the nagging pain in our temples has started back up and with every passing second its growing worse. I won’t be able to last long and need to get out of here before Riley decides to take advantage again…

         It’s not me, Remy. She’s doing it…the cracks, they’re bigger. I don’t think we can last-

         “Come on Will,” I say playfully heading back out into the bar and cutting off Riley’s voice. “How about we play some pool?” I don’t wait for him to respond, but I hear his chair slide back and his footsteps following me around the bar. I walk backwards towards the pool table, smiling the whole time, reaching behind me to start undoing the laces of my top.

         Remy…Remy she’s getting through…you have to stop…

         I force the smile to stay on my face as a sharp pain shoots down my spine. My fingers fumble with the lacings, but I don’t have to worry. Will is there already and his hands quickly do the job for me. Everything moves in a blur. Numbly I feel his hands on our body, his lips down our neck and face. My focus turns toward keeping control. It’s slipping fast as the pain intensifies.

         She’s breaking the wall…I can almost see her…we have to stop…she’s coming back!

         The next moment we’re on the pool table, Will straddling us, but I’m losing focus. Can’t hear what he’s saying. Our head pounds…so much pain I can’t stand it anymore. I feel control slip and suddenly the dam bursts inside our skull. I can’t help it. I scream, over and over. Will springs back staring around wildly. He’s asking me if I’m alright, wanting to know what the hell is going on, but I can’t speak. Our lips don’t work for me anymore.

         I’m no longer in control. I’m yanked back inside the darkness, but it’s not Riley who takes control. She‘s crouching beside me, frightened as we both turn our gaze outward and watch.

         “Remy, what’s going on? Stop screaming and tell me what’s wrong,” Will asks gripping our shoulders hard. Worry is etched across his face and the screams die abruptly.

         A voice that we haven’t heard in years comes out of our mouth.

         “Where…where am I?” I watch as our gaze darts wildly around the room then down at the two bodies mingling on the pool table. Our body tightens with fear and tension as we try to break away from Will. “What’s going on? Get off me, get off!”

         Will backs off slowly and we jump from the table, stumbling and staggering over the pile of clothes on the floor. We pick up the closest weapon we can find, a pool cue, and brandish it at Will as he eases towards us.

         “Stay back! Get away from me!”

         “Remy, what’s going on? Just talk to me, please.”

         Our body stills and I groan inside the darkness. “Remy? Who’s Remy?” I can feel her reaching back for that name that sounds so familiar.

         Will freezes mid step. “You’re Remy…you’ve been Remy since I met you. What are you crazy? Give me that damn pool cue.”

         Our arms go back and we swing at him when he tries to get closer. “No! I’m not Remy, my name is Reise…don’t touch me!”

         Remy you have to take control, Riley whispers beside me. We can’t let her hurt him.

         What do you want me to do? She broke the damn wall!

         Reise stops moving at our words. Shit, she heard us after all. Will takes advantage of her pause and lunges for the pool cue, trying to wrestle it away from us. Our arms fight to hold onto it, but then Riley is pushing me forward and I’m dragging myself through the darkness, gritting my teeth with the struggle. Then I’m out. I let go of the pool cue and I’m in control, but it’s shaky.

         “Will, its Remy…I’m sorry, just give me a second…” Pain shoots up and down my spine and I fall to my knees.

         Will throws the pool cue aside and reaches towards me. “Remy? What the fuck’s going on?”

         I bite our lip to keep from screaming and laugh, “Did I ever mention I’m insane?”

         Our hand is creeping out towards the side, but I’m not controlling it.

         Remy, she’s going to get out again. I can’t hold her back!

         Our fingers close around the leg of a metal barstool. My control is slipping fast and as Will’s hands close around my shoulders, Reise is back in control and I’m thrown into the darkness without a chance of catching a grip. Weakened.

Defeated.

         She shoves him off with our shoulder and yelling in anger, grabs the barstool with both hands and swings it at his head. There’s a sickening thud and he falls to his knees then the floor, knocked out.

         Reise drops the stool and stumbles to the bar, fighting the urge to wretch. Riley and I wait in the darkness. Our face rises and we’re staring at our reflection in the mirror. Reise doesn’t recognize herself as a grown up, why should she?

         “What…how did this happen…I was…I was little…” she reaches up with our hands and feels her older face, shaking her head in denial. “I don’t understand…”

         But we do. We understand everything, I tell her quietly. Don’t you remember? You let us in, you gave us control.

         “Get out of my head!”

         We can’t, I snap, you created us. Look Reise, look back. You’ll remember, you’ll remember everything.

         I feel her mind race as she frantically goes back through everything she remembers…and watch inside as the darkness twists itself into a scene from our past. The day she created us and the day she let us take over…

         We’re not in the bar anymore. We’re at Reise’s house. She’s just turned five and daddy has started to notice how pretty his little angel is. Riley was there before me. She was the innocent imaginary friend, the one Reise told mommy about. But this day, this day she made me. We’re standing in the bathroom, staring into the mirror in front of us and the mirror of the medicine cabinet. She sees two faces, so much like her own, but they’re talking to her.

         “Riley, daddy’s scaring me…I don’t like it,” Reise said on the verge of tears.

         “Reise don’t cry…look we have a new friend.”

         Reise turned her gaze to the second reflection. “Hi Reise, I’m Remy.”

         “I don’t know what to do, Remy, I don’t like it.”

         “Shh, I know Reise. I’ll help you, don’t worry. All you have to do is go to sleep,” I told her with a smile. She may have been five, but I was much older than that already. She’d made me so. “Go to sleep and let me worry about daddy and let Riley worry about everything else.”

         “Will I wake up?”

         “Of course you will, and then everything will be just perfect. I promise.”

         “Reise, what are you doing in there? Who are you talking to?” It was our mother, banging on the door with her fist. “Get out here.”

         “Remember what I said, Reise,” I whispered. “Go to sleep, and let me worry about it all. I’ll take care of you.” She turned her head and we both stared at the first reflection, Riley. “We both will…”

         Reise screams and throws a bottle of liquor at the mirror, cracking our reflection into three. “No! No, it’s not possible!”

         “Of course it is,” I say using her mouth again. “You let us in, Reise. We protected you, for all these years, didn’t we?”

         She starts to nod then stops as she filters through the rest of the memories. Her family angry and her escaping then coming back…her killing them all.

         “No! You killed them? Why did you kill them?”

         “They hurt you…so I hurt them.”

         “It was for your own good, Reise,” Riley says calmly. “We had no choice.”

         She’s shaking her head and digs through her purse. Everything is coming back to her and it’s a tidal wave of roiling emotions strangling her. Strangling us. She grips a cell phone and pulls it out. My last bit of strength makes her drop it and she screams in frustration. Then she turns towards the front door. Someone’s knocking, calling her name. I recognize that voice from the few times the man ordered a drink. That damn cop found us after all. The door bursts open and the middle-aged cop rushes forward, his gun aimed at us as he takes in the scene.

         “Reise Mairenn, you’re under arrest,” he says as we hold up our arms. Obviously we’re not armed.

         “Please, don’t hurt me,” she says weakly before falling to our knees. “Please, I don’t…I need help, please make them stop.”

Don’t do this, Reise, I argue angrily. Just go back behind the wall, go back to the darkness. We’ll take care of you-

         Reise sobs as the cop steps closer and spots Will’s body on the floor. “I hurt so many people…I just want the voices to stop.”

         Go back inside Reise. You don’t have to suffer like this. Just go back to sleep like you did before and it’ll all go away.

         “Voices? Are you hearing voices?” The cop reaches for Will’s pulse and sighs when he finds him alive. “Let me get you help, alright?” He pulls out his cell and starts calling in the accident.

         “Help me, oh God please help me…” she cries then falls to the floor.

                                                                                                ***

         The orderly peered in through the window and sighed. That poor girl. So young to have to be dealing with such torment. She was strapped to her bed again. That was the fourth time this week that the doctors had to restrain her.

         “Is that the one that killed her family,” another orderly asked quietly beside her.

         “Yeah, she says she doesn’t even remember growing up. Doctors have never seen a case this bad.” The woman backed away and sighed. “Poor thing, she’ll be in here for life.”

         “No chance of recovery?”

         “Not that the doctors think. They’ve never seen a case like this.”

         The younger orderly peeked her head in the window. “Wonder what’s going on inside her head right now?”

         “I’m sure you don’t want to know. Come on, let’s get the rest of this medicine out and leave her be.”

         ***

         Reise fought not to scream in annoyance. Remy and Riley were there to stay, no matter what meds the doctors gave her. They were constantly bickering back and forth and back and forth and back and forth! It never stopped!

         “Just shut up already! Can’t I suffer in peace!”

         If you wanted peace you should have rebuilt the wall, Remy grunts inside her head. Then you wouldn’t know what the hell was going on, but no you had to knock it all down.

         “You kept me locked up for years.”

         It was for your own good, obviously. Wasn’t it, Riley?

         Don’t drag me into this. I don’t care anymore…I hate the darkness. Why can’t we have some light? Or at least a bed, too?

         “You better just get used to it,” Reise muttered and turned her head and closed her eyes. “You two can suffer in there forever.”

         No. We’ll make you suffer forever out there, Remy said gleeful.

         “What can you do anymore,” Reise said even as her stomach tightened.

         I’ll replay every bad memory that you missed over and over again, Reise, until you let me out. Remy cackled and pulled the night of the murders for Reise to see.

         Reise’s scream echoed down the corridor of the asylum, but no one came to save her.