The Sleepwalker

Chapter 5 An Axe to Grind

October 6, 1988 1:30am.
Anna is sitting on her front porch smoking her last joint. Between no longer having a dealer and not having much summer job money left, she tries to savor it as long as she can.

While Anna takes a hit she starts to think about what Donnie told her the other day.

She couldn't believe he thought he was meant to be crushed by that jet engine. But she also remembered him saying he sees a therapist because "things have changed" about him. Maybe whatever changed is making his life hard?

Anna couldn't blame him. She knows what it's like to be stuck with things that are out of your control. Maybe his burden is much heavier than she realizes?

Anna sees Donnie leave his house with an axe over his shoulder. She freezes from the sight. For weeks she has seen Donnie leave on his bike. But never seen him walk on foot with a weapon.

She was going to call his name but something instinctively made her hold back.

She throws her joint into the drainage ditch before she starts to follow him.

For the last few weeks she thought Donnie was leaving to hang out with his friends or even his new girlfriend Gretchen. But now she has no idea.

Anna also notices Donnie's demeanor looks different when he's walking. Almost as if he was in a trance.

Once they reach their school Anna hid behind some bushes.

Anna sees something that she can't explain.

While her heart is pounding in her chest she starts to wonder if Donnie brought the axe to hurt somebody.

She watches Donnie beat the door in with the axe and a few seconds later hears loud, metallic, whacking sounds. Then a whooshing noise that sounds like streaming water.

When Donnie opens the school doors he is still carrying the axe. But also has a can of spray paint, and a stack of papers in his other arm.

He puts down the papers and spray paint.

Then she watches Donnie climb up the large, bronze school mascot statue. She can't believe his ability to climb up that statue like a monkey. She remembers him being good at climbing trees. But didn't think he still had it in him.

Once he is standing on top of the mascots head he uses all of his might to strike the axe. He lets go of the handle and leaves the axe sticking out. He starts to climb down then grabs the spray paint and starts to give it a few shakes before writing something on the ground.

From where Anna is hiding she can't see what he is writing. She tries to slow her breathing hoping it prevents her from being heard.

Once Donnie is done spray painting the sidewalk he grabs the stack of papers and starts to throwing them into the air. After he is done he starts to walk back home. His task complete.

Before Anna could follow him she walks to where he spray painted the sidewalk.

She thought he was going to either draw an obnoxious looking penis or something like "school sucks". Typical teenage shenanigans.

She was not prepared to see what he wrote.

In almost comical handwriting he wrote,
"They made me do it"

"Who are they?" Anna whispered to herself

But then she remembered seeing Donny talk to himself months ago while pacing in his front yard.

Knowing there was nothing else she can do. She starts to walk home while keeping a safe distance from Donnie.

Anna did not know much about the complexities of mental illness. She just knew that people like Donnie are labeled as "crazy". Some get put into special hospitals and are never to be seen again.

One time Anna's mother was mad at her father for something, she can't recall the reason. But in the heat of the moment Mrs. Boyle said to her, "Your father thinks I'm crazy. At least I haven't been in and out of the nut house most of my life like his mother was!"

Anna only met her paternal grandmother a couple of times before she passed away. She knew very little about her.

She came to the conclusion that Donnie is listening to the voices in his head.

Anna wants to know more but is not unsure how to ask. Or if she should even ask at all. Either way she wants to find out.