'BREAKDOWN!'

CHAPTER VII

"Hey! Wake up, man! C'mon, rise and shine!"
I slowly open my eyes, disoriented. Head throbbing. Hmm? Can't move, I'm tied up...in a chair? Can't make out the figure in the shadow.
"You've been out nearly five hours, buddy boy. Must've hit you harder than I thought. Oooh, nice egg on the forehead. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"
That laugh...even without seeing him I know who it is.
"Daniel. Why...why are you doing this?"
He says nothing. Instead I hear him pull his chair up towards me. Now his face is only two feet from mine. He just grins at me in a hideous twisting of his face.
"Boy, you are dumb! I mean, you fell for all my bullshit 'advice', the notes showing up and disappearing, I mean there had to be someone in the house, right?"
I don't answer him or even nod in answer. He backhands me!
"You will answer me when I'm speaking to you! But the beauty of the whole thing was when Joan suggested that you were having another nervous breakdown, I mean, perfect! I couldn't have planned that any better!"
"You've lost your mind! You've planned this... this whole thing? In God's name, why?!"
He doesn't answer, just repeating that grin again. He stands up and walks to the bay window. He just stands there for several minutes.
"This all began, you might say, forty years ago."
His tone was somber. His demeanor now completely different.
"I told you I was adopted, right? Well I never told you about the physical abuse I endured for ten years. They both beat me, taking turns, as if I were a punching bag and they were boxers. I finally got us out of there."
Us? Who is"us"? I don't interrupt him.
"See, I have a younger brother...or rather, I did. That changed a few years ago."
Huh? A younger brother? And he died a few years ago? Again I don't interrupt him.
"See, Davey was weaker than me, just didn't have much guts, boldness, you understand? Anyway, he always looked up to me. And I took a lot of extra beatings, to spare him sometimes.
"I think I understand, Daniel. What happened to your brother?"
His demeanor changed back to complete hatred. He glared at me with penetrating blue eyes.
"How you ask? HOW!? I'm getting to that, if you'll shut up and listen! See about twenty seven months ago he contacted me, wanted to come out here. So of course I agreed. He got an apartment in town and was working, making good money. He wanted to come over to my place one night. Actually, on December tenth, two years ago... remember that night?"
Remember? Yeah I remember it well, that deer ran out in front of me, causing me to swerve out of the way, and I smashed into the other car...oh, my God.
"I can see by your expression, you remember. He was killed instantly...by you. You, Wyatt, you killed my brother!! And for that you are going to die as well!"
"Daniel, it was an accident! I didn't mean to hit him! That deer ran out..."
"Shut up! It's your fault, not that damned deer's!"
He rushes over and begins beating me, face, head, stomach, chest... repeatedly hitting me, until I pass out.
I awaken to the sound of a blood curdling scream, then stone silence. I look around for anything that could help free me, but he's smart, removed everything sharp. I try to get up but my legs are tied to the chair as well.
"Ah, you're awake again."
He comes in front of me, wearing a grey smock over his clothes and it's splattered in blood! Who's? Ms. Fisher!
"Damnit Daniel! She has a daughter!"
"Had, is the word you want. She's now wrapped up in a canvas, tied up tight. Sure was a bloody kill. But her family will have to have a closed casket, know what I mean?"
"My God man! Your insane!"
"That's right! And you drove me to it! Get it? Drove? Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"
He's off his blooming nut!
"Oh, and don't you worry about Joan. I'm going to take real pleasure in skinning her!"
"You touch her and I'll kill you!"
"Kill me? How are you going to do that, Wyatt? You'll be dead, idiot! You really are dumb, huh?"
He leaves the room. He returns with what looks like a cattle prod!
"Well, you ready for round two, my man? Now I'm going to have to warn you, this is going to be shocking!"
"Doctor, I'm ready to go home, now."
"But Mrs. Wylde, I strongly urge you..."
"Urge smurge! My co-workers are on the way, so give me my paperwork to sign!"
{SKKKKZZZZTTT! SKKKKZZZZTTT!}
"Aaaghhh! Daniel... please..stop this!"
"What? When we're having so much fun?"
Punch after punch...zap after zap... for hours it goes on. Then, he calmly puts the prod down, and raising his fist, one more blow, and the blackness returns