Mad -COMPLETED-

Inexplicable Movement

Inexplicable Movement

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“All living things contain a measure of madness that moves them in strange, sometimes inexplicable ways.”

― Yann Martel, Life of Pi

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Henry can hardly keep the laugh down when he sees the King's bent out of shape nose.  

"Does the charm not work anymore?" demands the King. "Foul creatures seem to haunt my doorstep." 

"You forget that rulers of other beings can come whenever they choose, to seek an audience," says Henry.  

The King glares at him. He seemed to have forgotten that. "So what are you here for?" 

"Most probably, the hostage that broke your nose," says Henry, unable to resist. 

"What law says I have to give them to you?" asks the King, attempting to channel his usual tricky self. The nasally set to his voice defeats him. 

"The law that says I will tear you limb from limb if you do not," says Henry, deadpan. The Trickster had intended to keep Alice and TJ imprisoned...indefinitely.  

"Threat of brute force does not work on me. If you could manage to, you'd never see day again," says the King. 

"I'm sure the goblins and the elves would find it in their hearts to forgive me, considering who I disposed of," says Henry. "If my brother's blow did your head some disservice, let me remind you. He snapped your jaw like it was glass instead of steel. He wasn't even really trying. Imagine what I, the sovereign -yes, sovereign, my dear king- of the inhumans could do to you if I tried," he pauses for effect, eyes glimmering with malicious amusement, " just a little bit." 

The threat is not veiled at all. Henry was not in the practice of hiding what he meant.  

For a moment, fear lit up the King's eyes.  

"Bring me my brother, and the woman," says Henry, his voice little more than a feral growl, "Now." 

The King snaps his fingers and someone obeys.  

Henry can't help smiling, just slightly. Inhumans would be more than mere vagabonds now. Finally, they would be respected, not merely feared.

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There is silence in the car as Alice drives back to my apartment. Henry vanished off to wherever it is he goes, and it is just us, alone. 

No, not just us. Coreair's words hang in the silence, tangible. 

We haven't said a single word since Henry rescued us from Coreair's cell.  

His words ring in my head.  

Sacrifice. Trust. 

I don't understand, but Alice does. And the look on her face is giving me a very, very bad feeling. She looks like she is staring death straight on. Too often lately, I've seen death reflected in the mirror.  

Instead of dropping me off, Alice parks and comes up to the apartment with me. She doesn't speak until we've stepped over the threshold. 

There is a determined look on her face that gives me chills. 

"I know what he meant, TJ," she says, gaze locked with mine. Her chin is jutting out the way it does when she gets stubborn. I don't say anything. I just look back at her. "I have to trust that you won't hurt me. " 

The full implication of what she means hits like a freight train. "No!"  

Alice is the person I love most in the world. Losing her would be more than I could take. I've almost hurt her before. I still remember staring down into that knife drawer, my hand halfway extended. I still remember the garbled sentences that flew from my mouth when I didn't know what I was saying. 

Losing her would be more than I could take, but knowing I was the one who took her life...I wouldn't be able to live. The loathing I harbor toward myself would be nothing compared to that. I love her too much. I would rather have her on the other end of the earth than lose her to the other side.  

"I can't let you do that, Al, I can't," I say. My voice cracks. The rage and pain fade away, and the colors do too. I'm left with nothing but aching sorrow. 

"This isn't about you trusting yourself," says Alice. "This is about me trusting you. And I trust you." She puts a hand on my jaw. "You would never hurt me." 

She doesn't know. But I could hurt her. I could more than hurt her. I understand now why Henry left. It is better to be away from those you love, knowing they are safe, rather than the constant danger you present. I rub the scar on my arm. 

"Alice..." I know what I am doing now. I'm leaving tonight. It'll break my heart, but I have to go. For her.  

"I can see what you're thinking. You can't hide anything from me. I know you too well. You aren't leaving me. I can't let you." Her eyes are such a beautiful blue. "You've always told me how you can't live without me, how much you love me. Why haven't you stopped and thought about how much I love you?" 

"I know you love me..." 

She interrupts. "It's more than that, TJ. After two years, don't you know? I can't live without you. I need you more than air. If you left me, I wouldn't be able to keep on living. I always told myself I would never get this attached, but I can't help it. You can't leave me, TJ. I need you." 

The way she says it is so simple, as if there is nothing more to it. I can't risk it, though. 

"I understand that..." I start. 

She interrupts me again, and I can sense her anger. "You don't understand. It's you who can't wrap your thick head around it. We need each other. And the only way we can be together is if we get rid of that thing inside you." Her voice holds so much disgust I wince, because, at the core of it, I am the monster. "So do it." 

"Alice, if I hurt you...if...if..." I can't finish. 

"But you won't," says Alice softly. 

"How can you know that?" I explode. "I love you, Al, but you don't seem to grasp how much danger you're in! If I woke up holding your lifeless body...forget about how that won't happen...You would be dead, Alice. At my hands. In my arms. You do not want to know what that would do to me."  

"I know," says Alice. "I know, and I'm asking you to do this anyway. You need to trust me, TJ. This isn't for you anymore, this is for me." 

"Why? This is my monster." 

"And it's mine. This monster is destroying the man I love, piece by piece. I don't want to lose you. I don't want to see your monster take over. I want to see you again, your brown eyes, without a hint of madness. Do it, TJ. Do it for me," she says. 

She is demanding the impossible. I shake my head. 

"TJ," she looks at me with her angel eyes, "Please." 

"If I hurt you..." 

"I forgive you. It wasn't you. And I'll love you," she places a soft kiss on my cheek. "I love you always, no matter what happens." 

So I do it. I close my eyes and let the madness rise up, the grief already tangible. But by the time the monster rears its head, I don't care anymore. 

This is full and complete. I cannot feel myself. I have no control, it has finally taken over. I could kill her. And I don't care.

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It's a bit of a cliffhanger, but I won't apologize.

It turns out that leaving people hanging is one of my favorite hobbies. :)

Please vote and comment and thanks so much for reading!

(Oh, and I DO apologize for the late update.)