Chained

Twelve

Freddie blinks, her beautiful eyes so confused. "What do you mean?"

"I don't want your enlightenment! I don't want your drugs fucking with my mind. I don't want any of this," I say harshly. "Leave."

"I can't leave." She moves so close to me and her body is covered in phantasmagoric blood and worms. "If I leave, you'll be lost. Your body will be rotting meat."

"Shut up."

"You can have so much more, Jason. You deserve so much more."

Her hand is coming too close again. I can't stand it. I tear away from her, only to almost bump into Michael.

"Freddie," he says evenly.

She spins around, the flashlight dancing on both of us. "I've found another disciple."

"You've drugged another poor bastard who will end up killing himself before morning," Michael says flatly. "We're going home."

"I initiated him with the truth!" Freddie argues. "He is awakening. We must all be awakened for the promised day."

"Freddie, it's time that you accept that most people are just beasts and not worth saving," Michael says. "Let them enjoy their miserable lives while they have the chance. It is bad enough you took Jason Hill's life."

"I'm still alive!" I break in.

Michael doesn't look at me. "Not for much longer, Jason Hill. You won't be able to handle what you are seeing. You will end your life before you ever come down."

I'm shaking, but with anger, not fear. "Then take me to the goddamn hospital!"

"No," Michael says.

"You can't just..." I trailed off as the walls start seeping blood.

"You can't just let him die," Freddie finishes for me. "We have to take care of him."

Michael shakes his head. "You were the one who did this to him, Freddie. And don't think I'm not aware of your ulterior motives."

"You can't just abandon one who has seen the truth," Freddie argues. "That would be blasphemy to the hallowed truth."

"Can't you both shut up!" I snap. "I don't give a shit. You both can just leave and I'll take my chances. But save your cult ideological arguments for your car ride home."

"Jason...if we leave, you could die," Freddie says.

I can't even look at her. She looks too beautiful to be real. The light swirls around her, shining through her curls.

"I don't care," I say weakly.

I turn to Michael and he is the opposite of Freddie. He is a shadow and there is nothing but coldness from him.

Like he isn't there at all.

"Freddie?"

I look downstairs. There is Michael holding the candle. The real Michael. The illusory Michael vanishes and I turn back to Freddie.

"You saw Michael?" I ask.

"That wasn't Michael," Freddie says as the real Michael quickly climbs the steps.

"There you are!" Michael lunges forward for Freddie. "We have to leave before you cause any more damage."

"He saw the truth, Michael!" Freddie smiles beatifically. "We have to take him with us. He saw, Michael!"

"Of course he sees me," Michael says tersely. "He's not that far gone."

"No...he saw, Michael," Freddie emphasizes.