Unwanted Company

Scratching the letters into the wall, I can see the words have started to bleed. The nail of my index finger has torn. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. I slap my face with each utterance and I don't even know why. I only that I can't trust her.

She's speaking to me again. Whispering softly, but God it sounds so loud at the same time.

I need to join her, it's simple she insists. She is angry that I've failed before. I'm reminded of my failure and look at my wrist. The line has healed but it still burns. I remember it like a drunken memory as the razor glides across the surface.

It seemed so graceful. The skin peeled back revealing what lies beneath.

Weak. Weak. So weak she said.

No windows. No sunlight. It's so dark when I'm all alone. Yet ... no alone. She's speaks again.

"SHUT UP!!" My voice hoarse. Tears spawn from my eyes, cascade down my cheeks and die on cracked lips.

I stare at the wall. The bloody message - DIE AMY

I hear the screeching of metal on metal. It's my salvation.

"Claire. Are you ready for your medicine?"

The needle breaks the surface of my dry skin and I don't resist. I need it.

It's so sweet. Almost as peaceful as death, but just temporary. When it thins in the blood. Amy will come back. She always comes back. She always ... comes ... back. The light from the ceiling is stretching. And pulls farther away from me. Let it be permanent. Let it be over. The lids of my eyes fall. Let ... it ... be ... over.

The dreams are wicked and even they torment tonight.

I'm ebbing and flowing from unconscious to consciousness.

I hear her. I hear Amy again. "Claire, Claire. Where have you been? I've missed you."

My fingers hurt. They twitch in anticipation of the pain, and I begin scratching the message again. Deeper and deeper into the concrete wall it goes.