Short Story- Delusions

It all felt so surreal; like a wonderful dream that he didn’t want to wake from. The moment was perfect, the day was peaceful and sunny. The river was flowing smoothly and calmly near them, the green grass splayed out across the meadow and slightly swayed from the occasional breeze. His lover was sitting on the blanket beside him, eating an apple.

The beauty of the landscape around them couldn’t compare to her stunning appearance. In his eyes; she was perfect.

She looked over at him and warmly smiled, her soft brown eyes glowing from affection. He smiled back and reached out to hold her smooth, pale hand.

She was his sweetheart, his soulmate. Everything he ever wanted. When he was around her, he felt calm. The raging hurricane swirling inside of him dimmed when she was around, because of her he had learned to hold himself back and control his usually unstable emotions.

To put it simply she was light; he was darkness. Together they were balanced and content. Happy.

“It’s such a beautiful day.” She sighed happily and looked around with wonder.

“Your beauty outshines this land.” He smiled and pecked her pale cheek. She blushed.

“Oh Sebastian… you’re too sweet.”

They bickered and playfully chatted with each other for a while; enjoying each other’s company and the peaceful atmosphere. The bright sun shone on their skin and enhanced the warmth spreading through their bodies.

She threw a piece of bread at him in the midst of their laughing. He lunged to tackle her to the ground but she leaped up and skipped away through the soft, green grass.

“Catch me if you can!”

He threw back his head and laughed, then pounced after her. They ran swiftly across the ground; him chasing her.

“You’re too fast!” He exclaimed, watching as she ran further away. Her giggling started to fade as she found distance between them.

“Maggie slow down would ya?” He called out, but she refused to listen as she kept running and laughing. It was melodic at first, her sweet sound echoing across the landscape into his ears. But it soon started to turn into cackling; manic laughter. A teasing and taunting sound.

He huffed and reached his hands out as he ran, but whenever he got close she got further away. The sky began to darken as they were playing a rather tiring game of cat and mouse.

“What the hell?” Sebastian murmured as the bright sun disappeared and dark clouds hovered above him. The trees bowed and the leaves flew. A breeze started to pick up, causing Maggie’s shiny black hair to flow behind her.

“Maggie come back!” But she wouldn’t listen. This dream-like day was turning into a nightmare. She laughed and told him to catch her if he can, yet he was never able to catch up to her.

The breeze picked up to a loud and harsh wind, the grass started to sway quickly from the force of the breeze. All he could hear apart from the howling wind was Maggie’s cackling and laughs as she ran further from his reach.

The sky was now a dark black color; it looked as if it was about to rain yet no drops of water fell from the spooky sky.

He suddenly stopped as he felt his legs become weak, his side ached. Maggie kept running and laughing at him. Sebastian suddenly gasped as he saw from a distance that there was red liquid running down Maggie’s blood. It looked almost as if she was bleeding… everywhere.

Her laughter became sorrowful yells and moans, then evil and manic laughter again. Taunting him.

“What’s happening!” Sebastian exclaimed to no one, it was horrible and he wanted it to end. He looked down and noticed a pain shooting up his arm. There was a needle sticking out of it. He widened his eyes and yanked at it, but it wouldn’t budge.

He heard distant voices, they mingled in with the wind and her laughter and sad groans.

Sebastian felt dizzy, the sky darkened and everything started swirling. The river near him started to turn red. In the water, was a body. When he looked, he saw Maggie’s dead eyes staring right at him.

He fell, then everything went black.

Suddenly he jolted away and found himself on a bed, surrounded by people who looked like doctor’s. 

He yelled out. He squirmed and tried to push them away but they held him down. The same needle was sticking into his arm, pumping something into his body.

“Where’s Maggie!” Sebastian yelled at them, demanding to know where she was and why he was in a hospital of some sort.

“Sir calm down! Do you not remember what you did?” He furrowed his eyebrows. What did he do? 

The last thing he remembered was being in the meadow by the river, having a lovely day with his lover. Until everything became a nightmare.

“I was having a picnic with Maggie, where is she!” They all looked at each other, exchanging silent conversations and worried glances. They started whispering to each other in hushed voices.

One of the doctors finally turned towards him, his eyes were sad yet hard. “Sir… Maggie is dead. You killed her.”

Sebastian blinked. His mind processed what he heard, but he didn’t believe it. He couldn’t have. 

Maggie was his everything, he wouldn’t kill her. His feelings of anger and rage were repressed when she was around, he always controlled himself.

“That’s impossible, you’re lying. I wouldn’t do that to Maggie I love her!”

The doctor sighed.

“Yes, but we believe you had a psychotic break and blindly killed her out of rage then created delusions in your head.”

“No… no. I’m not mental I’m not insane, Maggie helped me. I got better because of her.”

“I’m sorry Sebastian, but you did. We found her in your house. With you. Her head had been bashed in, then there were multiple stab wounds all over her body.”

“No no no that’s impossible. I was just with her; we were having a good time. I just saw her!” He started rocking back and forth on his bed. His head was spinning, he yanked at his dark brown hair and squeezed his eyes shut.

“You need help Sebastian. You’re suffering from delusions and a psychotic disorder; we’re going to help you.”

“I don’t need help, I need Maggie.” He yanked the needle out of his arms and sprang up from his position on the bed, he lunged at the doctor but was held back by people.

“Let me go!”

They were all on him, shoving him down and putting restraints on his legs and arms. The needle was stuck back in. He yanked and yelled. His vision became blurry then he was out.

A passing thought went through his head before he lost consciousness. An image. He was standing over Maggie with blood on his clothes and hand. Maggie, was dead on the floor. He was staring down at her with the murder weapon laying by his feet and a sick smile placed on his face.

The memory was soon pushed back into a dusty corner of his mind as his delusions came forward and made a home in his head.

He was broken and shattered but his delusions and mental mind denied what he was and what he did. 

Deep down he knew... He couldn't be helped. He was doomed, always had been. It was clear the moment he had walked in on his father brutally murdering his wife; Sebastian's mother.