Am I crazy

1000 words

Before opening his eyes, Jojo Bill knew he was back in the nerve sanatorium from the smell that assaulted his nose and the feel of hard lumpy bed beneath his back.

Diane, his wife, must have drugged him and called for him to be shipped back to this dung hole which had been his on and off home for eight months now. It hurt that even his wife thought he was crazy, her faith in his mental condition was nil, and Jojo felt insulted.

. He wasn't sure if he was actually crazy or not, but he knew he heard voices. And he knew he had to find a way of blocking it if he was ever going to leave this place. If only he knew what she wanted...

He sighed in resignation, folded his hands behind his head and stared at the ceiling. The whole county must know him to be a basket case, Jojo thought miserably and was considering moving out of the county when he felt a warm air brush his neck lightly.

He sprang up and looked around, nobody was there but he hadn't expected to find anyone in the first place. Nothing was that easy. He sat up and heard the voice.

The faintest of whispers, soft and at the same time scary. "Help me..." he heard.

He jumped to his feet and walked backward until his back hit the wall. He stayed there and darted quick glances all over the room.

"Jojo..." the voice, strangely metallic now, whispered again in his ears making Jojo jerk his head to the side. The sudden movement had his nose hitting the wall and he swore as blood dripped into his mouth.

The door opened and Nurse Gretchen with the horse like teeth entered, pushing a trolley loaded with food in. Jojo preferred to call it garbage, but he didn't talk as he heard a plate clatter dully to the floor.

He wiped the blood with the back of his hands and walked back to his bed.

"You take your pills now, Mr. Bill?" Nurse 'horse-teeth' said holding out a plastic cup of water and ignoring the bloodstain that had fallen on Jojo's shirt.

Jojo took the cup from her and stretched his left hand to take the pill. Then he jolted and jumped backwards when he raised his eyes to look at her face.

It wasn't nurse Gretchen's face. The person holding the pill had a face that was as white as snow, there were black spots around both of her eyes through which tears fell freely. Her lips, shining with blood red moisture moved slightly and Jojo heard soft voice whisper in his ears.

"Please... Help me." He whirled around and looked back, someone had been behind him. He turned back to look at the crying face and shouted at it.

"LEAVE ME ALONE! I CAN’T HELP YOU!"

The face became that of Nurse Gretchen again and she raised an eyebrow slightly, she wasn't surprised, she dealt with people like him everyday.

"You take your pill now or I call security. They inject you. Very painful."

Jojo, sweating profusely nodded shakily, took the pill, swallowed it without using water and slumped on the bed again.

"Good Mr Bell. You eat your food now" Nurse Gretchen said and walked out pushing the trolley in front of her. He heard the locks click into place when she closed the door.


******

"Wake up, Jojo..." Soft teary voice whispered in his ears.

"Please..." He could almost swear he felt her lips on his ear, so he struggled to come up and out of his comatose sleep. He opened his eyes and wondered briefly if the voice he heard was from a dream.

"It's real." She said in his ears again. Jojo screamed and jumped out of bed, all traces of sleep gone.

He saw her on the floor, her red lips drooling blood on his food. Tears were still streaming down her face.

Her blood drenched lips moved.
"I won't hurt you. I need your help..."

"Damn" Even with his fingers stuck in his ears Jojo could still hear her voice clearly, so he dropped both hands and moved back. "What do you want?"

"8162, Tireshire. Go now."

Jojo thought of laughing. "How do you suppose I do that? The doors are locked."

"Tell them" She whispered, tears running down her face again. A dark patch of red appeared in her chest and blood trickled out of it, pooling to her feet. "Please..."

Jojo clamped his hand to his ears. The urgency of the whisper made him shudder. "Tell who what?" but she was gone and so was the puddle.
"TELL WHO WHAT?" He screamed,

The door swung open and a tired looking man walked in.
Jojo held the front lapels of the man's coat. "8162. Tireshire. I'm not crazy. Please go there. Take the cops too"

The man looked at him like he would any of the other inmates.
"Jojo..."

"You can lock me up forever if you don't find anything. Please go now"

The man nodded, extricated Jojo's hands from his coat and went out.

*******

Jojo sat on his hard bed and waited. The door opened and he sprang up, the tired looking man came in.

"The cops found her drowned in his bath tub. He was digging a grave at the back of his house, but they got there in time."

"Who?"

"Miller Reed. Her boyfriend" The man said, and looked at him strangely "I thought you knew..."

"No, she told me. I guess she wanted him to be caught before he buried her" Jojo said "What's her name?"

"Bethy Drake. She spoke to you... In your dreams?"

Jojo laughed. "You don't wanna know that. So do you believe I'm not crazy now"

The man nodded. "But you have to see a shrink."

"Sure." Jojo said smiling as the man walked out and barely moved when he heard the soft whisper in his ears.

"Thanks..."