Dark Paige pt6

34.

     Lana pulled the Jeep up to the curb shut off the engine and killed the lights.  There weren't any lights on inside as far as she could see which was a good sign.  She had brought Nick's pistol just in case anyone tried to stop her but for what she had planned it would be easier if she was alone.  Paige had taken away all she had in the world and Lana intended to return the favor.  Lana wasn't violent and didn't have it in her to kill Dave like Paige had Nick but there was something Lana could do.   Something she missed and would enjoy.

     Like all the residents of Brookside criminally insane wing there was a reason Lana was there.  Lana liked to play with fire.  She loved to watch it devour and destroy.  Her love of fire had landed her in Brookside and tonight it would help her get even.  When Paige returned home there would be nothing left of the home she had built but charred remains.

     Lana wiped the tears from her eyes and got out.  She walked around to the back of the Jeep and removed two five gallon gas cans from the back.  She looked around her again just to make sure she was still alone and once she was satisfied she turned and headed up the long driveway to Paige's house.  Vengeance may have been what had brought her here but as she walked toward the fancy two story house the feeling that was strongest in her was excitement.  Lana couldn't wait to watch the flames frolic and consume.  To set them loose and watch them dance as they fed.

35.

     Dave looked into his glass and found only half melted ice cubes.  The clock on the wall said 9:30 but it felt like he had to have been sitting much longer than three hours.  Time moved differently in the silence when all you had were your thoughts to keep you company.  His life with Paige played it's highlights on a loop and each time the bad memories took on a smaller role until he found himself focusing only on the good times, when they were happy, content in their love. 

     Each time the memories recycled he saw Paige again for the first time.  Dave had first met Paige in college.  She had worked in the library as an assistant and from the first time he saw her leaning over her cart of books arranging them to be re-shelved, her mouth forming the letters as she alphabatised to herself quietly, he was immediatly captivated by her grace and beauty.  When she looked up from her work and caught him staring she had smiled at him embarrased and from that moment he was in love. 
     That moment was the first of a cascade of memories that grew more powerful every time they replayed in his mind.  The memory of the first time he had kissed her soft lips, how happy and at peace he had felt when she first told him she loved him, how she had somehow managed to sob uncontrollably while smiling larger than he had ever seen her smile before her eyes sparkling with joy as he looked up at her from bended knee on the day he asked her to marry him, and her inspiring strength and beauty as she gave birth to their daughter and made him a Father. 
     Memories of moments Dave had taken for granted when living them now swam through Dave's mind as he waited in their kitchen for his wife's return.   Dave had retraced their life together and without realizing it worked his way through more than half a bottle of Scotch.  In his anticipation which had turned to nostalgia and longing for a better, simpler time he hadn't realized how deep into the bottle he had gone.

     As he filled his glass he stared blankly at the gun his brother had insisted he take and the sight of it began to disgust him.  Paige was his wife.  She was sick, yes, but he would never hurt her.  He took the gun from the table and shoved it into the back of the junk drawer near the table so that it would be out of his sight.  The alcohol and memories of better days had lowered Dave's guard to the possible danger of what might happen if it wasn't his Paige that walked through the door but the other.  The Scotch had also calmed his nerves and in his clarity he knew that the gun was only a security blanket.  He would never so much as point it at her much less pull the trigger.

     Dave knew that inside his wife there was another but in the end no matter how terrified of that side he was he still loved her deeply.  More than that he missed her immensely.  Besides he was far from innocent in what had happened that night.  He had brought out the other when he hurt his wife with his stupidity and selfishness.  She was just ill and imbalanced in her soul she was still his wife, still Paige.  She only needed support and help.
     The Doctors had explained it to him, the other side protects her from harm.  Dave's harshness had brought her forward.  He had hurt her in a severe way that is beyond physical, deeper, more damaging than physical pain.  In a way that protective side would not tolerate.  Even worse, once she was hospitalized he had turned his back to her entirely because he refused to understand.  Sitting here replaying their life together and remembering the real Paige he wished he could change all of it.  All Dave wanted now was to help her and he would make her see that she needed that help and that he would be there with her from now on because he loved her.  He believed that even though she must feel betrayed that she still loved him too.  The more he retraced his memories of Paige the less he believed she was coming to hurt him at all.   

Dark Paige pt5

28.

     Dave finished pouring his drink without answering her and when he was satisfied he slowly turned around around to face his wife.  Her beauty and naivete was disarming and he almost relented just from the sight of her innocent doe eyes, but instead he pushed forward. 

     "Paige there's something I have to tell you."  Dave said and immediately tipped back his glass of Scotch.  "This is big Paige, you may want to sit down."

     "This doesn't seem like its going to be good news Dave.  Your freaking me out a little."  Paige said choosing her words carefully.  She didn't like the coldness in her husbands eyes.

     "It's not good news.  I've been having an affair Paige, and I want a divorce"

     Paige melted into the chair weakly, her hands trembling, eyes filling with tears  "What?"  She asked, certain she had misunderstood.

     Dave turned around to refill his drink.  "An affair Paige.  I'm amazed you didn't know really.  Its been going on for over six months and we're in love."  He turned back towards her.  "I want a divorce Paige."  He said coldly but as he said it he almost dropped his glass because he no longer felt he was talking to his wife of three years.  There was nothing in the eyes of the woman who looked back at him studying him up and down.  "Paige, did you hear me."

     "No Dave, she didn't, Paige isn't here."  She said calmly as she stood up and started to approach him slowly.  "Paige left.  It's only us now." 

     "What in the hell are you talking about?"  Dave asked backing away until he ran into the counter without even noticing he was doing it.  "What is this?"
     "Nothing Davey, I just want to make sure I heard you right.  You had said you were having an affair?"

    

 

29.

     "You can't go there" Susan said still holding Ray's big hand in her own. "He has to do this on his own." 

     "Part of me agrees with you,"  Ray said to her still looking down  "But a bigger part says he's not safe.  I feel like its going to be worse this time."

     "Worse?"

     "Yes Suze, I don't think she's expecting what she's going to find when she gets home.  I think Paige thinks that Dave will be glad to see her.  Like this was all just a big misunderstanding and when the other sees the truth there's nothing but that little gun he won't use to stop her."   Ray looked up at his wife.  Looked deep into her beautiful green eyes.  "What if she kills him this time Suze?"

30.

     "Yes Paige I have been having an affair."  Dave said and turned around to pour another drink.   But, when he turned around, the bottle was gone and soon so was everything else.  A sharp pain wracked his head and the world went red and then black.  Dave fell to the floor in a heap as his legs gave out from under him.

     "That's a shame."  Paige said in a pouty way as he collapsed.  "The bottle didn't even break."  She opened the scotch and took a drink from the bottle and wiped her mouth with her forearm.  "Oh well, least I didn't waste the Scotch.  Now what to do with you."   She asked herself as she rolled Dave's limp body over with her foot.  "I know!"  She exclaimed cheerfully and headed out of the kitchen towards the garage.

     In the garage Paige walked around like a confident shopper she gathered up a roll of twine, a hand-saw, a retractable razor blade and a hammer.  Her arms full she headed back into the house.

     Once inside she set her items on the island in the kitchen, walked over to Dave and kicked him across the face as hard as she could.  His head whipped to the side but he otherwise did not respond.

     "Aw, hims still sleepin'"  Paige said to no one but herself as she reached down and grabbed Dave's limp hands and began to drag him over to the kitchen table.

Dark Paige pt4

23.

     Lana threw open the trailer door and rushed inside expecting to find the worst, or so she thought, because she was in no way prepared for what she found.  She had expected to find Nick with Paige.  To walk in on him having sex with that backstabbing whore right in her own house but, she never thought for a second that she would instead find Nick’s dead body.  But when she looked into the living room of their dingy little trailer that was exactly what she saw.
     By the far wall of the little living room Nick’s body was slouched lazily and his face was a crushed and bloody mess.  He laid motionless as two fly’s slowly crawled through the drying blood on his lifeless face.  His cheek was gashed open on the left side and his mouth hung wide exposing his naked jaw.  As she crept closer she saw the shattered television set and his severed penis lying limp by his hand.
     Lana fell to her knees in the glass of the broken television oblivious to the shards piercing her flesh, tears streaming down her face she screamed silently in agony because the sound just wouldn’t come. 
     Her mind wouldn’t believe what her eyes were seeing.  She crawled slowly through the broken shards of glass from the busted screen and nestled next to Nick’s limp body with her head lain where she used to listen to his heart beating as she sobbed deeply.

24.

     She tried not to think about it but Paige knew it would be dark soon, an hour or so at the most.  The shadows were stretching out further now and the sun was much lower than it had been when she had awoke in the clearing.  She fought back the panic she was feeling at the thought of being lost in these woods all night.  She swore to herself that once she found her way out and had fixed things with Dave she would then find Lana and personally thank her for leaving her out here to die.

     She stuck with her strategy and continued along the creek with the flow of the water although she still saw nothing but trees in every direction.  The panic in her chest wanting her to doubt herself and just take off running and screaming wildly but dammit she had made up her mind to follow the flow of this creek and that's what she would do until the fear inside grew too large and exploded her will.  She figured she had about an hour before dark made that happen so even though she stayed resolute in her mission her feet still picked up speed.

     Just then a stray branch brought her tumbling to the ground in a frustrated pile and resolute or not Paige's eyes filled with tears.  Things had just been so bad since the fight with Dave.  The hospital, that bitch who had pretended to be her friend then left her for dead in these god forsaken woods and now the race against dark to get out of those same  fucking woods and then finally tripping over that damn branch.  It was just too much. 

     "Get ahold of yourself Lil Bit!"  She growled at herself through the tears.  "You have to go on because no one is coming to help you.  So get your little ass up and continue on for Dave and for Carrie.  For our life."

     She said these things to herself but the words seemed to come from somewhere else deep below.  It was like that when she was weak.  She seemed to reach up and push herself from within.  She guessed that was a good thing though so she never really questioned the voice within.  She listened to it now as she always did.  "Okay, I will."  She said to herself and crawled to the creek to splash some water on her face to clean the tears from her face because just the feel of them running down her cheeks seemed to repulse her right now.  They felt like weakness. 

Dark Paige pt3

17.

     Dave pulled into his driveway about fifteen minutes after Paige and Lana had left for Nick's.  He needed to gather some clothes and things for Carrie while she stayed with his brother.  Dave had no intention of staying at Ray's himself however.  This had to end and he would be the one to have to end it.  There would be no quiet sweeping of affairs under the rug this time.  He had to make sure it was really over for Carrie's sake. 
    He gathered his briefcase, took his keys out of the ignition of the sedan and headed into the house to prepare for Paige to come.  It was only a matter of time before she came back to claim her life again and Dave knew he had to be ready before she did. 
     He laid his briefcase on the hood of the car, opened it, and took out the little snub-nose 38 Ray had given him outside of McDonald's when he saw what his brother intended and that he wouldn't be able to change his mind.
     "Take this at least Dave."  Ray had said handing him the gun.  "Hopefully you won't need this but if you have to stop something just pull back the hammer back, point, and squeeze the trigger."
     Dave had only taken the gun from his brother as a gesture.  He didn't plan to use it, but he now found himself removing it from the briefcase and placing it in his jacket pocket for easier access.  Just a security blanket he told himself.  I'm not gonna use it.  At most its for show.  Hell, I won't even need it.  He tried to convince himself of this but made sure to check that it was loaded all the same.

18.

     Paige opened her eyes slowly.  She had fallen asleep in a weird place again.  This time she was outside in what looked to her like the woods.  She had awoke lying in grass surrounded by trees near a little creek.  she could hear the water babbling downstream above to insects and birds.  She sat up slowly and looked around herself trying to place her surrounding or even remember getting to where she was.  She had no idea about the where or even scarier for her any at all of the how. 

     She fought back the growing panic in her stomach and tried her best to reassure herself that everything would be OK.  It wasn't just the not knowing that scared her, because while the blackouts were frightening this wasn't the first time she had ever found herself in a strange place, it was the idea that she was lost in the woods and night was coming that was terrified her.

     Her heart was racing in her chest but she just kept looking frantically around herself  trying to figure out where she might be and to decide what she should do next.  She was running out of daylight.  By the look of it she was guessing it was probably five o'clock or so.  She had to get out of these woods before dark.  There would be no fighting back the panic after dark.  She scanned her surrounding trying to place anything she could.  Nothing clicked.  She was lost.  That much she at least did know. 

     "Calm down girl."  She told herself.  "I got myself here so I can get myself out." She looked around herself again slowly trying to fight through the growing panic and think clearly.  She tried hard to think of anything.  Anything she may have been told or might have heard about what to do when your lost.  Her Dad had been a hunter but she was totally against it and had taken no interest at all in her Fathers hobby.  She hadn't even been a girl scout.  Still she had to have picked up something useful from TV or movies at least in her 37 years.  "Think Paige", she said to herself. 

     She walked toward the little creek because her mouth was feeling very dry.  She was pretty sure she could drink from that creek.  She wasn't happy about it.  She liked Evian herself.  She had never drank directly from a stream before but her choices were very limited right now and she was very thirsty.  She used her hand as a cup, filled it with water and brought it to her mouth to drink.
     God, her mouth was so dry.  The first handful didn't seem to do anything but she hadn't gagged on it.  She scooped up more and brought it up to her mouth to drink but when she looked down she noticed the blood. 
     There was what looked like blood on her hand now that hadn't been there before.  Smeared and looking slightly watered down but she was sure it was blood.  Blood from her mouth?  She dumped her hand out and rubbed her mouth and then looked at her hand.  More watery red.  She then began to taste it as the water she had drank watered down the dried blood caked in her mouth.  That coppery taste.  She plunged both her hands in the creek and began to feverishly try to wash her face and mouth of the blood.  She got more water and rinsed her mouth over and over till the taste dissolved and she began to actually be able to taste the water.

     She decided she had to have badly bit her tongue when she fell although it didn't hurt at all but it had to be that because if not that then what.  That thought satisfying her for now she drank more of the creek water and moved back to her larger problem.  Getting out of these woods before dark.

Dark Paige pt2

8.

     "Hello." Dave said answering the phone on his desk.
     "Hello Mr. Dearing, this Ann Francis from Brookside Mental Hospital.  I'm afraid I have bad news.  It seems Paige and another patient escaped together earlier this morning somewhere between nine and eleven am.  We haven't been able to locate either patient yet.  We have notified the police but I felt I should notify you as well."
     Dave sat silently holding the phone to his ear unable to believe what he had heard.  He couldn't have heard it.  Paige didn't escape.  He had to have misunderstood.
     "Mr. Dearing.  Are you there?"
     Dave came out of his daze and managed a response.  "Yeah, I'm here.  I was just hoping I had heard you wrong."
     "I'm afraid not Mr. Dearing.  I wish you had.  She and another patient had to have escaped together during shift change."
     "Excuse me Mrs. Francis, thanks for the call but I'm afraid I'm gonna have to call you back."  Dave said and hung the phone up before she could respond.   He pressed the button on the intercom and rang his secretary. 
     "Yes Mr. Dearing."  She answered back promptly.
     "Please get Carrie's daycare on the phone Stacy.  It's an emergency."
     "Is everything alright sir?"
     "God I hope so." He replied removing his hand from the intercom. 
    

9.

     Lana hurried up the stairs to the shower eager to avoid any further contact with Paige for awhile.  That had ruined her buzz just now. 
     Paige scared her.  Hell, most of the girls at Brookside were scared of her. 
     Paige was dangerous.  maybe the scariest thing about Paige is that Paige has no idea she's crazy.   She's been told she is, she knows that its the outside worlds opinion of her, she just doesn't see it.
     You see everything violent Paige has ever done is a mystery to her.  She doesn't have any memory of doing it or even being where it was done.  Dark Paige takes care of all the wet work. 
     Most of the time she's normal if not a little too happy until she's not.  That's how quick it happens.  Lana had only seen it happen twice for herself.  One second she's normal old Paige and the next shes someone else all together.
     The last time Lana saw Paige's dark side they had been in the dorm at Brookside. Lana had been at Brookside before Paige so she knew the ropes and everyone knew Big Bertha ran the dorm.
     Bertha was a giant bull dyke with fists of stone she used to dominate everyone at Brookside.  She ran the place.  Till she met Paige.
     It was Paige's first day in the west dorm where Bertha ruled with an iron fist and Paige and Lana were playing checkers by the big window. 
     Everyone knew this was Bertha's spot.  If you were here and she walked in you moved and when she walked in that's exactly what Lana did but even though Lana pleaded with her new friend, Paige wouldn't get up.
     "Sit back down girl she doesn't own this table.  Let's finish our game."  Paige had said calm as a Hindu cow.
     "No and you should get up too she's coming over here."   Lana replied still backing up but not wanting to run.  She liked Paige and didn't want to see her hurt. 
     "Please come with me.  It's not worth it."
     "Your being silly."  Paige said.  "You re just quitting because I'm winning."
     By now Bertha was at the table and Lana's knees were rattling together she was so scared but Paige just looked up calmly, extended her hand and said  "Hi Bertha, I'm Paige."
     What happened next was so fast and vicious it took Lana awhile to even register it had happened much less recall the actual progression of events. 
     Bertha didn't shake Paige's hand.  Instead she smacked it away and said in her gravelly deep voice "That's my table Bitch"
    At least she tried to say that what she really said was more like "That's my table Bit..."  Then the only sounds were Big Bertha's screams.
    It took a second for Lana to process but before she could finish her sentence Paige had lashed out and bit a chunk off of Bertha's huge left breast.  Then she grabbed Bertha's fat head and shattered her jaw on the table.  By now the orderlies were rushing over but when they got there she moved like a cat around the big one took his keys off his belt and went back at Bertha putting the longest key directly in Bertha's throat.
     Blood sprayed like rain and Bertha just held her throat and gurgled walking or rather stammering backwards falling on her big ass holding her neck and struggling to breathe.  Then she went limp and started to shake violently.
     Bertha spent the next six weeks in a coma. 
     It ended as fast as it began because Paige had no memory of it.  She sat back down coated in blood and looked at Lana and said "Now quit trying to cheat girl and sit down and finish this game.  I have three kings and your going down."
     Lana threw up all over the board and passed out in her own vomit.
     Lana wanted no part of Paige's dark side.  She reminded herself to be more careful at least until they met up with Nick and could finally ditch her.

Dark Paige pt1

1.

    

     "How long do you think we have before they realize were gone?" Lana asked looking back over her shoulder at the big steel double doors.
     "They ain't gonna count heads again till after lunch." Paige said leaning down to pull the key out from under the wheel well.  "We've got about an hour before that bitch Sandy raises the alarm." Paige found the hide-a-key with her hand, pulled out the key and unlocked the Jeep.  "Let's get the hell outta these clothes and take an actual shower."
     "Do we have time to get some breakfast?"  Lana asked Paige as she climbed into the passenger seat of the Jeep.
     "We gotta make a stop real quick and then we'll pick something up on the way to the hotel." Paige told her as she started the Jeep and put it in reverse backing out of the parking space.  "I just want a shower and a decent outfit with a little shape and color as soon as possible." Paige added pulling onto the street and away from Brookside Mental Institution.

2.

     "I don't want to go." Carrie said dropping her backpack and crossing her arms in that defiant way of hers.

     "I don't either honey." Dave said kneeling down to pick her up.  "I wish we could stay and play all day too but I gotta go to work and you gotta go to daycare."

     "They're mean at daycare." Carrie countered not ready to back down.  "I hate it there."

     "You don't hate it there, who's mean?"

     "Boys." Carrie answered blushing.

     "That just means they like you.  Ignore them and they'll like you even more.  Now, will you be a good girl and go for me even though you don't want too?

     "I guess.  But I wanna go to Chuck E. Cheese's on my birthday."

     "Okay baby but that's not till April.  How about we go to the park on Saturday?"

     Carrie lit up at that.  "Can Angie come?"

    "We'll ask her mom OK?"  Carrie nodded and Dave carried his daughter to the car and buckled her in her seat.  "You got everything baby girl?"

    "Yes."

    "Well then let's ride baby." Dave said and closed her door and went around to his door and got in.  he pulled out of the driveway and headed out towards Carrie's daycare like any other day.  He didn't notice Paige and Lana in the Jeep when he passed them on the street so he had no way of knowing it wouldn't be.

3.

     Paige pulled into her old driveway after Dave was gone, parked and got out. 
     "Dave was always predictable.  I always loved that about him."  Paige said as she knelt down and looked in the flowerbed by the front door.  She lifted the rock that wasn't a rock and took out the key from inside and showed it to Lana.  "He's great isn't he?"

     "I like him." Lana said smiling.  "Let's get whatever we're getting so we can eat and smoke a bowl." 

     "Pack one now he won't be home until seven." Paige said as she unlocked the door and headed into her old house.

     Everything was as it had been before she left.  Dave hadn't changed a thing.  The only thing that had changed was she no longer lived there.  Her Husband and Daughter did but Mommy?  No, Mommy's crazy didn't you hear?  Yeah, she's nutty so she lives at Brookside and her husband lives here in her old house with her Daughter.

     It's all as it was.  Same curtains, wheres Mommy? 
     "I picked out that couch."  not really talking to Lana but to herself.  "These are my things.  All of them, I picked them out and I put them where they are.  He didn't even like that couch."

     "Guys suck." Lana said as she lit her pipe and inhaled deeply.  The fragrant odor of Marijuana filled the house.

     "It's not that." Paige said.  "He got scared and he was right to.  It was scary.  I wasn't careful.  I forgot to watch the door and the monster got out."  Paige stared blankly at a family portrait on the end table then back at Lana.  "Gimme that."

     Lana passed her the pipe.  "Watch it that stuff is pretty decent and we've been out of the game for awhile.  Hey, do you think Dave has any cereal in this house?"

     "Check the cabinet by the fridge."  Paige said gesturing towards the kitchen.  "Grab me a Pop-Tart." 

     Lana headed towards the snacks and Paige was close behind but headed to the cabinets under the sink.   She pulled out a cleanser container that wasn't a cleanser container and took out a big roll of twenties. 
     "Dave is so careful. Its one of the cuter things about him."  Paige took the money to the table and counted it.  "Three sixty." She said as she took her Pop-tart from Lana.

     "That's better than you expected."

     "Yeah, My Davey came through.  Let's finish this bowl and take a shower and then we should get out of here."

     Lana hit the pipe and took a deep drag.  "I thought we had until seven."

     "We do but we've done everything we need to do here and also they'll be looking for us here.  We should get moving somewhere safer till the heat dies down a bit." Paige finished her Pop-Tart and picked up the pipe and hit it once more.  "I'm gonna hit the shower.  Enjoy your cereal."

     "Oh I will baby it's been six years since I had me some Crisp.  Let me know when the showers free."

     "OK." Paige said and headed up the stairs to the second floor.