The Frayed Layers of Sanity Part 1
Jun 6, 2021 10:45:41 GMT -5
CJ Phoenix, Lissie Hope, and 2 more like this
Post by Eli Hix on Jun 6, 2021 10:45:41 GMT -5
The office was dimly lit, a single bulb hanging from a wire with a short chain attached was the only light outside the street lights peeking through the ragged mini blinds. The man sitting behind the desk looked tired, really tired. He was bald, slightly overweight and in his early 50s,the black tie around his neck was loosened and the sleeves of his sweat stained white dress shirt were rolled up to the elbows revealing a bad tattoo on one forearm of a naked woman. Sitting across from him was a pale thin man in his mid 20s covered in tattoos himself wearing black cargo pants and a wifebeater. A third rather large person couldn't be seen but each time a car drove past the office his shadow loomed over the entire room.
"Does he have to be here Hix?"
"Who ever are you talking about Mr. Asher?"
"You know who I'm talking about, that giant in the corner. Also, I've told ya a thousand times you can call me Glenn."
Hix looked behind him and shrugged before smiling.
"I'm glad we're on a first name basis, Glenn. I like you. You can call me Eli."
"Well I'm glad you like me Eli but ya kinda don't have a choice at this point. It's either me or they're gonna lock you in an institution."
Eli starts rapidly shaking his head.
"Nope nope, no no no! I won't go back there Glenn, I'll hurt a whole bunch of people and then myself before I go back there and you don't want to be responsible for that do you?"
"Ya probably shouldn't be telling me this…"
Eli slams his hands on the desk causing Glenn to jump and papers to fly everywhere.
"What the fuck?"
"What the fuck indeed Glenn! I thought I could trust you. Can I? "
"I ain't trying to be your friend here Hix, I'm just the last case worker left that would see you after you scared everyone else off and the only one who would agree to see you at night. I'm tired, I want to go home but if I think you're a threat to the general public or yourself I gotta alert the proper people."
Eli leans back in his chair, locking his fingers behind his head. He lights a cigarette and takes a deep drag and sighs as he blows the smoke out.
"That was the wrong answer Glenn, I really didn't want it to have to come to this but you forced my hand. Who do you have to go home to? I know that you live alone in a run down studio apartment, your ex-wife is remarried living the white picket fence life while forgetting all about the horrible mistake she made 19 years ago. Speaking of which I also know your beautiful daughter Emily just finished her freshman year of college but chose not to come see you despite all the pathetic begging you've done the last few weeks. It is Emily right? Sometimes I get names wrong."
Glenn's face became bright red and a large vein near his temple pulses each time his heartbeats. He stands up and points at Eli.
"You listen here you sick fucking freak! I'll kill you myself if you go anywhere near my little girl! You understand me?"
"Oh but Dad, baby girl is going to be so disappointed when I have to cancel our date. I guess she has a thing for bad boys with tattoos."
Glenn lunges across the desk but before he can reach Eli a massive hand comes into the scene pinning his head against the desk.
"I didn't want this to happen Glenn. I thought you were different. We have to keep our scheduled appointment for next week though since you made it clear you're my last hope to stay out of the institution. So here's what's going to happen, I'm going to wine and dine your little princess just to keep her close but I won't harm her in any way as long as we keep our current arrangement and you put in your report how remarkable a turn around I've made. You do that and we'll all stay safe and happy. If you don't, well then very bad things are going to happen. Do we have a deal?"
A single tear runs down Glenn's face as the large hand presses down harder grinding his face into the desk.
"Yeah… just don't hurt her please."
"Oh goody, I'm so glad you a reasonable man and can negotiate. Just in case you forget our deal though, I want to make sure you're reminded of it every time you pass a mirror…"
Eli then proceeds to put out his cigarette on Glenn's cheek, the flesh singes as the embers go out against his skin and he screams in pain.
"Let him up Lenny."
The hand releases Glenn and he falls back in his chair holding his blistered cheek and sobbing.
"Get the fuck out…"
"No need to be so rude, we're leaving. See you next week, Dad."
"Does he have to be here Hix?"
"Who ever are you talking about Mr. Asher?"
"You know who I'm talking about, that giant in the corner. Also, I've told ya a thousand times you can call me Glenn."
Hix looked behind him and shrugged before smiling.
"I'm glad we're on a first name basis, Glenn. I like you. You can call me Eli."
"Well I'm glad you like me Eli but ya kinda don't have a choice at this point. It's either me or they're gonna lock you in an institution."
Eli starts rapidly shaking his head.
"Nope nope, no no no! I won't go back there Glenn, I'll hurt a whole bunch of people and then myself before I go back there and you don't want to be responsible for that do you?"
"Ya probably shouldn't be telling me this…"
Eli slams his hands on the desk causing Glenn to jump and papers to fly everywhere.
"What the fuck?"
"What the fuck indeed Glenn! I thought I could trust you. Can I? "
"I ain't trying to be your friend here Hix, I'm just the last case worker left that would see you after you scared everyone else off and the only one who would agree to see you at night. I'm tired, I want to go home but if I think you're a threat to the general public or yourself I gotta alert the proper people."
Eli leans back in his chair, locking his fingers behind his head. He lights a cigarette and takes a deep drag and sighs as he blows the smoke out.
"That was the wrong answer Glenn, I really didn't want it to have to come to this but you forced my hand. Who do you have to go home to? I know that you live alone in a run down studio apartment, your ex-wife is remarried living the white picket fence life while forgetting all about the horrible mistake she made 19 years ago. Speaking of which I also know your beautiful daughter Emily just finished her freshman year of college but chose not to come see you despite all the pathetic begging you've done the last few weeks. It is Emily right? Sometimes I get names wrong."
Glenn's face became bright red and a large vein near his temple pulses each time his heartbeats. He stands up and points at Eli.
"You listen here you sick fucking freak! I'll kill you myself if you go anywhere near my little girl! You understand me?"
"Oh but Dad, baby girl is going to be so disappointed when I have to cancel our date. I guess she has a thing for bad boys with tattoos."
Glenn lunges across the desk but before he can reach Eli a massive hand comes into the scene pinning his head against the desk.
"I didn't want this to happen Glenn. I thought you were different. We have to keep our scheduled appointment for next week though since you made it clear you're my last hope to stay out of the institution. So here's what's going to happen, I'm going to wine and dine your little princess just to keep her close but I won't harm her in any way as long as we keep our current arrangement and you put in your report how remarkable a turn around I've made. You do that and we'll all stay safe and happy. If you don't, well then very bad things are going to happen. Do we have a deal?"
A single tear runs down Glenn's face as the large hand presses down harder grinding his face into the desk.
"Yeah… just don't hurt her please."
"Oh goody, I'm so glad you a reasonable man and can negotiate. Just in case you forget our deal though, I want to make sure you're reminded of it every time you pass a mirror…"
Eli then proceeds to put out his cigarette on Glenn's cheek, the flesh singes as the embers go out against his skin and he screams in pain.
"Let him up Lenny."
The hand releases Glenn and he falls back in his chair holding his blistered cheek and sobbing.
"Get the fuck out…"
"No need to be so rude, we're leaving. See you next week, Dad."