Twisted Minds

Noahs room felt like a scene from "The Mist", smoke billowing through his lamps light casting shadows against his walls. Stories of life, reminiscent of early cave paintings, abstract now in their meaning. A fleeting beautifulness.

Or maybe he had just smoked too much already.

He always had a slight irrational fear of his smoke, he knew it was stupid, but no one can prove it won't turn into a real tentacle and drag to him to hell. Damn, having an over religious granny really messed him up.

He could smell Mias cooking from here, her house famous "What-ever-the-fuck-was-in-the-fridge" tacos. Stringy cheesiness atop smoky flavoured mince, finished with store brought tortillas. Kings dined worse than them.

Mia had her shoulder length hair in a simple bun, which meant one thing and it only took a stroll into the lounge to confirm it.

Paper and paints laid strewn across their coffee table. In the middle sat her piece. A golden moon rising against a dark purple backing.

She had been working on it all day, but she knew it was nowhere near done. It would never be, there was always another detail, a redo needed. It could never be perfect to her, not like in her mind. Mia moved her stuff so they could feast.

"What are we watching?" She asked before taking a mouthful of food.

"Up for Evil De-"

"No"

"Wow. So quick to veto a horror classic. Shame"

"Don't be Game of Thronesing me because we've seen it a million times."

"I take it back. Halloween?"

"Nah, not a huge fan of it"

Noah couldn't hold himself back "Shame"

They eventually settled on a movie, an artsy film with the kid from Donnie Darko, the one with the crazy eyes. The movie was... something alright. Noah could not put in words how better Evil Dead would have been, but Mia liked this one, so he tried his best.

"It didn't even make sense!" He exclaimed.

"It doesn't have to make sense Noah, you know that"

"True. But it's at least gotta be good while it does it, otherwise it's like being mind fucked by a two incher"

"I wanna explore your brain"

"I wouldn't, it's a bit M. Night up there lately." He replied, watching as her face screwed up trying to get his reference.

"Split...?"

"Circle gets a square"

Mia woke the next day late and with a throbbing headache. She downed two Panadol as she rushed out, plain toast in hand.

She worked in this tiny, but gorgeous bookshop. It was almost magical, tucked away from the main public, it survived on loyal customers and devoted collectors.

"The Bookshop" specialized in the unique, the strange. Her boss, Kaiden, was only 5 years older than her, and fortunately, very lenient.

"Sorry Kai" she hurried over, unlocking the door for him "Over slept"

"That's alright" He replied, putting his bag on the bench. "You can make it up to me with a coffee run. The usual"

"Sure." His usual was the easiest thing ever, just one large black.

"Mia". He called, holding two bills along side his sly grin. "Money"

He could never let her pay.

The rest of the morning was uneventful, one of their regulars, Mr Kirks, came in for the fourth time in three days. He had got Kaidan to look into some obscure book for him. Something to do with some-ology in Europe.

Kirks seemed to get madder and madder with each visit. His bald head dripping with sweat as his voice dropped with fake-honey. If Kai was here, it was all sweet. But yesterday it had been just Mia, and he didn't feel he should hold back as much.

She hadn't told anyone what he said, she didn't want to see over dramatic, but watching him buddy up to Kai pissed her off.

"How much is this?"

Mias attention snapped back to her register, the voices owner a young woman, her hair up in a cap. Mia wasn't a lesbian, but this girl was beautiful.

Her outstretched hand held out a bright red book.

"The Robbers Bride". Margaret Atwood.

"$12.50, comes with a free bookmark too"

Mia couldn't help but smile at her. The woman quietly paid, barely pausing to choose a bookmark.

Mia felt Mr Kirks make his way over to her.

"Find everything you're looking for?" She asked. He completely ignored her, much to her relief.

Night fell before she left. Kaidan, like usual, walked her to her car. She told him he didn't have to, but he always insisted, something she was thankful for.

But of course, he couldn't drive her home, and that was the part she really hated. When she was younger her mother tried to explain how dangerous the world really was, but telling a 5-year-old about the flat tire murders borders on cruelty.

She couldn't help but think about each of those poor girls every time she got behind the wheel. Murdered by some perverted freak on the side of the road. Not even just that, but brutalized and abused just so that some monster could get his rocks off. Mia didn't believe in god, but she knew that man was going to burn.

The streets home felt darker than normal, barren of any life as she crept along the roads. She was taking it easy on her brakes, they were sounding worse than usual, but Mia couldn't take it in to a shop yet.

She pulled up to an empty intersection. No traffic. Nothing but lights and a steering wheel to drum her fingers on. And a little voice telling her to hit the gas.

Not fully, just edge it a bit, ease the gas slowly. No one was around. No cops to tell her no.

She almost went for it too, just for the taste. Thinking about it till lights hit her rear-view mirror, just as a car roared through in front of her, ripping right where she would have been driving.

Her heart leapt to her throat. What if she had done it, dead because of an impulse.

Green light reflected off her dashboard, but Mia was too far away to see it. She felt her throat tighten, constricting like a boa, squeezing her chest; her heart.

She cracked her window, the cold air desperately trying to wash the anxiety from her face. Her breaths felt short and hot, each one painfully drawn from her.

The car behind her flashed their lights, telling her to hurry the fuck up, pull herself together.

Noah arrived home to a silent house, newly broken in ways he would never know. There was an electricity in his veins as soon as he crossed that threshold, something was off. The house was never this stiff, not even in its darkest time

"Mia" he called, his voice shattering the silence. He was scared to come closer, knowing he could never turn back again. "Are you here?"

No answer.

He knew he had to take a step, in either direction. Push on, face the house, or just step back. Call someone. Get some help.

Call who? The cops?

Yeah that will go down great, he could imagine the conversation now. Yes Mr big police officer, there was a scary feeling in my house, could you save me?

It sounded like a bad plot in a worse movie.

"Is anybody there?"

Silence. Noah stepped forward, the slightest creak under his foot. He felt silly, he lived here, this was his house. But still he stepped just as slowly

The living room was empty, kitchen too. Every shadow his would be killer. Only the hall was left, their rooms on either side.

His knock on Mias door was deafening, like gunfire it rocked the flat

"Noah?

Her voice was warming to hear, even if it was muffled by the door.

"You alright?" The tension hadn't left his body yet.

"Open the door"

He turned the knob, easing the door open to total darkness. He could see the faint outline of her bed.

"Bad mental day?" He had seen this before with her once or twice before, but it had never felt like this to him, never this dark.

"You could say that". There was a dry chuckle at the end, the type you don't recognise till you've done it before, like his comment was the most obvious thing ever.

"What happened?" He let concern creep into his voice, a little wave tailing her name.

"I nearly killed myself today" she sounded exhausted, like simply just existing was too much pressure in the room "Not sure if it was on purpose"

"Not sure?"

A sigh came from the darkness. He reminded himself not to push her on it, she would talk when she’s ready.

"Alright, I'm gonna go make two teas and you don't have to tell me anything"

Lavender tea, her go to, never failed to perk her right up. He hated this, his arms starting to tingle again as if he had pure adrenaline pumping down his fingertips.

He decided to do some dishes while the kettle boiled. A task to keep his mind from worry. It had been a few months since her last episode. But still.

He wanted to call her parents, or someone from her family who could help. But Mia specifically forbade it. Noah didn't press her on it, but he knew she kept her family at arm’s length.

"That for me?"

Her voice sent him jumping in the air, water flying everywhere. "Holy shit Mia, make sound when you walk"

"Sorry. Is it?"

"Well...yeah?”

Mia didn't understand why he was telling her like she was dumb, but she enjoyed the tea too much to complain. Though he kept looking at her weird.

"You okay man?" She didn't need him freaking out, she had done enough of that in the car.

"Yeah, I'm fine". He turned his back to her, fishing out some misplaced spoon in the water. "You want to talk about what happened?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, uh, I come home and you tell me you almost killed yourself, but won't te-"

"What?" There was no way she heard him right.

"Almost killing yourself Mia, keep up"

"I didn't tell you yet"

"I know, you never told me why"

"No Noah, I never told you. Have you been taking your meds?"

"Have you been?"

"I just got home, it happened on the way back"

She held up her hand, fingers still wrapped around her fingers like a confirmation. His eyes grew as he stared at her keys. It made her hair rise, like she had missed the biggest puzzle piece.

He dropped the dish back into its soapy haven, rushing past her as he wordlessly flung her door open, storming in.

"WHAT THE FUCK NOAH?"

"She was right here" his voice was dark, fingers pointing right at her bed. "She was right here and she spoke to me"

"Who was here?"

He looked her straight in the eyes, no humour, no hidden smile.

"You were"