We tapped our foot rapidly while we listened to the man across from us in the circle of patients. We had lost track of the number of hours we had been in this accursed group therapy. We were fairly certain the therapist had purposefully made us the last to speak. We were trying to hold our temper, but it was a losing battle.

"That's when the bird spoke to me and told me about God's plans for me."

"Now, Gary, why do you think the bird could speak?" The therapist had an almost mocking tone.

"You never heard of a parrot, lady?" We grinned at her when she turned her annoyed gaze our way.

"Of course I have heard of a parrot, Subject 963. Was it a parrot you were talking to, Gary?"

The ever confused looking Gary shook his head. "No, I think it was a raven. I have trouble telling them and crows apart."

"Ravens are bigger and smarter and don't travel in flocks like crows. Had a pet raven once. Though, to be fair, we may have been her pet. Fucker was smart. Smarter than me, that's for sure. Probably not smarter than a couple of the others kickin' back in this skull." We knocked on the top of our skull and made a clicking sound in time with it. The therapist didn't look as amused as the other patients did.

"I will have to ask you to stop interrupting the other patients while they speak about their delusions. You will have to wait your turn to talk about yours."

"We ain't delusional. Keep tryin' to tell you people that, but nobody listens ‘round here. Ain’t listenin' part of your actual job?"

"That is enough, Subject 963. Be quiet before I have you removed." She glanced over my shoulder at the guard standing next to the door who cracked his knuckles.

"You tellin' us that we can just run our trap and get outta this circus? You wanna hear a story about the time we tore someone's nose off for mockin’ us? Knew head injuries bled a lot, but who knew tearin’ off a guy's nose would cover our hand in that much blood?" 

The guard grabbed us almost before we finished, dragging us from the room of horrified patients. "You should have listened to Theresa, 963. Your disrespect of authority will be the end of you."

We chuckled darkly as he dragged me down the brightly lit hallway of closed gray doors. "You threatenin' us, pal? You wouldn't be the first or the last to try takin' us out. Death never sticks ‘round long enough to claim our spirit."

The guard opened a windowless door and sharply threw us into an empty, stark white room. "Maybe you'll be more compliant after some time in solitary confinement." He slammed and locked the door.

We got up and straightened out our hospital clothes. "Gotta be alone to be solitary."

"You certainly have landed us in quite a situation, Time Bomb."

I turned and glared at the smug illusion that had appeared behind me. It was still strange to see myself standing several feet in front of me. It was even stranger that we weren't exactly the same. He had my face, but his eyes had no whites or pupils, just blackness surrounding sickly green orbs.

"Stop callin' me that. I handled this shit just fine before you and your friends showed up."

He laughed quietly. "I would not really call the others my friends."

"Whatever, Krystian. None of you are my friends and I wouldn't be here if you hadn't invaded my head."

Krystian raised an eyebrow. "No, you would be dead. I saved you."

I growled at him. "I didn't want savin’."

"That wasn't what you said when you were bleeding out under that streetlight."

I held my head and collapsed to the floor as he made me relive our first meeting. I could feel the bullets tear through me. I could feel my life's blood soaking through my clothes. I could feel the fear of dying. I could feel my desperation to survive.

"Please…" My voice echoed through my ears as though I could hear my plea from the past and present at the same time.

Krystian slowly circled me. "I returned your life to you and I can take it back just as easily. I can do worse. I can lock you away like I have the others who defied me. Make you an observer of your own life as I tear it to pieces. This pain you feel right now would never end. Is that what you want, Jakyl?" I weakly shook my head and he knelt next to my shivering body. "Then that is enough of your attitude."

I gasped a lung full of air in when he freed me from my agony and shakily pushed myself up to sit against the wall. I looked down at my body, relieved at the lack of blood and bullet holes. I turned my cold, green eyes up to him. "You've made your point."

"Consider this your reminder of what I can do to you. You belong to me. Never forget that." He disappeared in a blink, returning to the prison he had created within my body.

Our body.

"Our body."

Originally posted 2 September 2019