“You are just a patient of what is called Schizophrenia.”

“And so, I want to treat it. That’s what you do with psychological diseases which try to disrupt your mind.”

I heard no answer after that. I smirked.

Chris: It worked. I’m cured already.

Last night-

I heard my phone ringing. It was an unidentified caller id.

Chris: Hello? Who is it?

“Chris, it’s me.”

I recognized that voice. It was the mystery girl.

Chris: I know who you are. Are you discharged?

“Yes, and now listen to me carefully. We don’t have much time. I somehow made Jane unconscious so she can’t hear us talk.”

Chris: You did what? How did you get into her house?

“Focus, Chris. I got to know that she used dark magic or something like that to make you hear that voice commanding you.”

Meanwhile, I was dumbfounded.

“She tried to corrupt your mind and made you see and do things you would never. So, from now on, you have to tame her. It’s all an illusion.”

Chris: Why should I believe you?

“Oh, for crying out loud! You never know unless you try. You’ll thank me later. And one more thing, do a little research on her. You’ll know all about her dirty tricks on you and me.”

Before I could say anything else, she already hung up on me.

And so, when I followed her advice, I knew the truth.

I rang her doorbell. This time I was confident and knew what I needed to do.

She opened and smiled a little. It looked as if she was a bit uncomfortable.

While I was driving, I kept glancing at her as I saw her in a daze.

Chris: Hey, something wrong?

Jane: What? No, I’m fine.

She was giving me directions and soon, we reached her studio.

It was compact but pretty. The ceiling light illuminated everything brightly. As we walked, I saw some well-dressed workers greeting her nicely.

Only one of ‘em called her “Ms. Valentine”.

Chris: Valentine? I thought you were ‘Willows’.

Her face turned pale and she mumbled-

Jane: We’ll sort that out later.

My gut feeling of something being fishy only became strong.

We entered her room and she sat down on the comfy chair behind her desk and also offered me to sit on the swivel chair in front of the desk. As I started to scan her room I saw her grey desk on which sat a desktop computer, and a stack of papers sitting under a turtle-shaped paperweight. In the corner, was an air-conditioner blasting air at medium.

Chris: Nice place. What’s all this paper?

Jane: It’s nothing much. Just some designs.

I nodded a little.

Chris: By the way, where were you at Sam’s funeral?

Jane: Just some important work came up here.

Chris: Oh…

Jane: I was really sad when I heard of Sam’s death by a car accident.

I turned my eyes towards her and furrowed my eyebrows.

Chris: Car accident? The police informed me that he died by someone strangling him and the murderer threw his body inside a lake behind my house.

She froze.

Chris: You know what? You’re a terrible liar.

TO BE CONTINUED...
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