The Never Ending Quest For Sanity

CHAPTER 3-4

CHAPTER 3

There was a call early one morning.  He was famous for his on call status and sometimes it was utilized in a crisis situation.  There were about 5 per month and this was a particularly slow month.  After all, it wasn’t the holidays...yet.  

The familiar tune of his ringtone came and he answered after 4 rings before it went to voicemail.  Drowsily and loathingly he greeted the mystery caller.

“This is Sergey.”  This was his standard greeting for when he answered, and this morning it was seasoned with a tone of irritation.

“Doctor, it’s Markus.”  Sergey knew this man very well and he was one of Sergey’s favorite clients.

“Is everything ok?”

“Kind of.  I don’t know how to explain what’s happening.  Do you know anything about the murders last night?”

“What murders?”

“The ones on the eastside of town.  It was horrible, truly horrible.”  Sergey thought a moment and grew silent.  “Are you there?”

“Yes, I am.  Can you tell me more about it?”

“You know how it is.  People die everyday, as you’ve said.  There just happened to be a bloodbath.  It was kind of shocking to hear that they finally discovered the bodies.”  Sergey was shocked at this, as he never thought it would happen that Markus would murder anyone, let alone a large number of people.  The number was up in the air at this point as he didn’t know what to think.

“Can you meet me in an hour?  I would like to talk to you more in my office.  I think that public places are too risky at this point.”  There was a hesitation.

“No problem.”  The line then disconnected and Sergey rose immediately to ready himself for the meeting.  His morning ritual was rather simple and he was not going to do anything different this morning in spite of the news.  He would be hurried in his pace, however, as he was more concerned about Markus’s state of mind at this point.  After all, Markus was a curious case of severe psychosis.  Why Sergey had taken an interest in him the most was beyond even his u understanding.  Of all his clients, he was willing to actually help this man instead of manipulate him as he did the others.  Maybe it was due to the fact he didn’t show emotion, which was a relief to Sergey.  After all, emotional people were his biggest pet peeve that he usually wanted to eliminate completely.

At 20 minutes before the meeting, he arrived at the office, having stopped at the local coffee shop just down the street from his house and had to wait in line for a while.  He felt that 5 minutes was too long and had become irritated but kept his cool in the process, his mind on Markus and his situation.  After all, it was 5:30 when he had woken Sergey and there was a certain relief that the meeting time of an hour from that time was decided upon by both.  

With bagel in hand and a latte in the other, he turned off the engine and entered the office, not sure what he would hear.  He quickly disarmed the alarm system and, sitting at his desk, thinking more on the situation he was going to have knowledge of.

“Doctor?”  He soon heard as he was deep in thought.  Markus appeared, blood on his navy blue shirt.  “Thank you for seeing me on such short notice.”  Sergey struggled to not express shock and simply stared for a moment.  He pulled a metal chair from the corner of the room and offered him the seat.  

“Please, sit down.  I need to know what happened.”

“I just saw red, I can’t explain it.”  He sat on the chair and it creaked under his weight.  He was not a large man and the chair was relatively old.

“How many were there?”

“5.  I think this makes me a serial killer.”  The confession was chilling as he showed no emotion toward his actions.  “I just couldn’t take it anymore.”

“This about your ex-girlfriend?  Am I correct?”

“Yes.”  He maintained a steady emotion and appeared to have no conscience.  “I didn’t know what else to do.  She was the one who deserved it and the others were just in the way.”

“Who are the others?”

“Her family---all of them.  Her brother was hardest to take, he’s quite the large man.  He should learn that there are consequences to his cheating sister and never stand in the way of fate.  I mean, she had to die and I think they all deserved it.”

“They didn’t call the police?”  Markus shook his head.  “Tell me everything, it’s important.”

“First, her father and mother died.  It was about 10 pm and they were watching the news.  I stook just outside the window to the living room.  As I saw them, I couldn’t forget the memory I had of their ridicule and attempt to control the situation that we had.  From the window outside, I took a shot and it traveled through their heads, killing them instantly.  I mean, both of them were just gone at that point, the blood gushing on their white couch that had been their great grandmother’s.  They loved that couch.”  He took a sip of bottled water that he had brought with him.  “I hated them, I really did.”

“I know you did.  There was no doubt when you spoke of them.”  Sergey sighed and lit a cigarette, offering Markus one, which he didn’t refuse.  As he lit the cigarette of the serial killer, he still couldn’t believe what he had heard.  Markus was the last person he would have suspected to kill anyone but then again, there was no guarantee anyone would ever be free of the ability to murder another person.  He thought a moment and continued his recall of the events of that evening.

“It was last Wednesday.  I was kind of shocked that they found the bodies when they did, I thought it would have been sooner.  I was wrong, which I usually am.”

“What happened after you killed her parents?”

“Well, it was easy to enter the house.  They never lock the doors and that was their first mistake.  In fact, it was a fatal mistake.  I just walked in and found the keys to the gun cabinet beside her father on the table.  He had this key ring with 3 keys on it.  The house, the car and his gun cabinet were the only ones and one was all I needed.  I wasn’t interested in his Expedition, it would have been a very stupid move on my part.  In fact, I would have needed an IQ test if I had taken it.  After all, grand theft auto is no light crime.”

“I see.  So, how did the other 3 die?  You mentioned there were 3 more.  Who were they?”

“Her brother, her new boyfriend and her...the devil’s child.”  He was smiling as he thought of things that had occurred, his first emotion Sergey had witnessed.  “It felt good.”

“You mentioned her father’s gun cabinet.  What did he have?”  Markus thought a moment and took another drag from his burning cigarette.

“A shotgun, a revolver and a rifle.  The revolver was a very easy grab.  I wore gloves so I didn’t leave any prints.  They’ll never find out who did it, they would need proof, which they don’t have because there’s no trace I was there.”  He sighed and shook his head.  “Some people have to pay for their sins in blood.”  He thought long and then continued.  “Nothing was hard about this and there was no turning back from what was done.  It was over in an instant.  I was quiet and it paid off more than you can imagine.  The bedroom was in the back part of the house and no one had heard anything due to the silencer on my gun with which I killed her parents.  No one was alerted and the glass didn’t shatter at all so it was easy to walk in and do what I had to do.”

“Aren’t you concerned about the gun being traced to you?”

“It was stolen, there’s no way they will catch me.”

“So, you stole a gun?  From who?”

“That’s the funny part.  One of the cops in another state will soon have his badge taken away and tried for murder.  There’s only so many cops with that gun.  The best part is, he was on vacation and I returned it before anyone knew.  For good measure, I wiped the prints from the gun, returning it under the mattress where he kept it.  That was foolish of him, don’t you think?”

“Yes, I’m quite sure.  No one knows what may happen.”

“Exactly.  So, I was nervous, don’t get me wrong.  There was a degree of nervousness that I had as I went inside.  I think that when you keep a key under the potted plant on the porch you’re asking for trouble.  Plus, with no alarm system, it was perfect.”  He smiled as though he was remembering his most happy memory from his childhood.  “I just can’t believe it.  I mean, the world is a much better place without her.”

“I’m sure we all feel that way about our ex.”  He offered another cigarette and set the open pack on the table by the chair he sat in.  The sight of blood was almost unsettling to him to the point that he felt nauseous.  

“It was horrible.  I mean, I heard the familiar sounds she used to make when I was with her and that gave me the desire to kill.  However, I decided that I would kill them in a way that was quiet.  I snuck inside and as they were both oblivious, I saw a pool stick by the door.  I examined the stick and I have to admit, I was nervous as I drew back and then I just thrust it into her back and through his throat.  There was a gasp, but no screams.  However, there was a lamp that was caught in the crossfire and it crashed to the floor.  She was alive and I was the last face she saw.  She was choking on her own blood and I slit her throat with a piece of the lamp that had broken.  After that, I heard a door open and her brother was coming.  I hid around the corner but he saw me and charged.  I blindly fired and the bullet sunk in his shoulder, the blood pouring and he seemed to be unaffected, coming toward me with more determination.  The room was rather big so I shot again and this time, it landed between the eyes and he collapsed, seizing.  It was all over before I knew it.”

“What happened afterward?”

“I simply walked away, the blood was everywhere and I felt so free.  I walked calmly away as though nothing happened.  My car was a block away and I simply drove away.  I didn’t change clothes for days and didn’t even leave the house.,  I don’t know why, I was just happy staying inside.  I think I turned into an introvert.”

“That’s not so abnormal”  He took a sip of coffee and lit his 3rd cigarette.  It was obvious he was nervous as he listened to this recount of that tragic night that had unfolded, the product of the jilted lover who had enough of his cheating ex girlfriend.  The more he thought about it, the more he was convinced that he would have done the same.  After all, they weren’t much different and Sergey had to admit that there was a time that he pondered such a thing as well.  He lived alone for a reason and didn’t trust anyone after his last relationship that ended years ago.  It was a nasty ending but there was no time to think about that.  His priority was Markus and his account of the events were quite disturbing, even to Sergey.  Sergey, in his own right, was also a serial killer but he had others carry out the act, almost like hiring a free hitman.  The payment to them was satisfaction that someone was dead that they thought they wanted dead but in actuality there was a degree of mind control that had taken effect.  There was a degree of brainwashing involved that never failed to deliver the act.  This, however, was something which he had no part of.  He wasn’t quite sure if he knew what to do at this point, having just heard the confession of a killer but not just a killer but a serial killer!

They sat for a moment, silence between them.  Calmly, Markus rose from the chair and began to pace.  He stopped and appeared to have an idea come to him but soon lost it.  He turned to Sergey and smiled.  

“I feel better since I told you my confession.  I should go home and shower, I’m sure I have blood on me that soaked through the shirt.  It’s not a good look I’m sure.”

“No, not usually.”  Sergey didn’t know what to say next, but all he could manage was:  “I’ll see you Tuesday at 2 PM.  That is when you are off usually, right?”

“Yes, I have free time.  I’ll see you then.”  He left and Sergey was deep in thought, unsure what he had just heard.  To think, Markus would commit such an act.  It was baffling that he was completely detached from reality, which was obvious in his manner of speaking as well as his actions.  Body language spoke in deafening volumes and he had heard it loud and clear.

Despair was the worst emotion he could imagine and, no doubt, this is what had driven Markus to kill.

CHAPTER 4

Monday came and there was no escaping the memory of the other morning.  Saturday was supposed to be a day of relaxation but the meeting was more than he could take--almost.  He had a desire to eliminate people but never had he seen such a lack of conscience even in those that he had programmed the most successfully to the point they didn’t think twice or question their actions before they went through with their darkest plans.  

What was he to do?  There were, indeed, news crews that covered the crime scene, broadcasting the aftermath, bodies wheeled out with blood soaking through the sheet that covered them.  It had been confirmed and the theory of the police seemed to match with the story that Markus had presented.  There was no way that anyone could deny that it was a crime committed out of sheer, raw hatred.  It was undeniable, unbelievable and unreal to see such a sight and know the one who committed the act.

However, he was keeping mum.  After all, he was no different except he would carry out his actions through others.  In a way, he would turn himself in had he called the police and cracked under the guilt.  It was almost too much on his mind but he had to put it out of his mind which he would in time.

Looking on the roster for the day, he entered his password to access the database, sipping his coffee and pulling the files from the filing cabinet, preparing for the day ahead.  He noticed that he was seeing Albert Johnson first.  It was a late morning in which he would begin his daily routine of leading those who had lost touch with their feelings into a glorious state in which they would hopefully reconnect.  He hoped that today would be less taxing on him than usual and was completely fine with all that had occurred as he listened to music softly.  He thought for a moment on Albert Johnson, the man who was a very delicate case if he ever saw one.

Mr. Johnson had come and gone for 3 months as he could afford.  He was a good man who was undergoing grief counseling in the death of his sister, who he had loved very much.  In fact, there was no denying that he was hit the hardest by the plague of cancer.  It had taken her life relatively quickly, snuffing the flame in a matter of months.  Having totally blindsided the family, having already seeped into her marrow and morphine her constant companion in the end.  During the span of her life, she had consumed enough hydrochodone to kill someone and it was obvious she lived a quality of life she hated and yet she would never have tried suicide knowing that cancer would take her with more honor along with less stigma.  Had she done the ultimate act, people would ask questions and judge but not blame her.. The thought of how much she suffered was such a mind blowing concept.  Everyone had their limits, that was the only certain thing in illness as damning as cancer in which nothing was unfair and no one was immune.

He had considered it himself but knew it would devastate his family.  It was to the point that he didn’t care anymore, having been a victim of manipulation and fed what he thought was right when, in actuality, everyone made their one path in life.  However, he was a coward in the sense that he didn’t know what came after death.  

To put it simply, he wasn’t sure if God existed nor heard him anymore.

This was something that Sergey was in agreement with.  Of course, an atheist would be such a holder of that belief.  Whatever the reason people had to be who they were and believe what they believed, it was ultimately up to them.

He was coaxed to more sessions by Sergey by being told that he could come to his "safe place", a place he didn’t know existed in the world amidst the chaos that ensued in this tumultuous thing called “life”.

In his grief, he had sought the company of a certain woman he had been high school sweethearts with and lost touch with ultimately.  She was a seemingly normal woman with a good job but issues are not always evident in people and lie deep in an ocean of deceit.  She was an unrelenting woman who, upon the break up over cheating (the ultimate blow dealt to many relationships), she began to stalk him.  This was disheartening to him as he had wanted to think the best of her and believe she was a good person.  However, that wasn’t always the case.  This was, by far, the worst choice in a woman he could have made and he had been with a woman from another state who, before moving, had accidentally called him at 2:40 in the morning, thinking it was her drug dealer that she had contacted.  He soon knew the truth and thought she was the worst that he had ever seen--until this other woman was in the picture a couple of years later after his sister’s death.

He had stated that this woman that stalked him was no longer a threat.  However, he was not completely honest and had seen his stalker as well and quite often.  It was a completely volatile situation full of uncertainty and the unpredictable nature of the woman was uncertain.  People wanted what they wanted and it didn’t matter how they would get it.  Through it all, he just wanted to be loved, which was life’s strongest desire of all.  To be complete was the most perfect bliss of all.

Rachelle Singletary,  a young brunette who was clinically insane and had been involved with Reginald Danberry, a friend of his, had become quite obsessed at an alarming rate.  When the relationship ended, she would often be found bathing in his bathtub, a sight he had grown cold to.  Quite frankly, it made him want to vomit due to her personality.  It didn't matter how many times he changed the locks, she had sweet-talked a locksmith into letting her in, claiming Reginald was "delusional and unreasonable."

Shortly after she had given up on Reginald, she became infatuated with Albert and the two had hit it off quite well.  She was never mentioned until she displayed rather possessive and disturbing behavior including threatening suicide over an argument.  When cracks started showing, he turned to Reginald, who knew what to do in times of turmoil.  That’s when he was alerted to the true nature of Rachelle.  The perfect woman he saw that he thought only had a few issues was plagued with instability.

As he sat across from Sergey, he began to tell about how he was plagued with nightmares from the trauma of things Rachelle had done and the focus shifted from his sister to something far more serious.  Sergey was concerned, for the most part, that he would be dead soon at the hands of a mad woman.  It was a possibility that was very real and absolutely imminent.

“What are we going to do about this issue of Rachelle?  Is there not another woman in this world you can keep more healthy company with?  What about Sophia, the Italian girl you met the other day at the grocery store?  She seems nice and seems to like you from what you tell me.”

“She’s too pretty and out of my league.”  He was forlorn at this confession and Sergey was becoming concerned that he would continue seeing Rachelle.  In fact, he knew that in his desperation that he would.

“Rachelle was the perfect girl.  I mean, sure she had issues, but--”

“She tried to stab you at one point, she broke into your house as well!  Tell me, why are you still hanging on to hope with this woman?”

“She’s a wonderful--”

“INCONVENIENCE!”  Sergey had snapped on him for the first time and sighed.  “She’s not worth your time.  Trust me, you’re better off without anyone at all!”

“You don’t know what it’s like--”

“This is about you, not me.”  He had calmed now.  “You have to choose life, this woman is pure death!”  He began to dig in his desk for some pictures of past victims who had perished at the hands of a stalker.  “Look and tell me you want this to be you!”  Albert studied and said nothing as Sergey showed him picture upon picture, roughly 20.  Afterward, Albert clearly pondered what caused the fate to fall as it had.  “You see, my boy, this is not where you want to be.”

“It’s not.”

“Wash your hands of this woman!  She will kill you!”  Albert was silent but convinced.  He looked at Sergey who was justified in his anger.  “She will.  These people thought as you have.  They are now in the ground. There’s a story to each of these men who fell prey to the black widow spider that, with her bite, killed them slowly.  You don’t want to be alone and you don’t want to be in danger as well.”

“You’re right, Sergey.  I will keep a watch for her and when she comes, I will call the police as I should.”

“A restraining order is a blessing in this situation.  Don’t be afraid, just do it.  After all, I like seeing you and want you to stay safe.”  He took a moment to jot a note in Albert’s file.  “What are you going to do now?”

“Change the locks again and call the locksmiths.  I don’t know how to thank you, I guess seeing it in front of me in black and white is more effective than just telling a story of ill fate.”

“Remember those men whose expressions were forever frozen on their faces.  Agony, fear--who knows what they endured before their last breath?”  He smiled and patted Albert on the back.  “Enjoy the rest of your day and see you next week.”