Deadly Devotion

Chapter Three

Elizabeths journey to insanity.

Born March 4th, 1904.

Spring came when my sister was born, but with me I brung thunderstorms and hurricanes.

•••

"Elizabeth could you please stop kicking the table?" My mother, Helen, asked for about the fifth time that night at dinner. I looked at her and watched her watch me as I gave the table another kick. I smirked at her but when I saw that she looked blooming mad I sunk in my chair.

"Sit up straight, do you ever see Alice sulking in her chair at dinner?" My father, Edward, asked as he looked at me from over top of the rim of his reading glasses he had on. He was looking through the paper as he ate. I looked at my sister ,Alice, who just ignored everyone completely and ate her food like she was in a hurry. She was scarfing down every last bite of chicken and potatoes then chugging back her half empty glass of milk.

"Someone is in a hurry." I mumbled as I looked at Alice who had her cheeks stuffed with mashed potatoes. She looked like a human deformed chipmunk, the ones my friends threw rocks at when they seen them in the playground at school. Alice just gave me a small smile, like the ones where you don't show your teeth. The ones that are just simple and kind of weird looking. She stood up quickly and finished what was in her mouth.

"I'm headed to the church now. Can I have the keys, father?" She asked as she walked over to the door. My father tossed her the keys, which she caught in her hands effortlessly which is probably going to affect me and how if I tried that the keys would have hit me in the forehead somehow.

"Can I come?" I asked Alice, my eyes pleading with her to say yes. I didn't want to sit at home and be told how I should be more like her. My parents don't even know what she's done behind their backs. Alice was way more of a bad girl then good. I was surprised that the church folk still allow her inside the walls of the holy father himself.

"Elizabeth, you have bible study to do tonight. Maybe another time." My mother said as she dabbed her mouth with a napkin. I sighed as I rolled my eyes. Another bible study and another waste of a good night. I could be reading those murder mystery books that my parents forbid me to read, or those detailed romance novels I found under Alice's bed. But if I didn't do that stupid bible study my parents would make me go back to the catholic school where everyone is uptight and act like they own the place.

"Why is it that that's the answer every time I want to go do something fun? Can't I ever go do something fun?" I asked as I pushed myself back up into my chair. I crossed my arms over my chest, which was slightly bigger then what the normal thirteen year olds had. My mother and father looked at me with slightly shocked faces. But after they blinked their eyes a few times they came back to and I could see they were both getting ready to scold me.

"Young lady-"

"Excuse you-"

"Yeah yeah yeah, bible study, blah blah blah, God is great, barf." I said as I pushed away from the table, getting out of my chair and storming to my room. Honestly I was thirteen and I was forced to grow up and act like I was twenty five. I closed the door to my room and leaned my back against it. I looked down at the stupid Sunday dress I still had on. The light baby blue was picked out by my mother, saying it made my skin look fair and gleaming. But not like Alice who's skin was slightly tan. My mother thought that I was always cold and made me wear long sleeves on my dresses and that I was bundled up to stay warm.

Did it ever occur to her that maybe I was dead inside?

I mean it's a hard life having to live in your sisters shadow and being made fun of at public school for who you are. Even these stupid dresses made the kids in church throw rocks at me even if they knew it was a damn sin. For God's sake I barely felt normal. I heard a quite knock on my door, but I was quick to reject it as I walked away from the door while stripping myself nude in the process.

I walked into the bathroom that was joined between Alice's room and my own. I was going to take a hot bath and hopefully forget what happened at dinner tonight.

"Mind if I join?" I heard someone ask me as I started to climb into the hot water. I quickly got in, letting my body relax. I looked up at Alice and nodded to her. She quickly pulled off her rob and climbed into the water with me. She sighed as I did the same.

"Hey kiddo. You know Ma and Pa only push you like that because they want you to go far in life." Alice said as she pulled her hair out of her half up style. Mine was still sitting in the long black braid that ran down my back, lining up with my spin.

"Well they push me a little to hard, you know?" I said as i swirled the water around with my hands. "But I guess that's all they see me as, is someone to push around."

Alice sighed as she dropped her head sadly. I looked away from her, staring at the wall with the small little specks of sparkles imbedded into it. I sighed again, the thoughts and feelings somehow over crowding my strong walls. I felt tears slip from my eyes, running down my cheeks and falling into the water of the bath.

Not only did I want to die, but I wanted my parents to die as well. The feeling of them gone gave a sense of peace to me. Even if it was a small fantasy, it's not like I didn't wish on a stupid star every night for it to happen.

"I don't like that they push you around Beth." Alice said as she picked up her head, her eyes were filled with sorrow but she would never cry for me. That's who Alice was. "I'll talk to mom about letting me take you for a ride. I still have the keys and I know you are probably dying for a cigarette." She told me as she pushed herself out of the water. It was starting to get cold anyway. I watched her as she wrapped her perfect self in a clean white towel. Her tan skin sparkled with the water droplets in the bathroom light.

I pushed my body out of the water, pulling the small plug in the process. I watched Alice walk away into her room closing the door behind her. Yet again, left in silence. I walked over to the long body length mirror and stared at my naked self. I had fair porcelain doll pale skin with long raven black hair. I pulled it out of the braid to have it surround my body in a slight mess of waves and curls. It shaped my small frame which for some reason wasn't small in the curves department. Alice always told me that once I'm older I'll have a beautiful model like body. I roll my eyes every time.

I turn my back on the mirror and walk out of the bathroom. I go change in to a pair of tight fitting blue jeans and a long sleeved stripped shirt. Even if my parents didn't let me go with Alice, it didn't mean that I couldn't sneak out like I always do.

I walked back into the bathroom to look into the mirror again. The human body was more flattering naked, but I'd stare at it longer clothed. I heard Alice walk in but I didn't look at her, I had my eyes fixed on the mirror. I noticed she had walked up behind me and had started to play with my waist long hair. "You are so beautiful." I heard her say as she braided parts of my hair in small single braids.

"You see what you see." I said as I pushed away from her and the mirror. "Did you talk to ma?" I asked as I looked at her. She was still standing in front of the mirror, almost as if she was frozen in place but she quickly turned on her heel. Her full smile was shining on her face, her white teeth sparkling.

"Let's sneak out." She said as her eyes glossed over with a child like mischievous look. I smiled along with her as we both went back into our rooms and locked our bedroom doors. I quickly grabbed a few things along with a light jacket. I may be sneaking out, but this was the perfect time to do what I've been planing for a long time.

I was going to burn the house down. My parents would probably be in bed and they wouldn't be able to get out if I managed to surround the house in a flame of oranges, yellows, and reds. It would be quick and I already had half of it set up. A small rope was running along the edge of the house, hidden within the dead grass. No one, not even Alice, would be the wiser to my plans. I wanted my parents dead and I wasn't kidding.

I quickly climbed out of the window of my bedroom, jumping the small hight making sure to keep myself up right. I quickly found the one end of the rope and took the matches from my pocket and lit one. The rope caught the flame and it started to travel. I quickly stepped back and walked out to the old barn where the car was. Alice would already be there and she wouldn't notice the fire starting since it was on the other side of the house.

"Ready to go?" She asked as she started the car and I nodded quickly. We drove out away from the house and into the night headed towards the small city that lived as the night grow later. I closed my eyes and fell asleep as I let the drive relax me.

"HOW COULD YOU!" I heard someone scream. My eyes were still closed and I was trying to open them but couldn't. Maybe they were open and it was just dark. I don't know. I felt like I was suffocating. I tried sitting up but i couldn't.

"Welcome Elizabeth, to McDavis Asylum."