Hubris - 1. Story

Hubris

By Cia

It was there again, following me. Tracking, pacing, moving as I moved and mirroring my every step. I darted to the side of the room to escape it but from the corner of my eye I could see it still there. It was waiting, right at the edge of my vision. It watched me; it was always looking back at me when I dared to peek. I was never alone.

A schism had opened inside of me and I now operated on two levels. My mind was at once brilliantly lucid; able to think and reason and yet the larger portion was a swirling maelstrom of chaotic thought. It was the latter side that controlled me. My body seemed to be on autopilot and I could not stop myself even though some part of me knew what it was that dogged my steps and screamed in frustration at my inability to really understand.

I crouched frozen in the corner with only my eyes moving. One moment motionless and the next I burst into a flurry of speed as I spun in a circle to confuse my tormenter and then lunged. I stopped short just before contact was made; leaping back and landing crouched in a ball balanced on the balls of my feet and my fingertips. I was frozen again, my eyes closed in terror at my bravery. Did it work? Was I safe? No. I could still sense the other.

I slowly lifted my head in a smooth movement, one small deliberate inch at a time as if I wasn’t scared. My body trembled and my fingers ached as I shoved them into the soft carpet so hard my knuckles turned white. I strove to remain motionless other than the slow movement of my head. It was the actions of prey that was trying to escape notice. Was I to be its prey? I opened my eyes. It was staring at me, face to face for once. My chest rose in fell in sharp motions as I panted. It seemed excited too.

My hands left the floor as I rocked back. The muscles in my back and legs coiled. This could not go on. I was not going to stand for it! Inside me a voice I could not understand was screaming but I could not listen while it watched me. I flinched at what I saw, my tormentor with its rabid eyes and slavering mouth. I couldn’t focus on the voice, couldn’t pay attention to telling the screaming to stop while it watched me.

For too long had it watched me; it had gone on as far back as I could remember. I couldn’t take it anymore, I wouldn’t! I didn’t really notice how my moans grew louder and louder. I was startled when I started screaming as I rushed forward, hands out to capture my tormenter and stop the watching, the incessant spying.

I flew across the soft floor, I would be free. Free! I expected it to move, to avoid my grasp like it had done so many times before when I failed to catch it or scare it away. This time it didn’t move and I wouldn’t stop, I couldn’t. I was moving as fast as I could when I slammed into the hard surface. My hands throbbed at the impact. My faces was inches from the mirror and my breath spread a fog across the surface until I could see only the eyes that still watched me. I froze, a brief moment of lucidity gracing my mind before it was gone. I began to cackle as I fell to the floor. I rolled into a tight ball on the soft carpet as I shrieked in laughter while tears of despair leaked from the corner of my eye to drip onto the floor.

***

The doctor hit the switch to turn off the sound and faced the sea of students in white coats. Every pair of eyes was riveted on the poor soul still huddled on the padded floor just inches away through the mirrored glass wall. Some faces were blank and dispassionate; almost as if they were watching a bug. Others were unable to school their expressions from the shock and horror they felt. One man in the back had tears in his eyes as he struggled not to break down while yet another seemed to be unable to stop a smile of vicious pleasure from joining the glee in his eyes.

“As you can clearly see, the President has gone insane.”

© 2010 Cia

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