It started a few weeks back, not exactly sure how I got these papers and even a pencil, but I know that I’m not crazy, and therefore they must exist, right? Anyway back to the main idea, it started a few weeks ago, I was sitting in my apartment (i live in new york city by the way) looking out to the traffic, and I heard it. The ticking started. I looked around my apartment trying to find it and I just couldn’t find anything.
Throughout the night the sound wouldn’t stop, and I know I’m not crazy because since I’m thinking that, how can I be? If I think that I’m not crazy I am therefore not. The ringing gave me a headache, I couldn’t sleep. It eventually made me feel incredibly ill.
I went out for a walk thinking it might clear my head
“It may just be a migraine,” I said to myself quietly. But I knew it wasn’t.
Another person was crossing, I nodded my head down, and they did the same.
“Hey, do you hear that?” I said to them
They looked at me confused, he slowly opened his mouth to say something, twitched, and then answered.
“I hear everything.”
I felt unnerved, said “thanks” and walked slightly faster. He was definitely crazy, but I know that I’m not.
I got back in and as soon as I lay down, it stopped. Relieved I finally got some sleep.
I had a dream, my hands were covered in blood, a chain around each hand also dripping blood. A slight screaming off in the distance, I rose and started running. The chains clanked behind me in unison with the rapid pattering of my feet. I got to a woman, and as soon as she saw me she stopped screaming. The eyes, the eyes told me everything. She was scared of me. I had no control of my body anymore, I watched myself repeatedly beat the woman with the chains whipping her as she screamed louder with each whip. The ticking came back I finally understood, the whipping was the ticking.
I woke up in a cold sweat I checked my hands, no blood, and no chains. I went to the bathroom, I wiped my face down with lukewarm water, grabbing the towel with my eyes shut. I wiped it down. I looked at myself in the mirror and I saw myself. It started again, the slow methodical ticking.
I went to work and did my usual work stuff. A whole tub of aspirins was used that day, the ticking was terrible. A constant reminder of the dream at this point, the face of the woman I couldn’t get out of my head, the pain she felt. I knew she was screaming to get away from me.
As I walked back home I saw her, on the opposite side of the street, that same woman I had seen in my dream. I knew what I had to do on the spot, I went over crossing the desolate street.
She saw me crossing and started walking quicker.
“Wait, wait, please. I promise not to hurt you.”
She slowed down and looked at me.
“How do I know you won’t do that, we’re in the middle of a street and nobody else is around. I’m a perfect victim.”
I looked at her and realized she won’t come near me
“Look, I just think you’re really cute, I’ll leave my number here on the floor, and I’ll leave. You can pick it up if you want to but you don’t need to.”
I placed my number on the ground and then promptly left. Once I got home I sat waiting by my phone. Waiting for it to ring. I eventually became tired and needed rest, wishing I could stay up longer on the off chance I would be able to hear the phone ring. I fell asleep with no dream this time.
The next day as I came home from work I immediately checked my phone for voicemails, I saw 3 on the small, green screen, the first was some bullshit marketing thing, and the next was her. Somehow, for some reason, she called me. I listened to the voicemail, the whole time with a large headache and the ticking in my ear, like the Japanese water torture of tinnitus.
“Hi there, not exactly sure why I’m calling you back, I guess I just kind of liked the bravery of what you did and the respect for my personal space. Anyway, if you want to meet up I’m free tonight, at around 8ish, call me once you get this.”
I called her and told her to meet me by the park, then the twitches started, every few ticks I had a slight twitch, my eyes blinked, and the side of my head slightly touched my shoulder. I worried about what she would say, if she would leave.
I entered the park and waited for her, staring at the gates. She walked through, looking around.
“For me,”
I said in a quiet voice. I waved my hand to her, she saw, nodded her head, and walked over.
“You look incredible, I’m glad you decided to come.”
“Awww, thank you, how come you wanted to come to the park? It’s so cold out.”
She shivered in her cardigan, thin enough so the wind would blow through it. I offered her my jacket and she took it gratefully.
“Here come this way, I want to show you my favorite part of the park.”
I grabbed her by the hand, smiling as I ran to the abandoned building on the other side of the park.
“Here come inside, it’s my favorite place in the whole world. once I get enough money I want to buy it and start a family.”
“Ah, so you’re a family man.”
I brought her inside and brought her into the basement
“I’ll give you the grand tour”
The lie was starting to shine through, I’m surprised she believed it, I only saw the shock on her face once she saw the handcuffs on the broken radiator. I grabbed her stuffing the cloth into her mouth. The muffled screams came out as I attached her to the radiator.
I reached into my bag and pulled out two chains, and started whipping in unison with the ticks, I knew this would set me free, my dream told me.
Somebody must have heard the chains and now I’m in here a cell, dank and dripping from the ceiling, the ticking has stopped. The freedom is amazing.
And I know, still, that I am not crazy.