Asylum: Part 2

Z counted every day the mice kept him in here. Them and their white coats and their titles and their syringes. They locked him up because they feared him, it was obvious. And who wouldn't fear him? They were mortal vermin, and he astounded them in his superiority. Z knew that. He understood their motive. When he rose to power and broke free of their chains, the mice would be punished for their insolence.1

But for now, he had to suffer the humiliation of being their captive. They said it was a hospital. They said they wanted to help him. Whenever they told him this, Z only laughed, and he asked them one question;2

"How could mice help a God?"3

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Gregor always stared at Meg just a little too intensely on her annual visit to the asylum. She wasn't quite sure why. Perhaps he, like everybody else, was startled to see this sister, who looked his twin in every way. The two bakers had the same curly blond hair, the same big blue eyes, the same pretty face.5

But even as they looked exactly alike, you could tell from their appearance that these twins were total opposites. Gregor's hair was unbrushed and poorly washed, his delicate features twitched always and were covered by a scraggly beard, and those big eyes were unnaturally blank, as though there was no soul behind them.6

"Hello Gregor." Meg greeted her twin sweetly, "Happy birthday."7

Gregor looked up at Meg, "We're 27 today." He stated, "I though it might take a little longer to happen."8

Meg cocked her head, "For what to happen?" She asked.9

"Every year you come visit me on our birthday, because I ask you to. Do you know why I ask you to?" Gregor began. Meg shook her head.10

"I never really thought about it." She lied. Truth be told, she always wondered why her brother made her come here. He never seemed to be interested in making conversation. He never asked her for anything but to come back next year. He was her brother, so she always did.11

"It's because I want to watch you walk in that door," He explained, "And decide if I'm going to kill you that year."12

Meg gasped. She didn't want to believe it, but it was clear from the look in Gregor's eyes that it was true. He planned to kill her, the same way he killed their parents.13

"And this year, I decided I'm going to." He said it as though he'd decided on what to have for breakfast. As the words left his lips, Meg realized that her brother was beyond help.14

She stood up, "You can't hurt me Gregor. I'm leaving, and I'm not coming back." Her voice shook as she backed away from her deranged twin.15

Gregor just smiled, "Don't bother leaving, sis. You're practically dead already."16

And then, the lights shut off. In the darkness Meg heard the voices of the lunatics as they screamed and raved, escaping from their cells, using the power outage to their full advantage. The asylum was in chaos, and Gregor was out for her blood.17

She heard his voice then, barely a whisper, "There's nowhere to run, Meg. Nowhere to hide. You're going to die tonight."