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Description
The bell rang. Slowly, she got up and walked towards the door. She had to stop halfway to catch her breath. She was doing too much walking today to be healthy, Mered decided, although she realized she wasn’t doing as bad as the day before. Maddening cries had receded to a distant whisper. At the door she rested for a few seconds, peered through the peephole and opened the door.
“Hey, Sean. Didn’t expect to see you here, shouldn’t you be at…?”
“That’s right, I shouldn’t be anywhere at all. I haven’t seen you for a week, so I was getting a bit worried. Are you ill? You look… You don’t look very well.”
“You were going to say I look awful. You’re right. Come in.”
They slowly passed through the large entrance hall, Mered because she was already exhausted and Sean because he was staring around, taking in every rich detail of his surroundings.
“Whatever you say about your parents, Mered, they do have style. Now I know why you never moved out of here, it’s huge! Aren’t you afraid of getting lost? And if I lived here I’d constantly bump into walls, staring at all those pretty paintings.”
Mered gasped. “Please don’t make me laugh, It’s difficult enough just to get through here.”
Sean put his arm around her waist, helping her to walk on. “Whatever they say about not touching a woman without her permission, I’d rather not have you collapse. Having to carry you entirely is worse. For the etiquette, that is.”
“Screw the etiquette. Just help me to a chair.”
They had entered what was probably the living room, if you could call it that. It was even bigger than the hall, and it was full of antique, expensive-looking furniture. The sterile floor shined like a mirror, and one wall was in fact a huge window, looking out over the forested valley below. Sean could make out the distant glitter of the evening sun on the water of a small stream, meandering through the hills.
“Uhhh… which one? There are too many.”
“Anyone, you idiot!”
He chuckled and led her to the nearest soft chair, next to a table with elaborate Chinese vases on it.
“Okay, now don’t expect me to offer you a drink. I wouldn’t survive the journey.” She smiled faintly.
“I don’t. I’m only here to see how you’re doing. So… what’s the matter, exactly? Shouldn’t you call a doctor? I mean, you’re so weak.”
“It’s getting better. It’s happened before, and it’s not really dangerous. In a few days I’ll be completely like the ever-cheerful, bouncing Mered you know. Don’t you worry too much, alright?”
Sean raised his voice: “No, it’s not alright! How can it be? You’re hardly able to walk and you even say it was worse before! You’re all alone here, so no one will notice when something really serious happens. I just… I want to know what’s going on. Don’t you want to tell me?”
“Elena more or less looks after me, Sean. She has been watching over me every night.”
“Hold on… What happens at night that she has to watch over you?”
A deep sigh. “It wouldn’t help anyone to know. It does not matter. Let it be.”
“But you told Elena!”, Sean exclaimed, and then continued softly: “If you don’t want me to know, I’m okay with it. I just thought… I don’t really know what I thought. Perhaps that we could trust each other, at least for a bit.”
“That’s a dirty trick, Sean.”
“No, it’s the truth. In just a month, you have come to mean a lot to me.”
“Heh, that’s because you don’t know me.”
“Stop toying with words. Is it that hard to tell me?”
Mered averted her eyes and whispered: “Yes.”
She continued, more strength in her voice, “I will tell you, but promise me to hear me out. And please, please do not interrupt me.
“I am what people call insane. That’s what I call it myself, because it’s easier that way. There is a voice within me, somewhat like good old schizophrenia. Only it’s not just a voice. What it really is, I don’t know, but I do know that at times it tries to direct my actions, tries to take control. It’s quite simple, really. On a normal day it’s not even there, or only in the background. At night, when I am dreaming, it’s stronger, but usually not powerful enough to do any harm. So, it’s mostly a nuisance.
“But sometimes, it grows more powerful. That is when I can’t focus and can’t think at day because of the noise, and when I have to struggle the entire night to simply remain me. Should I fall asleep, it can take me. If that happens, I do the most horrid of things without being able to do anything about it, and at times not even realizing I’m actually doing stuff. That voice is not human. It’s bestial, demonic even. It only craves for destruction and bloodshed, and when it’s in command… Over the years I’ve broken a lot of stuff in this house.
“I stay awake to prevent all this, and in the morning I’m completely exhausted. But I cannot fall asleep, I can’t even let my guard down for a minute. That’s why Elena’s been here.
“This is what I have been up to this week. It usually lasts only for a few days, but in this case it took me a week to silence the… voice somewhat. It’s getting better, and I might even sleep safely tonight.
“So, that is a short version of my story. I will not think less of you if you leave now and decide never to speak to me again. It would keep you out of possible danger and basically save you a lot of trouble. I am mad, simple as that.”
She looked at him, green eyes peering into icy blue as Sean returned the gaze. It was as if an exchange took place that was more important than anything Mered had said.
“My dear Mered, if you think I don’t want to have anything to do with you because of all this, you know me even less well than I know you. You’re my friend, weird voices or not.”
She finally averted her eyes and was silent for a minute. Sean opened his mouth to say more, when he heard the sound of something big jumping off a cabinet and landing on the floor in a not too-elegant way. A huge ginger cat lazily strolled towards the two of them, meowed, jumped heavily on Sean’s lap, curled himself up, yawned, and fell asleep immediately.
Sean chuckled. “What kind of infernal demon is this creature?”
With a subtle smile she answered: “Sean, meet Iwan the Terrible, scourge of this house. He might very well be both the cutest and most brainless cat in the world. If you want to get rid of him, just push him off. He forgets all mistreatment within a few seconds anyway.”
Sean looked doubtful. “Well, I don’t mind him too much, but it’s already quite late and I bet you haven’t had anything to eat for a while. I know I haven’t. What about making ourselves some dinner?”
She nodded and got up while Sean pushed the protesting Iwan off his lap. “So, let’s see if we can find the kitchen somewhere in this palace.” He put his arm around the weak girl again.
“Sean?”
“Yeah?”
“Would you please stay here tonight and watch over me?”
“Sure. Just give me a comfortable chair and a good book. I’ve been sleeping way too much anyway, lately.”
As they entered the kitchen, she smiled wearily. “Thanks. You really are a good friend.”

Description
The bell rang. Slowly, she got up and walked towards the door. She had to stop halfway to catch her breath. She was doing too much walking today to be healthy, Mered decided, although she realized she wasn’t doing as bad as the day before. Maddening cries had receded to a distant whisper. At the door she rested for a few seconds, peered through the peephole and opened the door.
“Hey, Sean. Didn’t expect to see you here, shouldn’t you be at…?”
“That’s right, I shouldn’t be anywhere at all. I haven’t seen you for a week, so I was getting a bit worried. Are you ill? You look… You don’t look very well.”
“You were going to say I look awful. You’re right. Come in.”
They slowly passed through the large entrance hall, Mered because she was already exhausted and Sean because he was staring around, taking in every rich detail of his surroundings.
“Whatever you say about your parents, Mered, they do have style. Now I know why you never moved out of here, it’s huge! Aren’t you afraid of getting lost? And if I lived here I’d constantly bump into walls, staring at all those pretty paintings.”
Mered gasped. “Please don’t make me laugh, It’s difficult enough just to get through here.”
Sean put his arm around her waist, helping her to walk on. “Whatever they say about not touching a woman without her permission, I’d rather not have you collapse. Having to carry you entirely is worse. For the etiquette, that is.”
“Screw the etiquette. Just help me to a chair.”
They had entered what was probably the living room, if you could call it that. It was even bigger than the hall, and it was full of antique, expensive-looking furniture. The sterile floor shined like a mirror, and one wall was in fact a huge window, looking out over the forested valley below. Sean could make out the distant glitter of the evening sun on the water of a small stream, meandering through the hills.
“Uhhh… which one? There are too many.”
“Anyone, you idiot!”
He chuckled and led her to the nearest soft chair, next to a table with elaborate Chinese vases on it.
“Okay, now don’t expect me to offer you a drink. I wouldn’t survive the journey.” She smiled faintly.
“I don’t. I’m only here to see how you’re doing. So… what’s the matter, exactly? Shouldn’t you call a doctor? I mean, you’re so weak.”
“It’s getting better. It’s happened before, and it’s not really dangerous. In a few days I’ll be completely like the ever-cheerful, bouncing Mered you know. Don’t you worry too much, alright?”
Sean raised his voice: “No, it’s not alright! How can it be? You’re hardly able to walk and you even say it was worse before! You’re all alone here, so no one will notice when something really serious happens. I just… I want to know what’s going on. Don’t you want to tell me?”
“Elena more or less looks after me, Sean. She has been watching over me every night.”
“Hold on… What happens at night that she has to watch over you?”
A deep sigh. “It wouldn’t help anyone to know. It does not matter. Let it be.”
“But you told Elena!”, Sean exclaimed, and then continued softly: “If you don’t want me to know, I’m okay with it. I just thought… I don’t really know what I thought. Perhaps that we could trust each other, at least for a bit.”
“That’s a dirty trick, Sean.”
“No, it’s the truth. In just a month, you have come to mean a lot to me.”
“Heh, that’s because you don’t know me.”
“Stop toying with words. Is it that hard to tell me?”
Mered averted her eyes and whispered: “Yes.”
She continued, more strength in her voice, “I will tell you, but promise me to hear me out. And please, please do not interrupt me.
“I am what people call insane. That’s what I call it myself, because it’s easier that way. There is a voice within me, somewhat like good old schizophrenia. Only it’s not just a voice. What it really is, I don’t know, but I do know that at times it tries to direct my actions, tries to take control. It’s quite simple, really. On a normal day it’s not even there, or only in the background. At night, when I am dreaming, it’s stronger, but usually not powerful enough to do any harm. So, it’s mostly a nuisance.
“But sometimes, it grows more powerful. That is when I can’t focus and can’t think at day because of the noise, and when I have to struggle the entire night to simply remain me. Should I fall asleep, it can take me. If that happens, I do the most horrid of things without being able to do anything about it, and at times not even realizing I’m actually doing stuff. That voice is not human. It’s bestial, demonic even. It only craves for destruction and bloodshed, and when it’s in command… Over the years I’ve broken a lot of stuff in this house.
“I stay awake to prevent all this, and in the morning I’m completely exhausted. But I cannot fall asleep, I can’t even let my guard down for a minute. That’s why Elena’s been here.
“This is what I have been up to this week. It usually lasts only for a few days, but in this case it took me a week to silence the… voice somewhat. It’s getting better, and I might even sleep safely tonight.
“So, that is a short version of my story. I will not think less of you if you leave now and decide never to speak to me again. It would keep you out of possible danger and basically save you a lot of trouble. I am mad, simple as that.”
She looked at him, green eyes peering into icy blue as Sean returned the gaze. It was as if an exchange took place that was more important than anything Mered had said.
“My dear Mered, if you think I don’t want to have anything to do with you because of all this, you know me even less well than I know you. You’re my friend, weird voices or not.”
She finally averted her eyes and was silent for a minute. Sean opened his mouth to say more, when he heard the sound of something big jumping off a cabinet and landing on the floor in a not too-elegant way. A huge ginger cat lazily strolled towards the two of them, meowed, jumped heavily on Sean’s lap, curled himself up, yawned, and fell asleep immediately.
Sean chuckled. “What kind of infernal demon is this creature?”
With a subtle smile she answered: “Sean, meet Iwan the Terrible, scourge of this house. He might very well be both the cutest and most brainless cat in the world. If you want to get rid of him, just push him off. He forgets all mistreatment within a few seconds anyway.”
Sean looked doubtful. “Well, I don’t mind him too much, but it’s already quite late and I bet you haven’t had anything to eat for a while. I know I haven’t. What about making ourselves some dinner?”
She nodded and got up while Sean pushed the protesting Iwan off his lap. “So, let’s see if we can find the kitchen somewhere in this palace.” He put his arm around the weak girl again.
“Sean?”
“Yeah?”
“Would you please stay here tonight and watch over me?”
“Sure. Just give me a comfortable chair and a good book. I’ve been sleeping way too much anyway, lately.”
As they entered the kitchen, she smiled wearily. “Thanks. You really are a good friend.”