Evening News Report, 20/12/2021

“A twenty-four year old woman has been found dead on the residence where she lived together with her lover. Said lover, a man one year younger than the victim, is nowhere to be found. The police believe him to be a possible suspect, but nothing has been confirmed yet. The investigations will continue in the following days, and we will keep you informed on the matter. Now, with the weather news […]”

…

Once, there was a man.

That man was an innocent person.

He had never done nothing that could put him to shame in the eyes of society. Of course, he wasn’t perfect nor even close, but he was a respectable human being living a very respectable life.

One day, the man met a woman one year older than him.

He fell in love with her, and she fell in love with him.

They became a couple, a happy and normal couple.

The girl once said, “dear, would you like for us to live together by ourselves, without nobody else to bother us?”

She owned a house in the countryside, inherited from a relative

The boy was reticent.

After all, the city they were living at then was his birthplace. It had seen him grow up, it hosted an infinite amount of memories he now remembered fondly.

He deliberated. But after all he came to a conclusion, his love was too great.

He agreed, and they both moved to the countryside.

Their life went happily for a few days.

A few weeks.

A few months, even.

But then each’s true nature started to show.

The woman was harsh.

She was unforgiving, she was needy, she wanted things to go as she ordered.

The man started to lose his happiness. He became a ghost of his former self, an empty shell. Abused, attacked, violated.

He couldn’t take it, and yet he did.

He felt like dying, but he didn’t.

He wanted to give up, but he didn’t.

He kept letting himself be emptied, until nothing remained of the man he once was.

And then, one day, he could not be emptied anymore.

He finally didn’t take anymore. He finally succumbed, he managed to give up.

He grabbed a kitchen knife.

Chop. Chop, chop. Chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop chop.

It looked unrecognizable, that body.

As if it hadn’t ever belonged to a human.

The empty shell then went away. It ran away through the countryside, its feet sinking into the snow with every step it took.

It kept going, and going, and going, and going.

Until it reached the city it had come from, when he was still human.

Now, it was no longer what he had been, in the slightest.

It couldn’t hope to go back to his old life.

And so it just lay there in the snow, in front of the city he had longed for, unable to enter it.

It fainted.

After that, its life was blurry.

Aimless and purposeless.

…

Morning News Report, 20/03/2022.

“A fake restaurant that hosted illegal drug traffic and commerce was just dismantled last night. Thirteen drug addicts that were residing there were detained and are being questioned by the police at this moment, in hopes to learn more about the organization providing drugs to the place.

One of the people arrested is also being questioned for the murder of a woman in the countryside this past December, as he’s been identified as the woman’s boyfriend at the time of her death.”

…

…

“What are you doing, boss?”

“Oh? It’s nothing. Just rereading the documents for our patient over there.”

“Huh… I’ve heard his delusions don’t seem to be stopping anytime soon.”

“That’s what it looks like, yes. It also seems his mind now triggers the delusions every time he eats one of those things. Actually, what are those? I think it was you who gave them to him, right?”

“Ah, those? They’re just lemon candy. It was his birthday the other day and I gave him that as a small detail. It’s not like he even remembers about his birthday of course…”

“He just ran out of candy today. But please don’t give him more, I think if he stops eating them, his delusions might stop for a while.”

“Understood, boss.”

“Working on this prison’s mental ward is not easy… At least my vacation is coming soon. Wanna grab a drink after we finish our shift?”

“Sure thing. I’ll be waiting for you in the usual place.”

THE MAGIC PILL – END.