The love of a psychopath

Survivor and sister of a psychopath 

Looking in the mirror, I checked myself out. Long, honey-blonde hair, tied back into a low ponytail. Light blue jogging suit, white trainers and a bottle of water in my hand. I looked at the reflection of my light blue eyes as I thought, ’yes, I'm ready to go’ 

My name was Katrina and I was eighteen years old. I lived in a small apartment that I rented, and this was my usual routine. Wake up at half five, jog for thirty minutes, then have a quick shower before dressing in a white shirt and black trousers, before finally making the twenty minute walk to the primary school where I was a teachers assistant.

It was half seven in the morning as I took the usual cut through the narrow alleyway. Either side of me was nothing but overgrown bushes with litter’s of cans and food wrappers chucked into them.

It was always dark down here, the sun never able to penetrate through because of the trees that loomed high above. I wasn't usually paranoid, but today I heard footsteps behind me. I looked over my shoulder casually, expecting to see someone also on their way to work, but there was no one there. I stopped and listened out, but silence was all that met me. Odd. I carried on walking and a minute later the footsteps started up again. 

I spun around fast, but again there was nothing there. Was someone messing with me? My heart rate sped up a little as I remembered the news I'd watched two days ago, of a woman who'd been abducted around this area. I was laid back about things but I wasn't stupid either, I wasn't going to take any chances and just full out ran as fast as I could until I emerged from the alleyway and onto the busy streets.

When I got to the school, I was ushered straight into the heads office from the reception area.
“Katrina, we have some bad news I'm afraid,” Rebecca fuller was the head and she looked not just solemn but afraid.
“What is it?” I asked nervously.
“Your brother, Taylor jackell... his escaped from the mental institution.” 

My heart practically stopped, my face drained of colour and pure unadulterated terror engulfed me.
“Your sure?” I whispered.
“Yes, I'm sorry. I think it's best if you take some time off until his found, we can't risk endangering the children.” 

My head was still reeling when I left the office, I'd simply nodded and left. I didn't blame her, if he was to come looking for me...no, it just didn't bear thinking about. I'd tried to block him and the past completely from my mind, but I still had flashbacks and night terrors every now and again after twelve years since that awful day.

I shook my head and rushed home locking all the doors and windows once I was in. I knew Michelle would be messing around with her new boyfriend tonight, so I called Sally instead. “Hey sal, would you fancy coming to stay over tonight? Maybe rent a couple of movies and make it a girls night?” I asked, I sounded terrified even to myself.

“Uh, what's going on? You don't sound so great kat?” Concern filled her voice.
“His out sal! He fucking escaped!” I cried, my hands were shaking so hard it was difficult keeping the phone to my ear. She knew who I meant.
“Oh shit! Ok, ok, il be right over.” She'd already hung up and so I replaced the receiver trembling.
I tried not to think of him but it was hard. Flashes of blood and limbs flitted through my mind, I shook my head only for another flashback of screams and slashing renting the air.
Gulping and breathing hard, I slid to the floor and threw my head between my hands trying to calm down.

The sound of the doorbell ringing had me jumping up and racing over to check through the peephole, I opened it up and let Sally in.
“Thankyou,” I said, closing the door behind her.
“It's fine, are you ok?” She asked, her green eyes piercing my blue ones. 
“Not really,” I answered and walked into the living room.
“I know you hate talking about it...but...what happened all those years ago?” She asked. I looked at her as she sat down on the cream sofa, her blonde curls bouncing.
I noticed she wore a tight white T-shirt and hot pants, I was distracting myself on purpose, but eventually I quietly answered, “I don't really want to talk about it.”

“I know, and I've never pushed you before, but I'd like to know what I'm getting myself into here, and it might even help to share it,” she asked so carefully I let out a small laugh.
“What?” She asked.
“You being serious, it doesn't suit you. But your right, you should know,” I said and flopped onto the sofa opposite her. 

I closed my eyes and began to tell my story.

“My brother Taylor, he was always a strange child even as a baby, he would cry all day and night, never happy, or so my mum used to tell me. He used to manipulate her, if he wanted something he couldn't have, he would smash his head against the wall until she'd give it to him. The first time she tried ignoring him, but he smashed his head over and over until he split it and it started bleeding heavy and even then he didn't stop.”

I looked over to see her eyes wide as she leaned forward.

“God, I still remember when I was four and he was six, I went out into the garden and found him cutting up a cat with one of the small meat knives we had...it was still alive! I ran back in and told mum and she punished him. By then she knew something wasn't right and took him to the doctor who then referred him to a psychiatrist. Apparently when asked why he wanted to cut the cat he replied, ’because I wanted to inflict pain, I wanted to see its fear and what it would look like when the life left it's eyes’ when asked he said ’no he didn't feel remorse, he didn't care’ and when the psychiatrist asked how he'd feel if it was done to him he said, ’i wouldn't be afraid, what's the point, it's just life and everybody dies.”

Sally's eyes were so wide and horrified I was surprised they hadn't fallen out, and this wasn't even the start of the horrors yet.

“They diagnosed him as a full blown psychopath after just one week. He had to see them three times a week but it didn't do anything. I still caught him cutting up or torturing animals. 

He never laughed or cried, didn't care about doing well in school, wasn't bothered by bullies or getting into fights and when our grandad died, who he actually seemed close to, he didn't seem to care, he just asked if he'd be able to see the body and when mum said no he said that there was no point going then and refused to attend,” I took a deep breath for the next part.

“When he was eight, mum had been with her boyfriend for four years by then, he had been a mechanic but they both got into drinking which is why mum would confide in me when I was only six about the other awful things Taylor did. But anyway, when halloween came, mum let him take me trick or treating. I can still remember everything, I was dressed as a fairy while he wore this creepy fucking mask, white with sown lips and fake blood on it, the rest of the outfit was just this mechanic outfit that mums boyfriend got for him. 

When we got home mum and Mike, that was her boyfriend, were already drunk and both laughed at Taylor when he came in with his own candy, said ’arent you too old for that yet?’ They laughed and took some of his candy for themselves, mum had started off a happy drunk but she was getting worse and would sometimes taunt Taylor or me, especially if we'd annoyed her that day.”

I looked up at Sally to see her listening transfixed and carried on, “well, Taylor didn't say anything, he never did, he'd stopped talking the first time mum and Mike taunted him and refused to speak since, which must havE been about three months straight up till that day. He left the kitchen and went to his own room, and I off course not wanting my sweets stolen ran to mine.”

My fingers were starting to shake at this point, and I could feel a small amount of sweat building up, shakily I carried on, “I woke up later that night to mum screaming, I ran out to see what was going on and slipped on some blood, I followed the trail of it to the kitchen and saw Mike first, he was lying on the floor with his neck slashed, it was awful, this big gaping hole with blood pumping out. 

I screamed and ran to the living room for mum...I...I got there...and...it...it was...a blood bath, he'd stabbed mum in the stomach, she was collapsed on the floor clutching her stomach while it poured blood from the wound, then I saw Taylor...he...held the knife above mum and then slashed Into her, he didn't just stab, he cut and cut until she was in ribbons of blood and cuts...blood was all over the walls and him...he was still wearing his costume and when he looked up at me he pulled the mask up onto his head and smiled, he came over to me and I thought I was next...I couldn't stop crying or shaking, but he dropped the knife and hugged me, I was so confused and it was the last time I ever heard him speak...he said, ’don’t worry sis, they can't hurt us anymore, il keep you safe, I love you.’ Fucking hell Sally, he was crazy! When the police arrived he calmly let go of me and made his own way to them...it was the last I ever saw of him.” I took deep breaths and tried to calm down at the memory.

“I'm speechless...all I can say is I'm so sorry, you were just a little girl, and I can't believe an eight year old could be capable of something so horrific.” Sally had tears in her eyes and looked down at the floor as she asked, “do you know what happened to him?” 
I nodded solemnly, “yes, I looked into it when I was sixteen, he was declared mentally unstable, I tracked down his therapist who said he was classed as one of the most dangerous psychopaths in twenty years, when I asked why the most he said it was because of Taylor's lack of emotion or empathy, he can't discern right from wrong and so has no boundaries, as he got older when tested he never showed any sexual interest or interest in woman or men...they had to let him keep his mask, when they tried removing it he went ballistic, screamed and raged for days endlessly and when a nurse went to bring him his food when he'd grown quiet he stabbed the fork in her eye leaving her blind, they eventually gave it back to him and he calmed down and hasn't attacked anyone since.”

“And now his out, most likely...looking for you...the last connection he has.” I gulped and nodded.

We watched a film that night snuggled under my duvet covers on the sofa, I actually did enjoy my horrors but after today's news it was a comedy we watched, so I could relax and try to forget about Taylor.
When the film ended we ordered a Chinese and spent most of the night gossiping, but about twenty minutes into our food my phone started ringing.

I got up and ran to answer it, “hello?” 
There was nothing,so I tried again, “hello? Who is it?” Again nothing, I strained to listen and knew someone was on the other end because I could hear their heavy breathing, then without warning they just hung up. 

Needless to say I was freaking out! “Who was it?” Sally asked.
“They didn't say anything, but...I think...it was Taylor,” I gulped and sat down beside her. “How the hell did he find out your number?” I just shook my head, I didn't have a clue, but I did remember that he had been an intelligent child and could only assume he still was, if he wanted my number then he would get it. 
“You know this sounds just like that horror film!”
I Knew what film she was talking about and laughed harshly, “well who did you THINK they based it on! His the real deal I'm afraid.”

The next thing I knew the doorbell rang and Sally ran to get it, everything just happened so fast.
“Don't answer!” I hissed, but she was already down the hall and looking through the peephole, “don't worry, it's a really hot guy!” She grinned and opened it up. 
Il never forget that day, her face turning from a grin to confusion as she tried to take in what she was looking at, I covered my hand with my mouth to stop from screaming...in the hot guys hand was Michelle's head, one eye still open, her face twisted in a look of pain. When it finally registered, Sally screamed and screamed backing away from not a hot guy at all, but my brother Taylor.

That was the terrifying thing about him, you wouldn't think twice about opening your door up to the tousled blonde haired, blue eyed, six foot nine muscled and very attractive man. He stepped in after her, stopped to slip on that awful mask and then raised the huge butcher knife and began slashing at her arms as she tried to defend herself. I ran to help but he had already slashed her neck, crying I turned and ran back to hide behind my sofa, what the fuck was I going to do! I screamed inside my head. 

I heard the sirens of police but I didn't relax, I knew what he was capable of. 
“Hands up where I can see them!” An officer yelled. 
I looked up and over the sofa quick and ducked back down, terror engulfing me as I saw Taylor stab the officer in the stomach twice, then grabbing his neck threw the officer into the wall with such force it left a dent.

Stupid man! I thought, coming here without any backup! I couldn't stay here forever and I couldn't hear anything, so I peeked over the sofa again and found myself staring into the piercing, ice blue eyes of pure animalistic madness.

“On today's news, we have the horrifying story of the Jackell family. Taylor Jackell declared a psychopath at the age of six, put in the mental institution at the age of eight after the massacre of his family, all except his sister until last night.
He'd escaped from his institution, killed three guards and a nurse before hunting down his sister, he found her friend Michelle first, decapitated her and is then believed to have found Katrina, slaughtered her friend Sally who'd been staying with her, killed a police officer and then attacked Katrina, we don't yet know if she survived the attack or not, but when questioned the only words he said were, ’she belongs only to me’ his been placed back in the institution where he will remain indefinitely. stay tuned for more information, and thanks for watching.”