30. You Drive Me Crazy

Sage stopped biting Skelrun and instead held still. Very aware of the gun he had pressed to her temple. Skelrun's cold gaze was without mercy. Sage was panting for breath, her thoughts running a thousand miles an hour. Trying to formulate a strategy. That was when a shadow spread over her and the gangster. She saw Skelrun's eyes narrow and then, in her periphery, she saw another gun.

The gun came over her shoulder and aimed at Skelrun's head.

"What the fuck?!" Ezekiel growled.

"Lower your gun, or I shoot her."

"Shoot her and I'll shoot you!"

Sage turned her head, her angle uncomfortable since she draped across Skelrun's chest. She saw Ezekiel's face. He looked utterly devastated.

"Can you really do it?" Skelrun purred. "Can you really pull the trigger?" He seemed to be enjoying Ezekiel's pain. Sage wished that it wasn't obvious, but even she could see that Ezekiel's hand was shaking.

"Why? Why are you doing this?!" Ezekiel demanded. "This woman doesn't owe you any money."

"This isn't about her. It's about you." Skelrun gripped Sage and rearranged them, so that they were sat up, with her body acting as a shield for him. "And your bid to be top dog."

"I've done everything you ever asked me to do!" Ezekiel yelled. "Why the fuck would I betray you!?"

"I know what the men are saying." Skelrun snapped, spit spraying from his mouth. "That I'm getting old. That I'm past my best. They look to you for the future." Skelrun's nostrils flared. "Well not whilst I'm still breathing!"

Skelrun moved the gun, aiming it instead at Ezekiel. His eyes were shining with malice. He could already smell victory. Ezekiel was gaping at the man he'd always looked to as a father-figure. Anger seemed to be slipping from Ezekiel fast, being replaced by sadness. His lip spasmed, making his chin quiver, and his finger slipped from the trigger. Skelrun grinned.

What happened next, surprised everyone.

A horse, covered in flames, materialised in the living room. Sage leapt out of the way and stood protectively in front of Ezekiel as Thrax, warhorse of the gods, reared up at the gangster. Skelrun cried out in fear, flinging up his arms to shield his face. He fired his gun. But a gunshot wasn't going to stop a fire-breathing stallion. Sage screamed as the horse's powerful hoofs crushed Skelrun – pulverising his body.

Ezekiel made to lunge forward but Sage stopped him, holding him back from intervening. Thrax's powerful hoofs crunched Skelrun's bones, branding his body with blistering burns with every kick. Skelrun hadn't managed to put up a fight. His remains lay broken. His head was completely caved in and his brain had been pulverised into the carpet.

A hush settled over the living room.

"Guys...?" Cesar piped up at last. "Can anyone else see a horse?"

"No." Sage replied quickly, her voice rough.

Cesar nodded. Yeah, that answer made sense. Because horses weren't generally in living rooms. And they weren't usually on fire either...

"I think I've lost too much blood." He muttered.

Thrax vanished. But there were scorch marks on the floor from where he'd been standing. Ezekiel groaned and covered his mouth with his hands. He was staring at Skelrun's body and tears were filling his eyes.

Sage bit her lip. She knew that Ezekiel was struggling right now, with the betrayal of his mentor. And Cesar definitely needed a doctor. But one thought was taking an inappropriate centre stage. If Ares had sent Thrax to protect her, did that mean that he still cared about her?

A kernel of hope lingered in her aching chest.

Six weeks later...

"How's it going?" Jaz asked tentatively, nudging a tea towards Sage as if she was a bomb that might explode. Sage was a mess. She'd lost so much weight that she was just rashy skin and bones at this point. Her eyes seemed bulbous and manic.

"I dreamt that I flayed off Ezekiel's skin."

"Oh." Jaz kept his 'oh' as neutral as possible.

"And then I put on the skin and... stitched myself into it. And sort of nested amongst his bones. When I woke up, I was standing at the bottom of the steps of my apartment."

Jaz gulped.

"So, not good then?"

Sage glared at him.

"I'm sleep walking and dreaming about killing Ezekiel! Not good is a bit of an understatement!" The handle snapped off the tea mug in her grip. Sage looked down at the broken crockery and sobbed. She put her head in her hands. "And now I'm crying again!" She wailed. "I'm insane!"

Jaz couldn't honestly argue.

They were in the café. It was a quiet part of the day and they didn't have any customers. Cesar emerged from the kitchen, limping on his crutches. He'd made a good recovery after getting shot by Skelrun.

"What's occurring?" He asked, taking a seat next to Sage.

"Did Markus kick you out of the kitchen again?" Jaz asked, smiling. Cesar nodded.

"He said I was getting too handsy." Cesar caught sight of Sage's phone. "What's this?" He asked, interested.

In desperation, Sage had googled the words 'what to do when a goddess curses you.' It had led her to the website of a group. Cesar's eyes boggled as he read. "This group sounds amazing!" He enthused. "Sage, we have to go."

Sage rolled her eyes.

"It's a group for mental people who think that their ghost boyfriends are cheating on them."

"Exactly. I need these people in my life Sage!"

Against her better judgement, Sage found herself at an AA meeting for the supernaturally challenged. Cesar was bouncing in his seat he was so happy. Sage looked suicidal.

"...And that's when I realised." A lady named Janet spoke to the group, the bangles on her wrists jiggling. "It was my baby that did it."

"You think..." Sage was struggling to process Janet's words. "You think that your six-month baby, stole your neighbour's car – used it to rob from a supermarket - and then parked it in your garage?"

Janet nodded eagerly.

"And covered the car in tarpaulin so that we wouldn't know it was there." Janet looked around at the group. "Nothing else makes any sense."

"Thank you for sharing, Janet." The group leader interposed before Sage could cut in again. "How about you?" She asked, gesturing to woman on Janet's right.

"Hello, I'm Muriel."

"Hello Muriel." Everyone in the group intoned. Sage stared at the ceiling. This had to be close to what hell was like, surely.

"What's your story, Muriel?" The group leader kindly asked. Muriel pointed to her large pregnancy belly.

"I think my baby has two fathers. You see, I slept with Poseidon, the god of the sea. And then I slept with this bloke from work, Andy. And now I think that both men have paternity. But I don't know how to tell Andy."

When the meeting eventually ended, Sage was only thinking about a drink. A strong one.

"The bus should be here in ten minutes." Sage muttered, looking up the times on her phone. She paused, realising that Cesar had fallen behind. "Aren't you coming?"

"Actually, Muriel here has invited me to see her art show."

Muriel glanced suspiciously at Sage, who quickly stopped scratching her wrist. "Want to come?"

Sage shook her head and Muriel looked relieved.

"Have fun." Sage waved. She just wanted to beat a hasty exit, but she wasn't quick enough to avoid hearing Muriel's words to Cesar.

"Is she ok?"

"Sage's fine. She just looks kind of like a drug addict, but she isn't really one." Cesar assured her brightly.

The door swung shut between them and Sage stood alone on the pavement. She breathed in the city's slightly festering smell. Fantastic, she grumbled, even crazy people think I'm mad. Sage stormed angrily down the street. She never should have let Cesar talk her into going to such a weird meeting. Nothing these people said was going to solve her problems. Sage saw her bus pulling up and she broke into a run.

"Where to?" The bus driver asked her.

"Ardiente Street." No, I should go to the docks instead and kill Ezekiel. "No, I don't mean that!" She burst out. The bus driver stared at her.

"You don't want Ardiente street?"

"No... I do." Sage hung her head in shame and handed over her money.

She sat at the back of the bus. I could invite Ezekiel to my house. Then it would be easier to kill him. The thought came unbidden. Sage slapped her face. People on the bus started moving seats to avoid her. Sage didn't notice. Her gaze was on her shaking hands. What if, the next time she fell asleep, she actually did it?

What if she really tried to kill Ezekiel?

When Sage got home, she quickly rushed through her dismal apartment and into her bedroom. She pulled her tights out of her drawer and quickly tied them to the bed frame. Tying herself up wasn't easy, especially with her constant need to itch, but she eventually managed it.

She flopped down on the bed, her wrists bound and tethering her to the bed frame. She stared up at her bedroom ceiling. Would she have to do this every night from now on? She closed her eyes and images of Ezekiel dying flashed instantly across her mind. She gaged, repulsed.

"Interesting strategy." Purred a female voice. Sage stiffened. She looked up and saw a woman standing in doorway of her bedroom.

"You!?" Sage stared at the beautiful snake-eyed woman. "Ares said you were a demon." Sage tried to tug herself free from her bonds, but she'd tied the knots too securely.

"My name is Lamia." The woman smiled. It should have been a lovely smile, but there was a hungry edge to her eyes.

Sage swallowed nervously.

"If you try anything, I'll scream. And Ares will come rescue me." She bluffed. Lamia shook her head.

"He doesn't know I'm here, sweetling."

"What do you want from me?" Sage demanded, trying to hide her fear. She was still attempting to get her wrists free but the nylon was cutting into her circulation. Lamia cocked her head to the side.

"Perhaps... I just want to help?"

"Do you? How? How can you help me?"

Lamia sat down the bed beside her.

"I can end your obsession."

Sage stopped struggling.

"Really?" Sage stared into the woman's glowing eyes. Could the demon really cure her?

"Yes." Lamia reached out with both hands and tenderly brushed Sage's hair away from her eyes. "But I should warn you." Lamia purred. "This is going to hurt."

Lamia's gentle hands became less gentle. Hernails pressed down suddenly on Sage's eyes. Sage thrashed against the bed."Shhh shhh..." Lamia hushed. Sage screamed.

Blood poured in rivulets down Sage'sface, as Lamia mercilessly gouged out her eyes.