27 Stabbed

'Where am I?' This was the first thought that came into Ari's head as she stared at the white ceiling that was facing her. She felt oddly lightheaded and confused, everything seemed like a blur in front of her.

At first, she thought that she was once again trapped inside her head. But then she cancelled that thought as Ari knew that the inside of her head was red, black or a mess of both, but it was certainly not white, she didn't have that much peace for the inside of her head to be white. 

So where was she? 

As Ari tried to attune her head to the surrounding surroundings, she finally realized that she was in the hospital. The silence and the sounds of the machine went off in her head and she sat up straight. The last time she found herself unconscious in the hospital, Ari found out that everything that belonged to her was snatched away from her. 

What happened this time?

Her head swooned as she sat up straight, and she fell back on the bed, her head hitting the pillow. 

"Ari, be careful, or you might hurt yourself," the concerned voice of her sister rang in her ears and Ari turned to look at the woman sitting on her side. She looked around the ward with her eyes moving back and forth before Ari turned to look at Ariel.

"There is no need to perform this poor act, no one is here," Ari said to Ariel, whose concerned expression turned to a mocking one. 

She tucked a lock of her strawberry blond hair behind her ear and then snorted, "Who wants to act in front of you? What good will it do me?" She seemed quite amazed by Ari's stupidity. "I was only acting concerned because you are so pitiful that even after fainting because of starvation and thirst, your husband didn't bother to stay by your side and left me in care." 

The truth was that Noah indeed stayed back but was exhausted after staying awake by Ari's side all night. It was Ariel who told him to go and take a nap in the resting area because he looked tired, but of course, there was no need for her to tell this to Ari.

When pain flashed in Ari's eyes, Ariel felt a thrill in her heart. This was right! This was how Ari was supposed to live, this woman caused her to suffer so much when they were young.

Her mother used to buy dresses every season, but that changed when Ari was born. Her four dresses for every season turned into only two dresses a year, and Ariel had to suffer the mockery of her peers. 

That wasn't all. 

Everything from her lunch to her room and even their house changed after Ari was born. 

Did Ari think how much pain her birth caused her? If she hadn't been born, then Ariel wouldn't have to suffer the mockery of her peers, and neither would she have to live an underprivileged life.

"That's right. You are pitiful, Ari," Ariel repeated as she wanted to drive the knife deeper into Ari's heart. "You have given up everything, and yet, he would rather not look at your face, instead he called me to take care of you." 

Ari felt her heart plunge even deeper into whatever pit it was currently lying in. She didn't even bother to bring it out because what was the point? Ariel would try her best to push it back into the abyss. 

At least this way, her heart would be safer.

"What do you want, Ariel?" Ari asked. Her voice sounded weary to even herself. 

Her fingers twitched, wanting to paint the world red and black, but she held her sudden intense desire to herself. The last time she painted something and was caught, Ari was called a monster by her mother. That was right, her mother considered her to be a beast, just because Ari found another way to deal with the violence that she felt. 

Ever since then, she had tried her best to not unleash that demon. 

Apparently, the chaos she felt in her heart was considered neurodivergent by everyone. 

Her paintings were horrendous in their eyes, at least that was what her mother said to her and asked her to never pick up a brush and paint ever again. 

It had pushed her even further into the dark corner, almost driving her crazy. 

Ari didn't know how she was the horrendous one when there were people who would murder anyone at the slightest inconvenience. At least she was dealing with the anger in her heart, in the most non-violence way. 

"I want you to suffer, my dear sister," Ariel softly whispered. She raised from her stool and then helped Ari up. 

And by helping Ari meant, Ariel manhandled her. She pulled her up from the bed roughly, causing Ari to wince. She tried to pull her hand away from Ariel, who was smiling at her rather gently. 

But Ari knew that there was a reason Ariel was smiling at her like that, her sister was planning something.

"What are you trying to do?" Ari questioned Ariel, she tried to wrench her wrist free from Ariel but after five days of starvation and no water, Ari was much weaker than Ariel. 

Every time she attempted to wrench her wrist out of Ariel's grip, Ariel tightened her grip. To worsen it, Ariel was covering the CCTV from recording what was happening. 

Fear gripped Ari's heart as she opened her mouth to shout.

"Don't even think of shouting," Ariel hissed at her as she looked at Ari with a venomous gaze. "If you dare to shout, I swear that I will have you sent to prison, do you dare?" 

Ari turned frightened. She had known that Ariel was crazy, but she had never thought that she was this crazy. 

"Why are you doing this?" Ari questioned as she tried to scramble away from Ariel. 

The latter sneered as she answered, "You know it, Ari." 

As she spoke, Ariel took out a sharp surgical knife from the sleeves and before Ari could stop her, she stabbed herself. Just above where her heart lay. 

*******************