Theo, flushed with anger walks calmly to the front steps. The wind briskly brushed up against Theo’s face. He knew he would never be caught at this time of day, no one could see his face.

FLASHBACK

Theo stumbles into Professor Knox’s psychology class, dreading the fact that he even woke up. His eyes feel so heavy he can barely figure out where he is going. But when he does he falls right back to sleep.

“Theo, Theo!” Professor Knox shouted to Theo.

“Huh, what?” Theo groaned.

“You can not sleep in my class! Do you want me to fail you? Because someone else would love to have your seat at this university. This is the best college for psychology in the United States and you are sleeping in my class!” Professor Knox informed him. “Sorry, I was up all night trying t-”

“I do not care what you were doing, just wake up Mr. Madden.”

Not that he cared if he was caught though. Fortunately, his gloves covered his hands ever so perfectly, he knew no one would find out, not that he cared if they did.

FLASHBACK

“Ugh, why does Professor Knox always want me to stay awake in his class? He assigns 20 page papers due in a day, when does he want me to sleep, ugh he is so annoying, one day h-he's gonna get what he deserves?!” Theo exclaimed.

“Ok! Why don’t ya calm down a bit buddy. Wanna go to the cafe?” Joshua asked, trying to change the subject.

Beep beep.

“Sorry my mom’s calling me, I’ll meet you in the cafe, Josh!” Theo said.

“Sure.” Josh agreed.

Theo answered the call.

“Mom?”

“Hey Theo.” Theo’s mother, Eloise, coughed out.

“Mom, are you ok?” Theo questioned, hoping she didn’t have the flu.

Theo’s mother coughed a wet mucus filled cough.

“Oh yeah I’m fine.” Eloise tried to convince him.

“Mom, you know the flu has been spreading rapidly. You know what, I'm gonna come home and take care of you.” Theo decided.

“No honey, you don’t have to do that.”

“Mom, you have taken care of me my whole life, let me take care of you, especially since no one’s there taking care of you.”

“Ok honey.”

He grabs the jug from his car and pours it all around the house, after doing so he grabs the box from his pocket, pulls one out, slides it on the side of the box, igniting it.

FLASHBACK

Theo gets out of his car. Ecstatic yet worried to see his mother. He walks to the front steps of the house taking in the beautiful view. The house is a light greenish color with the most delightfully looking strawberry bushes. Theo twists the golden door knob and calls out to his mother.

“Mom, I’m home!” Theo exclaims, relieved.

There is no response.

“Ma, I’m-I’m home, where are you?” Theo shouts.

Theo begins to search the house.

“Where are you?”

Theo finds his mother and gasps.

“Mom, what's wrong? Wh-what happened?!” Theo screams in terror, seeing the pain in his mother’s eyes as she is lying on the floor.

“Theo, I need you to listen.” Eloise says.

Eloise breathes out.

“I’m not as crazy as everyone says I am. Retrace my steps and come and find me.”

Eloise takes her final breath.

“WHAT! Mom, wake up! Mom! Please!” Theo wailed.

Theo kept shaking her, begging her to wake up and screamed curse words wishing he stayed with her

and didn’t go to college.

He then tossed it into the pools of gasoline. Lighting the house up in flames.

FLASHBACK

Theo came to his mother’s grave with gloves in one hand and a shovel in the other.

“She must mean for me to come here. This is the only explanation.”

Five minutes later.

“Ah, here we go!” Theo exclaimed, relieved, as he finished digging up her grave.

Theo opens Eloise’s casket.

“What? This makes no sense? I saw her di-?

There was only one thing in her casket. Theo reached down and grabbed Eloise’s mental asylum medical bracelet from years ago.

Theo waits to hear Dr. Knox’s screams. There are none. Theo turns around to get his phone out of his car, trying to think if Dr. Knox had a lecture that night.

FLASHBACK

What do you mean and why am I here?” Theo asked.

“It is a long story…but first let me tell you, my name is Cassie and everything in that “dream” was true, after you-well-you-you kinda killed Adeline. Then you walked out of the room and passed out. But when you passed out I found you and brought you here! To my apartment.” she awkwardly exclaimed.

“So, your um-your mom got pregnant in the asylum at 28 I think. Anyway, by the time she was about to have you, the boss cut a deal with her.”

“What deal?’ Theo asked.

“That if she wanted to keep you she could but the boss promised her that she could raise you but when you turn 18 and go off to college, she would kill herself.” Cassie told Theo solemnly.

“WHAT?! My mom would never do that!! You-you liar.” Theo yelled.

“No, Eloise agreed to it. She knew that her life was over and that there was no reason not to give you a chance to live.” Cassie said while trying to soothe Theo.

“That, that just makes no sense. Why was her body not there when I dug up her grave then?” Theo blurted.

“Because the boss took her body hoping that maybe her tests would work now that she is dead.” Cassie explained.

“You know, who is this so-called boss anyway!” Theo hollered.

“Dr. Ian Knox.” Cassie whispered.

Dr. Knox is standing there when Theo turns around. Quickly. Dr. Knox pushes Theo into the fire. No hesitation. Burning Theo to a crisp.