Betrayed

Jack Wilde’s Betrayal

“What can you tell me about your uncle’s funeral Mr. Wilde?” The therapist held her clipboard to her knees. “Do you remember that day?” Silence echoed in the room. The therapist began to take notes. 

“Yes.” The man said, slouched in his chair. 

“Very good Mr. Wilde. What did you wear to the funeral?”  The therapist tilts her head to the side. 

“Who are you?” Mr. Wilde lifts his head with uneasy concern. 

“I am your therapist.” She says as she pulls her glasses off. “Jack- I mean Mr. Wilde, are you alright?” Jack began to breathe heavily.

“Where am I?” he asks, as he stands up from his chair, making it fall. 

“Security.” The therapist quickly puts the miniature microphone back into her pocket before Jack could notice. Suddenly, the metal door slams open, as a few men in uniform grab Jack, and sit him back in his seat. 

“Mr. Wilde, we need you to calm down sir.” a security guard says as he releases his firm grip from his shoulder. 

Jack, overwhelmed, rocks back and forth in his blue chair.

“Where am I?”

“You are in West Meadow Psychiatric Hospital.” the therapist mumbles. 

Jack looks around the room in fear. 

“Now where were we? Oh yes. I see your parents passed when you were very young, and you lived with your uncle most of your life, is this right?” The therapist puts the clipboard on the table, and moves her hands to her lap. 

“My…who…?” Jack murmurs as he collapses off his chair, and lands on the cold concrete floor.

“CODE BLUE, CODE-” 

[3 days ago…]

“Michael Wilde will be missed by many, but he specifically wanted his nephew to say a few words this evening.” the funeral director nods his head at me, as if I have something great to say about my cruel uncle, as if I had a good relationship with him, as if he didn’t betray me. 

“Jack?” the minister eyes me to walk up the podium. I clear my voice with a cough, and make my way to the front of the room. Everyone stared at me without breaking eye contact. Did I have something on my face? Or maybe my hair looks bad. Are they looking at the scar on my face? Or, or I forgot to wear pants? I quickly look down in fear. 

“Phew. I am wearing pants.” I say in the microphone with relief. Everyone in the room looks at each other with concern. I clear my throat again. 

“I understand if you’re too emotional to say anything. I’m sure your uncle would understand too.” the funeral director whispers to my shoulder. 

“Get away from me.” I whisper back. The man looks at me in shock, and slowly walks away from the podium. I take a deep breath in and say “ My uncle was the most self-centered, ugly hearted man I have ever met. I’m actually very glad he is dead.” I let out a small laugh at the end, while everyone in the room's eyes widened in disbelief. “What? I thought you weren’t supposed to lie in a church.” Whispers flooded the room. “People, people, I am just being honest, and honestly I wasn’t even going to show up, but instead I decided to be the bigger person.” I say with a smile. “All of you should know my Uncle Michael was not the nicest man, and I know you all are not the nicest people either. You’re just a bunch of stuck up, snobby rich people my uncle invited over for his cocktail parties.” Everyone glanced at each other. “Yeah yeah, you know I am right. And you guys should also know you treated me terribly. Just like my uncle did. I deserve the respect you gave him, I deserve not to be betrayed, and you deserve…” I take a pause and mumble “You deserve to be betrayed as well. Do you understand?” Everyone in the room slowly nodded their heads. “Great, glad you agree!” I smiled.

“Listen, we are all sorry for treating you awfully Jack. Please show clemency towards our actions, and do not deceive us. “ A voice from the crowd pleads.

“Clemency towards our actions blah blah blah” I mock in a high pitched voice.

“I think it’s time for you to get off the stage Mr. WIlde” the minister says, as he grabs my arm to guide me off the stage. 

“DO NOT TOUCH ME.” I yell as I pull a remote out of my pocket. The room goes silent. “You guys have to respect me now, huh?” I say as I wave the remote around. Suddenly, the coffin that contained the body of my uncle opened, bearing all the explosives I had placed in there. Everyone made one huge synchronized gasp of shock. “If someone tries to escape, I will press the button. Anyways, bye!” I skip down the center aisle of the funeral home and leave. My thumb circled the red button as I was a few blocks away from the building, and impulsively pressed it. 

[Present day]

The same men in uniform pick Jack’s body up, and put him in a wheelchair. 

“I betrayed…I betrayed…” Jack murmurs.

The men roll him back into the therapy room, and sit him back into the blue chair.

“Mr. Wilde can you hear me?” The therapist waves her hand to Jack’s face.

“Yes. I yes.” Jack shakes his head to get rid of the dizziness. “How did I get here?” Jack asks with concern.

“We found you skipping around 16th Street with a remote in your hand, and you kept repeating “Betrayed betrayed betrayed”.” the therapist says nervously. “We thought it would be best if you attended a psychiatric hospital for quite some time, and if this doesn’t work, we are forced to put you on death row.” The therapist lays her hand on Jacks to lighten the mood, but he immediately pulled it back. 

“I just wanted respect. I just wanted to be seen for the first time. I just wanted to betray the people that despised me!” Jack’s eyes roll back as fell back off his chair, and lands back on the cold, concrete floor. 

“Betrayed…”