La gente loca es la única cuerda en este mundo de locos, dicen por ahí.

“…I never would have predicted the startling piece of news that calmly fell from his lips.”

“I’m gonna die tonight.”

I looked puzzled and then I got scared. What was he talking about?

“It has already started,” he continued. “It started when I began to tell you my story.”

I shook my head, unable to say anything.

“I know a part of you understands it. The part that thinks I’m a liar and a murderer. The part that believes I didn’t deserve Bette, that she was too good for me. The part that loved her enough to revenge her death.”

He smiled and my face turned into white.

“What are you saying?” I asked with a trembling voice.

“I think you know exactly what I’m saying,” he replied, raising his voice. I’m saying that you knew where we were meeting, that you had the time and opportunity to do it, since you arrived earlier and you could see if I was coming through the glass doors.”

“To do what, Harry? What are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about you, Charlie, about you poisoning my drink. Or should I call you Richard?”

I opened my eyes, smiling. There was Harry, the killer, the liar, the dangerous man I once called Friend.

“How are you, Harry? Enjoying your last minutes on earth?” I asked angrily.

“Yes, in fact I am,” he was lying, of course.

“Your last words?” I said, enraged.

“You-are-wrong.”

My eyes went wide open and I felt my body shake with anger.

“What do you mean? I can’t be wrong!”

“I never killed anybody,” he answered simply.

“Yes, you did! Tom told me…”

“…what I asked him to. But I never killed anybody. You did.”

“Wh-what?”

“Well, actually Charlie did. You both loved Bette, but she was in love with me. Charlie killed her because of that. And now you’re killing me because of this.”

He closed his eyes and I screamed, realizing what I had done.

“No! Wait! Why did you come here tonight, if you knew you were going to die?”

“Because, as you, I want revenge.”

He fell on the table, dead. As soon as I understood what was happening, I heard the police arriving and saw the colored lights all over the place. I closed my eyes.

*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*

“Charlie!”

I saw Tom coming my way. I gave him a grogui smile and asked him what was coming on. He didn’t answer, he just watched as I fell once again in a deep sleep, in a room with white walls and a bright white light.

“All men contain several men inside them, and most of us bounce from one self to another without ever knowing who we are.”

- The Brooklyn Follies