Love and Insanity

Prompt:
One night, a nurse has a fit of insanity and finds a creature from the depths of the ocean

“Did you hear about Tammy?”

Millicent lowered her voice and Gladys and Rose leaned forward to hear better.

“Nobody’s heard anything from Tammy in three days,” Gladys said.

Looking around first to make sure no one else was within hearing distance, Millicent whispered, “I heard the madness took her.”

There were gasps from her two friends.

“That’s the fifth one in two weeks,” Gladys said.

“I know, that’s why they’re keeping it quiet. They don’t want to cause a panic.”

“How…how did it…” Rose’s voice trailed off, as though she wasn't sure she wanted to know.

“You know how she seemed to be fixated on birds the last few weeks?”

The other two women nodded.

“Well,” Millicent said with the thrill of someone with a story to tell, “The way I heard it, she decided she was a bird and she tried to fly. Jumped right off the roof of her apartment building.”

“Oh, poor Tammy,” Rose said.

Gladys said nothing, but privately wondered how anyone could be so deluded that they’d think they could fly.

“What really worries me,” Millicent said, sitting back in her chair, “is that it could happen to any of us. They have no idea what causes these fits of insanity, never mind how to stop them.”

“It couldn’t happen to us,” Gladys protested. “Tammy never was very strong. I think you have to be strong to fight off the madness.”

“I hope you’re right,” Rose said with a sigh.

When her shift was over, Gladys left Seaside Memorial Hospital and used the private access to walk down to the ocean. It was her favourite way of unwinding after a long shift, a soothing walk on the beach. She removed her shoes and stockings, breathing a sigh of relief as the cool water soothed her aching feet.

So much sadness, so much death. It was only here that she found peace and comfort. Here where she met her lover.

Over the next several days her friends noticed Gladys seemed happier and more carefree than normal. She seemed almost light hearted as she went about her duties around the hospital.

“What’s put the spring in your step these days?” Millicent asked when they took a break together.

“You’ve met someone, haven’t you?” Rose demanded.

Gladys just smiled mysteriously and sipped her coffee.

“Really?” Millicent asked. “You’ve met someone?”

“Must be someone special if you won’t even share the news with your best friends.”

“He is special,” Gladys admitted. “I met him at the beach. We take long walks together in the moonlight.”

“How romantic,” Rose sighed.

Millicent, however, frowned. “I can’t believe you’d be so foolish as to go walking with some beach bum. What do you know about him?”

Gladys looked at her. “I know that I love him.”

“People don’t just fall in love with people they met at the beach,” Millicent stated. “You need—”

“Oh, don’t listen to her,” Rose advised. “I think it’s wonderful. Are you seeing him again?”

“Of course. He’ll be waiting for me when I get off shift.”

“Be careful,” Millicent said. “Just be careful, that’s all I ask.”

Gladys smiled serenely and went back to her duties.

Millicent stared after her, a worried look on her face.

“What is it?” Rose asked, catching her mood.

“It’s just. . . this all happened so suddenly, and after what happened to Tammy. . .”

“You think she’s making this lover up?”

“I don’t know. But I can’t help feel that everything is not what it seems.”

The following day, Millicent’s premonition proved to be correct. In the morning Gladys was found dead on the beach, wrapped in a giant Portuguese man o' war as though in a lover’s embrace. The cause of death was ruled as a fit of insanity.