Obsession 2

Chapter 4- Only Hope

I've been trying to remember the name of the man who approached me at the courthouse last week, but I can't and I think I'm starting to drive myself crazy. He said his name, first and last, but I can't seem to resurrect it from my memory bank. I have to though, since my brother's life depends on it.

I've been researching similar cases to my brothers and so far, I've came up with many different explanations- most of them rooted in legends and superstitions in Japan. That would explain the timing of Sammy's weird behavior. Only none of these cases mention anything about fevers or mating. Just strange, superhuman abilities. It's obvious whatever possesses Sammy is supernatural. I watched a knife wound heal up before my very eyes. Had I not seen it myself, I'd never believe it. And no one will, unless they have proof. If I can somehow find the proof I need, I can save Sammy from this curse and any future victims that may fall to it.

I startle when there's a knock on the front door. People have been coming and going since mom died, mostly dropping off food and asking me if I need anything. But it's late, after ten o'clock. Why would someone be stopping by at this hour?

I get up to answer the door, checking the peephole first to see who it is.

"It's just me," I hear Sadie's voice call out from the other side of the door.

I open it up and she hands me a bottle of Sangria before walking past me and into the house. "I know you've been getting a lot of food, but no one thinks about what you really need at a time like this."

I look down at the bottle and smile. "You're right. No one has brought alcohol yet. But I can always count on you to do the right thing."

"Any sign of your brother yet?" she asks, taking two glasses out of the cupboard like this is her house.

The mention of my brother catches me a bit off guard. "Uh, no. Nothing. They still can't find him."

When I look up, she's staring at me, as if she can see right through my lies.

"What?" I ask her.

She walks over to the table and sets the glasses down. She reaches for the bottle I'm holding and after a few confusing seconds, I hand it to her. I watch her as she pours us both a glass, hoping to God she hasn't caught on to my odd behavior.

"Sit," she says, motioning to the chair next to her as she sits down at the table.

I do as she says, taking a seat and wasting no time emptying my glass. I haven't turned to alcohol lately, and mostly because I know it won't do anything in the long term, only temporarily. Plus, I need my mind to be clear so I can figure out what to do to help Sammy.

But one glass won't hurt. I need to relax anyway.

"You're acting weird," Sadie says after a few moments of awkward silence.

"You've been here for like, five minutes."

"Yeah, and I've known you for sixteen years. I know when you're being a weirdo," she answers, her eyes boring into my very soul.

I love that she can read me so well, yet I hate it at the same time. There's something unnerving about someone being able to read you so well.

"Well, in case you've missed the past year of my life, my brother went to prison for murder and my mother just died from a broken heart," I sigh.

Sadie frowns. "I'm sorry. I know things have been hard for you. I don't mean to seem...bitchy. I know you have a lot going on right now, but there's something off about you. Something...that's bothering you. Other than the obvious."

I swallow hard, my heart beat accelerating just thinking about what I saw Sammy do the other night. Sadie would never believe something like that, so I shouldn't bother telling her. But I want to tell her something. Because the burden of all this is just too heavy to bear on my own. I need someone to know what I'm going through- someone who knows me.

"Sammy...he came to me after he escaped..."

Her eyes widen in surprise.

"He was covered in blood, so I thought...he had attacked someone again. But it was his own blood," I explain.

"So...where is he now? Is he okay?" she asks.

The fact that she asked if he's okay means more to me than she'll ever know. People wrote Sammy off as soon as he was arrested, and who could blame them? To me and to my mother though, we knew who Sammy used to be, who he still is underneath this...curse, or whatever. It was hard for us to just forget about him like it seemed everyone expected us to.

"I don't know where he is now," I lie. "But...he's okay. Something happened though. Something that...no one would ever believe. I wouldn't have believed it myself it I didn't see it happened."

"What?" she asks, pouring me another glass.

I take a deep breath, taking the glass from her and staring down at it, debating whether or not I should do this. I look up at her and meet her eyes. I've told Sadie a lot of things over the years. I know I can trust her. But this isn't exactly an issue of trust.

"Sammy told me that...something happened to him on our family trip to Japan a few years ago. He said he had flu-like symptoms at first; fever, chills, all that. After a while though, it started to get worse. The fevers became extreme and made him crazy. He started getting these urges..."

"What kind of urges?" Sadie asks when I freeze up.

I clear my throat, knowing this is going to be the part where I lose her. "To mate."

"Mate? As in...have s*x?" she asks.

I nod slowly. "That's what happened to the girls he attacked. He didn't force himself on them, they consented, but...once he started...you know...he said he became aggressive and strong...superhuman. His skin was hot to the touch- like touching an iron. He said...the girls begged him to stop hurting them, but...he couldn't stop. He wanted to, but he couldn't."

Sadie looks freaked out, which is the reaction I expected. But suddenly, she straightens her posture and nods as if she's my therapist. "Go on."

"He said he's tried to kill himself, but he can't die," I continue. "And as you can imagine, I thought he was crazy when he told me all this. But he touched me...the night he came here..."

I pull the collar of my shirt down to reveal the mark Sammy left behind. It blistered up at first, now it's on the mend. Still, it's proof that what he said is true. It could be the only chance he has at escaping this nightmare.

Sadie gasps, covering her mouth with her hands. "Oh my God!"

"Sammy isn't in control of himself anymore. I know this sounds crazy as f**k, but...something happened to him..."

She just stares at me with unreadable eyes. She probably thinks I'm just as crazy as Sammy after telling her all this. Maybe I shouldn't have said so much.

"You said he showed up covered in his own blood. Did he try to kill himself that night?" she asks.

"Yeah. Only I didn't see any wounds. That's when he took a kitchen knife and stabbed himself right in front of me," I reply, meeting her eyes intensely. Because I really need her to believe this next part. "Sadie, I watched his wound heal right before my eyes. What he's saying is crazy, but it's true."

"These superhuman abilities are probably what's helping him allude the police," she says.

I nod in agreement. "Definitely."

"So you have no idea where he's at now?" she asks.

I shrug, trying to look as convincing as possible since I know I'm not a good liar.

"What if he hurts someone else why he's out?" she asks, making my heart drop.

I've considered that possibility, of course. But he promised he would stay at the cabin. I tied him up, as he requested. He wants to be helped. Doesn't he? He wouldn't have come here if he didn't.

Or am I just being played for a fool? Is he using me? Playing on my love and sympathy for him?

"I have no idea what to think of this," she chuckles uncomfortably.

"I know. Maybe I shouldn't have mentioned it. I mean, you probably think I'm crazy now too," I sigh.

"No, no. You've been through a lot and I can understand why you'd want to believe all those things. The stress you're under probably even makes you think it's real. But think logically about what you're saying. Wounds don't just heal. You're brother is no Wolverine."

I nod, leaning back in my chair and folding my arms over my chest. I should've known she wouldn't believe me. It's absurd. But I'm not crazy. I'm not seeing or hearing things, things I want to be true. It really happened.

I have to track down the man that approached me outside the courthouse last week. He might be the only shot I have at helping my brother. No one else will believe a word of this unless they see it for themselves. And I'm afraid of the science project he'd probably become once his abilities are discovered.

After Sadie leaves, I shower for the first time in days and climb into bed. I haven't gotten much sleep lately, and if I'm going to be of any use to my brother, I have to be well-rested.

"Mikey! Mikey, wake up! Please! I need your help!"

I sit up and rub my eyes, gasping when my brother comes into view. He's covered in blood and has a wild look in his eyes.

"Sammy? What are you doing here? I told you to stay at the cabin!"

"Mikey...they're coming for me. They'll find me soon. Please...you have to help me. You have to find Kai Sweeney."

"Who?"

"Please!" he cries out, sinking to his knees as if his bones are melting away, leaving behind a pile of flesh. "Please!"

I shoot up in a panic, panting and sweating. I look around my room, but there's no sign that Sammy had ever been here.

Thank God, it was just a dream.

I take a few seconds to calm myself down before climbing out of bed. I drowsily make my way to the kitchen and grab a glass out of the cupboard. I turn on the faucet and fill my cup up, getting lost in thought about the dream I just had.

It's crazy how you forget almost every single detail of a dream only seconds after waking. This time though, I feel like I'm right on the cusp of it. It's right there, I just can't seem to reach it.

"Mikey...they're coming for me. They'll find me soon. Please...you have to help me. You have to find Kai Sweeney."

I drop my glass into the sink as a numbness sweeps over my body. Kai Sweeney. That's the guy's name. I remember him saying it the day we met.

So that leaves me questioning everything. Did I really just dream that Sammy was here? Or did he really come here to ask me for help? Does he somehow know about the man that visited me? Does he know this man can help him?

I flip on the kitchen light and look around. The back door is still locked. Certainly, that's were Sammy would've entered since he's on the run and wouldn't just walk in through the front door where our neighbors could see him.

Maybe none of this is real and Sadie was right. Maybe the stress I've been under is causing me to see things. If I just dreamed about Sammy so clearly tonight, isn't it possible I dreamed him coming here and stabbing himself right in front of me a few days ago?

No matter the case, I've got to find this Kai Sweeney. He may be just as crazy as my brother, or he could just be some i***t who wants to get closer to the case. But somehow, I feel like he could help us. At this point, he might be our only hope.