It Was Him

Chapter 11

"I wish I had that gun right about now," I stammer out, bouncing up from the couch, away from Ellery.

"What? Why?" His eyes widen. He lifts his hand, makes a show of removing the ring, and then places it on the table. "It's yours. I don't know what's happening." He also stands from the couch but doesn't move away from it.

"Why don't you see them?" I whimper. Is that really my first response? I'm becoming more pathetic as the days go on. Maybe I am going insane.

"See what?" he wonders. "Be a little more specific here."

"The memories," I practically shout. I guess I'm admitting the truth now. If he doesn't give me an answer I'm satisfied with, then I can just leave. I don't know where I'll go, but it'll be better than here. "Every time I see those objects, your memories-"

"-Is that what that was?" Ellery's words choke me.

"Are you kidding?!" I growl in frustration. "You're the one who's supposed to know-"

"-I'm joking." He smiles slightly, but it immediately transitions into a frown.

"You lied to me," I whisper.

"You lied to me too," he offers, shrugging. "I guess we're bad at trusting people." Why is he so unbothered by this?

"I'm not staying here unless you-" He keeps cutting me off.

"-tell the truth?" He finishes my sentence.

"Precisely." I nod.

"If you expect the truth, then I expect it too." He points to the ring. "Start with what that is."

"I don't know. When Theo died, I was compelled to take it from his body..." I trail-off.

"Compelled?" He snorts.

"Yes." I glare at him. "By my...subconscious."

"Okay." he nods. "So, you swiped this from my alternate brother's body, right after he died?" I agree.

"It seems to react the same way the objects do," I explain. "The colors, the memories..."

"...the ability to see it." His jaw pulses as he clenches his teeth. "You saw the objects."

"I did." I don't want to admit it. It takes every fiber in my body to force the words out.

"There was one in your house this morning," he continues.

"How did you know?" I furrow my brow.

"The memories, the colors," he repeats my words sarcastically.

"What did you see?" I growl, feeling almost naked. He'd seen into my mind. But I'd also seen into his. I hold my thrashing anger in though I'd rather let it loose on him.

"What did you see? Whatever it was, it has you standing a couch width away from me." He gestures at the space between us.

"You've always had these dreams." I brush the hair out of my face with both hands, trying to keep from panicking. "Theo said you told your parents and they were going to experiment on you."

"Yikes. You saw the style I used to wear when I was a teen?" He looks embarrassed.

"Ellery, please." I'd have otherwise laughed at the spontaneity of his comment, but I'm beyond tense. He's the only one who seems relaxed.

"Okay. Yeah, I've always had these dreams," he agrees. "But I never told our parents. Theo thought I had, but it wasn't me."

"But your mom was under the impression you only started having them three months ago," I announce.