Erase and Rewind (Full Book)

Chapter Twenty Seven: Erase

It was a dream that made the decision for him. He dreamt he was back in the shed and Malik was bleeding. He wasn't allowed to heal him, only to watch as the life drained from his body. When he woke up, he knew he had to come clean.

"Pass that by me again. Slowly." Malik said, tearing him away from his thoughts.

The apartment seemed to have shrunk, the walls pressing on themselves. The smell of deep fried fish punctured Noah's empty stomach. The overhead lights illuminated the polished surface of the coffee table separating them, which Noah chose to look at as he took another deep breath.

"I killed your brother." He had rehearsed a preamble, an introduction. In the end the harsh truth won.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Malik sit on the edge of the couch. "Why?"

"I didn't know," Noah swallowed. "I've been thinking these past days. I had time to think , really think, since you got me off the streets."

Malik scratched an eyebrow. "So you're telling me you murdered my brother and when you thought about it, you realized you did it?"

Noah's palms started to sweat. "Yes."

"Explain."

"I...after my mom left...the anxiety kicked in. I couldn't control it. I lashed out. Broke things. My father he...um...he did his best to try to get me sorted. He'd give me these shots. They wiped me out, sometimes for days. Months later he took blood samples. There were strange men and women in the house. I wasn't allowed to leave and meet them or anything. Every time, after they left, the shots would be different."

"How?" Malik was not glancing his way.

"They felt different. Some were good and I could focus. Others were like lead in my veins. Father would ask me questions...he'd get so angry when I wasn't able to answer." Noah could almost hear his younger self beg. "Then there was so much money. We moved to a bigger house. I think he developed the drug. He developed it with my help."

"How did you help?"

"I was the test subject."

"Did he tell you that?"

He shook his head. "And I never asked. I was always too frightened. But you see it now, don't you? If I had refused or left earlier...the drug wouldn't have existed." His heart was racing. "The rats in your bathtubs were not the work of nature. Someone is trying to tell you what I am."

Malik's face had darkened. "What are you?"

"Not human," Noah whispered. "Just a lab rat."

For a long time Noah had indulged in the idea that he was a good person. That he was nothing like his manipulative father. Yet what had he done? He blocked his own mind from accessing vital information to process. Because his desire to erase his past, to erase his crime had been overpowering. He deterred Malik from justice, stole his time, his kindness. After all, he worked up the courage to run away after his father had threatened to rip his dog's head off. He hadn't cared when he was contributing to his father's schemes. He'd only cared about his dog.

He truly was his father's son.

"Whatever you're digging up, you're close." Noah's breathing was getting shallow. "And it doesn't matter who threw the last punch. If had stood up to him—"

"He would've killed you."

"Perhaps. If I was dead...your brother would've been alive today...It was me."

Malik said nothing. Noah couldn't stop talking. It was all spilling out.

"Your vengeance, justice...is right here."