Knowing that I wouldn't be walking nor even talking most of the time, I couldn't wrap my mind to understand what happened, something is seriously wrong and this is nothing science nor physics can even defy...
"Well... I guess I lost my bet then..." Cody said as he pulled out a twenty dollar bill to Luther, but Luther just smacked the money away as if paying up for the bet right now, isn't helping at a time like this.
As Luther helped me walk towards my bedroom from the staircase step by step, the air I am breathing kept on getting sharper or harder to breathe by inhaling and exhaling, raising my heart rate wouldn't help, breathing fast wouldn't help either but if I run up the stairs? Wouldn't help... so Luther is likely able to help me get up the stairs to my bed, unsure what will happen next... no one knows what to do with something like this by now.
"The bet doesn't matter right now Cody, right now we have to get Nick in his bed and for Caitlin to grab more first aid kit supplies, no matter what is going on right now, healing Nick is our top priority here" Luther mentioned in a serious fatherly toned voice as he put me down on my bed, my legs were somehow stiff and couldn't move them, he carefully angled my back carefully so that the pouring blood won't leave a trail behind Luther, as my head was lightly set on my pillow and my arms just went stiff as didn't move at all.
"What the fuck was that? It was like he was flying...kind of..." Wesley asked nervously, since I can't answer that, all because something was trying to squeeze all of the breath out of my lungs. I tried to speak but there was no sound coming out and literally I couldn't move at all because I was too shocked to move.
"I don't know, I'm sure Nick doesn't know either, whatever it is, I want no part of it but we're here for Nick and Caitlin... right now... for Nick" Luther said as he crossed his arms and thought to himself.
"Well it seems like we are all part of it regardless here! We're the Misfit Family! We can't trust our own parents, our rivals, our bullies, the teachers or our enemies!" Wesley yelled and panicked, unsure what happened he was spooked and confused. No matter in this personal case of trying to figure out these situations, this one literally took the cake with a new frosting, almost literate enough of something out of this world, it was more likely just taken to the new level that none of us knows how to fix.
"To be fair... I don't think this is something human...I'm not sure what to do...none of us do" Tristan said as he finally spoke up from being too quiet lately while Jon, Wesley, Cody and Luther looked at him.
"What?" Tristan asked.
"What are you? Some kind of silent stalker shit?" Jon asked Tristan back.
"What? You think I'm the scary shit here? What is really scary is that... thing had written a message in Nick's blood and literally on him! What do you think is going on here? There's no way this isn't some scientific shit here, that's the big deal!" Tristan said a bit aggressive as if he is trying to figure out what is really going on, thinking that this is all paranormal but I'm sure that Cody still doesn't believe in that stuff.
"It is not... paranormal! This is just a fucking prank! Everything has a reality check and ghostly things do not exist! It's nothing but an unanswered scientific phenomena that hasn't been cracked yet!" Cody yelled at Tristan with an angry tone, Cody never believed in the paranormal, not at all, although his parents are Christians and goes to church, Cody never believes nor even trusts what cannot be explained.
"Oh, so you're saying that you know all of the god damn answers! Go ahead and say it then you nerdy ass two timing bastard!" Tristan yelled at Cody as they got close to each other, pushing Jon and Wesley out of the way but they interfered to keep Tristan and Cody apart from engaging into a heated argument.
"Tristan! Back off! It's not worth it!" Jon said as he pushed Tristan's chest with his right hand, while Wesley was in front of Cody trying to distract him away from Tristan.
"I don't think so! We're never like this you guys! Come on! Snap out of it! We're supposed to be the Misfit Family, trust each other but no one else!" Wesley reminded Tristan and Cody about the family bond that we all have, even though it is a fact that we trust each other as brothers with Caitlin as the only sister, trusting no one else is what we all know and that's that.
"Sure we are! I just hope that Cody can get his mouth caged and never talk again! Just sewing it up until he groans in peer pressure and pain!" Tristan said but blinked a few times until he realized what he just said, he quickly placed his left hand over his mouth as if he just noticed how harsh, dark and serious he sounded, as that moment had passed everyone started looking at each other as the room got silent, everyone was quiet, standing in a small circle as Tristan looked down and tried to recollect his thoughts.
The bedroom door slammed open as everyone screamed like little girls except for Luther and I, Jon jumped into Wesley's arms as both of them have their eyes closed and continued to scream, Tristan just screamed and walked in a circle to look away from the door, as Cody starred at the door in horror and confusion of what had came out of the bedroom door.
"Jesus why are you boys screaming? It took me a while to find any useful medical kits to help Nick... my god you all sound like girls..." Caitlin said as she walked in with a bag of items and set them on my desk.
Jon and Wesley looked at each other in an awkward silence then they both looked away, Wesley quickly let go of Jon as Tristan is still spinning a circle and with his eyes closed, unaware that it is just Caitlin trying to find the right medical items to treat the wound on my chest, while Luther knelt by my bed and by my side I'm not entirely sure what is going through his mind right now.
"He's still losing blood, Caitlin, toss me the Celox A packet!" Luther mentioned as Caitlin quickly found it on the side of the kit as she tossed the Celox A packet, he ripped off the top seal, removed the two sections inside of the packet, got out the plunger and got the granules out, took the cap off that allows the plant to go in as he took the blue cap off the bottom, then took the plunger with the smaller end, next Luther is trying to use the item at the center of the wound, literally as he pressed it into my chest, the pain felt like it was making me shake and he carefully dug a bit deeper which made me clench my teeth together, as I tried to hold in a scream but instead I was groaning loud in a lot of pain, the force that Luther was using wasn't like his entire body weight but enough to puncture the skin, instead of my ribs, upper body organs or even my heart, he then waited for three minutes as I kept on groaning in pain until I was able to shriek and my body kept on shuddering. Now, Luther had carefully removed the item from my chest and placed a hand on the wound, again, waiting for another three minutes, whatever what Luther was doing he put on a normal pressure dressing, he did this for about almost ten times to cover each letter on my chest and so this lasted for like... thirty minutes or an hour until Luther requested Jon to grab the wrapper around my chest.
"I hate hearing him scream in pain..." Caitlin mentioned as she has fingers in her ears and turned away to not see what is happening to her brother.
"What did you do to him, Luther?" Jon asked.
"The Celox A packet, used to help gunshot bullets or anything to stop the internal bleeding, my grandfather passed his doctor medical treatment techniques to my dad and then he taught me everything when I turned nine. My grandfather was a survivor in World War Two, when he was just nine, he was able to teach me everything to nurture everyone in the family back to health, he then grew up to become a surgeon and a doctor until his passing. So... ha ha! I beat you Cody!" Luther explained as he wrapped the bandage around the letters, carefully turned me on my stomach and I didn't feel anything but something hot right there keeps on burning.
I can hear everyone gasping.
"No!" Caitlin cried with her hands over her mouth.
"I'm sure you can explain this as well, nerd?" Luther asked Cody.
"Not sure, whatever it is... it looks like maybe one of us had hurt Nick with long nails?" Cody said skeptically, still I don't know what is going on but hearing him say 'long nails' seems like a good hint.
"Hey! We were all together when that happened there's no way! But unless Caitlin did unexpectedly?" Jon said with a curious question as everyone turned to her but she threw her hands up for a defense.
"Haven't you guys been seeing the signs from me? You all know that I would never hurt him! Why would I hurt him when I am his only family to trust? What makes you all think that I would do this? I was with you all when it happened so give me a break! I mean give us a break! I would never become like my father! He's the one who has been abusive towards us!" Caitlin explained as much as she could to defend herself, although she does bring the valid points that no one ever sees Caitlin hurt someone or someone she loves, although she was about to speak more but Jon quickly grabbed her left wrist to look at her nails, carefully and in detail... her nails haven't grown long enough to act out with a scratch to hurt someone, it was short and is flawed with a few hangnails on the sides of her fingernails.
"She's clean, her nails are not long enough to scratch anyone, there are only a few hang nails and that's it" Jon answered directly to everyone.
"Whatever happened to Nick... whatever it is... it seems...violent..." Tristan said carefully as he neared next to me, I can feel his presence on my right side just by his hand, Tristan is trying to figure out if it seems like a normal human hand, he neared his hand closer to my back, barely close enough to actually touching me and what he is trying to maneuver around.
"Three claw marks... from the upper neck to all the way down on his entire back... guys... this isn't a human scratch..." Tristan mentioned as he finally removed his hand from my back, I can feel that Tristan and Caitlin were helping me shift around on my back.
"The scratch marks are not deep like on his chest, this seems like something else that none of us have the knowledge to know what is going on with Nick..." Tristan said as he trailed off to think of what to do now.
"Well, isn't it obvious? I trust him, he's the one that had recently changed from Egyptian to Christianity, I'm sure he can help" Caitlin said but I knew who she was talking about but I wasn't entirely sure about this. We still have one thing that needs to happen and we can't waste time trying to help me.
"Oh...my god! You lovable morons!" I groaned as I slowly sat up from my bed, I crossed my legs over my bed and looked at Caitlin with a little disappointment, not that I'm disappointed in her but I am because of everyone here. Everyone is just trying to help but all I seem to get is more torture and pain. Not going to happen.
"What?" Caitlin asked.
"We're not going to ask Dean Hopkins for help, he's a History Teacher not a man from a church or a hospital! We already have something else planned! We need the answers from Cameron, like it or not" I said with a tiredly confident tone.
"Isn't that no longer the plan?" Cody asked.
"I thought it was," Luther shrugged.
"Believe me when I say, that might be a dead end to search for evidence, thinking about it now, the court wouldn't believe that we were searching for evidence of our own, coming up with nothing but now? I don't think interrogating Cameron is the plan anymore, this is far more different than we all thought" Jon said as he seemed to clear up some pretty interesting but provided points, Cameron doesn't seem to be a part of the evidence anymore but that still doesn't clear up how he and I have the same problems.
"But that still doesn't clear up one thing, he and I have the same life situations, isn't that still weird? In my theory, Cameron and I still need to talk, this still needs to happen, trust me guys, don't you all want to know why he and I are somehow connected? Without knowing what is going on by that side point?" I mentioned, although I feel like I am right, whatever is going on between Cameron and I, I want to know everything of why this is just happening to both of us, and so there might be a bit of an irony or a mere coincidence of going through an angsty teenage life, for just two young boys, who are just tired of surviving and gave in towards a dark personality to live with for the rest of their lives being turned into a dark future or fate.
"I don't know guys... should we or not go with Nick's plan?" Caitlin asked.
Everyone stayed quiet to think about the next plan, not sure how long it felt like but it almost felt like an entire hour of silence. Everyone is obviously thinking hard about this decision and it doesn't feel like it might end very well with the voting. Fucking politics...again...
"I'm in" Jon spoke as everyone looked at him with confused expressions.
"We do have two situations, one; Nick and Cameron having very coincidental lives, nothing in common except for their lives in a dark path, two; trying to figure out what is currently happening now, this...this...wait..." Jon trailed off as if he just connected something important.
"Actually, three situations, trying to find out who drugged Nick that is leading the allegations to the court" Cody corrected Jon.
"Pretty much" Luther chimed in.
"You okay, Jon?" Tristan asked.
"Nick and Cameron, coincidental lives, a dark path, talks to no one except for siblings, possibly terrible parents... if my theory makes any sense of this all... it's not just Nick having this weird paranormal stuff happening, Cameron shares Nick's life as Nick shares with him... guys...this is more than just being a coincidence..." Jon said, trying to think over this theory that he has going on, unsure if it is possible to actually share whatever is going on, on why Cameron and I are having a connection. Problem is... from what Jon had summed up... the things that are happening to me, happen to Cameron, like a bond or something else.
"Whatever happens to me, happens to him?" I said that could give the answer to what is going on.
"What? Do spells exist too?" Cody asked.
"Spells are pretty much paranormal, do you think this is Hogwarts? Tsk, Cody, shut up" Wesley said.
"I'm in," Luther said out of nowhere.
"Luther..." I started, trying to think why he wants to be a part of this plan to talk to Cameron.
"It's not because I'm the most optimistic team player, but because of what Nick had done to become a leader of the Misfit Family, thinking more clearly about it made me realize that we are literally, all here together, not just teammates, we're only a family because of how much we are as outcasts of high school or life, trusting no one but us being a true family..." Luther and I looked at each other almost glaring at each other, to this point, I got the feeling that he is telling the truth, not sure why but I couldn't care less about it... Luther looks like he is confident enough to give this a shot.
"I'm in," said Cody as he exhaled.
"You sure?" I asked.
"Enthusiastically...I wish...literally...yes..." Cody said softly and worried trembled under his breath.
"I don't know if I should believe what you guys are going to do, it's like you are all trapping a fly into the web, are you all really taking this seriously?" Caitlin asked as she looked at me with high suspicions and worry.
"It's just going to be a talk, that's all, Caitlin" I said.
"To hell it is! From what I'm hearing and believing is that you are all literally not going to let this go, Cameron doesn't deserve to be handled like this, he's sensitive!" Caitlin mentioned, trying to remember that Cameron does seem to be highly sensitive around school, but I can't do anything about it and not get the answers I want. I can understand why not and why doing this but then again, Cameron shares everything as I do with him no matter how weird it is.
"Are you just worried we're going to hurt him? Of course not! This isn't some... gay ass opera TV show" I replied, finally stating that there is going to be no harm to him, this isn't even a gang of thugs trying to rob Cameron, we're all nice people... except for Jon...
"Fuck it, count me in" Wesley said with his hands on his waist.
All that is left is Tristan and Caitlin, unsure of their decision; this is something that must happen. It has to happen one hundred percent. I got up from my bed and got on a new shirt, a red and black t-shirt with a white Marvel logo text on it along with the print of Carnage the Red Symbiote design, it's pretty much the only red shirt I've got that can shade the blood on my front and back side.
"Well... it seems like it's just me and Caitlin left so that's... pretty much what? Five votes against two..." Tristan sighed then raised his hand up to a thumbs up, meaning that he's in.
Caitlin sighed.
"Fine..." Caitlin joined in as well.
"But if anything goes wrong, I want nothing to do with this, okay?" Caitlin said as for her own condition, so thankfully that we all agreed on this plan together.
"I can't believe it, Nick is going to do this..." said Caitlin but in a weird way, I didn't see her mouth moving nor even looking at me, like I heard another female voice next to me, so I decided to shrug that off my mind.
"If I ever find out that Cameron is an actor or just faking it, I'm going to beat him for making Nick go crazy..." I heard Jon, but he was only looking down, his lips not even moving, he clenched his right hand into a fist, stood more upwards like he was being the alpha wolf of this pack. Unsure why or how, I am not sure if this is just my thoughts or my hearing just doing something weird, I put my left hand over my ear and blocked it to make sure that I am not hearing voices in my head.
"Don't be scared, Luther... don't be scared... once this whole thing is over with, we are all going to laugh and forget like it is just a bad dream... a dream that really hurts somehow..." Luther said in front of me but as I put my other hand over my right ear, I just want to believe that this isn't possible, there's no way I am hearing anyone's voices as they are all just standing there and thinking the outcome of this plan.
"Don't freak out, don't freak out, don't freak out you dumb dumb, don't freak out, don't freak out, everyone will look at you, so don't mess this up" I can somehow still hear their voices, as Cody is trying to keep himself calm and collective, other than trying to think deeply he's still wanting to say and prove that there is nothing paranormal.
I quickly shut these things off my mind, moving my hands over to my sides and clenching my fists together, hoping that this isn't something that should be worried about, but hell... worrying isn't going to solve everything and especially everyone. I get that they are all worried about me, but I'm sure that I don't need anyone to worry anymore. This isn't just a fate worse than death itself, I'm not even sure what I wanted since I'm just a careless kid, reckless, rebellious or simply just a damn renegade.
Tonight is when I want this to happen, out of the blue, surprising Cameron Frost, dealing with something that must happen here and now.
"I don't know about you guys but I'm sure that I'm ready to go home, this is a lot to process to think over with, but since Nick just had a sudden weird attack on him and I'm thinking about a sleepover tonight," Luther said and that I couldn't argue with him on that, I can somehow tell that everyone is tired from what is happening and regardless for the misfit family they won't leave me alone. That, I can appreciate.
"I'll be making some sandwiches for dinner tonight, unless if anyone wants something else?" Caitlin asked optimistically and confidently as she smiled like nothing happened from the recent events. No matter what, Caitlin wanted to live her life as a bright person even when her mental state is going a bit crazy.
"What about Susan and Reuben?" Wesley asked.
"I'll talk to them" I said, brushing most of my hair back not because I'm nervous but because this is a decision that Luther suggested. It may as well be the best since I was attacked by something that wasn't human thanks to Tristan.
"I don't think so, both me and Nick will ask them, besides I don't want them to see how hurt Nick is..." Caitlin said worriedly but she kept her smile but her eyes told a different story, she's afraid of them as I am not, something about her expression told me to get close to her and look into her eyes... more likely that I want to tear her eyes out and eat them... not only that but maybe... hearing her scream as she chokes on her own blood, then the blood will stream down her eye sockets and out of her mouth. Then I'll be happy for once. For whatever reason I won't do that to Caitlin since she's not the one I really want to hurt.
Hell I'm not sure what my brain is thinking, but it sure seems like I'm the one losing my mind to go all serial killer on my sister or on my friends. I would never and I repeat never do something so cruel or evil like that. Sometimes I wonder if it's best to be the villain since they have more fun than heroes do...
"Fine," I responded.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night time has arrived as everyone was asleep on the main floor; Luther is so tall he had to sleep on the white floor with a blown up greenish gray mattress, two large snowy white pillows, our largest dark maroon and golden yellow blanket in a horizontal direction. Cody is sleeping on the light gray couch with a medium size sea blue pillow and a black blanket. Tristan is sleeping on the large dark gray chaise with a small orange pillow and a cyan blue blanket. Wesley is sleeping on the dark gray couch next to the windows, with a light purple medium sized pillow and a blue blanket. Jon is sleeping on the floor by the vertical direction near the wall, he has a small red pillow, a white silvery blanket and the second same mattress that Luther has for the night.
Because everyone is tired from a weird day, I couldn't bear to see everyone worried about a stupid kid who doesn't give a shit about anything, not only that...I can't let anyone see me as a victim to something that we all don't know of. I had to make this more than a promise to myself, I'm going to commit this for my friends safety and to Caitlin. What more can I do to not show weakness? Not to show this burning feeling of killing innocent people who just want to help me. I can't. I can't show any of these weaknesses to anyone, I have to remember this commitment otherwise everyone will get hurt instead of me. There's no way I want to see a monster in the mirror that shares my face, my skin, my personality and everything that I am.
Looking at everyone sleeping from the staircase, just five steps to the main floor, I can see everyone sleeping peacefully and snoring like dreaming pigs. Heh. I can't help myself but to smirk on how these people actually care for me, after what Luther did to heal my wounds and how everyone was trying to argue on what to do next... some things don't really change and I'm happy that they don't. These kids are my family, not Reuben and Susan.
I got up from the staircase, walked towards the kitchen to get myself some milk and a chocolate breakfast bar. I know I should be sleeping but I can't help but to feel like there is something more than just weird attacks... it feels like a slow creeping chill, going up and down my spine but then again, I never get that feeling before... unless I'm being watched? Being stalked? I'm pretty sure that Jake's friends are trying to pin me down on the ground, putting a bullet in my head and dragging my corpse in a ditch. Something...
I puffed up my white t-shirt and my outstretched red and blue zigzagging pants, as they are long enough to almost slip on the floor with my bare feet. I carefully and silently walked towards the living room, just looking at everyone and just dreaming away for the night. It's not because I'm watching my friends sleep in a creepy way, I just can't stop thinking how fun everyone is and how they just keep the spirit alive within the Misfit Family. No matter how committed I am to not showing signs of weakness or being hurt around them, I have to be strong for them since they care for me and Caitlin.
Best family ever.
"Shouldn't you be resting?" I heard the familiar voice of Susan, not because of her whispering but I did sense a presence nearby and it did feel like I knew the person. I looked away from my friends and towards Susan in the kitchen. Susan's eyes looked a bit tired, devious and disappointing. She wears a dark blue pajama pair with cyan blue stars all over, like she is wearing the whole galaxy around her.
"Couldn't sleep" I answered back as I drank some of my milk.
"Come on, you know I can tell when you got something on your mind, talk to me" Susan said trying to manipulate her words and make me turn against my friends or Caitlin. As much as I don't trust Susan because of her lies, she always gets on my back to find a way to deceive me and most times I can tell that she is lying to me.
"..." I didn't know what to tell Susan other than coming up with a quick lie.
"Nick?" Susan asked me worriedly. Yeah right...
Other than my thoughts about my friends being the right family for me, I couldn't lie about one other thing and I hope that Susan doesn't lie to me again.
"Ever felt like you are the only one who is not crazy in our family?" I asked, knowing it was a different question that I was going for but to be honest, I'm not sure if I'm the only one going crazy. Insane.
"What kind of question is that?" Susan asked as she was getting something from the fridge and from the pantry, unaware that she was getting the same things that I got, just sharing some mother and son time with milk and a chocolate breakfast bar...like mother and son.
I had to keep up with this ruse but strangely enough it doesn't feel like a ruse at all, it's not like me to be honest with my mom, she's a very good liar and just loves twisting the truth around her fingers.
"A question about insanity or being normal" I said, raising my voice just a little bit, not too loud to wake everyone up, to which I wouldn't care but everyone needs a good night sleep, like me and my mom right next to me.
"Well... I think it's time that I told you something important" Susan said hesitatingly as she put down her glass of milk, she angled her waist and looked at me eye to eye.
"What? Going to tell me that I'm adopted? Nice try" I smirked and giggled a bit, hoping that was true since my lifestyle is way off from everyone else's, but I never found a paper file that says that I am adopted or not.
Although when I looked back at Susan; her expression...makes me want to crave to snap her neck, decapitate her head, insert either one of my hands inside, grab the spin and rip it away with no hesitation. I can picture her body hitting the floor and pooling the floor with a huge flood of blood, her fingers twitching, her torso squirming, her legs slightly twitching and pretty much all of her will just remain still in seconds. Lifeless...all night long I would feel a very strong satisfaction by looking at the corpse turning white in the next couple of days. I won't feel any guilt if I ever did that.
I blinked a few times looking at Susan with her eyes and expression, she looked afraid about something, maybe she burnt the files that I really am adopted? It would explain a lot.
"Am I?" I asked in a serious calmed tone.
"No, it's not that" Susan answered as I can tell that she is terrified of something, but I can't tell if she is hiding something that is seriously dangerous. Is my mother a serial killer? Is she a stalker? Is she a part of the Black Market? There are so many other possibilities that I would ask her but if I did, it won't make her feel comfortable. Uncomfortable at what?
"Sweetie..." Susan started as she placed a hand on my cheek, trying to make me feel calm and relaxed by her comfort to her son. I don't know what is going on in her mind but it looks like she is trying to make sense of something that seems impossible to talk about.
"Nicolas..." Susan said as she kissed my forehead to show her motherly affection.
"...After I met your father, when I was about to have you and before Caitlin was born... I was kidnapped, fearing for my life of not becoming the mother I always wanted..." Susan started to spill some beans, but she looked like she couldn't keep something secret anymore, but telling me that she was kidnapped when I was about to be born? What the hell happened?
"I remember all of the trauma from those nights...the torture they did to me, some weird mumbling, chanting maybe, a lot of corpses and blood everywhere...some men in black cloaks with a dark gray book of a cross pointing downwards...I..." Susan stopped as she placed a hand over her mouth from crying loudly, I can see a few visible tears running down her cheeks, those tears on her face looks genuinely concerning and real. Susan is too good to be a liar and why would I believe such a story like this? There's no proof...
Susan stood up, turned around and moved her shirt up to show scars... a lot of scars on her back... it looked like she was being whipped repeatedly for hours, nonstop. The one haunting thing that stood out was the same symbol that my left hand is sharing. A five pointed star with the middle two lines of the star was pointing downwards. A pentagram. The red outline of her bra straps showed that it proves it to be real, the faint white line looks perfect in a circular outline of the pentagram on the top middle of her back.
"I wanted to tell the family about this but because of how terrified I was, I had to lie to keep my family safe and not know about this...ever. But also because I never told your father about this was because I feared he would leave me. I know I can't take back the actions in the past but it wasn't my fault to be kidnapped. The only way for me to survive was to ask to be one of them, a lie for sure but I worried for my survival so I took that chance. When you were about to be born, the people in those cloaks did something to me in order to do something to you. I have no idea what they did. All I remember of them saying something about 'a third child who might carry the stone from hell', in which I had no idea what that means so it just remains a mystery for me to this day..." Susan explained a lot, but also covered or summed up why she's a liar and a manipulator...she's a victim. Like me.
I blinked a few times, trying to understand what she was telling me, more or less trying to really deceive something brutal that she did to herself or not.
When I saw the pentagram on Susan's top middle back, I couldn't help but to look close at it, but the other thing was that I couldn't seem to control is my left hand, like I needed to place my hand on her back, although if I did, I can't tell if that would be weird, awkward or just something way more bizarre than anything else. My left hand was shaking and close to touching Susan's back, it just felt like it was something I needed to touch, no matter if my hand is shaking until I can feel my entire left arm growing in pain just how my right arm feels.
Although I wanted to seal Susan's fate of being dead... but since she's coming clean on her side of her story, I can't tell if she is really telling the truth or trying to cover another lie for me to believe. Believe or Deceive?
Confused, I lay my left hand back to my side, somehow feeling a slight tingle of a knife or something sharp just scratching my left hand. Tingling or just my hand falling asleep. Who knows for sure?
I wasn't scared of what Susan had shown me, it didn't seem to bother me for some reason, not even the slightest hint of being terrified, frightened or shocked. That's one of the things that I never felt before, even when I should be for Susan's backstory that shouldn't be revealed. Revealed or not it seemed like Susan couldn't live with the fact that she was kidnapped, tortured and me being born.
Now that I have something to use to make sure that Susan isn't lying to me, I have to do some history research to know that she wasn't making up a ridiculous, stupid and a shitty story to tell from sixteen years ago.
Turns out I'm going to be busy.
Have to find out what Cameron Frost and I have in common, have to find out what happened to me earlier from an unexplained attack on my back, find out who drugged me and now this...finding out if Susan isn't lying to me and telling the truth that she is terrified to talk about.
The one thing that I got on my mind is to ask this one question. I hope that she will finally be more honest with me than lying to me for all of my life.
"Why are you telling me this right now?" I asked.
Susan put her shirt back down and turned to face me eye to eye, she kept on crying and couldn't seem to stop, it's like she is carrying this secret perfectly hidden by being harsh to me and Caitlin, one reason she wants no one to expect of her manipulations but now... somehow Susan's mind is being devoured or corrupted by too many harmful memories that she couldn't keep secret forever. Unlike Reuben who doesn't talk about his past.
"Knowing that I couldn't change my past, I was a lot like you at your age, careless, rebellious and dangerous. My mother thrived on making me behave like a perfect doll or a ballerina to control, she wanted me to be successful at being a dancer and a violinist. Although that one day came before the ballet show had started, I didn't just lose my footing, I lost my legs for a few years that Liliana McKinney had locked me away for ruining my feet and legs. Your grandmother was a horrible person...although she might have cherished you and Caitlin she never cared for the daughter she raised for me to be. During my time in the basement, I knew that I couldn't be weak or going crazy but I believed that no one would believe in me or my story. By the time I got out of the wheelchair with small amounts of food and water, I couldn't stop thinking all the things she did to me...my father who wanted me to be the violinist, had abused me, he didn't just punch me but even when I barely knew him, he did other horrible physical violence...thankfully, one day I finally regained as much strength that I've got, one window door hatch...one perfectly small woman who fit through and then ran...ran away as far as she could as she felt her legs burning from running to another town. I didn't look back, I didn't care about them, I didn't care about the money to take and I didn't care about shit...I started to work as a street dancer to earn the money to escape from the state of Pennsylvania and found my way here in Illinois..." Susan paused to take a bite out of her breakfast bar and took a sip from her milk, she sighed after spilling so much detail and information about her story, she never talks about her past at all unless she's with Reuben and when other things happen.
"I worked hard to earn enough money from scratch, but when I got hired by sketchy locals who wanted me to do very odd jobs, I couldn't tell what they wanted me to do... until I realized that they needed someone to pick up some bags. Drugs. By the time I realized that it was Meth, Cocaine, Heroin and other drugs, I left, since those people were criminals I didn't know what to do next but a biker gang noticed my distress...I thought I was going to get killed...criminals and a biker gang are terrible red flags..." Susan paused again to catch her breath, taking another bite and a sip to keep her mind occupied with reliving memories.
I couldn't believe what I was hearing, her story seems quite tragic but even if I wanted to say something about it, I couldn't tell if I should? Instead I kept quiet and listened to the rest of her story.
"Being one woman doesn't mean someone is weak or going crazy, I learned to live with crazy even if it brought me into insanity. What makes someone not worth it when sometimes it is?" Susan said something for me to think about deeply, a thought that is more than one thing but brings out some very deep and thoughtful questions about life itself.
"Dangerous is something I couldn't do... but the thoughts of Liliana and Robert? The torture, the abuse, the neglected and the abandonment...I struck my first move since the criminals wanted to kill me and the bikers wanted to molest me from what I remembered. I somehow knew how dangerous it was. Because I grew out of that wheelchair, I also grew more than a backbone. I trained myself to take down those thugs and when I closed my eyes for the first time, I wasn't just an ordinary ballerina...I couldn't believe what happened next, I had no control of myself, it was like my mind thought of doing something horrible, I felt a force that I couldn't hold back my strength, it was like I wanted to do something that I knew, that they would have done to me. Although for a young woman? Things weren't going as planned when I opened my eyes and knew that I somehow took down an entire biker gang and five criminals. I felt my heart sink into my chest, the adrenaline was pumping through my veins with excitement, but I couldn't help but to feel a darkness surrounding me, most of the criminals and bikers passed away and the rest were hospitalized and jailed for trying to molest and kill me, even when I explained that I was in the act of self defense and the police somehow believed me. Two months later I had somehow forgotten most things that happened that day... I walked into a bar to get things off my mind and when I accidentally took too many drinks before overdose... I met your father..." Susan put down her milk on the counter and crumbled the plastic in her hand, she closed her eyes for a moment and exhaled even when I noticed that her expression shows that she was swooning over Reuben back then.
"Reuben Clyde Sharp... he have these beautifully handsome brown eyes that I could look into forever, his black hair was surprisingly gorgeous, just like your hairstyle now, even if he was tall, he was strong and protective since he was departed from the Military from something I can't tell yet," Susan explained her entire story up to where she met dad, Reuben does sound a lot like me the way she was describing him, but for her story? Jesus Christ, Susan has been through hell and back for most of her life and now I'm glad that I am not the only one who is going crazy. Susan never even told us anything about Grandmother Liliana and Grandfather Robert before but now I can see why.
Now I am not sure what to do now.
I don't even have the words to explain how I think or feel.
"Something tells me that the injured who survived, could have contacted someone beyond cruel, to pick up on my case to kidnap me, so I can't remember how long it was until you were about to be born... I had no idea that when I was taken from my apartment, those people didn't feel right nor even human. Whatever those people wanted from me when I was pregnant with you, they wanted to know more about me but the focus was mainly about baby Nicolas..." Susan continued as I could see her shiver and shake violently, she looked horrified and wrapped her arms in front of her chest. Still shaking.
"Mom?" I said softly, knowing how terrified she feels right now... I can't tell what to do now nor even say anything. I felt paralyzed for some reason that I was being still as a statue, more likely I was trying to break out from crumbling rocks like a gargoyle coming out of its sleeping stage.
Susan moved her shirt again but for her shirt sleeves, she has faint scars on her arms as well, that seems to show that she was highly affected or traumatized by what happened back then.
"They didn't just use whips to break me down, they tried to drown me, tried to do Starvation, Crucifixion, Dehydration, Cutting... and Sexual Assaults..." Susan forced herself to be strained and controlling her emotions rather than bursting out loud cries to prevent waking everyone up.
I put my left hand on Susan's shoulder, trying to give her comfort and how I can now relate to how she has been through.
"The one thing they keep on talking about is how nothing seems to work on me, which is strange and completely bizarre since I was feeling the pain. More or less, they talk about 'The Stone' more than anything else, just... 'The Stone could be Susan, the other two women doesn't seem to have the same effects on them, they must be killed' is what I can partially remember" Susan said as she tried to hold back her tears and trying to remain strong in front of her son, she was still shaking violently from the horrible trauma she went through, despite of how much I wanted her dead...I can now tell that I would go back on my word. I may have hated Susan but now? I couldn't.
I hugged Susan with no hesitation as I can tell that Susan wasn't expecting a hug, but I couldn't let her feel alone, crazy, reliving memories and being hurt. In the next few moments I can feel her arms wrapping around me and hugging me back. A moment of mother and son for the very first time. For once...I can tell that we both needed someone close to listen to, to keep a loving comfort within the family from previous drama and trauma.
I heard Susan sigh and felt her body moving upwards to inhale fresh air. I can also tell that she yawned as we both broke off the hug from each other.
"Finally tired, hu?" I said.
"Yeah," Susan looked up at me with a smile.
"Goodnight mom, rest well" I said as she gave me a kiss on the forehead.
"You too, Nick, I love you" Susan replied as she walked towards the stairs leading to the second story and into the master bedroom.
I also gave into a sigh myself at least gave my mind to give some time to think about what Susan had told me. Not only that it sounds like she was in a terrifying ritual, but also questions a few other things. Susan mentioned two other women which means there are three victims in this ritual, who are the other two? Not only to mention that of there being a cross that is upside down? I'm thinking back to Dean Hopkins class...I can't believe that I'm going to mention this to the others, that there is a connection that Dean had actually taught us. The one thing that makes sense is that Susan was not in some normal ritual...
...it was a demonic ritual.
I placed my left hand over my forehead and brushed my hair back, the realization that Susan had escaped by lying to be one of them, she got out and possibly changed our family's last name by marrying Reuben and for Caitlin and I to be born.
But for baby Nicolas? How, why and what actually happened to me? What did those...demonic worshipers want from Susan? From me?
The two things that Susan also mentioned actually does make more sense but still confusing...
What kind of clouded fate is there for Susan or for me?
Those demonic worshipers that Susan mentioned are that they were looking for a stone, possibly out of all three women... even though that doesn't make any sense at all... how can a stone be human or organic?
At this point I don't know what this still means, even when my mind has finally grown tired of thinking all of the questions, I eventually evaded those thoughts and just kept my mind blank just as I yawned. Surely I am tired. I turned off the kitchen light as I walked on the stairs with a still vision to guide myself upstairs and towards my room straight down the hall of the bathroom to the left.
Unaware that when I walked into my bedroom, everything felt still, likely frozen in place and somehow I could see my breath visibly in front of me. I thought of the air conditioner but I soon shrugged it off as I took off my clothes and just left my boxers on. I belly flopped on my bed with my head meeting my pillow and felt the cold air increase all over me. I groaned a little and I began to like the cool air in my room especially if the weather outside is cold.
With my mind being all wiped clean with a sense of hearing nothing, it felt nice to not listen to anything except for my steady breathing from my lungs and my soft heartbeats in my chest. For a few silent moments everything felt relaxing and I felt my mind getting lost in a comfy state for a dream.