Chapter 1 The Beginning

Ever since I was a little kid, I’ve seen people. Now I know what you’re thinking, holy crap this guy’s insane, everyone run. Now that’s actually totally reasonable, but there is a sick and twisted explanation for my “disease”. When I was seven, I watched my brother beat two guys to death. I suppose that requires some explanation. My older brother, Ryan, always had a kindling hatred for two guys in his class. I don’t know exactly why, something about them “ruining his life”. Anyway, I overheard Ryan yelling out his bedroom window that he would meet someone in the school courtyard the next day after school. And since he was always my ride home, I assumed I was going to have to wait for him. I thought he had to finish a project or something, I mean I was seven. So I walked over to the courtyard, and I saw Ryan kneeling on some guy’s chest pounding his face. The other guy was already bleeding on the ground behind him, screaming in pain. My instincts told me to run and get help, but my feet wouldn’t move, and I didn’t want Ryan to get in trouble. So I stood there like a log, and watched my big brother, my hero, murder two of his classmates. Once Ryan stood up, I ran to his car and sat down next to it. Ryan came over and opened the car door, and we got in and drove home. I was silent, and on the verge of tears. I could see the dried blood on Ryan’s fists and face, but decided it’d be better not to say anything. So I sat there and tried to digest what just happened. Ryan was arrested. The idiot left his wallet at the scene, and was charged with, well, murder obviously. Up until the trial, I told myself the guys would be fine, and that it was just a scratch, but when I heard the boys were dead, my face felt hot, and I started sweating. All I could think of was the way I didn’t do anything to save them.

So that brings us to present day. I still can’t get those boys’ faces out of my mind, but now it’s a bit more…vivid. I actually see them. Like the actual beings, I see them, as if they were alive and following me. Everywhere I go, they go. When I sit down, one sits on either side of me. When I go for a walk, they walk two steps behind me. It’s maddening. I went to the hospital once, and they gave me medicine, and the number of a psychiatrist, but I couldn’t afford a refill or even one session with the doc. So after I ran out of pills, the illusions slowly started to fade back into my life. Now I sit in my house, and try to get rid of them. When I try to close my eyes, they’re there. When I go to sleep, they haunt my dreams. When I scream, their laughter overpowers it. I can’t escape them. There’s no way out, there is no solution. I often ask myself, why I even continue living. I mean, I’m just an eighteen year old boy who rarely speaks to his parents, and has no friends. No one would miss me if I died. Why do I hang on? There’s not even anything to cling to. Something keeps me going, I just don’t know what yet.
Chapter 2 Her

Waking up is always a struggle, I mean telling yourself you have to endure another day of hell, isn’t exactly motivation. But I eventually get up, brush my teeth, get dressed and go out. I can’t hold a job, because I scare everyone when I try to tell my “friends” to go away, and I don’t blame them. So I usually spend my time walking the streets when I feel like doing something. It’s raining today, so everyone is running around frantically, trying to find someplace dry. Me, I just keep walking. I have my headphones in, and my head is down, just like always. Jamming out to Paradise Fears, and trying to get out of everyone’s way, which is quite difficult when they’re constantly trying to pester you. I look next to me, and see Derek and look to my left to see Cyrus. I looked behind me to see them both standing there smirking. Just. Keep. Walking. I put my head down again, and bang I run into someone. I looked up, woah, she’s beautiful. I stared her down. Come on Logan, say something!

“Hi.” I finally said.

“Hi.” Mystery girl responded.

“Hi, I’m Logan. What’s your name?”

“Katie. Nice to meet you, Logan.”
“Nice to meet you too. Where are you headed?”
“The coffee shop down the block, I work there.”
“That’s cool. I like coffee.” I smiled.
“Well, then you’ll have to come and see me sometime.” She smiled back. She really was pretty, I couldn’t stop staring. “Hello? Logan? Um, so I have to go, but we should get together? Here’s my number.” She handed me a slip of paper and waved goodbye. Wow. That was easy. Hold on, where were the guys? I looked around and they were gone. They’re gone. What? And all too soon, they were back.

“Miss us?” They asked.

“No.” I responded. That’s odd, that was the first time in eleven years that I was without them. And it felt great.
Chapter 3 Savior

I called Katie once I got back to my house. Of course the guys were pestering me the whole way. “Hi, Katie, this is Logan. I was just wondering if maybe just maybe you’d like to go to dinner with me…or something?” There was a short pause, and then she said yes. “Really? I mean I’m thrilled. Ok, ya I’ll see you Friday.” I put down the phone and laid down.

“Someone’s got a girly friend?” Derek asked.

“I think he does. I don’t think it’s fair that you get to have a girly friend, and well a life, and we don’t.” Said Cyrus.

“Ya, you know he’s got a point. You did watch us die. And you didn’t say ANYTHING. Nothing. You let us die. You wanted us dead.”

“No I didn’t!” I screamed. “No, you don’t understand, I was seven! Seven! I didn’t know anything. I couldn’t process and…”

“Shut it! No one cares what your excuse is. You might as well have killed us.”

“No. No I wanted to help you, but Ryan…he…he’s my brother…and…”

“And…and…what?” Said Cyrus. “He still killed us. He’s still a murderer. And so are you.” He grabbed my shoulders and shook me violently. “You don’t deserve her. You don’t deserve anyone.”

“Leave me alone! Go away! I didn’t do anything to you guys! I am not Ryan! Stop!”

“Ya, you’ve been trying that ever since you were a kid, we’re not going away.” I tried to go to sleep, but they kept yelling at me. They suffocate me.

Finally Friday came, and I walked to the movie theatre. Katie was already there when I arrived.

“Hi!” She said. “How are you?”

“I’m fine, and you?”

“Great. Ready to go in?”

“Yes.” And we went into the theatre. I looked around, the guys were nowhere to be seen. We sat down just as the movie started. OK so when I’m with her, they leave, I thought. I’ll just have to make her never want to leave my side. So I looked over at her, and took her hand. She squeezed it back, and smiled at me. After the movie was over, we got up and left the theatre. “That was really nice.”

She smiled and said, “Yes. It was indeed. We should get together again, soon.”

“Yes.” I said a little too intensely. Good thing she didn’t think anything of it.

“Ya, how about next Friday?”

“Oh, no I can’t go that long. How about tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow? That’s a bit soon don’t you think?”

“Oh, ya, I guess. Sunday?”

“How about Tuesday?”

“OK. Tuesday.” We both smiled, and went our separate ways. Soon enough, they were back. Terrorizing me like always. Hold on until Tuesday Logan. Just until Tuesday. Once I got home, I sat down and asked my “friends”, “So, you don’t like Katie, huh?”

“Oh, we like her alright. We just don’t like to compete for your attention.”

“Ya, it’s no fun terrorizing you when you don’t pay attention.” Tuesday, come faster please.
Chapter 4 Katie

Finally, Tuesday. I picked Katie up, and we went to the park. We had a great time. It felt so good being without those demons, that I didn’t want her to leave. So I tried everything I could to get her to stay longer. I mean everything. Still, the night ended, and we said our goodbyes. But as she was going into her house, I could feel the guys creeping up on me, and I couldn’t take it. I stormed up to her door, and knocked. She opened the door, looking very confused.

“Hi, um, I was wondering if you wanted to spend the night at my house?” Really Logan? That’s what you came up with?

“Um, well, considering we just met, don’t you think that’s a little…soon?”

“Oh, no I don’t mean to like…you know. I mean because when I’m with you I don’t have to deal with these…feelings. Uh, you make me happy.” You make me happy. Nice one.

“That’s so sweet. OK, as long as you agree that this is just to talk.” She grabbed her stuff, and got in the car. We drove home listening to some classical music, and once we got to my place, we went in and got into bed. “I’ve never done anything this crazy before.” She was so sweet, and pretty, and ugh so perfect.

“Ya, me either.” I replied. Well mostly because no one has ever been able to scare away “them”. We laid there for a while, until we were both about to fall asleep.

I could feel myself drifting to sleep when she said, “You make me happy too.”
Chapter 5 The Capture

I woke up and she was still there, looking elegant. Like a sleeping princess. I can’t let her leave, no not yet. I like living without them. She woke up and looked at me.

“Hi. That was fun, but I really should be going.”

“No, not yet. I need you.”

“That’s a little much, considering this was our second/third date. Don’t you think?” She started to pick up her stuff.

“No, I think we’re just really good together.”

“Yes, I think that too, but we don’t know each other that well. Listen, call me later OK?”

“No. You have to stay. You don’t understand.”

“You’re scaring me Logan. I need to go.”

“No, please! When you’re here, they’re not and I really like you here instead of them.” Damn Logan.

“What are you talking about? Who? Look I really need to get out of here.” She started to go down the steps. I quickly followed and grabbed her arm. “Let go! I’m serious!”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t do that. I need you here. You’re the only one that they’re scared of.”

“YOU’RE INSANE! Let go! You need help!” She wriggled and fought, but I was stronger.

“No Katie, listen, you’re my help! You help me. You need to stay. Forever. We’ll be happy together. I promise.” She started crying. “No, don’t cry. I thought I made you happy.”

“You did, until you turned into a monster! Let. Me. Go!” I yanked her up the stairs and she started to squirm again so I bashed her in the head. She fell unconscious, and I dropped her on the ground. Ok, she’s here, they’re not, that’s how it’s going to be.
Chapter 6 Forever

I tied her to the bed and waited next to her until she woke up.

“What the hell? What am I doing here?” She looked over at me, “Holy crap! Get away from me!” She tugged at the rope and tried to untie them.

“It’s OK, I’m here. We’re going to live here, together. Forever, and we’ll both be happy!” I stroked her hair, and her cheek.

“Please, let me go! I won’t tell anyone! I promise. Just let me go.”

“I can’t do that. You see, it’s not that I don’t trust you, it’s that once you leave, my demons will come back, and I don’t want that.”

“Your whats? You need help. Medical help.” Did she seriously think I didn’t try that?

“No, sweetie, I just need you.” I kissed her on the cheek, and touched her hand. “You and me Katie. Without those guys. You and me. Forever.”