Hey friends!!
Now dudes...bare with me...this is a Highschool/Fantasy/Sci-Fi story (bbmcantwatchface) so I really hope you guys will LOVE this!!
Thanks for all your support during my four years as a writer on Nifty. This is my family I never had, you guys, who write and support me on doing what I love, which is writing and creating pleasure for others.
Also, please be so kind as to make a donation to keep this wonderful archive going. Here is the link, if you wish to do so.
http://donate.nifty.org/donate.html
If you have TWITTER...please follow me on @LiciousRyan Ofcourse you're also welcome to mail me on whiteryan65@gmail.com
Hugz, Ryan!
REFLECTION
JUNE 1983
"I've got you, bro! I've got you and I won't let you go!! Not to HIM!!" Harry yelled, his voice hoarse with effort.
Chris shouted and screamed as his right arm was being dragged and pulled to the one side and his left arm to the other. He didn't know what to believe or WHO to believe! He stared straight into two pairs of identical eyes looking down on him. One with love, and the other with sheer hate!
"Harry...Harry, where are you? I'm seeing two of you! Which one is the real YOU?" Chris shouted, the little 10 year old boy being extremely scared at what was happening infront of him. A bright light flashed infront of him and suddenly he was pulled out of the grasp of his brother, his real brother's hands.
"CHRIS!! CHRIS!! NO!!!" Harry shouted as his brother was pulled into a blindingly sliver and white flash of lightning.
"HARRY!!! HARRY HEL...!" The door was slammed shut and Harry was thrown onto the old, wooden floor. His back smashed against the wall while he collapsed his arms on the floor beneath him. His breathing got worse and worse as he knew the terrifying truth. The white light was gone, suddenly as if nothing had happened. He quickly stood up and opened the door, leading to the closet where it all began only a few weeks ago. The horror decended on the young Harry Culverwell as he realised...Chris was gone. He would never see his little bro...ever again. How the hell was this possible? There was absolutely NO scientific explanation for this. Yet...it happened. His brother was taken to a place worse than the fires of hell. And it was all Harry's fault. He couldn't save him!
The talk of the town for the next few weeks was where little Chris Culverwell had dissapeared to, and his parents ofcourse were out of their minds with worry. They offered reward after reward to anyone who could tell them what had happened to their ten year old boy, but in the end...there was only one person who had known the truth all along...and he would NEVER open his mouth. People would probably lock him up for being insane.
Two years had past since and Harry Culverwell blamed himself everyday for what he did to his brother. It started all so innocently at first, but it was as if that...that...THING in the closet was stronger than them. IT needed them more than they needed it. Harry, what felt like the millionth time these past two years, standing infront of Chris's grave, which was empty ofcourse, however...his parents used up almost all their money trying to find their youngest son, so in the end, they sorta made peace that he had indeed run away from home. Once again...it was only Harry who knew the truth. Six months later and Harry was off to Military school. His parents, even his dad was appaulled by the idea, since they had already lost one son, but Harry convinced them to let him go. Neither one of his parents knew that Harry was fighting demons of his own. His own demons. Of what really happened to his brother late THAT night...
CHAPTER 1
JUNE 2013
"OH....MY....GOSH, this place is fucking insane, out of control, Dad!"
"James, watch your mouth, boy!"
"I'm sorry Dad, its just this is like HUGE! I've never seen one of these so upclose before!"
"Well, you're gonna see and live in it now. Why don't you go pick out one of the rooms you like, and then come fetch all your shit outside here and unpack them? I'm not gonna do THAT aswell, dude!"
This was the sort of relationship that Harry Culverwell and his son James had. They were more like best friends, that they were father and son. Harry was now thirty-four years old, while James was fifteen. Yes...one drunkened night after he returned from Afghanistan a couple of years ago he met and had a one night stand with this girl...seriously all he could remember of their entire time together was the size of her boobs. Damn he would bounce around in those things...! That is exactly why when a woman called Reno phoned him up ten or so years ago and told him that he had a son with her. Harry obviously didn't believe her but the moment that he saw the little three year old James...he was smitten and knew that the little boy was indeed his own. Because to be honest, James looked exactly like his father, Harry. His mother, who indeed turned out to be a hooker for guys such as Harry coming back from the Army without female companionship for a long time, didn't really want a snotty-nosed (her words!) kid hanging around her back then. Harry gained full custody of James and the two of them were set. Harry had become a very sucessfull architect, but he had never quite been able to forget what had happened to his little bro Chris that fateful night. How Chris had begged Harry to save him from the clutches of...well it was all over now as far as Harry was concerned. Their parents had to sell the house when they moved into their retirement centre, but his mother would always tell Harry that if ever Chris would turn up, that he had to look after him. Harry knew better than that. Chris was really gone. He didn't wanted to believe it that day, when it happened, but fucking hell, over twenty years had already past! If Chris was alive, wouldn't he have tried to make contact by now? Ofcourse he wouldn't, because were Chris was...it wasn't psycically possible. James came running down the staircase, jumping them two by two, lifting Harry from his memories.
"Dad, I've found the sickest room EVER upstairs and to the right, come and look! Come on!" James yelled and literally pulled his father all the way up the stairs to look at all James's boxers and even some of his socks and clothes already lying on the dirty floor.
"This is what I'm supposed to be impressed with, James? Haha get working, dude! Unpack all of those, choose where you want them, I'll arrange for our beds to arrive by tomorrow, so for tonight, pal, its me, you, movies and the couch. Just think about it...you're dating your old man!"
"Dad, are you genuinely insane or just winding me up?" James said before both started out laughing, with Harry grabbing his son and swinging him through the air. Although James was already fifteen, this was something Harry had done with him since he was a kid, and unlike others his age, he still loved to share this moment with his dad. They unpacked further, had McDonalds for dinner and watched some TV. Harry was in the kitchen later on that evening dishing up some Rum and Raisin ice cream for them both, but when he entered the livingroom, he saw that James was not there where he had left him.
"James? Buddy?" he called out, placing the ice cream on the coffee table and quickly walking upwards to James's new room. FUCK...not in here either...he immediately began to think of all kinds of mental things and horrors were running through him.
"JAMES!! Come on, dude, this isn't funny, you're scaring me!" he yelled to the empty rooms. James simply didn't answer. OH FUCK...not in the closet, please tell me James didn't do in that closet! Harry raced his fast as his body and heart allowed him to and chased to the other side of the house straight to the same closet that he and Chris used to call their "secret palace". Harry pulled opened the door and peeked inside the room for the first time in nearly twenty years. No sign at all from James.
"Dad?" said a voice behind him.
"FUCK JAMES!! Where the hell have you been? I've been worried sick!
"Wow chill, Dad, I was outside looking at the stars and the moon. Looks different around here at night. Wow Dad, please I'm fine!" James said as he saw his father tear up. Harry himself didn't know why he was crying. Was it because he was worried about James for nothing...or was it being back here all of a sudden and relieving that night where Chris was so violently snatched from his fingertips? Nevertheless, Harry grabbed his son and hugged him tightly towards him.
"I was just scared, you know, with the new home and everything. Don't do that ever again without telling me where you're going, okay?"
"Sure Dad, I'm sorry I scared you," James said, hugging his father back.
The next day was the only day that Harry still allowed James to stay home from school, since nothing was unpacked and their place still pretty much looked like a pigsty. Later that afternoon, James had just come back from the local supermarket doing some shopping for his dad, when he saw a kid his age, or there about, running and playing around on his skateboard infront of their new house.
"Yo, new guy! Watsup?" the boy called and skating over towards James, stopping in perfect motion right next to him.
"Hey man, nothing much, just moved in here like yesterday. I'm James Culverwell, and you?"
"I'm Derrick Howser...what did you say your last name was, dude?" the kid asked, his whole face covered in shocks and frowns.
"Culverwell, why?" James asked, equally confused.
"And you live...here?"
"Hell yeah, it's an insane place!"
"You can say that again..."
"Uhm...Derrick, was it? What the hell is up with you, dude? If this is your way of making friends with someone, please feel free to fuck the hell off..."
"James, no! You don't understand! Okay, you know what, come on over to my house, its right across yours, like over here...have a Coke and take a load off. Come on! This is my way of apologing for being freaky and shit, okay?"
"Yeah whatever, Derrick. I'm just gonna dump these inside and I'll be right over," James said before entering their new home and calling for his father, who answered back from within the kitchen.
"I saw you talking with a boy out there, new friend hopefully?" Harry asked his son.
"Maybe, his name is Derrick Howser and...I dunno yet. They live right across the street, he invited me over, like right now, can I go?"
"Well if it is just across the street, but please be back before six, okay?"
"Sure, Dad!"
And James was off to Derrick's house, who welcomed him in their home and showed him his room, and around. Both of them, five minutes later, were sitting in Derrick's room, watching TV and sharing a bag of crisps, and glasses of Coke between them.
"So what's the big story, dude? Why did you wanna know my last name so bad?" James asked after he popped another few crisps into his mouth. Derrick suddenly became quiet, before he polished off the rest of his Coke and wiped his crisp covered hands off on his duvet cover. Typical teenager.
"Dude...my dad used to live in this house, ours, this one as a kid. Once me and my friends wanted to go exploring in the house across the street. When my mom told my dad what I was over there, he almost had a heart attack, came over and literally dragged my ass kicking and screaming out of there. I was so embarrased infront of all my friends and shit! I wanted to know what the hell made him do that!"
"Did he ever say why? Wow man, if my dad ever did that..." James asked, shaking his head.
"Come on, your old man must have done some stuff to embarass you!" Derrick said, with a twinkle in his eye. He was already liking a friend his own age around here to talk to. All this school buddies lived at least ten minutes or so away.
"Well...okay...look dude, I'm gay and my dad knows it. So he once tried to set me up with this hot chick to try and change my mind about my feelings for guys. Dude, I really tried...but yeah. I just wasn't intrested and he finally had to accept it. But we're totally cool now," James said, hoping he didn't just distroy would could have become a good friendship.
Derrick's eyes was a little wild to be honest when James told him he was gay.
"Dude...are you for real?" he asked, looking James up and down.
"Should have known this would happen, don't worry, man, I'll just go..."
"Dude wait! Okay, look, I'm NOT GAY or anything, but Im not one of those homophobes either. To me, I just really don't care. Look I prefer girls, but I can't expect you to be into girls if you're not! And so far you haven't come on to me or anything, so I think I might be safe."
"Seriously, you're not much to come on to..." James said with a smile, before getting a punch on his shoulder from Derrick.
"Oh PLEASE pal, you're looking at the number one chick magnet in school! Are you going tomorrow? Then you'll see for yourself!"
Suddenly Derrick looked threatrically over his shoulder if someone could possibely be listening, before he turned his attentions back to James.
"Getting back to your new house, dude, my father was a kid when it happened, man. There was a normal, everyday kinda family living there at the time. Your usual Mom, Dad, and two boys. My dad told me that he was friends with the oldest one of the boys, but that the little one wasn't as irritating as little bro's normally are. Then...suddenly, like from out of NO where...the little boy, I think Dad said his name was Chris Culverwell...yeah...same last name as yours, started to rebel against his parents and against his brother. It was like...what? He JUST CHANGED like THAT! He was only fifteen years old himself, but he started to stay out late, party all the time and even used drugs, and I mean, in the 80's those stuff was like FORBIDDEN. Anyway, the Culverwell family tried everything they could, but this Chris guy was just not listening. When Dad sat me down to tell me the story, he actually said that Chris had changed from a sweet, fifteen year old boy who always offered to help and shit, into this almost zombie like creature, who didn't give a damn about anyone. And suddenly, Chris's brother, called Harry, now he..."
"Dude stop right there...my dad's name is Harry. Harry Culverwell," James said, his hands shaking.
"I TOLD YOU, dude! There's something not right here! Anyway, then HARRY started to change personalities aswell. He used to take Chris to parties, gave him drugs, gave him pills and everything. My dad also said...crazy as it sounds...it was like Harry and Chris Culverwell were suddenly transformed into two new people overnight! That's when I heard your last name was Culverwell, that I freaked out. I always thought Dad had just made up the story to scare me from going in there...but you're saying your dad's name is Harry? The one which my dad told me about?"
"I dunno, Derrick. I need to get home. I gotta ask my father about this," James said before he downed the rest of his Coke and walked over to the front door...but before he exited, he turned back around.
"Who lived in our house before we moved in there yesterday?" he asked Derrick.
"No one, dude! It has been empty ever since I was born!" Derrick answered. And the answer gave James a terrifying thrill over his spine.
"Okay...now I know where "Harry" is, because if this is all true, the Harry you're talking about is my dad...but he has never mentioned anything about having a brother called Chris to me before."
"I'm not surprised, James. My father said Chris just dissapeared one day. Out of no where, never to be seen again! He hasn't been seen since!"
That night after dinner, James got his clothes ready for the following day, his first day at a new school. At least he got to know Derrick before his first day, and he was sure they were going to be great buddies. He knew his dad was still up, so he jogged down to the livingroom...and...RIGHT!! Harry was still watching College Football on ESPN.
"Hey buddy! You gotta get some sleep, man! Tomorrow's like a big day for you," Harry said, running his fingers playfully through James's hair.
"Dad...I really wanna ask you something."
"Shoot, buddy!"
"Did you live in this house a couple of years back?"
Harry, who had just taken a sip of his beer, immediately spurted it out with a lightning force, beer splattering all over the floor and the sofa. But that didn't worry him at all. He had more problems to worry about right now.
"Where...where the hell did you hear that?"
"Derrick, the kid across the street. He told me that you and your brother Chris..."
"James...go to bed. Right now."
"But Dad..."
"Didn't you hear me? I said GO TO BED! NOW!"
A single tear ran down James's cheek as he stood up. He wasn't used to his father screaming to him like this. Angrily he wiped the tear away as more threatened to come forth. Fifteen year old boys DO NOT CRY. On the way to his room, he felt he needed to use the toilet and quickly jogged to the western part of the house, did his business and flushed. On his way back, he recognised the closet door where he found his dad yesterday worrying abut him. But yesterday...there wasn't a humongous lock attached to the handle. What the hell was it with his dad and this closet?
Harry switched off all the lights and made sure that James was doing okay before he made his way to his own room. He didn't mean to scream to James like that, but when he heard all that...he should have known Frederick Howser would jump at the chance of telling his son Derrick everything that was going on, and to make sure Derrick told the same story to James...KNOWING that James would come and ask HIM about it.
Harry sighed. When his parents became too old, they had to sell the house, which Harry really wanted to have, because part of him still believed that Chris was still alive, and that he was in...THAT closet all these years. But he was outbidden for it and thus gave up. But when he heard that the place had been empty for almost fifteen years, he immediately put in an offer and here they were. He also knew fully well why they got this house so cheap. This was the house of the Culverwell's...the family who's son dissapeared so mysteriously, the oldest son refusing to comment about it, using up all their life savings in order to find Chris. Later on people began to say that because of Chris's attitude before he dissapeared, his parents and his brother simply killed him. Harry could never understand why people would think that. He loved Chris with all his heart, and their parents even more.
Harry stood up and walked out of his room, careful not to wake up James. He walked over to the closet that he locked up, bolted, barred, just to be safe. He gently took out a bunch of keys from his pocket and unlocked them, one by one, slowly. The last one snapped open, and after taking a deep breath, Harry opened the closet door.
There is was. Undisturbed for almost fifteen years. He wondered if the previous tennants's had ever discovered it or the power that it possesses. He slowly reached out and touched the large mirror standing so snug in that small space. He closed the door behind him and switched on the light. He started at the mirror for a long time, before he reached over to the glass. Looking into his own reflection standing before him.
His very own reflection...who had once tried to strangle him for survival. He looked deep into the glass of the mirror and opened his mouth:
"I'm coming to get you, Chris. Dead or alive, I'm coming to get you, my brother. I know you're still in there. And I want your own reflection to hear this too...I'm NOT giving up. NEVER! I'll get Chris out of there if its the last thing I'd ever do."
THANKS FOR READING!!!
If you enjoyed it, please let me know at whiteryan65@gmail.com
Or you could follow me @LiciousRyan if you're on Twitter.
MUCH LOVE!!
RYAN WHITE.