The Forest

Chapter 22

I watch as Suzanne walks to the front entrance and opens the door to step outside. As I try to get up my mother walks into the room with a strange look on her face.

"Sheriff just called..I mentioned Caroline and he said that he's been looking for you and he never called her"

My stomach dropped. I thought that this would happen, but I hoped it would've waited untill later. Why does she care? Why can't she just shrug it off like she does everything else? I know my mother though, with Sammy she's willing to sympathize, understand, or consoul - but me, she's going to argue, denie, or fight.

"Mother I can explain, that's if you're actually willing to listen"

She gives me a skeptical look, "What's going on?"

"You need to know and face the truth, now is that time."

"Matthew, is that girl really Caroline's assistant?"

"No. No, she's not" I continue, "She's a friend"

"Where did you go? Why did you sneak away?" she commands out of me.

"These are lot of questions from a person who very well wasn't concerned about how I was feeling for a past few months - wait no, since we've moved to this house. You hardly ever express any concern for me and now you demand these answers from me? What do I owe you? I've been trying to get you to help me and you haven't done a thing but tell me I'm insane!"

"Matthew, I am your mother. I have concerns about you everyday. That is why I never feed into your assumptions - what kind of mother would I be if I let you walk around with these crazy thoughts? They just fuel that fire in your head. You walk around and think that the only person who has clear direction is you...just like your father"

I felt my face burn with an intensity that I hadn't felt before, "Don't you ever compare me to him! You don't know anything! I am nothing like him!" I push all force to make myself stand up, but the rush of pain through my foot causes me to fall back down on the staircase.

"How could you say that?" I yell at her, wincing alittle from the pain, "How can you say that to me? You know how I feel about him? Why?" I felt so betrayed and hurt.

"Matthew, I'm sorry."

"What?" I ask and I stare at her in disbelief.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to.." she starts to say and I see tears whell up in her eyes. I didn't want to feel any sympathy towards her, not after what she said, but for some reason I wanted to listen to what she had to say.

"I ..didn't mean to say that. I don't think you're your father. Not even close"

"So, why'd you say that? Why are you angry with me? I know why I'm upset with you, but I don't understand your reasons" I tell her

"I get so angry...I get so mad and in denial..because you're right"

I played her words back in my head again, but they didn't make any sense. I was right..I knew that I was, but none of this adds up.

"You are right. I knew something was wrong with Sammy after we moved here. I over heard your conversation with Sammy...about Jasper. I know who Suzanne is...I know why you're talking to her. I knew that Caroline was acting strange after she talked to Sammy, but I ignored it. Unexplainable things have happened since we've moved here. I kept feeling like someone was watching and following me. I have seen things that I don't understand. I have heard things that I don't think are safe to repeat" she continues in almost a whisper like tone, "Matthew I don't know for sure what's happening. However, I do know that something isn't right and it's been this way for a long time. I just couldn't come to terms with it."

She says with a sort of sad laugh, "We are all alone out here. We have no one. This house was the only one I could afford. There's no where to run. I can't find us somewhere to go." she pants in a panic, " I didn't want to believe you because I am your mother, and from this..I don't think I can save you..or Sammy. I didn't want to speak on the reality that these horrible things that are believed to be happening to us are something that I can not control. Plus, I feel as if it is too late now..if we leave I am certain this dark cloud will follow us"

I was sweating and I didn't know why. Was I nervous? The pain my mother was feeling made me feel so many emotions at once. I felt as if this game of who was right and who was wrong didn't exist. It was just there to fill a whole of misery. I didn't believe at first, but all of her words seemed to capture me like a net. She knew, but she was too ashamed to tell me.

"I-" before I could finish my statement, I see Suzanne watching from the corner of the kitchen. She was there the whole time. I don't say anything to her, I could almost see her eyes spinning in circles at the information she had just heard.

"Mother, it's okay. I understand...but I'm not too shy on the miseries of life, so this type of pain I'm used to feeling. Nothing can hide it or cover it. It remains in our laps untill we figure out how to get rid of it" I tell her as she wipes tears from her eyes. "That's why Suzanne is here and that's why Caroline is coming"

"Wait. What is going to happen?" she asks with pure worry.

"We believe that Sammy, as I have said, is not really Sammy. We have come to the conclusion that he is being portrayed by an evil spirit" I whisper to her and I know she is hesitant in believing in such things.

"Jasper?" she asks

"Yes. He wants to take Sammy's life away. Jasper was Suzanne's brother" and as I am telling her this her eyes change from being widened to disbelief and being squinted in confusion. I tell her all that I know and believe to be true. That Jasper was trying to kill me and he wanted to be human again in his own home. He wanted his life back. In a way as I tell her, I wonder why he didn't pick me...why he didn't want my body instead. Then I conclude that I fight. I do not easily give up, Sammy was defenseless. Sammy was full of curiousity. Picking him was like picking your favorite toy out of a toy store. There are other options, but only one feels right.

"So what is Caoline going to do?" she asks, her face sort of twitching.

"She can talk to the dead. Suzannne and I think she can get rid of Jasper before it's too late for Sammy"

"...What if this is all true..?" she says, but I think she was speaking to herself. Almost like she was going insane. "What if she can't help him?"

"Then we lose Sammy forever"