The Forest

Chapter 23

My mother twisted her face. She looked sick and the color in her face seemed to wash away into a paleness.

"That can't happen...I don't want to lose him" she says then makes eye contact with me, "I don't want to lose you either"

"That won't happen...this won't happen to another family" Suzanne says, moving away out of the hidden corner she was standing in. My mother shook a little as she probably did not realize she was listening or as close as she was.

"..Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I just couldn't help my curiousity"

"It's okay, I had a feeling someone was watching me" she says with a wince like a memory shot through her head as she said it.

"Caroline should be here soon. Where is...Sammy?" I ask, not really sure whether to address him, that way because as far as I knew, he could be someone or..something else.

"He's outside..in the backyard. He's been out there since I brought him home" she says almost regretfully, having him so close to the mysterious hell.

"When Caroline shows up we need you to get him, and bring him into the living room" I tell my mother.

"What is she going to do to him?" she asked in a worried tone.

"She is a medium. She is going to try to talk to...Jasper. See if she can convince him to leave Sammy's body alone"

"You actually believe she can talk to the dead..?" my mother asked not in a patronizing way but rather a curious way.

"Yes..yes I do" I tell her because, what do I have to lose if I believe? I can't lose anything else, because I've already lost my sanity. I don't think I'll get that back.

"She knew there was something wrong with Jasper years ago, but never helped my family and I. She said she didn't want to be involved. I believe she has contacted with spirits in a way that has haunted her...that's probably why she moved on to be a psychologist. She can still connect with people emotionally without talking to spirits" Suzanne claims to my mother.

"What makes you think she'll show up?" my mother asks with confusion.

"She wouldn't want to make the mistake of not showing up" I say with a threatening tone in my voice.

A few moments later there's the sound of tires rolling against the street coming up the road. I tried to get up to see, struggled, but managed to get to the closest window. It was a car pulling up. It had to be Caroline as we weren't expecting anyone else.

"Mother, go get him" I tell her, gesturing towards the backyard. She leaves quietly, but her face looked like she was screaming on the inside.

Suzanne and I could see Caroline getting out her car, her hands fumbling as her nervousness must be increasing. I tell Suzanne to go get the door, and she opens it. She doesn't say anything to Caroline, just a simple nod as approval for her arrival.

"So glad you could make it" I say to Caroline, holding on to the walls to keep balance.

"Well..I wasn't realy left with many options" she says with a fake smile, "However, I'll be happier when I can get finished, so where is the boy?" she asks impatiently.

My mother shows up with Sammy. His face twitched and a wicked smile creeped across his face. He looked differently, it's like his alternating appearance is a trick of the mind. He purposely goes from happy, energetic child, to threatening, dark demon. Jasper is trying to fight his urges and violent outbursts of behavior so he can portray Sammy as a changing child, going through phases, as he grows. However, he may be finding that his actions only make his intentions more obvious to the eye.

"We can go into the living room now. Get things started.." I say and Suzanne wraps her arm around my shoulder as we all make our way into the room.

The feeling I got all over my body was not a pleasant one. It was errie and I could feel the room spinning.

"Hey Sammy, do you remember me?" Caroline asked Sammy as he sat in a chair pulled in front of the rest of the couches.

He says nothing.

"Sammy...how are you feeling?" Caroline asked, ignoring his previous unacknowledgement of her.

He says nothing. Instead he keeps an intense glare in my direction.

"Sammy? Sammy answer me." Caroline says, but again he says nothing. Caroline seemed to be fustrated. She had something gold around her neck. A chain possibly? She takes it out from underneath the lining of her shirt and Sammy snaps into attention. Dangling at the end of it was a cross. A loud hissing sound escaped his lips at the sight of it. My mother's eyed widened in fear.

"Stop please.." my mother says softly, but Caroline points a finger toward her to be quiet.

She continues dangling the cross in his face. He backs away, sinkening himself into his chair.

"Jasper...I know you're here. I know what you're trying to do..leave Sammy alone" Caroline says, and I feel weak as she adresses him in a different way.

He suddenly stops backing away and he no longer looks afraid. He smiles and laughs so loudly it hurts my ears. Caroline started to back away slowly.

"I'm not Sammy...I'm Jasper" he says gushing, "I have his body somewhere safe, don't worry" he tells us. I felt all the weight of my body drop me to the floor. Jasper wants to take Sammy's life, but he can't do that untill I'm out of the picture. I remember when I thought that I, and my brother and mother, were bait for something terrible in the forest. Now I know, Jasper is using Sammy as bait to me. He is holding Sammy away so that it will destroy me and cause me to do what he wants. He's practically dangling my brother in my face. He's luring me. It's just like Caroline said, he's preserving Sammy's body. He will fully take over my brother once I am dead.

"No!" my mother screams and charges toward Jasper. He grips her wrist and twists into a snap. She screamed in pain. Suzanne is in a trance and can't seem to move.

I try to lift my self on my feet as my mother falls to the floor. Caroline swallows hard, wide eyed. I pull her toward me as she weeps.

"Where is Sammy?" Caroline yells at Jasper. "Where have you put him?"

"Oh no, what fun would it be if I told you?" he says, his voice deepening the more he talks. Then, out of no where, the lights turn off and the room becomes dark. "Time to play hide and go seek Matthew"