Living on the Run

I just hope Liu will be okay..

TOBY'S POV: 

     I did not expect Liu to behave this way. He seemed so shy and quiet, I was shocked to find him literally trying to kill his brother. I mean, I guess we all kill... but to kill one's own sibling... oof that is a bit harsh. 

    I watched as Liu left, my question being ignored as he marched upstairs rapidly. I hoped I did not upset him. I looked down at Jeff, who looked quite as shocked as I was. "Did I do something wrong?" I asked, as I looked around the room for some cloth to act as a tourniquet for my stabbed arm. Just because I couldn't feel pain, did not mean I couldn't die from it. Jeff, noticing what I was looking for, grabbed the pillow case from the bed and tied it around my bloody arm. "Thanks," I muttered, but still looking at Jeff for an answer. 

     Jeff waited for some time, I supposed making sure Liu was gone, as he only opened his mouth to speak the moment we heard the front door slam violently.  Jeff fiddled with his hands, searching for the right words. "Well..." he started, his voice a bit strained from almost being choked to death. "...that is not Liu." 

    "What do you mean?" I was totally lost. "Does he have a twin brother?" 

     "No!" Jeff raised his voice in frustration, but then apologized afterwards. "That is "Liu"," he used quotation marks, "but... it is not Liu." I shook my head, still not understanding. "I don't even know myself!" Jeff yelled, raking his fingers through his ink black hair. I knelt down by my friend, waiting patiently for him to continue. After Jeff caught his breath, he muttered uncomfortably, "...I told you about that... incident... right?" I nodded my head. "Well... obviously I didn't kill Liu... but I think something else happened to him.." 

    "Like possession?" I questioned. 

      Jeff shook his head. "Something that happened more around here," he tapped his head. "I just can't help to think this is all my fault!" Jeff slammed his fists onto his head. He kept doing it, screaming in frustration. I flinched with every scream that flew through Jeff's mouth and with every thud I heard of Jeff's fists colliding with his head; I couldn't help but to think of my "father" when he would abuse me and my family. But I had to make Jeff stop, so I hastily grabbed onto Jeff's hands, preventing him from any damage. I didn't know how to console my friend, so I chose my words very carefully: 

    "Well... it wasn't your fault." Oops, wrong words. 

     "YES IT IS!" My friend shrieked like a banshee. I've never seen Jeff act like this before. He always seemed cool and aloof, like nothing ever bothers him. I guessed wrong. 

     I tried again. "Whatever has happened in the past... has happened." I waited for Jeff's response, but there was none, so I continued. "The only thing you can do now is in the present and future. So don't focus in the then... but in the now. I'm sure everything will be alright in the end." I forced an uncomfortable smile onto my face.

     "Just alright?" Jeff asked skeptically, calm enough now that he is not trying to harm himself anymore. Jeff nodded his head slowly, carefully taking in every word I said. "Well, that would be better than it is now with Sully." 

     "Sully?" I asked, lost. 

      Jeff turned so he was directly facing me. "That was not Liu you were speaking with just now." I could have sworn I was talking to Liu, but Jeff looked at me so seriously I couldn't help but believe him. "That was Sully." 

     I was also trying to take in every word Jeff was speaking. He said Liu was not Liu, but Sully. And something happened that night that affected his head. It did not take me long to figure out what Jeff was implying. "Ohhhhh!" Jeff nodded his head. 

    I've had my own fair share of mental health problems... I think we all did. And sometimes here and there, you learn more about other mental illnesses. I came to the realization that Jeff was implying that Liu was suffering with dissociative identity disorder. But then there was something else that must be asked. "Does Liu know this?" 

     Jeff merely shrugged his shoulders. "It took me some time to realize when I was talking to Liu versus Sully. But every time I noticed it was "Liu" he seemed more lost and confused than ever." 

    "So is that a no?" Jeff shrugged his shoulders. I looked away from Jeff, focusing my attention on the now-bloody tourniquet. "I just hope Liu will be okay soon." 

     Jeff nodded along. "Me too."