Darkening Days

Chapter 14: Freed

Derrick didn't answer. I repeated his name once, twice, three times more, and he still didn't answer. I leaned closer into him, whispered in his ear. Still no answer. I pulled my head back in silent frustration.

As I retreated from him, I noticed something on his chin catch the moonlight and twinkle. Again, I leaned into him.

This must have been what Lance poured into Derrick's mouth. Half-knowing what it might be, I awkwardly sniffed the small stream coming from his lips.

My nose picked up a faint, yet pungent, scent of iron.

Blood.

But why? What would Lance accomplish by giving Derrick blood?

Never mind that now. Derrick's still asleep; I must wake him up.

Giving up on trying to wake him up with words, I nudged him. Again, no response. I nudged him harder.

He's still dead-asleep.

Worry began swirling up inside of me. He better just be a deep sleeper- but what if the blood did something to him? What is it doing to him?

Overwhelmed with anxiety, in one last desperate attempt to wake him up, I slapped him across his face with all the strength that I could muster.

He eyes shot open, and he jerked forward. For a moment his eyes looked wild; but now he re-composed himself, face expressionless.

After coolly looking around himself, but avoiding to look at me, much to my confusion, he burst into laughter, and the wildness returned to his eyes. The way he laughed concerned me. Actually, not only did it concern me, it scared me.

"Derrick?" I said softly, eyes looking him over. "Are you okay?"

He turned his head abruptly towards me. "Okay, honey? Girl, what did you do to me? I feel fucking great!" he said, chuckling wildly.

My mouth gaped open. I could feel my fright showing on my face. "What did they do to you?" I muttered, voice wavering, looking down to avoid his wild eyes.

"'They'? Hey, you mean Lance and the guys? When were they here?" Then, he stopped addressing me and shouted in between chuckles, "Lance, show yourself, man! You got me, man, you got me. You finally did it."

What did he mean by "you got me"?

He wiped the blood from his mouth, and shoved the hand that he used into the air. "F*ck, I feel free! Finally free!" he shouted.

My mind couldn't think for a while as I witnessed him in this crazy state. Then, it hit me.

This must be the 'monster' Derrick. Lance finally brought him out; that's what Derrick- or the monster- meant.

"Stop it, Derrick. Stop it, now", I mumbled, reaching to pull his hand down. "Enough, already!" My voice cracked with fear, and tears pricked at my eyes.

"Why, honey? What are you so upset about? There's no reason why you should be upset." He said, with that strange, frighteningly sincere, tender voice of his returning. He reached his hand out towards me and brushed my face. "Aren't you happy for me? No longer am I a prisoner within my own body. I can't feel anything anymore- none of those silly feelings. Do you know what that means? Now I could be free to do whatever I want. And you know what? Now I could do whatever I want with you. With me, you could enter a whole new world. There's just one thing I gotta do..." he trailed off, withdrew his hand from my face, and stood up. My eyes followed him as he walked away. "Come on, girl, I know what to do", and then added, with a twisted grin, "and I'm sure you know what to do, too."