Sanity: The Saw Chronicles [C]

Chapter 57 | Reincarnate

Ryan was more than tired. He was worn down. I could see it in his face that he was done with this shit. Can you really blame him? Our lives have been turned upside down. Granted, they never were normal or stress free. They were, however, clear cut. We were murderers turned into government weapons. Now, we're about fifty different things. I couldn't even start to list them.

"Did he remember you?" Ryan asked Vinny as he walked across the room. He wasn't using a cane anymore but he looked like he still needed it. I can imagine that gets old though. He had files in his hand that he set on the silver table between us.

"Kind of. He said he remembers people talking about me but he couldn't remember my face exactly." He replied.

"That's not a big deal. A lot of people who go through what he did, they'll remember names but not faces or visa versa. The important thing is he's remembering you." He said, "I need to talk to Devin alone."

"Yeah, okay." Vinny muttered and walked for the door.

Once he was gone, I turned back to Ryan. He opened one of the folders as he spoke, "Thank you for going to the lengths that you did to help me. What was in these files, they explained a lot but also created a lot of questions." He pointed towards a list on one of the papers, "For an agency all about logic, they seem to have a lot of supernatural records. This is a list of what they believe are the most haunted places in the world. Notice anything?"

I muttered to myself as I read, "South Wales, Cape Town, London, Oslo, Edinburgh..." I slowly stood up, dragging my eyes up to him, "California and Pennsylvania."

"You were born and raised in two of the most supernatural places in America. Even though there haven't been records of anything like you happening there, there have been in other counties." He flipped to a different page, "In 1941 in Germany, nearly twenty Nazi troops were found dead in a small cottage. According to records, only one person lived there, and there wasn't a single bullet wound found. They sent a troop into the woods behind the house to track down whatever had done this. By the time they caught him, he'd killed over fifty soldiers with his bare hands. They locked him up with plans of studying them. He attacked one of the doctors and eventually got away. A body was never found but he was eventually presumed dead."

Ryan flipped over some very graphic pictures of the Nazis attacked. They were an authority, and fuck knows I like to kill cops. It was no surprise that this person, this meta human I presume, would attack them. What I saw in those pictures I've seen on my victims before. I've done these crimes, nearly identical.

"I'm guessing this wasn't an isolated incident." I replied.

"No. In 1898, a murder occurred in a bed and breakfast in England. A prostitute was found with her limps ripped out and she had bruises around her neck, like she'd been choked. The only other case that matched this pattern in over a hundred years was," He sighed as he opened another file, "One of Chris' victims. For every one of your cases, there's another somewhere in history that matches it. The crimes are identical. They've all been ruled supernatural anomalies and none of them were ever caught long enough to study, except one.

In 1977, an agent of the Norwegian Ministry of Defense went rogue. He was assigned to a case in which he had to interrogate a killer, but he ended up falling in love with him. The two planned an escape and they killed over a hundred people in the process. The killer made it out but the agent never did. They put him through insane tests that should've killed someone. They promised him if he cooperated, he'd get to see the love of his life again. Of course he never did, but the torture they put him through is the only data I've got on any form of meta-human."

"And it's proof that if they are real, they gravitate towards each other." I said.

"I believe it's more than just that." He replied, "Not only are they drawn to each other but it's no coincidence that there are cases that mirror yours... ours. Every single one of the people who have committed them are died, or they should be at least."

I stared at him, confused, "What are you implying?"

Ryan sighed, "There's this part of me that wants the world to be logical, but the other side of my brain wants to believe in what I've seen; The spirits, the possessions, the zombies. And I want to believe in what I haven't seen. Things like aliens, yetis, and, well... Reincarnation."

Again, I just stared. He's had some far fetched theories, but to think the evil that resides in my body once belonged to another soul, or even that it's the same soul, isn't a thought I'm a fan of. "Are you trying to say that... I am the reincarnation of a murderer from World War 2 that killed Nazis then just," I wildly gestured out my hand, "Ran off into the woods?"

"...Possibly."

"Well," I replied, "I guess there's only one way to find out. The tests that they ran on the Norweigen fed, can you recreate them?"

"Yes, but if we're wrong, they could easily kill you."

"I've survived a lot of things that should've killed me." I said, "What's a few more cuts and bruises?"

A smile slowly crept onto his face, "You know, sometimes you're a real pain in the ass, but other times I fucking love you."

"That sentence pretty much defines Ricky and I's relationship." I joked, "Can I get back to Mike now?"

He nodded, "Go 'head. It's going to take me a few days to get everything I need. I don't have any help either."

Hesitantly, I softly replied, "Am I allowed to ask about her..?"

"She just doesn't understand." Ryan closed up the files on the table and began to walk back to his desk. "She hasn't seen the things we have. She hasn't done the things we have. She's not jaded, she's not ruined like us. That's not a bad thing, but she doesn't deserve what I'll do to her."

"Some people like to abuse, others like to be abused. I know she gives you Hell but I think she gets off on the drama." I said. He glanced over his shoulder, shooting me a dirty look. I gestured back to the door as I stepped backwards, "Sorry. I'll... Show myself out."

He obviously didn't want to talk about it. I can respect that. Sometimes it's good to get it all out but other times it hurts more to talk about it. Ryan and Reese have had an unsteady relationship just like Ricky and I. They've managed to hide it a little better though. Eventually, you can't maintain secrets like that forever.

Yeah, I realize the irony in me saying that. It's just a matter of time before Kuza realizes the lies I've told him. I want him to stay happy as long as he can. He deserves at least a few days where he's happy. When I got back to the room, Chris wasn't as angry anymore. The nurse was giving him a dose of medication through his IV. From the looks of it, he'd already gotten something else that was zoning him out.

Angelo was at that same breaking point that Ryan was. He was one that wore his heart on his sleeve though, so I could see it much clearer. I leaned over and set my hand on his shoulder. His soulful blue eyes met mine.

"I'm not going to leave this room for the rest of the day. Go take a break, Sweetie. I promise I'll text you if anything happens." I told him.

His eyes were glassy from the emotions welling up inside of him. He sniffled, "Thank you. Will you please move the curtain back so I know you're watching him?"

"Yeah," I stood up and drew it back slowly, "Better?"

"Yeah, thanks." Angelo got up, approaching Chris almost fearfully. With his shaking hand, he placed his palm on the side of his face. Angelo kissed the side of his head, muttering, "I'm going to go get a shower and some food. Devin will be here while I'm gone, though. I promise I'll be back soon. I love you."

The sedatives were kicking in fast. I'm sure Chris heard him but he couldn't muster up a reply. It broke Ange's heart. He'd probably give anything right now just to hear him say "I love you" back. I don't ever want to be in that position with either Kuza or Ricky. I'm not sure how this weird love triangle is going to play out but I know I can't bear to lose either one of them.