Scio and I

Chapter 2

Fear is a funny thing and it can give a person a whole new outlook on life. When I woke up later that night I was hurt. Never in my life have I felt so young and defenseless. All I wanted in the whole world was to leave this God-forsaken room and be back in my own bed.

Depression was the only thing I was left with now after all my adrenaline was washed out of my body. This man's motives of 'rescuing' me seemed kind of off, like they were only the case on a cell phone: The true prize was hidden under it.

Someone had covered me with the blankets again and I was thankful for because it was much cooler now. I laid there, under the covers not thinking of much other than what could happen next. My favorite scenario was having a super hero comic book character swing in through the window and rescue me. Chances of that happening any time soon? Slim to none. I could only rely on myself and possibly, maybe, a change of heart from my kidnapper.

Time passed by and the sky outside the window gradually darkened. I could have stayed like this for quiet a while longer but my stomach was growling profusely. I couldn't ignore it any longer.

Certainly though, I did not want to talk to the man that held me here. I grabbed tight onto the headboard with both hands and began to bang it against the wall. By doing this I hopped to get his attention and to test how thick the walls were. Maybe someone could hear me out if I cried loud enough.

Nothing. I banged harder against the wall and smashed my fingers between the wood and cheap metal several times. I bit my lip and continued on.

Nothing still. I sat up and was about to put my entire body into it when the door flung open. The wanna-be-rock-star-psycho-killer (this was a nickname I created for him in my time of contemplation) entered the room again.

I sat down, wide eyed, and said nothing.

He smiled that sharped-toothed smirk once again laughed, "'Bout time." He said, "Dinner was starting to get cold. You want some grub, right?"

I meagerly nodded. Warmth and the scent of food filled the air when he opened the door. My mouth was watering and I wasn't about to deny something tasty.

"Alright, give me two seconds." He left the room and came back in, what literally, didn't feel like more than two seconds. "Try it."

He set a heavy ceramic plate on the bed filled with meat, gravy, and what I thought were potatoes. A fork and knife were stabbed into the meat awaiting my use.

I could escape right now. All I had to do was pick up that knife and stab him in one fluid motion. Wait, no, I was bound to the bed. Maybe I could swiftly throw it like a dagger, but then I would still be stuck here.

The fork! Could I use it pick the lock of the handcuffs and if that failed then just to break and pry them off. But that would be harder than it sound. If I only injured him I had no idea how long he would be down before he struck back. If I killed him and I couldn't break free then I would be here until I starve to death.

The odds were not in my favor, but those silver utensils never looked so alluring before.

"Well, are you going to try it? It's not every day I get to cook like this." He looked at me with an odd expression as if he was holding back, waiting for my move.

Right. Let's play it cool this time. Once I earned his trust and he gave me more slack I would make my move. I had to study the schedule around here. Get to know the enemy first and learn his weaknesses.

I faked a smile and picked up the fork. It didn't look that bad (I think it was Swiss steak) so I ripped off a really big piece. 'God, I hope this isn't poisoned,' I thought as I took my first bite.

It was bitter and burnt. I spat the chewed up remnants back onto the plate. "This tastes like... crap."

He wasn't surprised at all. "Remember me yet?" He asked, putting his hands in the air around his face.

"Why would crappy cooking make me remember somebody I DO NOT KNOW?" A slight dose of leftover adrenaline sped to my head.

"Because," He moved closer. "I am a crappy cook, thus I cook crappy food. Crappy, right?"

"You are pure crappy-ness Scio." I laughed then stopped. I said the words but I don't know where they came from. They were not mine.

His eyes sparked to life with a fiery color and his jaw hung open in a wide smile. I almost could have sworn the room got warmer like there were sparks filling the air around us.

"Casper! You do remember me!" Scio flung himself onto me and wrapped his arms around my head in a giant bear hug.

Blindly I reached out for the knife. All I could find on short notice was the gravy coated fork but it worked just fine. I violently pressed it his neck, right on the verge of breaking skin.

He coughed once then slowly took himself off of me. Smile now gone, he backed up with my weapon forever pressed into his skin. The whole ordeal was seconds long but it felt longer. Finally he was more than arm's length from me, rendering my fork no longer dangerous.

His face was so hurt, not by a physical wound, but by something deeper. Our eyes made contact and memories came flooding back into me like someone broke the whole damn dam.

This was Scio here and I was hurting him. He is a stranger, why should I care? Each memory hit me like a bullet, changing my mind set.

We were years younger and Scio was putting a bandage onto my knee I got from running away from... somewhere. That wasn't true, I fell while riding my bike and mom put on my band aids. I still had the small scar.

Another came from the back of my mind; I found my way into a sleazy bar when I was fifteen. There was a man trying to feel up and he wouldn't let go of my hand when I told him to. Out of the blue comes Scio and he socks him right in the eye. That never happened, what is wrong with me!

Now we were hiding behind some boxes, watching security guards. It's our time to run but I'm scared. Scio takes my hand and smiles, pulling me along behind him as we ran off into the night. That smile he gave me was the same fanged grin I had seen here. When, where, why was this? I don't remember it right... I can't remember...

I'm too tired too cook, so I let Scio take care of things. He comes back from the kitchen with some monstrosity. I laughed and told him it tasted like crap and that he wasn't allowed to cook anymore.

That was it. The last straw just broke. I thought I was holding up well so far but my brain's my mental walls collapsed under the weight and I too snapped under the pressure.

Fork falling to my plate, I breathed in with short gasps. Hot, salty tears streaked down my face that burned my tongue when they slipped into my mouth. My body shuttered as I cried out the only three words I could create. "Who am I?"

The pain in Scio's eyes grew. The room felt cold now, and I couldn't stop crying. I slumped down and he put a hand on my shoulder.

"Casper..." He said, "Do you want to know?"

I looked up at him, prying my eyes open to see through the down pour of tears.

Scio sat down. "Like I said before, your name is Casper. You and I, we're best friends. More like brother and sister. We always have been."

I sniffed up some snot and wiped away tears with my free hand. "But I even know you. Not really. I think I remember... but I don't..."

"They were wiping your memory." He answered, "I can tell you it all, but it's a long story. Are you ready for it?"

I nodded. It was the only thing I could. Besides, I was still chained to the bed and at his mercy.