The Identity Crisis

Raymond

Chapter 8

The woman was right. Raymond does find you. My eyes wander to my left. The dark room is full of clutter and discarded items, piled up in heaps and stacks. Everything from old newspapers to the shredded remains of an entire couch. I tug on the ropes that bind my wrists behind my back. I pull myself forward, standing up from the floor.

I tiptoe around on the creaky and unstable floor below me, squinting in the dark. My eyes scan around the room, looking for something to sever my bonds. The door to my right flies open. I stumble backward, sinking to the floor as light floods the room.

"Hah. Did I scare you?" The man steps over to me. I bite my lip, looking up at him. "Well, that's alright. I apologize." The man offers his hand. I raise an eyebrow. The man laughs again. "Ah, clever. Real clever this one is. Now, whatcha doing all the way over here in The Sunken?" The man crosses his arms.

"I'm looking for my brother. He disappeared and I was told you could find him." I explain. The man rolls his eyes.

"Well, I do know where he is."

"Really? Where?"

"I won't tell you," he turns his back to me.

"Why not?"

"Because. If I do, I-"

"You're going to have to kill me?" I ask. He peers over his shoulder.

"That's right," he shrugs.

"Please. Raymond, I need to find him." I bite my lip. He turns around.

"Why?" He asks. I think for a moment.

"Because I need him..."

"You need him? For what?" He folds his arms.

"Because I love him," I take a breath. He pulls something from his pocket. My pen.

"Erica, you and I both know that's not true." He stares down at me. I tear my glance away from his. "You need him because you want to turn him in. I've seen these pens before many times. Something so innocent and simple. Is actually a weapon of mass destruction." Raymond slips the pen back into his pocket.

"Ok. Fine." I shake my head. We are silent.

"I'll make you a deal. Erica. I'll take you to your brother. But. You won't get your pen back."

"What?! But-"

"You'll get to see him again. But you'll have to stay. Or. I can give it back and you can leave."

I pause. Raymond looks down at me.

"I'll never be able to see my parents again. My friends." I shake my head.

"Do you think they love you?" Raymond asks. I look back up at him.

"Of course they do I-"

"Do they? Erica. Are you certain that everyone back in the city, that you know loves you?"

I bite my lip, tearing my gaze from his. "Let me take you to your brother, then we'll talk about love."

The car rides down the pothole-ridden street. The leather seats are a far cry from intact. The windows of the car are fogged up with dirt. Raymond looks at me in the backseat through the cracked rear view mirror. "You mind if I light one up?" He asks. I look back up at him.

"What?"

"You know, light one up." He shrugs.

"Light what up?" I shake my head.

"Oh god, you city kids are ridiculous." He grumbles, reaching into his pocket. He pulls a box of cigarettes from his pocket and takes one out of the box. "You ever seen a cigarette before?"

"N-no... They're illegal in the city at least." I look down at my hands.

"Yeah. For good reason." He pulls a lighter from his other pocket.

"You smoke?" I ask.

"What? Where would you get an idea like that from?" He chuckles, putting the cigarette in his mouth and lighting it. Smoke begins to fill the car and I feel my eyes water. I let out a cough, waving the smoke away from my eyes. Raymond rolls down the window to my right. I look out the window. The houses around us are getting farther and farther apart.

"Where are we going?" I ask.

"You'll find out," Raymond shrugs. I sigh, sliding down in my seat. Hours go by, dusk setting upon the sky. My eyes are becoming heavy. I lean back against the headrest and begin to doze. The nap is dragged out into sleep, dreams fading in and out of my swimming mind. I feel a tap on my shoulder. My eyes fly open and I sit up. Raymond is to my right, standing outside the car. "Come on kid, we're here."

I pull my seatbelt off and get out of the car. The sunlight is gone and it is now drizzling. I squint into the darkness that obscures my vision. The building is big, bigger than any office building in the city. An old school. Raymond starts off into the dark. I follow after him as he pulls a flashlight from his pocket. He appears to have everything in his pockets. Raymond steps up to the main doors of the school and turns on the flashlight. He steps to the side and punches a code into the keypad. The door unlocks and he pulls it open. I start to enter but he starts in, blocking my path.

"Hey, rude!" I step back.

"What? I'm not gonna hold the door for you just because you're a girl." Raymond scoffs.

"I'm just saying it's not polite," I shake my head, walking into the school. The main area is bare of people. I stop in my tracks.

"Wait... where's Bryan?" I ask.

"Everyone's upstairs," Raymond shrugs.

"Everyone? Who's everyone?" I bite my lip. Raymond starts through the hall.

"Stop being impatient," he shakes his head.

"I'm not being impatient..." I grumble. Raymond leads me up to a staircase. We start upward, noise echoes above us. Raymond reaches the top of the staircase and pushes open the door. Sound floods my ears and light nearly blinds my eyes. People mill about, some noticing me, some not. Raymond motions for me to follow him, and we start through the crowd. Raymond weaves in and out of people with ease. I begin to notice people who look out of place. Meaning everyone. A man passes me that is three heads taller than me. He has two complete sleeves of tattoos and wears a sleeveless shirt. Another girl passes has a pierced lip, eyebrow and nose. I start to feel uneasy. I catch up to Raymond as I quickly realize where we are. Two older teens walk towards me. Both laugh and whisper as they approach. The two men clasp hands with each other. I stop in my tracks, my eyes widening. I feel a wave of nausea rise up in my throat. Raymond grabs my shoulder and pulls me forward.

"Come on, you've got a lot to learn kid," Raymond whispers, pulling me down the hall. He pokes his head into one of the open rooms and stops. "He's in here," Raymond pulls me to the side of the hall. I bite my lip.

"Ok," I mumble. Raymond nods then opens the door behind him. The room is completely bare except for a few chairs. People sit at leisure, around a girl that strums on a guitar. Eyes turn to me as the door squeaks open. I scan the room. A rush of relief that is indescribable floods my veins. Bryan stands up from the crowd.

He stands there for a moment, then approaches. Nothing else matters at the moment. We wrap each other in an embrace. A laugh escapes my lips as he pulls back.

"What the hell are you doing here? Erica I-" Bryan shakes his head, grinning and laughing.

"Long story," I giggle. I look over Bryan's shoulder. The people sitting down are staring right at me.

"She's Erica?" One of the boys asks. He stands up and starts towards us.

"Yeah. She's my sister." Bryan shrugs. The man approaches, eyeing me suspiciously.
"Well then. That's a problem. A big one."

My ears ring and my vision goes dark.

Author's Note: Two parts in one day? You're welcome.