CHAPTER 4

Brody looked up from his school book to look at the mirror across from him. 

His closet door stood open, the mirror showing the image of his friend in place of his reflection. He let the book drop into his bag as he turned around to face it.

At first he had paid these changes no mind, but the morning he woke after that party to find his new friend looking like this he had began to really watch him.

His friend had changed over the last few weeks. He now had the same shape as Brody himself. They looked exactly alike, except his skin was dark, the color of charcoal. His skin had started out black, but lightened as the weeks went by. 

His hair was the same length, fell in the same waves to his collar. His eyes were a perfect replica of his own. His smile was still fanged, so that was another difference between them.

Another change in his life was the fact that his father had went missing that night. 

A letter was left behind saying he was unhappy and that he was leaving. His mother hadn't taken it so well, but Brody was relieved. His friend had only smiled when Brody told him the news.

Another change, he found himself actually flirting with girls. He never would have done that before now.

Just two days ago he woke from a nap to find a girl in his bed with no recalculation on how she had gotten there. His eyes had widened in shock as he heard the laughter of his friend in the mirror across the room. The girl had been none other then Haley Howard, the head cheer leader and girlfriend to captain of the football team Chris Anderson.

Brody didn't know what to say to her when she awoke so he only smiled and left the room when she went to get dressed and took a shower. When he had gotten back she was already gone. He had breathed in relief.

He picked up his bag and flashed his friend a big smile who returned it as he watched him leave the room. He headed for his bedroom door and then down the hall, jumping a few steps to the foyer. He didn't want to be late for school.

******************

Whistling that same tune as before, the one he seemed to learn out of the blue, Brody made his way to his locker. The lunch bell had ranged only minutes ago.

Grabbing his lunch bag from the interior of the locker, closing it shut. Turning he walked down the now empty halls, since all the students have made their way to the cafeteria before him. He began to whistle that tune, only to be cut off when a large hand wrapped around his arm. He was yanked to the right roughly, and pulled into a darkened space.

Looking around with wide fearful eyes, he took in the the old empty class room, the blinds having been drawn to block out the light from the wall of windows. The old desk were all piled against the far wall, along with the chairs. He heard the clicking sound of the door closing and then another as it was locked.

Brody spun around quickly, his eyes widening as they landed on the boy who pulled him into the room.

Chris Anderson stood facing him with his back to the doors.

His large frame was stiff with anger as he glared at Brody, his dark eyes speared him in place.

Brody began to shake as he looked around the room, anywhere but at the other boy before him. He noticed that the glass in the doors were also covered, not giving any type of reflection back into the room.

He looked around quickly. There was nothing in which he could call his friend from. No glass, no mirror, nothing. The panic began to set in.

“You slept with Haley.” Chris grounded out between his clenched teeth. The waves of rage was infusing in the air around them both.

Looking at him for a moment he looked at his hands and began to fidget. “Uh... No?”

“Don't lie to me!” he screamed suddenly.

Flinching, Brody took a small step backwards. His eyes looked up and locked on Chris.

“H-how do you know if I did?” he asked, trying to think of anything that he could do to get away.

Chris took a few steps towards him “How do I know?! You text me from her phone with a picture of the two of you in your bed naked!”

Brody eyes widened further. He did what?

He began to shake his head quickly as he backed away from Chris. “I... I”

“When I confronted her, she told me everything. You invited her over, and then you screwed her.” he growled as he reached out to take a hold of Brody's black shirt.

Yanking the boy to him,Chris raised his fist. Brody quickly closed his eyes, preparing for the hit he knew was coming.

Chris had his cell phone clutched in his fist. "Look at it!" he demanded, shoving the phone into Brody's face.

Opening his eyes he looked at the picture before him.

He and Haley lying in bed together. She had obviously fallen asleep, but he was awake, holding the phone up to capture enough of himself and the girl to leave no doubt in his mind what they had been up to. Below the picture was a text gloating and daring Chris to do something about it.

He looked up slowly from the picture to Chris's face.

He couldn't deny it was him, the picture was too damning. There was no way out of this.

Opening his mouth to say something, anything, he choked on his own words.

"Do you want me to take care of this for you?" came the voice of his friend.

"You set me up! You put me here!" he cried frantically in his mind "Why would you do that?!"

He got no response as he watch Chris continue yelling at him, his eyes getting darker and darker by the moment. He couldn't hear what he was saying. No sound reached him over the pounding of his heart.

Getting no answer to his questions Chris hit him hard across the face with his fist, sending the smaller boy to the floor.

Brody groaned in pain as the blood from his lip could be tasted in his mouth.

"I can handle him for you if you like" came the voice of his friend.

"Please, but this will never happen again, right? No more set ups." he answered back as Chris lifted him to his feet.

"No more set ups, it will never happen to you again." replied his friend

Brody nods mentally and quickly retreats into the darkness, allowing his friend to take over.

He promised this would never happen again.

His friend always kept his promises.

*************************

Brody woke.

He blinked his eyes to adjust them to the dark. After a moment he realized that he couldn't see a thing. There was no light, no sounds, no movement of air around him.

He sat up quickly, looking around himself.

Nothing

Just blackness all around him.

He brought hs hand up to his face, touching the tip of his nose, then drew it away from himself slowly.

He saw nothing.

He began to shake. He felt his whole body. Naked skin met the tips of his fingers.Drawing his knees up to his chest he wrapped his arms around himself too afraid to get up and move around, his entire body shook with the force of his fear.

"H-hello?" he called out only to hear nothing but the echo of his voice bouncing back at him.

He dropped his head into his knees. This was a dream.

Yeah, a dream.

He would wake soon enough in his bed, safe at home. He began to rock repeating those things to himself under his breath.

His words and the pounding of his heart were the only sounds vibrating through out the space.

After what seemed forever he lifted his head, his eyes meeting nothing but the darkness from before. Nothing had changed.

He bit his lip to keep from crying even as the sobs rose up in his chest. He began to rock faster, tightening his arms around himself. If this was indeed a dream, then he wanted to wake up now.

Out of the corner of his eye he caught the beginnings of a glow. Turning his head that direction quickly, his eyes widened as the glow began grow into a light.

Getting to his feet he ran towards it with relieved sobs wracking his shoulders. 

He ran as fast as his legs could carry him.

Reaching the light he didn't slow down and slammed into an barrier with much force, sending him backwards onto the cold smooth floor. He shook his head after a moment as a sound filled his ears. At first he thought it was the ringing, then he noticed it sounded too real to be just a ringing in the ears. He slowly sat up facing the light, focusing on it. His eyes almost popped out of head at what he saw on the other side.

There standing in what appeared to be his room was.... him.

He was standing on the other side laughing.

Brody watched himself as he doubled over laughing, his arms around himself. His coal black hair falling in his face. When he opened his eyes and they met his own, they were the exact shade of blue. The laughter died down after a while and turned into chuckles. His head tilted to the side and a large smile split itself across his face.

"Hello there Brody." the him on the other side spoke. His voice sounding just like his own.

Brody got up to his feet and walked to the barrier and pressed his hands against it. "W-what's h-happening?" he asked.

The other him smiled even more, his teeth were now fang-less.

"You helped me out of my prison. Thank you." he said with a chuckle "But you see, in order for me to get out, someone had to take my place."

Shaking his head slowly the tears began to fall down his cheeks. "I.. t-that's not w-what you s-said.."

Nodding his head the other him answered "I know. I just left out a few details."

Brody began to beat on the barrier "Let me out! Let me out!"

The other him shook his head once again, this time a bit sadly "Sorry Brody. It doesn't work that way. You see, once your inside the blackness, your there until another door opens. This one has been closed already. It can't be opened again." he sighed softly "My time is up"

Just as the words left his mouth the light began to fade at the edges slowly.

"There will be another door Brody. You just have to wait. And thank you once again. I'll enjoy the new life of freedom" he gave one final smile before the light vanished

Once again, the totaldarkness engulfed him. The only sound was that of his loud sobs as he slid to the floor, alone and trapped, with no way out.

****************************

Click

Click

Click

The only sound that could be heard through the darkness of the cage.

The rhythm was constant. Never missing a tap on the cold smooth surface of the floor.

Soon the whistle of a unknown tune began to join the sounds of the tapping. It echoed through the still air. Opening its yellow eyes, it frowned a bit. The sound of the tune spiked something inside its mind, but it faded as soon as it came. It closed its eyes once again.

Click

Click

Click

The sound began again.

How long had it been since it arrived there?

How much longer before the promised door would open?

It hadn't always been here. It knew that much. But it couldn't understand how it knew such a thing.

How did it get there if it hadn't always been?

And who promised a door would open?

Sighing, these questions were never answered. How could they, when it remembered nothing but the darkness.

The tapping stopped immediately as a ghost of something was heard in the stillness. Listening intently, its ears straining. The sound came once again, this time a bit louder then the first. Slowly uncoiling itself, it rose to its feet. The light began to show before it, across the black expanse of it prison. The sounds of a choked sob echoing louder then before.

Walking over to the light, it pressed itself against the barrier that separated it from the outside world.

Finally... away out. The door that its friend had promised it so long ago.

And its friend always kept its promises.

The End