Chapter 6

We learn more about Liam, and Damien finally is seeing things differently for a change. But Carter isn't. He doesn't believe Damien can change. He is about to do something very drastic.

Liam finally calmed down about an hour later, going from a ridged figure into a relaxed being. He looked up at this woman who comforted him, who chased away the demons from his head... He had no idea who she was, maybe an angel.

“Shhh.. You’re okay now, Liam.... Here...” She gently helped him onto his feet, holding his hands tightly. He gained his balance, though wobbly, with her support. “Liam, do you know who I am?” She cooed softly, looking him into the eyes.. Her eyes were so kind, so gentle.... She had to be an angel coming to help Liam.

“Are you an angel..?” Liam whispered, looking around. Damien didn’t allow the angels to visit Liam. They always told Liam to run away, to get far from home. Damien would get mad if he knew they were here. Damien had to comfort him, not the angels. Her smile slowly lost itself.

“No Liam, I’m Ms. Ferguson... You’re at my home now.. Here, let’s get you a cup of tea hun..” She brought him into the kitchen. Ms. Ferguson sounded very familiar but Liams mind was blocking him from remembering. He wrapped his arms around his body, shaking. He looked around this foreign building with wide eyes. He thought he remembered it... He thought so. But he couldn't.

He sat in a chair as directed by his angel, bringing his knees to his chest to keep the sludge growing on the ground from devouring his feet. He whimpered as it got near Ms. Ferguson, but it was like she had a shield around her. She just had to be an angel!

Another man tall walked in. The sludge went right after him, reaching to his feet before he stepped right on it! Liam gasped and covered his eyes, moving his knees into his chest, putting himself in the tightest ball he could. He whimpered in fear. Yet when no sound of bones breaking came to his ears, he opened his eyes to a weird sight...

That man had banished the dreaded sludge away! He smiled brightly and jumped up, hugging Carter, which his name came back to him.

"You got rid of it!" He said in amazement, gasping. Carter shared a look with his mother, his brows furrowing.

What was going on? Was this what Damien was talking about in the letter? Cater thought to himself.

His mother walked over, gently leading Liam over to the couch. "Honey... Liam...?" She said softly, rubbing his back.

Liam looked at his angel, noticing that she was losing her glow... She changed human. "M-Ms. Ferguson looks like you...." He whispered, staring at her face. Might it have came to him in an appearance he trusted?

"Liam honey? It's me, Ms. Ferguson... Are you alright?" As she said this, Liam came back to reality. He just had an episode. Right in front of these strangers. He felt his cheeks burn from embarrassment.

"Yeah... I'm fine... It... It was just.." Liam felt the pricks of tears in his eyes, he sucked his breath in deeply. He didn’t want them to see it, he doesn’t want anyone to see him when he was out of his mind. Anyone but Damien. because Damien turns back to his old self, holding him tightly in his arms, becoming his angel...

But these people weren’t him. He looked up, meeting his eyes to those of a worried Carter. Liam smiled slightly, thought it wasn’t from happiness. He knew what Carter was thinking. ‘Why did I save this psycho?’ ‘What the hell is wrong with him?’

“What is it honey? You can tell me, so I can help you..” Ms. Ferguson said with her cooing voice, rubbing Liam’s back gently still. He looked up at her, tears pooling in his eyes. He couldn't tell her. If he did, he would be out on the street in a heart beat..

But wasn’t that what he wanted? To be out there with Damien again? No, not really. He didn’t say he would change. He didn’t answer at all. He just hung up. That was both a positive sign and a negative sign. He didn’t deny it, but he didn’t apologize. Liam looked up at Ms. Ferguson, then at Carter’s judging stare, and shook his head weakly.

Ms ferguson gave Cater on the the dirtiest stares he has seen a woman make at someone. Carter put his hands up and left the room. “You can tell me. It’s just you and me now sweetheart..” She spoke softly, smoothing the hair out of his face.

Liam’s shoulders shaked weakly from his sobs. “I..I..I’m not right......” Liam whispered, a shaking hand pointing at his head. Ms. Ferguson understood fully, still rubbing his hair back in a comforting way. Liam couldn’t say anything else, he couldn’t dare say the word. He wasn’t mentally healthy, a life of abuse and drugs has changed his head for the worse.

“Shh... It’s okay hun... We can help you, you don’t have to be afraid... You apart of the family now honey, you don’t have the be afraid, we aren’t going to kick you out... we will help you to all we can...” She said softly, looking at him. She knew he needed more help than she could give, but she would try her hardest. She sat down, bringing his light self onto her lap, holding him in her arms. She was like a son to her already.

He felt eyes on him, he looked up and saw Damien move from the window. A soft whimper escaped his lips as he hung onto Ms. Ferguson tightly, who was looking at him fully. Liam felt that feeling of longing, yet it was mixed with one of disappointment. She looked at the window and back at him, confused.

"Was he here honey?" She said softly, her mind moving slowly on a way to handle this. Liams nod made her think harder. How could she set it up so that Damien and him could met face to face and no one be in danger? She wanted Liam to be able to talk in a civil manner to Damien. But Damien was dangerous, the only ways she thinking could lead to him hurting Liam...

She held him for a while, before her husband walked into the house with Ethan, their shoes dirty and their bellies hungry. Normally by now, food would be on the table already for them. When they saw their wife and mother holding Liam they knew something happened.

"What happened? Did he get in again?" Mr. Ferguson asked softly, gently rubbing his wife's back. She looked up and shook her head.

"Here Liam, let's get you back to bed..." She gave her husband the look of 'ask later'. She helped Liam up, leading him towards the bedroom. Carter looked at his father and his brother, sitting them down.

“I know what he was talking about now.” He said softly, looking at his family. He had finally connected the few parts of his working brain together and decided that’s what the note had warned about. Liam was crazy! Carter didn’t mind, nothing couldn’t be solved with today’s medical sciences, at least to his belief, But he did know he wouldn’t get he help needed if he went back there. It was another way of trying to convince him against Damien.

His mother though, was being tricky. She had gotten Liam into bed, gotten him all comfortable, and picked up the phone. Not only was she being sneaky, she was being selective on what she was going to do.

She handed Liam the phone. “I want you to call Damien. I Want you to tell him again how you feel. But don’t tell this to my husband or Carter. But don’t submit. Don’t let him get to you.... Alright?” Liam watched, amazed, that this woman was going against the wishes of her husband, her son, her family, for him- a stranger. She wanted him to do what’s best for him. She really was like a mother to him. He got to his feet and he hugged her- sincerely. Something he hasn’t done is such a long time.

“It’ll be okay hun.... I want what’s best for you.. Now, I’ll be outside distracting the folk, you need anything you yell and I’ll fight ‘em off and come right up.” She said, though she felt her eyes welled with tears. In this short day, she has gotten really attached to Liam. Maybe it was the way he looked at her, with such need, such loneliness... Maybe it reminded her of their lost child.

Ms. Ferguson had 6 children, though they never talk about the other one. The other one being her oldest daughter- Who had died from domestic violence. She had lived in silence, afraid to tell anyone, until one day he(her boyfriend) came at her with a knife. Ms. Ferguson didn’t help soon enough and it costed her her daughters life. She wanted to help Liam like she couldn’t help her own blood.

She left the room, going to distract Carter and the others with both food and things to do. She also lied to them about saying that Liam was resting, tired from his little episode he had, and to just leave him alone otherwise they’d really have something coming at them.

Liam took a seat on the edge of his bed. He stared at the phone in his hand. He took a breath, before dialing it. He waited anxiously, holding his breath. His hands shook from both the fear and anticipation of hearing from Damien again.

Damien was doing the same. He was staying in the neighbors field, hidden behind a old barn of previous centuries. No one had been near him here. He had been in his car, eating a powerbar he had gotten while on the road trip here. He stared at the phone, recognizing it as the hick’s number.

But what was it doing calling him?

He let it ring once....twice...three times before he picked it up. He would know if they were tracking him, but they already know where he’s at. Plus they aren’t that advance. Damien laughed at himself for even thinking it was a threat.

“Damien....” He heard the breathless whisper of Liam on the other end. He smiled, though his heart sped up anyway.

He still wasn’t sure what to say. the last time he talked to Liam, Liam had a backbone! He told him just what he wanted-and didn’t want. That made him very unsure on how to react.... He never really thought of it as abuse, he always talk it as establishing dominance, not senseless beatings. He took a sharp breath, letting it out on the phone. Liam called him...That’s all he really needed to know Liam was still his.

“Liam...” He answered, feeling as if this was his first few years with Liam. Feeling anxious and excited hearing Liam’s voice, to hear his soft edge, to feel his soft skin... It all seemed to change from then. It got less exciting... He got less anxious.. The sound of his voice no longer made his heart speed up. The sounds of his cries in pains, the sense of fear rolling off of him, that made his breath hitch, his blood pump...

But when and why did it change? Damien listened close.. He could hear Liam whimper weakly.. He was going to threaten him. To warn him about his previous claim, to tell him he was too late and things were going to happen yet.. He couldn’t. He just wanted to see him again.

“Damien... I love you,” Liam said softly, his voice sounding heavy. “But I can’t come back. If I come back you’re going to hurt me...” His voice was getting higher, he sounded choked up. Damien felt that common anger come back. Not come back? What was he talking about!

“Liam-” Damien started before he was interrupted with a loud whimper on the other side. He knew it very well. It was Liam, he was afraid, he was seeing things again. This has been a common thing to Damien ever since he got Liam entirely off of drugs. Liam had started the drugs in the first place to help with the hallucinations and confusion. He learned how to deal with them, for Liam’s chance of getting hooked on the meds was too large. Now he was able to take medications to suppress these things, it was evident that they weren’t with him. The butcher didn’t even take time to find any medications

“Shhh..it’s okay Liam,” Damien said, his voice very calming, very relaxed. “It’s okay.. Close your eyes... think of the puppy. Remember him? With his long hair, his yellow eyes... Remember how he can get away all of the monsters?” Damien spoke of Liam’s childhood dog, who always had helped him when these complications before he knew what they were. Liam, though not mentally stable, just needed someone to be with him if he did experience these random appearances of monsters.

“D-Damien...” He whispered, sounding helpless, sounding needy. That might be where it came from. Whenever Liam had one of his ‘episodes’ he would cling to Damien, always calling out for his help. He was so helpless then... Though Liam doesn’t remember it, Damien took advantage of this once. He did have sex with him while he wasn’t mentally capitable.

The memory made Damien’s stomach turn. Looking back on it, it was horrible. He admits that was wrong. He admits most of the things he did was wrong, looking back at it with this mindset...

“Ahh!” He heard Liam cry out, before he knew it his car was driving down the small gravel road to ‘his’ parking space- which was one that was well hidden from the road view. He parked it there and ran over, opening the window and jumping in. He hardly took notice of anything around him. the only thing of importance was Liam.

Liam was sitting in the middle of the bed, clutching the phone tightly in one hand, holding that blanket very tightly in the other. Damien walked over, pulling the blanket down. Liam looked up with wet eyes, silently pleading for help. Damien got into bed with him, picking him up and sitting him on his lap. He knew this would be the only way to help Liam.. He felt his love come back out from the cold shell in which it was waiting.

Ms. Ferguson was walking towards the door, hearing sounds inside. She bent down and looked through the keyhole- she saw a kindly sight. He was holding Liam, not hurting. She smiled as she turns to walk back down the hallway towards the kitchen- only to run straight into Carter.

"Oh, Hey Carter!" She said, feeling her heart rate pick up. Shee knew there was no way that Carter could get near that door. He would hear what was going on- or worse, open it up and see him there. He would go berserk. She filled herself up in the hallway as much as she could, to not allow him to walk around her.

“Hey mom, I was just going to see Liam.” Carter said, looking at her confused. He was wondering what she was up too, smiling when she was walking down the hall. Now she was blocking it? What was going on?

“Oh, no, he’s sleeping, leave him alone.” She said right out, giving him her mom stare. This was nothing like her. She even had suggested not to leave him alone- now she was keeping him away?

“What’s going on mom?” Carter said seriously, meeting his blue eyes to his mothers. She just stared back, taking a second to answer.

“Nothing. He needs to sleep. So leave him alone.” She said, putting her hand so into his chest and pushing backwards. “Come on, keep moving.” She ordered, using force to keep him back. When they made it to the end of the hall, her husband stared at her confused. What was she doing?

Carter looked back at him, with the same look on his face. “Dear, what is going on?” He walked over, taking her wrist gently to stop her. She puffed up her chest, her head up.

“Nothing. Sit back down and take Carter with-” She couldn’t finish for Carter had pushed passed her, running towards the room. She was hiding something! He pushed opened the door and gasped.

Nothing. Nothing was there. Just Liam sleeping, his hair spread out on his pillow. He looked very peaceful like this... Carter walked in, looking behind at his parents who were standing in the doorway.

“What was all that about?” Mr. Ferguson looked at his wife. She just shrugged.

“He’s a tired boy, we could be disturbing him...” Carter was looking around the room for any sign of things out of place... He noticed only one thing. There was a bottle of medications on the bedside table, right near Liam. He walked over, picking it up- it was Liam’s prescription.

Carter’s eyes went wide. How did that get there? Carter hadn’t grabbed anything like this form the house. What did his mother do?

His mother avoided all eye contact, from her husband and her son. What she had done was risky but it worked. It was obvious who Liam loved and who could help him.. He even had brought those pills to help Liam. Did Carter? No, he didn’t. He kidnapped this young boy.

“Mom...” Carter said, walking over. “What did you do?” He put the bottle of pills into her hand.

“I did what I had to do. It’s what was best. I’m sorry, Carter. I know you like him but you can’t change his heart.”  The words stung like a bee sting, a slap in the face, a stab in the heart. His mother betrayed him. She had let that monster see him again. Even after what he did to Liam! How could she? Carter not only felt betrayed, but heart broken. He had felt something for Liam. He really did. But now he was mad.

“Mom, how could you let that MONSTER in here?! You’ve seen what he did to him! You let that happen and now he might want to go back to him!” Carter shouted, right at his mom. His mom, who was not use to such verbal abuse from her son, was taken back for a moment.

“Carter, if he changes, and Liam still loves him, there is nothing we can do. Do you understand me boy? Carter?” She called after him as he went back into the room. He glared outside of the window, peering around for any movement. If he did see him, would go out and try to murder him. He was seeing red.

He grabbed the bag he originally packed for Liam, throwing the old clothes out and running upstairs, ignoring the calls of his mother, to pack the bag full of his own clothes. He made sure to pack necessaries, and that little bottle of pills. He wasn’t exactly sure what he was going to do, but it wasn’t going to be to his mother wishes.

He set the bag down out of easy view from the door and walked down. His mother still stood, arms crossed over chest, looking pissed. “Carter Ferguson, explain yourself!”

“Mom, just leave me alone.” Carter said, giving his beloved mother a cold shoulder. He walked into the room, taking a spot next to Liam. Liam was still happily asleep, thinking that it was Damien next to him. Carter was going to do anything in his abilities to get Liam to see the evil of Damien’s ways. He already kidnapped him, tried to talk to him... Now he was going to do more. Anything. He needed Liam to understand, to see that himself was a lot better for him then that monster. But in the process, was he going to make himself a monster?