How far would you go? (Currently Editing)

Luke

'Hey Mate,' said Luke, quickly answering the call. He had not expected to sound this excited, but the exhilaration of breaking free from his internal prison had giving him a buzz. He had won, and Luke was enjoying the moment. He had grabbed the phone, and seeing it was Russell, excitedly answered. Before Russell could interrupt, Luke was blabbing away.
'Russell. You've got to help me. I'm at Louise's apartment, and Sam has locked Louise away. Russell, please I need your help.'
Luke's voice was raspy and breathless, like he had just been on a long run. Luke paused for breath and started to speak. Russell spoke first.
'Don't ever call me mate.'
Luke was momentarily taken back, startled by Russell's hostility. Neither spoke. Luke sensed the reason for the unfriendliness.
'Russell, I'm sorry. It wasn't me. You have to understand,' said Luke, finally breaking the silence. He sounded desperate and distressed. 'You know I would never hurt anyone.'
Luke wanted to say more but could not bring himself to say Debbie's name.
'It was you, all of it, and you to have answer for everything you did.'
'I will. I will. But you must help Louise. She's in danger.'
More silence.
'I'm coming over to help Louise and then you and I need to have a little chat.'
'I wish I could fix this. I'm sorry Russell. But it was all Sam. I can't control him. You have to understand.'
'I don't care what you call him. Sam, Bob. You could call him Adolf for all I care. It was all you!'

There was suddenly a loud bang on the spare bedroom door. Louise. She was pounding hard against the wooden door.
'Help! Help!' she screamed.
She had heard the conversation and assumed someone was here.
'Please, help me!'
Russell heard her cries for help.
'Why can't you unlock the door? Where is the key?' he asked.
Luke searched his pockets, digging his hands deep into the holes.
'I don't know. Sam has hidden it and I didn't notice where.'
'What do you mean, you are the same person!'
'No! No we're not. I'm not a killer. I would never hurt anyone,' Luke pleaded. His voice rose in pitch as he tried to convince Russell that he would never hurt those he cared about. Louise heard Luke's desperate attempts.
'Luke! Luke. Is that you.' She pounded harder against the locked door.
'Go help her Luke. Prove you are not a killer,' said Russell mockingly. 'I'll be there in ten minutes.'

Luke rushed toward the locked door and tugged rapidly at the handle. It swung downward yet the door remained shut. Where had Sam hidden the key? Russell was right. Luke should have known. He should have remembered where Sam had hidden the key.
'Louise. I'm sorry,' shouted Luke.
'Luke! Luke! Where's the key?'
'I don't know. I don't know.' Luke sounded desperate, like a lost child anxious to find its parents.
'Luke. You must remember. Please remember,' called Louise from behind the door.
Luke could not remember. He searched through his memory, digging around his thoughts, looking for the answer, but it was not there. He was being blocked out and Sam was clouding his memories, hiding it away.

Luke frantically rummaged through the kitchen drawers, pulling utensils out and searching for the missing key. It had to be here somewhere. Luke had been concentrating, trying to break free from his subconscious that he failed to notice what Sam was doing, and because of his selfishness, Louise was in danger. That is all he had been focusing on, when he should have been thinking how to save Louise. Now, Russell was on his way over to have a chat, yet Luke knew that Russell was not a calm and rational man. Russell's version of a chat would be to beat Luke to a pulp. Sam had other plans. Luke had seen some of them and knew how much Sam wanted to kill Russell. Rage, along with anger, filled his head. These were Sam's thoughts and Luke had managed to counteract them by pulling his own memories to the front. He thought about the happy times he and Jessica had spent, the times they had laughed together. The only problem Luke had, he could not let go of what Jessica had done, and Sam latched on to that, allowing the bitterness Luke felt to fuel his own rage. Luke could barely hang on. Every step he took, he could feel Sam lurking in the depth of his mind. Now Sam was laughing. Laughing at Luke as he desperately tried to find the hidden key.
'Where did you put it?' asked Luke in a rage. He pulled other drawer open and searched through its contents.
Sam was one step closer to being free.
'Just let her go! What good is she to you?' No answer. Sam just laughed.
'Why are you doing this? It has to stop.' Luke sounded desperate as he continued his futile search.

Louise called out; her voice muffled from behind the door.
'Luke! Luke. Have you found the key.'
In frustration, Luke let out a sigh and replied. 'No. I can't find it. I'm going to smash the door down.'
'What?'
'Stand back. I'm going to break the door down.'
'With what?' asked Louise.
'My foot. I'm going to break the door down by kicking it.'
'Luke. This is a solid oak door. You'll never break it.'
Sam laughed. His evil snigger reverberating round Luke's head.
'Go away!' ordered Luke. Sam just laughed even louder.
What are you going to do Luke? Where's the Key? Louise is mine and there is nothing you can do about it.
'No! No! Stop it,' yelled Luke. He grabbed his head, willing the thoughts to go away.
'Are you ok?' asked Louise. 'It's Sam. Is he back?'
'I can't hold him much longer. I'm sorry Louise. I don't know what to do.'
'You have to try,' pleaded Louise. 'Find that key.'
'I can't. I can't.' Luke's voice trailed off and he gently rested his head against the solid door. He was slipping away. All he could think about was death. Images of hurting Louise flashed into his mind like a bad dream, and he visualised Russell lying dead across the hallway rug. Sam was consuming his every thoughts and Luke was struggling to fight it.
'Fight it, Luke. You have to fight it,' encouraged Louise. She sounded anxious but kept her voice calm and steady. She was starting to think like a doctor and had to keep Luke focused.
'Take a deep breath. In and out. Come on Luke. Let me hear you breathe.'
Luke stared at the door, and stood upright, inhaling deeply and then exhaling. He let out a sigh as he exhaled. It was not working. In his head, he had his hand wrapped tightly around Louise's throat.
'It's not working. I can't hold on,' complained Luke.
Sam was one step closer to freedom, and he was laughing, taunting Luke for being weak.
'No! Go away.'
'Luke. Focus on my voice. Breath with me. In and out. Come on. In and Out.'
Luke listened to Louise's soft voice. How was she staying calm, locked away in her own bedroom? In and out. Luke copied Louise's instructions. In and out. It was working. Luke was starting to feel calmer. He felt more in control, and pushed Sam back ignoring his dark thoughts.
'It's working,' said Luke, sounding excited.
'Good. Well done. Keep going. Listen to me. Focus on me. Don't stop Luke, you can do this.'
Luke took a deep breathe, and then focused on Louise. She was trapped in the room and Sam was waiting to kill her. The moment was gone, and Luke pounded his fist on the door.
'I'm sorry Louise. Whatever I do I can't stop thinking about Sam. He is going to hurt you. He wants to hurt Russell, and I don't know how to stop him.'
'It's ok Luke. Forget Sam. You can find the key. You just need to relax and focus. You know where he hid it. You just need to remember.'
How was Louise staying calm? Luke was a mess and he felt like he was losing his mind. Torn between two worlds. Good versus evil, and Luke was losing. He knew how to end this, but he had to help Louise.

Luke smiled when a thought popped into his head. Russell. Luke rushed to the kitchen. Russell could save Louise and Luke could stop this madness now.
'I'm sorry, Louise. Please forgive me.'
'What are you talking about,' shouted Louise through the thick door. 'Luke! What's going?'
Luke knew what he had to do. Russell could smash the door down. Russell could call the fire department, and Luke could stop Sam from hurting anyone.
'Luke! Are you still there?' Louise knocked on the door, hoping to get Luke's attention.
'Luke! Where are you?'
Silence.
'Luke!'
'Luke!'
Silence.

Luke was in the kitchen holding a large kitchen knife. His hand was shaking, and he tried to steady his nerves. If Luke died, Sam would die, and could no longer hurt anyone. It was the only way. Deep inside, Luke knew he lacked the courage to kill himself, but he had to do it. He mustered up every piece of boldness he had left and steadied his hand. He could do it. He could end this now.
'Luke! Talk to me.'
Do it Luke. Plunge the knife into your chest. You haven't got the nerve. You're weak. You're a coward. You let Jessica get away with cheating on you. She was going to have Alan's baby and pretend it was yours. What kind of person does that? Go on Luke. Push the knife in.

Luke let out a loud roar, and the apartment was suddenly filled with his scream. Louise called out, shouting Luke's name over and over, but was met with silence.
'Luke, talk to me, please! Luke! Luke!'
For all her bravery, Louise was terrified, and listening to Luke's yelling, petrified her even further. Louise buried her face into her hands and started sobbing.