Silence

Page 3

"Shannon are you okay? Shannon? Shannon." I reached out to grab his hand when he suddenly jumped back to reality.

"Sorry. I was getting another memory."

"What was it this time?" The passed day with Shannon has been like talking to a person with narcolepsy. One moment he was wide awake and the next he blanked out. Now he didn't just retrieve memories in his sleep, now it happened at almost any given moment.

"It was of Aviana and Daemon. How she preserved his soul inside of a robot. How much she loved him." His last sentence seemed pained.

"I'm sorry."

He shrugged it off and looked at his hands that were linked on the table. "I don't know what to think, Jared. I don't know if she liked me for who I am or if it was because I reminded her so much of her– pasted husband."

"Shannon, whatever the reason she loved you. She loved you enough to devise this whole—plan." My words drifted as I noticed Shannon had blanked out again, and his empty eyes staring at the cup beside him.

I waited for him to come back, but it seemed to take longer than usual. Minutes were passing by, and still nothing. I finally stood and tried to shake him back to reality. "Shannon!" I took the cup of water and splashed it in his face.

Something snapped and before I could process what was happening I was being shoved against a wall with his hand in a death grip around my throat. Whatever this was it wasn't Shannon. His pupils were skits and smoke was streaming from his bared teeth.

"Shannon," I choked out grasping my brother's wrist. I was struggling to pull air into my lungs, and my vision began to blur at the corners, but his grip never let up.

Suddenly a cast iron skillet was being lifted behind him and came crashing down on his head. He fell to the floor unconscious, and I fell with him gasping for air.

"Baby are you okay?" Kylie rushed to me gently rubbing my back as I calmed. "What was that about?"

"I don't know, but it wasn't Shannon. I think it was that thing inside of him."

"Why did it attack you?"

"I splashed water on Shannon because he was having one of those flashes, but it lasted for almost 15 minutes. The moment the water hit his face–" I looked down at Shannon and shrugged. He was breathing good, but there was a small amount of blood trickling from his injured head.

"It's not safe to leave him here. Let's get him upstairs and tie him down just in case. Then we can get Daemon to look him over." Kylie grabbed my brother by the arm and placed it over her shoulder, and I followed.

We hoisted him up and dragged him back to Aviana's room. Daemon wasn't there surprisingly. We sat my brother on the bed and pushed him against the bed post. "Can you go find some rope or a chain?" I asked Kylie as I supported my brother's weight. She nodded and hurried off.

This was so different than what I remembered about the world. A time when humans lived happily and freely. A time when there was love and hope. A time when things made sense. There was no extraterrestrial beings. There was no strange robots. No strange entities. Just what we had on our small and beautiful planet.

Moments later Kylie returned with Daemon and a chain. I grabbed Shannon's arms and pulled them behind him around the post as Kylie wrapped the chain securely around his torso and pad locked it.

When that was done we backed away and allowed Daemon to scan him over. "He has a slight concussion, and the bleeding has stopped. He should be fine," Daemon assured us and then took his leave.

"I don't understand any of this. I don't know why it had to be earth. Sometimes I wish none of this ever happened."

"I don't," Kylie said sitting on the bed and pulling me with her. "If the invasion never happened I would have never met you." She placed her hand under my chin and kissed my lips ever so softly. "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, Jared. Don't forget that."

I leaned in and kissed her again. Pulling her up on the bed to the headboard and waited for Shannon to awaken.

These passed few days were insane. I didn't think that things could get any worse than they already were, but I guess I was wrong. First we get attacked by a crazy wack-job "queen" that thinks she can turn Shannon and I into weapons. Now that that fact is proven to be possible. Shannon is now being possessed by some demon that has the potential to kill all of us. I couldn't see this being a good thing. If it had the power to take possession of Shannon's body who is to say that he can control it.

"Jared, you're worrying aren't you?" Kylie touched my cheek lightly bringing my attention to her.

"How can I not worry? My brother is possessed by some demon thing and he tried to kill me! I don't know how I am not suppose to worry."

"I don't know what Avianna had in mind, but I assure you that it will be fine otherwise she wouldn't have done what she did. I know that things are scary and hard right now, but it will work out! Have faith."

I didn't respond. I didn't know how I was going to deal with something like this. I watched Shannon, and he began to stir. I immediately got up and ran to him. I placed my hands on either side of his face. "Shannon? Please, Shannon!"

Shannon began to laugh. It wasn't his laugh though. This laugh was slow, deep, and pure evil. He lifted his head and slowly opened his eyes. Staring back at me were black slits. "I'm not Shannon".