Dangerous Collaboration

Eyes

Ken and Mark dragged Mat across the ground, even as the rest came to see what was going on. Jack followed them. Amy, Cristina, and Thomas all rushed into the bathroom to make sure Nate was okay.

"Wait, wait!" Mat yelled as they dragged him to the stairs.

"What the heck, man?" Jack yelled at him

"What is happening?!" Mat shouted as he tried to get to his feet.

"You're lucky we don't just throw you down the stairs!" Mark said.

"No, wait!" Mat said. "I'm just as confused as you are!"

The others just stared at him. Mark and Ken slowly released his arms, but stood over him so that he couldn't get up.

"What just happened?" he asked.

"What do you know?" Ken asked, instead of answering.

"Look, the last thing I remember is being in the dining room by myself," Mat said. "The next thing I know, I'm being tackled by you two!" He paused as the other three glared at him. "What happened to me?"

"I don't think anyone knows about what came over you," Jack said.

"You honestly don't remember threatening all of us?" Mark asked. "Or busting through the bathroom door? Or destroying the kitchen?"

Ken looked at Mark, confused.

"I did all of that?!" Mat asked in shock. "No wonder you guys were freaked out!"

Jack lightly punched Mark in the arm. "He didn't destroy the kitchen."

"I was testing him," Mark said. "I figured if he denied any one thing, it would prove he was lying." He looked down at Mat. "But he didn't."

"I'm not lying," Mat said. "You have to believe me. I don't know what happened! But if I hurt anyone--"

"You were close," Ken interrupted. "But you didn't."

The three men just stared down at Mat, wondering what they should do next. Even Mat just stayed as he was. He didn't know what had happened, but the reality of the situation was almost too much for him.

"You really weren't yourself," Jack started.

"We just need to find out what happened," Mark said.

"I say we keep an eye on him," Ken suggested. "Don't leave him alone."

The other guys nodded, even Mat.

"I don't blame you," he admitted. "I'd be terrified too."

The three guys allowed Mat to rejoin the group, but it almost didn't matter. People were very cautious, and eventually, Mat just distanced himself. Of course, no one could actually leave the house, but it was big enough that he could stay away from everyone.

"I'm just not getting what happened," Thomas said.

"Yeah," Pam agreed. "One minute, he's nuts, the next he's acting like he had no clue."

"I don't know whether to believe him or chew him out," Mark said. "He seemed pretty convinced."

"Let's say it wasn't on purpose. Something happened to Mat that caused him to go crazy," Amy suggested. "What was it?"

There was a thinking silence.

"It could be mental illness," Cristina suggested. "Something went wrong in his brain?"

"As far as we know, this has never happened before," Jack put in. "And he's been fine since. If it is mental illness, could this just have been a one-time thing or could it happen again?"

"The way he was acting, it was almost like he was possessed," Signe said.

"That's true," Mark agreed.

"So, now we're not ruling out the supernatural?" Pam asked. "Unlike earlier?"

"After what happened, I don't think we can afford to leave out that kind of possibility," Tyler said. "We have to cover everything."

The whole group was torn that afternoon. Half of them were watching out for Mat, to see if he was still unstable, and the other half were trying to figure out how to get out of the house they were locked in.

"It doesn't make sense!" Link exclaimed, sliding to the floor in frustration.

"What I don't get, is how the door just fused into the wall," Rhett said. "Look at that. It's as if there was never anything there to begin with."

"The patio door is the same way," Amy added. 

"Same with the cellar's outer doors," Ethan said.

Meanwhile, as they tried to solve that mystery, Mat sat at the top of the stairs. He wanted to isolate himself from everyone else. Most people weren't willing to be around him anyway, and those who were, were only interested in watching him.

Until Nate plopped down next to him. "Hey," he said slowly, clearing his throat. "How's it going?"

"I'm okay," Mat said. He shifted awkwardly. "You don't have to be here, y'know. I get it if you want to stay away from me."

"I actually feel kind of bad," Nate said. "I didn't realize how bad you were feeling about this."

"I know. I just--" He rubbed his eyes and then his head. "I wish I knew why I did all that stuff." He directed his brown eyes to Nate. "I'm really sorry. Really. It was just--like I was in character and couldn't break out."

"I wish I could say I knew what you mean, but really--" Nate paused and did a double take to Mat's eyes. "Your eyes are brown."

Mat stared in confusion. "Yeah, they've kind of always been like that. I think"

"Yeah, but back when you were attacking me," Nate said, "they were green. But they were brown before..."

"Yeah," Mat leaned back. "And I kind of blacked out for a bit. And they were only green when I was doing that stuff?"

"Oh, my gosh," Nate said, standing up. "We have to tell the others!"