The Thing in the Woods

Eddie was sitting in front of the television, eating a bowl of cereal. He had woken up at a quarter past twelve, and did not get enough sleep. He was staring at the weatherman, but it appeared that Eddie was staring off into nothing. If the screen only had television static, Richard doesn't think it would have made much of a difference to Eddie. His world had been shattered in now one month, and his head was going to take to impossible places that Richard was scared to venture into. 

Ever since Eddie came to stay with him, it had been an awful experience. His friends and family had insisted that Eddie go to some kind of therapy, but Eddie refused. He claimed that nothing was wrong with him, but after the multiple sleepless nights Richard had started to experience with his friend, he knew something was up with his mental state. This had all started after the death of his family, but when Richard really sat back to think about it, perhaps it was already starting even before that. 

Richard remembered a time when he had come over to have dinner with Eddie, his wife, and his teenage daughter. Eddie had a wonderful family, the perfect picture one that many would be envious of. Richard was so proud of his friend, and admired the life he was now living. While Richard preferred the isolated lifestyle, he could see why having a family could make anyone happy. 

Eddie and his wife kept on laughing during that dinner, from the hilarious impressions that their daughter would do of Eddie's wife. Richard had spewed out his mashed potatoes after their kid had let out a string of profanity she had once heard her mother say over the phone, and Eddie helped him clean up while his wife continued to die of laughter. She had scolded the kid right after of course, but Richard could tell that she was still holding in another burst of laughter. 

Afterwards, Eddie and Richard had gone outside to have a beer, while Eddie's family stayed inside to clean up and watch television. While they were talking about whatever bullshit that male friends do in their early forties, Eddie's gaze kept flickering back to the street, his eyes conveying an emotion that Richard was struggling to get a read on. 

"Hey man, you alright?"

"What?"

"You keep staring at the street. Do you hear something?"

Eddie blinked, and let out a nervous laugh. 

"I'm alright man. I'm good. Thought I saw…it's nothing man. Just tired, I guess."

"I get it. Working all the time to support your wife and kid must be tough."

Eddie smiled. "For them, I would do anything. Going to work and coming back to them is the best part of my day. It really helps with the voices that echo in my head sometimes."

"Huh?"

Eddie shrugged. "I've been…having some strange dreams lately. I'm not sure how to explain it. I…have been seeing someone standing at my window. Talking to me. I assumed that they were real, but Thank God, I wake up from that nightmare every night."

"Every night? Whoa, man. That sounds kind of fucking scary."

Eddie nodded, his eyes never leaving the street. "They are. What's worse is that I can clearly hear what he is telling me."

"It's a man? If only it was a beautiful woman. I'm sure you would enjoy your dreams a whole lot more."

"Even in dreams, I could never cheat on Rachel. Asshole."

Richard grinned, as he brought the bottle to his lips, letting his friend continue. 

"He tells me weird stuff. Things that don't make any sense. It's pretty nuts, man."

"Like what?"

"He claims that I'm his…vessel."

A bubble of laughter erupted out of Richard's mouth, almost spilling his beer all over him. 

"Are you being fucking serious? What kind of Exorcist shit is that?"

Eddie laughed without any trace of humor. Richard thought he had seen some hint of fear in his eyes, but it could have been his imagination. 

"I'm not sure what the hell it even means. It's so fucking weird, but man, it honestly scares me. And do you want to hear the creepiest part?"

"What?"

"He sounded like me. And he was smiling."

Richard sometimes wondered if he could have done something to help his friend at the time. Perhaps those nightmares were only stress related, but he never thought the nightmares would escalate after the horrible loss Eddie had endured. Richard should have pushed Eddie to get help, instead of changing the topic so fast, but he had disregarded it. Deep down, it had creeped out Richard. He couldn't imagine having nightmares like that, and now, they were haunting his friend in the real world. 

He was waking up from the nightmare, and he was believing that it was actually happening. Richard wondered what Rachel would have done, and he felt another moment of instant sadness come over him, remembering the good times he used to have with Eddie's family. They were such good people. If only the drunk driver had gotten himself killed, instead of Eddie's entire family. God strike him down for thinking something so fucked up, but it's like everyone says, the good people are the ones who go first. 

Richard touched his face, feeling a wave of exhaustion wash over him. He wished he had turned his friend away, telling him to go get help. To return to his other family members, who were deeply worried about him. 

But the emptiness in Eddie's eyes scared him, and he couldn't turn away his best friend. His wife and child would have wanted Richard to look after Eddie, a good man who loved them both to death. And he was forced to witness their deaths, when he was the only one who woke up in their upside-down car. Richard could not imagine the pain that Eddie felt at that moment, he would never even wish it upon his worst enemy. 

Richard walked over to the living room, finding that his friend was now done with his breakfast. He took the bowl from him, and Eddie turned to look at him. 

"I'm so sorry about my behavior. I know that I have been difficult. I promise that I'll try to get better."

Richard was taken aback by Eddie' calm demeanor, but he felt such relief, wondering if Eddie was finally taking a step in the right direction. 

"It's all good, man. I'm sorry about how I've been acting too. I should be more understanding. Fuck. I've been a real shithead lately…"

"I don't blame you. Rachel never would have either. Or Lucy. They would all understand. It's hard to deal with loss. And I'm sure you're feeling it too, Richard."

Richard placed a hand on his temple. "I…yeah. I have been feeling it too. They were good people. I'm so sorry for what you lost. You didn't deserve to…"

Eddie pointed at his head, and whirled his finger in a circle. 

"The two of us have gone crazy, haven't we?"

"Uh, I guess it feels that way."

Eddie smiled. Richard offered his own quick smile, taking away the bowl to the sink. He placed it in the sink, and turned back around to see if his friend needed anything else. 

Eddie was still looking at him. Still smiling. 

"Eddie? You alright, man?"

Eddie didn't reply. 

Richard waited a few more seconds to see if Eddie would react or speak, but there was nothing. Absolutely nothing. Richard quickly left the kitchen, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. 

Something is deeply wrong with my friend. He needs help. And it's something that I can no longer give him. 

Richard decided to look for his friend's phone straight away, to get in contact with his friends and family. If he couldn't get into his phone, he would be forced to go out there and ask his friend to get a hold of anyone. 

Anyone but him. 

Richard entered Eddie's bedroom, and froze. Eddie was lying in bed, snoring. 

"What the fuck?"

Eddie flinched, and started to rub at his eyes. "Richard?"

"Eddie…how the fuck did you get past me into the room?"

"I've - I've been here the whole time. I just barely woke up."

"Don't fuck with me, Eddie. I saw you. I spoke to you."

Eddie sat up in bed. "What? You saw me?"

Richard grabbed Eddie by the shirt, and pulled him toward his face. 

"I'm so fucking done with this shit. Why won't you stop? Why did you come here?"

Eddie released a sob. "It wasn't me. It wasn't me. It wasn't me. It wasn't me!"

Richard let go of Eddie's shirt, and ran toward the living room. The television was shut off. He ran back to the kitchen. There was no bowl in the sink. Richard opened one of the cabinets, finding the bowl in the same spot. Richard shook his head, not wanting to believe what he was seeing. Eddie was wailing, and he could hear him chanting over and over:

"It wasn't me. It wasn't me. It wasn't me. It wasn't me!"

Richard collapsed onto his knees, wrapping his hands over his ears, leaning his head against the floor. One sentence started to echo in his head, a conservation they once had long ago, before Eddie's life spiraled. Before Richard offered to let him stay, not realizing his mistake. 

"He sounded like me. And he was smiling."

---

End of Chapter Two 

Thank you for reading!

Emy Quinn