Date: Tue, 25 Jun 2013 21:35:05 +0000
From: whiteryan65@gmail.com
Subject: Reflection ch 1

Hey friends!!

Now dudes...bare with me...this is a Highschool/Fantasy/Sci-Fi story
(bbmcantwatchface) so I really hope you guys will LOVE this!!

Thanks for all your support during my four years as a writer on Nifty. This
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Ryan!

REFLECTION

*JUNE 1983*

"I've got you, bro! I've got you and I won't let you go!! Not to HIM!!"
Harry yelled, his voice hoarse with effort.

Chris shouted and screamed as his right arm was being dragged and pulled to
the one side and his left arm to the other. He didn't know what to believe
or WHO to believe! He stared straight into two pairs of identical eyes
looking down on him. One with love, and the other with sheer hate!

"Harry...Harry, where are you? I'm seeing two of you! Which one is the real
YOU?" Chris shouted, the little 10 year old boy being extremely scared at
what was happening infront of him. A bright light flashed infront of him
and suddenly he was pulled out of the grasp of his brother, his real
brother's hands.

"CHRIS!! CHRIS!! NO!!!" Harry shouted as his brother was pulled into a
blindingly sliver and white flash of lightning.

"HARRY!!! HARRY HEL...!" The door was slammed shut and Harry was thrown
onto the old, wooden floor. His back smashed against the wall while he
collapsed his arms on the floor beneath him. His breathing got worse and
worse as he knew the terrifying truth. The white light was gone, suddenly
as if nothing had happened. He quickly stood up and opened the door,
leading to the closet where it all began only a few weeks ago. The horror
decended on the young Harry Culverwell as he realised...Chris was gone. He
would never see his little bro...ever again. How the hell was this
possible? There was absolutely NO scientific explanation for this. Yet...it
happened. His brother was taken to a place worse than the fires of
hell. And it was all Harry's fault. He couldn't save him!

The talk of the town for the next few weeks was where little Chris
Culverwell had dissapeared to, and his parents ofcourse were out of their
minds with worry. They offered reward after reward to anyone who could tell
them what had happened to their ten year old boy, but in the end...there
was only one person who had known the truth all along...and he would NEVER
open his mouth. People would probably lock him up for being insane.

Two years had past since and Harry Culverwell blamed himself everyday for
what he did to his brother. It started all so innocently at first, but it
was as if that...that...THING in the closet was stronger than them. IT
needed them more than they needed it. Harry, what felt like the millionth
time these past two years, standing infront of Chris's grave, which was
empty ofcourse, however...his parents used up almost all their money trying
to find their youngest son, so in the end, they sorta made peace that he
had indeed run away from home. Once again...it was only Harry who knew the
truth. Six months later and Harry was off to Military school. His parents,
even his dad was appaulled by the idea, since they had already lost one
son, but Harry convinced them to let him go. Neither one of his parents
knew that Harry was fighting demons of his own. His own demons. Of what
really happened to his brother late THAT night...



CHAPTER 1

*JUNE 2013*

"OH....MY....GOSH, this place is fucking insane, out of control, Dad!"

"James, watch your mouth, boy!"

"I'm sorry Dad, its just this is like HUGE! I've never seen one of these so
upclose before!"

"Well, you're gonna see and live in it now. Why don't you go pick out one
of the rooms you like, and then come fetch all your shit outside here and
unpack them? I'm not gonna do THAT aswell, dude!"

This was the sort of relationship that Harry Culverwell and his son James
had. They were more like best friends, that they were father and son. Harry
was now thirty-four years old, while James was fifteen. Yes...one drunkened
night after he returned from Afghanistan a couple of years ago he met and
had a one night stand with this girl...seriously all he could remember of
their entire time together was the size of her boobs. Damn he would bounce
around in those things...! That is exactly why when a woman called Reno
phoned him up ten or so years ago and told him that he had a son with
her. Harry obviously didn't believe her but the moment that he saw the
little three year old James...he was smitten and knew that the little boy
was indeed his own. Because to be honest, James looked exactly like his
father, Harry. His mother, who indeed turned out to be a hooker for guys
such as Harry coming back from the Army without female companionship for a
long time, didn't really want a snotty-nosed (her words!) kid hanging
around her back then. Harry gained full custody of James and the two of
them were set. Harry had become a very sucessfull architect, but he had
never quite been able to forget what had happened to his little bro Chris
that fateful night. How Chris had begged Harry to save him from the
clutches of...well it was all over now as far as Harry was concerned. Their
parents had to sell the house when they moved into their retirement centre,
but his mother would always tell Harry that if ever Chris would turn up,
that he had to look after him. Harry knew better than that. Chris was
really gone. He didn't wanted to believe it that day, when it happened, but
fucking hell, over twenty years had already past! If Chris was alive,
wouldn't he have tried to make contact by now? Ofcourse he wouldn't,
because were Chris was...it wasn't psycically possible. James came running
down the staircase, jumping them two by two, lifting Harry from his
memories.

"Dad, I've found the sickest room EVER upstairs and to the right, come and
look! Come on!" James yelled and literally pulled his father all the way up
the stairs to look at all James's boxers and even some of his socks and
clothes already lying on the dirty floor.

"This is what I'm supposed to be impressed with, James? Haha get working,
dude! Unpack all of those, choose where you want them, I'll arrange for our
beds to arrive by tomorrow, so for tonight, pal, its me, you, movies and
the couch. Just think about it...you're dating your old man!"

"Dad, are you genuinely insane or just winding me up?" James said before
both started out laughing, with Harry grabbing his son and swinging him
through the air. Although James was already fifteen, this was something
Harry had done with him since he was a kid, and unlike others his age, he
still loved to share this moment with his dad. They unpacked further, had
McDonalds for dinner and watched some TV. Harry was in the kitchen later on
that evening dishing up some Rum and Raisin ice cream for them both, but
when he entered the livingroom, he saw that James was not there where he
had left him.

"James? Buddy?" he called out, placing the ice cream on the coffee table
and quickly walking upwards to James's new room. FUCK...not in here
either...he immediately began to think of all kinds of mental things and
horrors were running through him.

"JAMES!! Come on, dude, this isn't funny, you're scaring me!" he yelled to
the empty rooms. James simply didn't answer. OH FUCK...not in the closet,
please tell me James didn't do in that closet! Harry raced his fast as his
body and heart allowed him to and chased to the other side of the house
straight to the same closet that he and Chris used to call their "secret
palace". Harry pulled opened the door and peeked inside the room for the
first time in nearly twenty years. No sign at all from James.

"Dad?" said a voice behind him.

"FUCK JAMES!! Where the hell have you been? I've been worried sick!

"Wow chill, Dad, I was outside looking at the stars and the moon. Looks
different around here at night. Wow Dad, please I'm fine!" James said as he
saw his father tear up. Harry himself didn't know why he was crying. Was it
because he was worried about James for nothing...or was it being back here
all of a sudden and relieving that night where Chris was so violently
snatched from his fingertips? Nevertheless, Harry grabbed his son and
hugged him tightly towards him.

"I was just scared, you know, with the new home and everything. Don't do
that ever again without telling me where you're going, okay?"

"Sure Dad, I'm sorry I scared you," James said, hugging his father back.

***

The next day was the only day that Harry still allowed James to stay home
from school, since nothing was unpacked and their place still pretty much
looked like a pigsty. Later that afternoon, James had just come back from
the local supermarket doing some shopping for his dad, when he saw a kid
his age, or there about, running and playing around on his skateboard
infront of their new house.

"Yo, new guy! Watsup?" the boy called and skating over towards James,
stopping in perfect motion right next to him.

"Hey man, nothing much, just moved in here like yesterday. I'm James
Culverwell, and you?"

"I'm Derrick Howser...what did you say your last name was, dude?" the kid
asked, his whole face covered in shocks and frowns.

"Culverwell, why?" James asked, equally confused.

"And you live...here?"

"Hell yeah, it's an insane place!"

"You can say that again..."

"Uhm...Derrick, was it? What the hell is up with you, dude? If this is your
way of making friends with someone, please feel free to fuck the hell
off..."

"James, no! You don't understand! Okay, you know what, come on over to my
house, its right across yours, like over here...have a Coke and take a load
off. Come on! This is my way of apologing for being freaky and shit, okay?"

"Yeah whatever, Derrick. I'm just gonna dump these inside and I'll be right
over," James said before entering their new home and calling for his
father, who answered back from within the kitchen.

"I saw you talking with a boy out there, new friend hopefully?" Harry asked
his son.

"Maybe, his name is Derrick Howser and...I dunno yet. They live right
across the street, he invited me over, like right now, can I go?"

"Well if it is just across the street, but please be back before six,
okay?"

"Sure, Dad!"

And James was off to Derrick's house, who welcomed him in their home and
showed him his room, and around. Both of them, five minutes later, were
sitting in Derrick's room, watching TV and sharing a bag of crisps, and
glasses of Coke between them.

"So what's the big story, dude? Why did you wanna know my last name so
bad?" James asked after he popped another few crisps into his
mouth. Derrick suddenly became quiet, before he polished off the rest of
his Coke and wiped his crisp covered hands off on his duvet cover. Typical
teenager.

"Dude...my dad used to live in this house, ours, this one as a kid. Once me
and my friends wanted to go exploring in the house across the street. When
my mom told my dad what I was over there, he almost had a heart attack,
came over and literally dragged my ass kicking and screaming out of
there. I was so embarrased infront of all my friends and shit! I wanted to
know what the hell made him do that!"

"Did he ever say why? Wow man, if my dad ever did that..." James asked,
shaking his head.

"Come on, your old man must have done some stuff to embarass you!" Derrick
said, with a twinkle in his eye. He was already liking a friend his own age
around here to talk to. All this school buddies lived at least ten minutes
or so away.

"Well...okay...look dude, I'm gay and my dad knows it. So he once tried to
set me up with this hot chick to try and change my mind about my feelings
for guys. Dude, I really tried...but yeah. I just wasn't intrested and he
finally had to accept it. But we're totally cool now," James said, hoping
he didn't just distroy would could have become a good friendship.

Derrick's eyes was a little wild to be honest when James told him he was
gay.

"Dude...are you for real?" he asked, looking James up and down.

"Should have known this would happen, don't worry, man, I'll just go..."

"Dude wait! Okay, look, I'm NOT GAY or anything, but Im not one of those
homophobes either. To me, I just really don't care. Look I prefer girls,
but I can't expect you to be into girls if you're not! And so far you
haven't come on to me or anything, so I think I might be safe."

"Seriously, you're not much to come on to..." James said with a smile,
before getting a punch on his shoulder from Derrick.

"Oh PLEASE pal, you're looking at the number one chick magnet in school!
Are you going tomorrow? Then you'll see for yourself!"

Suddenly Derrick looked threatrically over his shoulder if someone could
possibely be listening, before he turned his attentions back to James.

"Getting back to your new house, dude, my father was a kid when it
happened, man. There was a normal, everyday kinda family living there at
the time. Your usual Mom, Dad, and two boys. My dad told me that he was
friends with the oldest one of the boys, but that the little one wasn't as
irritating as little bro's normally are. Then...suddenly, like from out of
NO where...the little boy, I think Dad said his name was Chris
Culverwell...yeah...same last name as yours, started to rebel against his
parents and against his brother. It was like...what? He JUST CHANGED like
THAT! He was only fifteen years old himself, but he started to stay out
late, party all the time and even used drugs, and I mean, in the 80's those
stuff was like FORBIDDEN. Anyway, the Culverwell family tried everything
they could, but this Chris guy was just not listening. When Dad sat me down
to tell me the story, he actually said that Chris had changed from a sweet,
fifteen year old boy who always offered to help and shit, into this almost
zombie like creature, who didn't give a damn about anyone. And suddenly,
Chris's brother, called Harry, now he..."

"Dude stop right there...my dad's name is Harry. Harry Culverwell," James
said, his hands shaking.

"I TOLD YOU, dude! There's something not right here! Anyway, then HARRY
started to change personalities aswell. He used to take Chris to parties,
gave him drugs, gave him pills and everything. My dad also said...crazy as
it sounds...it was like Harry and Chris Culverwell were suddenly
transformed into two new people overnight! That's when I heard your last
name was Culverwell, that I freaked out. I always thought Dad had just made
up the story to scare me from going in there...but you're saying your dad's
name is Harry? The one which my dad told me about?"

"I dunno, Derrick. I need to get home. I gotta ask my father about this,"
James said before he downed the rest of his Coke and walked over to the
front door...but before he exited, he turned back around.

"Who lived in our house before we moved in there yesterday?" he asked
Derrick.

"No one, dude! It has been empty ever since I was born!" Derrick
answered. And the answer gave James a terrifying thrill over his spine.

"Okay...now I know where "Harry" is, because if this is all true, the Harry
you're talking about is my dad...but he has never mentioned anything about
having a brother called Chris to me before."

"I'm not surprised, James. My father said Chris just dissapeared one
day. Out of no where, never to be seen again! He hasn't been seen since!"

***

That night after dinner, James got his clothes ready for the following day,
his first day at a new school. At least he got to know Derrick before his
first day, and he was sure they were going to be great buddies. He knew his
dad was still up, so he jogged down to the livingroom...and...RIGHT!! Harry
was still watching College Football on ESPN.

"Hey buddy! You gotta get some sleep, man! Tomorrow's like a big day for
you," Harry said, running his fingers playfully through James's hair.

"Dad...I really wanna ask you something."

"Shoot, buddy!"

"Did you live in this house a couple of years back?"

Harry, who had just taken a sip of his beer, immediately spurted it out
with a lightning force, beer splattering all over the floor and the
sofa. But that didn't worry him at all. He had more problems to worry about
right now.

"Where...where the hell did you hear that?"

"Derrick, the kid across the street. He told me that you and your brother
Chris..."

"James...go to bed. Right now."

"But Dad..."

"Didn't you hear me? I said GO TO BED! NOW!"

A single tear ran down James's cheek as he stood up. He wasn't used to his
father screaming to him like this. Angrily he wiped the tear away as more
threatened to come forth. Fifteen year old boys DO NOT CRY. On the way to
his room, he felt he needed to use the toilet and quickly jogged to the
western part of the house, did his business and flushed. On his way back,
he recognised the closet door where he found his dad yesterday worrying
abut him. But yesterday...there wasn't a humongous lock attached to the
handle. What the hell was it with his dad and this closet?

***

Harry switched off all the lights and made sure that James was doing okay
before he made his way to his own room. He didn't mean to scream to James
like that, but when he heard all that...he should have known Frederick
Howser would jump at the chance of telling his son Derrick everything that
was going on, and to make sure Derrick told the same story to
James...KNOWING that James would come and ask HIM about it.

Harry sighed. When his parents became too old, they had to sell the house,
which Harry really wanted to have, because part of him still believed that
Chris was still alive, and that he was in...THAT closet all these
years. But he was outbidden for it and thus gave up. But when he heard that
the place had been empty for almost fifteen years, he immediately put in an
offer and here they were. He also knew fully well why they got this house
so cheap. This was the house of the Culverwell's...the family who's son
dissapeared so mysteriously, the oldest son refusing to comment about it,
using up all their life savings in order to find Chris. Later on people
began to say that because of Chris's attitude before he dissapeared, his
parents and his brother simply killed him. Harry could never understand why
people would think that. He loved Chris with all his heart, and their
parents even more.

Harry stood up and walked out of his room, careful not to wake up James. He
walked over to the closet that he locked up, bolted, barred, just to be
safe. He gently took out a bunch of keys from his pocket and unlocked them,
one by one, slowly. The last one snapped open, and after taking a deep
breath, Harry opened the closet door.

There is was. Undisturbed for almost fifteen years. He wondered if the
previous tennants's had ever discovered it or the power that it
possesses. He slowly reached out and touched the large mirror standing so
snug in that small space. He closed the door behind him and switched on the
light. He started at the mirror for a long time, before he reached over to
the glass. Looking into his own reflection standing before him.

His very own reflection...who had once tried to strangle him for
survival. He looked deep into the glass of the mirror and opened his mouth:

"I'm coming to get you, Chris. Dead or alive, I'm coming to get you, my
brother. I know you're still in there. And I want your own reflection to
hear this too...I'm NOT giving up. NEVER! I'll get Chris out of there if
its the last thing I'd ever do."



THANKS FOR READING!!!

If you enjoyed it, please let me know at whiteryan65@gmail.com

Or you could follow me @LiciousRyan if you're on Twitter.

MUCH LOVE!!

RYAN WHITE.