
26 Jan My Brotherβs Keeper
βMy Brotherβs Keeperβ
Written by Ryan Harville Edited by Craig Groshek Thumbnail Art by Craig Groshek Narrated by N/ACopyright Statement: Unless explicitly stated, all stories published on CreepypastaStories.com are the property of (and under copyright to) their respective authors, and may not be narrated or performed, adapted to film, television or audio mediums, republished in a print or electronic book, reposted on any other website, blog, or online platform, or otherwise monetized without the express written consent of its author(s).
π§ Available Audio Adaptations: None Available
β° ESTIMATED READING TIME β 31 minutes
This isnβt a story.
This is the truth, and Iβm recordinβ it all so I never forget. Thereβs parts Iβd like to forget. Hell, most of it. But I canβt let that happen, because then Iβd lose the good parts too. And those are worth holding on to.
My father was dying, and had been dying for years. Thereβs some specifics in there but mostly he was just too goddamn old. He was bedridden by the time he was ninety-one and stayed that way. I thought heβd die a decade ago when heβd had a scare with his heart but the old bastard kept on keeping on. We…we didnβt talk much those last few years. We never had what youβd call a good relationship, he was already past middle-age by the time me and my brothers were born, and we just never really got close to each other. Just too much time between us.
So, it was a shock when my phone started chirping away and his number popped up on the screen. I was an hour outside Knoxville, heading back home after dropping off a haul. I reached over and pressed the green icon, letting the hands-free system do its magic.
At first there was nothing, just the sound of his heavy breathing, neither of us wanting to speak first.
I cleared my throat. βHello?β
βHello…Eli.β His voice was raspy but still had some strength behind it.
βHey, Dad. Is everything alright?β
βI need you to come home, as soon as possible.β
βDad, listen, Iβve been on the road for ten hours already. I need some sleepββ
βItβs almost time, Eli. I ainβt got too much longer, and I need to see you before Iβm done. Both of yβall.β
I wanted to laugh but kept it to myself. Mostly. βBoth of us? No disrespect intended here, but there ainβt no way in hell Luke is coming home. You know that, right?β
βHeβll come. Heβs always listened to you. Convince him.β
βI ainβt even seen Luke in, what? Three, four years? Now you just want me to call him out of blue?β
βHe will listen. Iβll be waiting. Donβt…donβt let me down, son.β
The line went dead and he was gone.
βShit,β I said to myself. And that just about summed the situation up.
* * * * * *
It was about seven in the evening by the time I got back to my place, tired as shit and needing a bath and a beer in any order.
I parked my rig along the side of the house and stepped out into the knife-blade chill of the January air.
I held my phone up in front of me, just staring at it, not wanting to dial the number. There was something blocking me from doing it, keeping my mind from making my hand move. Maybe it was the time between calls, maybe just embarrassment for not keeping in touch like family should. I donβt know, but it was hard as hell to make it happen. I finally convinced my shaky fingers to cooperate.
It rang once then twice, and by the third I was hoping he wouldnβt answer, but he did.
βYeah?β Luke said, his voice thick with sleep. βWho is it?β
βItβs me,β I said. βEli.β
He coughed. βEli! Hey, man. Whatβs happeninβ?β
βWell, I got a callββ
βHowβs uh, Jeanine? Jennie?β
βThe divorce was final two years ago.β
βOh…oh, shit. Sorry, man.β
βNot your fault. I wasnβt around to tell you. You got a minute?β
βThis about the old man?β he said, a sharp edge creeping into his voice. βHe finally slipped off this mortal coil?β
βNot yet, but he says itβs happening soon. He wants us, both of us, to come tonight.β
There came the unmistakable click of a lighter, and a sharp inhale as Luke took a drag on a cigarette.
βWell,β he said. βTonightβs not so good for me. Iβve got a soundcheck in a little bit. Thereβs even talk of a scout beinβ there for the show. And I got a lady friend here who just might want me to hang around a bit.β
I sighed. βItβs Nashville, Luke. Thereβs always a scout around somewhere lookinβ for guys to sign their souls away.β
βMaybe. But I donβt see any reason why I should drop everything Iβm doinβ and ride off into the sunset.β
βBecause Dadββ
βFuck. Him,β Luke spat. βI havenβt spoken a word to him in years and I donβt plan to now.β
An idea started to form. βWell, maybe thatβs the problem right there.β
βWhat?β
βItβs your chance. Tell the old bastard how you feel. Send him to his grave with an earful.β
There was a long silence.
βFuck it. Not like Iβm gonna make it into the will anyway. Okay, Iβll go, but youβre gonna have to give me a ride. Had to sell my car awhile back.β
βFine. I can probably be there by ten, and that gets us back in Alabama around midnight. Text me your address and Iβll call when I get close.β
βEli?β
βYeah?β
βYou think this is really it? You think heβs finally givinβ up the ghost?β
Dadβs voice wound through my mind.
βYeah. I think this is it.β
I hung up, secured my rig, and jumped into my pickup, the dread of the miles ahead weighing on me.
* * * * * *
Hours later, I pulled up to a slightly worse for wear duplex outside Nashville. The door opened as soon as I stopped, and out strode Luke, a bag slung over his shoulder. The years had been kind to my baby brother. He still had a head full of long, dark hair, and a beard of stubble that lent some authenticity to his whole starving artist thing. Just lookinβ at the beautiful young lady waving to him from the doorway made me too aware of the differences between me and Luke. Everybody had always been attracted to Luke, and I ainβt talking about just physically. Folks were just drawn to him like iron filings on a magnet. He just had one of those faces.
Me, on the other hand. I mean, I donβt think Iβm no slouch or anything but I was built for labor, like I was made to plow fields and lift heavy shit, you know? Thereβs a reason why I was a linebacker in high school and Luke took piano lessons, guitar lessons, and God knows what else. I donβt even remember at this point.
I got out and stood by the truck, unsure of what to do, but Luke made the decision for us, wrapping his arms around me in a fierce hug.
He let go but kept me at armβs length. βYou look good, man. I dig the beard. You look like a redneck Viking.β
βFuck off,β I said, smiling. βYouβre just jealous you canβt grow it like this.β
He laughed. βAnd cover this face up? Hell no.β
βYou ready?β
βNo, but that ainβt gonna stop us.β
βAlright, letβs do it.β
We got in and started off.
* * * * * *
After a stop for caffeine and gas, we hit the road proper.
Luke was relaxed, but I could tell the trip was already getting to him, like the closer we got to Alabama the more it weighed on him. I could tell he wanted a smoke but didnβt ask, he knew I hated that shit.
I decided to keep the mood light. βSo, howβs it been going? Anything new?β
βWe dropped a new album about six months back,β he said, then sipped his Red Bull. βEven got some radio play on the first single.β
βReally? Thatβs great!β
βYeah, itβs been okay. Gigs have been steady at least.β
βSo, Regret No Choice is gonna be a household name soon, huh?β
He glanced at me, raising one eyebrow. βWhat? No, I left RNC like two years ago.β
βOh. Well, whatβs this one called?β
βBurn This Day.β
I shook my head. βSeriously, whatβs with these metal bands and names that are phrases?β
I thought heβd get sullen but he surprised me by laughing.
βI donβt know, man. We all threw around names and thatβs the one that stuck. I donβt even care as long as Iβm on stage, you know?β
I didnβt though. I always kept my head down and kept working. Never really had the urge to be the center of attention.
I nodded, because I didnβt know, but I understood what it meant to him.
βIβm sorry,β I said, and it was hard to say. βI shouldβve known that.β
βItβs cool, I ainβt got my feelings hurt or anything.β
βNo, I know, itβs just…I shouldβve been around more. Hell, I couldβve at least called every once in a blue moon.β
βYou ainβt the only one guilty of that, you know.β
I nodded. We had an understanding. Wasnβt some huge, emotional breakthrough, but yeah, it was an understanding. Sometimes thatβs all you need.
We were silent for a while, and the blacktop stretched out before us.
* * * * * *
We made small talk, time passed, and eventually the headlights hit a big green sign reading βWelcome to Sweet Home Alabamaβ.
Luke scoffed. βMore like βBitter Hell Alabamaβ.β
I laughed. βYeah, I guess it can be sometimes.β
βI donβt like this, Eli.β
βI get it. I donβt really want to be doinβ this either.β
He shook his head. βI mean, it doesnβt feel right. Why couldnβt he just get on with it and die? Why drag us back here?β
I took a second before I answered. βMaybe he…I donβt know. Maybe heβs sorry for…for everything.β
βFuck that. He ainβt sorry. And even if he was, I donβt give a shit. He could make me the sole heir to all his money and Iβd still spit in his face.β
βWell, you do what you feel like you have to. I ainβtβ gonna stop you. But at least make an attempt to listen. He may genuinely want to make amends.β
Even with my eyes on the road, I could still feel Lukeβs glare.
βHis half-ass apology wonβt bring Jake back.β
And there it was, Jakeβs name dropping from Lukeβs lips and landing between us like a rock on a coffin lid.
βLuke, I know that. You think I donβt know that? He was my brother too.β
He didnβt answer immediately, and when he did his voice was flat.
βI know you know,β he said. βBut itβs different, man. Youβre my brother, and that means a lot, but he was my twin. He was more than a brother, he was the other half of my soul.β
I felt my lips stiffen as I nodded. βI know that too. I wasnβt tryinβ to say that the old man was gonna make everything better, βcause he canβt. I was just saying you should keep your mind and ears open and…shit!β
βWhat?β
βMissed our turn. Looked like it came outta nowhere. Gonna have to double back or take a side road.β
Luke laughed. βDo whichever is gonna take longer!β
βAs much as Iβd like to, I think itβs best we just get it over with.β
I got off at the next exit and pulled over to the shoulder of the road, then took my phone off the dash.
βGive me a sec,β I said. βGonna check the GPS.β
I brought it up and refreshed the screen. The map was gray and blank, the only thing showing were the words βGPS unavailableβ.
βShit.β
βWhat? No signal out here?β
βNo, I got a signal, but the GPS ainβt picking us up.β
βWhat about a map?β
βIn my rig, but not in here. I donβt even know how to get back on the interstate from here.β
βDamn. Ainβt you supposed to be the responsible one?β
βSupposedly,β I said. βLook, Iβm gonna call the old man. I need to check in anyway, and heβs the only person I know who would know where we are.β
Lukeβs mouth twisted in disgust. βWhatever, man.β
I scrolled back through my calls and hit the old manβs number. Someone picked up on the first ring.
βHarding residence,β Gerold said, his accent as thick as a hundred-year-old pine tree. He was my fatherβs caretaker, had been for God knows how long.
βHey, Gerold,β I said. βItβs Eli. Dad around?β
βMr. Harding is at rest right now.β
βDamn. Weβre stuck out inββ
ββWeβ? Is Luke with you?β
βYeah.β
βMr. Harding will be pleased. Where are you now?β
βWe passed the state line a while back and I missed our exit, which is crazy βcause I couldβve swornββ
βI see. So you took the next exit then.β
βYeah, and I donβt know where to go from here. Nothing looks familiar in the dark.β
βDrive three miles south, then look for Old Forest Road on your right. Follow it and youβll be where you need to be in no time.β
βBack at the interstate, or what?β
βI have to go, Eli. I have my nightly duties to get to. See you soon.β
The line clicked off.
βThat prick just hung up on me!β
Luke laughed. βNo shock there. He tell you where we need to go?β
βYeah, I think. Gerold was as fuckinβ opaque as ever.β
ββOpaqueβ, huh? Better stop using fancy words, brother, before people start thinking youβre intelligent.β
We both laughed and it felt good as hell. I pulled off the shoulder and got us back on the road.
* * * * * *
Old Forest Road emerged out of the dark tree line like it had been hiding, waiting to spring on some innocent travelers. The way was overgrown with heavy branches forming above it like an archway.
βThat shit isnβt ominous at all,β Luke said.
I laughed. βYeah, it almost looks fake. Like a movie set.β
I turned my truck onto the road, grimacing at the sound of the branches scraping and clawing over its roof. In no time we were enveloped by the dark, trees standing like sentinels along both sides of the road. We drove along in silence for a long while, the headlights only showinβ more road ahead.
Luke squirmed in his seat. βLetβs turn on some music or something. The quiet is just as bad as the dark.β
I turned the radio on and scanned through the FM stations. Nothing but static all across the board.
βIβve got the new Gravelscalp album on my phone,β Luke offered.
I shook my head. βI donβt know what that is, but it doesnβt sound like Iβd like it.β
βBiggest metal band in the world,β Luke said, talking to me like I was a recently thawed caveman. βWell, turn it over to AM. Thatβs probably more your speed anyway.β
βIβm only four years older than you, asshole.β
βYeah, but you act like itβs forty.β
I sighed and switched the dial over to AM.
A manβs voice came over the airwaves.
ββBut Samuel replied: βDoes the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.β So, you see brothers, the Lord does delight in sacrifice, does love oily smoke that billows from the burning fat of rams, surely. He loves the hot sizzle of the boiling blood. But He loves something else more: obedience.β
βShoulda known,β I said, reaching to turn it off. βOnly thing on AM this time of night is Bible thumpers and conspiracy nuts. And itβs usually a mix of both. Believe me, Iβve done enough night runs in the Bible Belt to know.β
βLeave it,β Luke said. βItβs better than quiet. And besides, these guys crack me up sometimes when they really get goinβ. Does he sound familiar to you?β
βWe live in the South. Everybody sounds familiar.β
The man continued. βObedience is not slavery, brothers. Obedience is pure joy. Itβs giving of yourself fully to the will of God, so you donβt have to worry anymore. Your pain will be inconsequential. Youβll feel nothing but the need to serve, and in that you will find unbridled happiness.β
βHorseshit,β I said. βSounds like bowing down to a dictator.β
Luke laughed. βYou lost your faith, Eli? I wouldnβt have guessed that in a million years.β
I shrugged. βYou know as well as I do, growinβ up here you either follow along βcause everybody else is, or you open your eyes to the truth.β
βWhatβs the truth?β
βThat if there is a God he would hate these hypocritical assholes.β
The radio squealed with a blast of static and the manβs voice followed.
ββThe Lord detests lying lipsβ. Do you understand, brothers? Lies stain your lips like a whoreβs rouge.β
βThis guy is jumping all over the place,β Luke said.
The manβs voice became louder, and a hymn began to play softly in the background.
βWalk in obedience to all that the Lord your God has commanded you.β
βOkay, βbout enough of that,β I said and thumbed the βoffβ button.
Nothing happened, and the manβs voice grew.
βThe devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. βIf you are the Son of God,β he said, βthrow yourself down from here.β Understand these words, brothers.β
βNot funny,β Luke said, pressing the button himself and getting the same results. βWhat is this shit?β
βNo idea,β I said, confused as hell.
βHe was quoting from βLukeβ,β Luke said.
βOkay, so? Heβs a radio preacher talking about the Bible. You got a biblical name.β
βNo, somethingβs weird here, Eli. Turn around.β
βI canβt. Itβs one lane with trees right up to the damn fenders. Why are you so spooked? Itβs just some Bible-thumper, probably operating out of some church basement somewhere.β
βJust stop for a second and look at me, okay?β Luke said.
I slowed to a stop. The only sounds were the truckβs engine and that weird hymn. I looked at Luke. His face was haggard and drawn.
βI know, thisβll sound fucked up,β Luke said. βBut you start talkinβ about the truth, he starts talkinβ about lies. Then heβs onto to βLukeβ with barely anything in between, just spoutinβ verses at us.β
βItβs not at us,β I said. βIβm sure we ainβt the only audience, even if itβs late.β
βThen why is he only callinβ the audience βbrothersβ? No, βsistersβ, or βchildrenβ, or βpeopleβ, or even fuckinβ βyaβllβ?β
I felt an odd turning in my guts. Not fear, exactly, but something off.
βOkay, alright, listen,β I said. βAs soon as we come across a place wide enough to turn around, Iβll do it, okay?β
Luke nodded, relief softening his features. βOkay…sorry. I just donβt like it.β
I put the truck back in gear. βYeah, me neither.β
We drove along. The radio stayed on, the wordless hymn droning on, the preacherβs voice blessedly absent.
The treeline began to thin, and the road became wider.
βYou got enough room, now?β Luke asked hopefully.
I spotted something ahead of us. βHold on a sec.β
βYou saidββ
βJust hold on, okay?β
There was a bright spot ahead, and within seconds the headlights were reflecting off a dotted line.
βLook, Luke,β I said. βRoad. Real, honest to God asphalt. Weβre through.β
He let out a shaky breath. βAbout damn time. Sorry for the way I was actinβ back there.β
βDonβt worry about it.β
βItβs just that I felt…Eli. Look.β
He pointed, but Iβd already spied it.
The road ended at the parking lot of a church. No other roads were led to it or away from it, just the one we were on. The building was shockingly white even in the dark, and its steeple rose up and in a sharp spike from the ground, the belfry a black rectangle. If there was a cross on top then I couldnβt see it. I had no idea how big or small it was. There were no wings or additions to either side, so any length it had was in the back. Two columns held up an awning, and between them was a set of red doors.
A simple wooden sign stood in the grass to the left of the door.
New Jerusalem Church of God, it read.
ββThe devil led him to Jerusalem,ββ Luke whispered.
A twist of anxiety circled up my spine and I snapped at him. βKnock that shit off, Luke. Donβt grasp at things that ainβt there.β
βPlease, Eli. Get us out of here.β
βI am, okay? Just hold on.β
I pulled into the empty parking lot and turned around, getting us back on the road.
It was then that I knew the truth. And the truth was we were well and truly fucked.
The road we came in on petered out into dirt, then dead-ended into the woods. No opening, no trail, just a wall of trees. Like it had never been there in the first place.
I stared at the place the road shouldβve been for a long while. I donβt know how long, but when I gained control of my wits my mouth was dry and sticky with old spit and Luke was shaking me by the shoulder.
βWhat? Sorry, I blanked for a minute there.β
βYou were just starinβ at the trees and mouth-breathinβ like a damn idiot!β
I shook my head. βFor a second there…for a second I couldnβt look away, like my mind kept trying to find the opening. Because itβs supposed to be there. Goddamnit, itβs supposed to be there!β
βI know, man. I know,β Luke said. βIt doesnβt make any sense.β
I took a deep breath then exhaled slowly. βWe need to keep our heads on straight, okay?β
Luke nodded. βYeah, I know. Iβm trying.β
The hymn cut off, and the manβs voice once again floated out from the speakers.
βAll are lost, brothers. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. But there is an answer, a way that all who are lost can be found. Join us for service at the New Jerusalem Church of God. Join us, and all will be revealed. βFor nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to lightβ.β
ββLukeβ again,β Luke said. βOf course it is.β
I turned to him. βHow do you remember all this shit?β
βMom,β he said. βShe read it to me a lot, before…you know.β
Having Mom and Jake brought up in the same night was jarring. I hadnβt thought about either of them in a long time. Consciously or not, I donβt know.
βIβm going to find a way out of here, Luke. I donβt know how yet, but weβre getting out of here.β
In the rearview mirror, the lights on either side of the churchβs door came alive.
Luke and I both turned to look at the same time.
βLooks like somebodyβs home,β he said. βFuck.β
I faced forward, gripped the wheel, and pressed the gas. I expected the screech of rubber on asphalt but there was nothing but a few muffled clicks as the engine cut off.
βEli,β Luke said softly. βWhat are you doing?β
βIt ainβt me,β I said, twisting the key in the ignition with no results. I realized the truck was still in drive, so I slammed the gearshift up into park and tried again.
Nothing.
βItβs dead, Luke. Nothingβs happening.β
βShit,β Luke said, hitting the dash. βShit, shit, shit!β
We sat in the stillness for a moment, our heavy breathing the only noise.
βWhat are we going to do, Eli?β
βI donβt know. I just need a sec to think.β
βI…donβt think youβre going to get it. Look at the trees.β
The dual cones of the headlights lit up the tree line, and from between the branches and trunks came a fog black as death, darker than the night itself. Smoky tendrils snaked slowly across the ground, reaching up and out.
The headlights began to dim.
βWe gotta go,β I said.
βWhat? Where?!β
βThis shit ainβt just in front of us! Look around, itβs coming from all sides!β
βSo, what, the church?! Fuck that! No fucking away!β
βI donβt see another option here, Luke! Itβs the only goddamn light out here! Come on!β
I pushed open the truck door and jumped out.
Luke didnβt move.
I ran to his side and threw the door open. βCome on, Luke!β
Luke still stared forward, shaking his head. The headlights were almost gone.
βLuke, get out of the goddamn truck or Iβll pull you out and carry you!β
He got out, his jaw clenched and eyes wide. The ink-black fog had reached the truckβs bumper.
βLetβs go!β I cried and pulled him by his jacket sleeve.
Then we were running, darkness circling around us, leaking into the open air.
I knew I could run faster, but I wouldnβt leave him. I kept his pace, giving him a push when he faltered.
βAlmost there!β I said between labored breaths.
The black was reaching around the corners of the church like crawling vines.
The red door loomed ahead.
My thoughts were pounding as much as my heart. A constant rhythm of almost-almost-almost.
Luke tripped, going down hard, his head connecting with the concrete with a sickening thump.
I cried out, not even words, just noise. I double-backed the few strides and grabbed him under his slack arms, heaving him up to my chest. I dragged him, pushing myself backwards as fast as I dared. The fingers of dark caressed his boots.
My back hit the door and it opened inward, our momentum sending us sprawling to the floor. I jumped up and slammed the door, then panicked as I realized Lukeβs feet were in the way, covered in a shroud of black.
βNo, you donβt, fucker!β I said between clenched teeth. I grabbed a handful of Lukeβs jacket and pulled him out of the way.
I slammed the door, and the thread of black that had wound around Lukeβs feet was cut. What remained on our side on the door solidified, becoming something like a tentacle, but bristling with fine hairs like a spiderβs leg.
I was reaching, ready to grab the shit and toss it away, but before I could it loosened and shriveled, fading away as I watched.
I knelt down beside Luke, gently lifting his head from the floor. His forehead was cut on one side; blood ran slowly down into his hair.
βLuke! Come on, man, you gotta wake up.β
βWhat the fuck,β he muttered.
Relief warmed me like a blanket fresh outta the dryer.
βYou tripped, man,β I said. βGot a nasty cut, too. Can you stand?β
He propped himself up on his elbows. βI think so. Give me a hand.β
I offered my hand, he grabbed it and I pulled him up. He was unsteady for a second and I thought heβd topple but he shook it off. I briefly worried if he had a concussion but we had more pressinβ shit to attend to.
βLook at this goddamn place,β I said. Iβd expected everything to be dark or at least lit by candles, but I was wrong. The main room was flooded with light, all regular electric bulbs. The walls were the sickly cream color of old bone, the carpet a deep red. The pews looked like they were crafted from white pine, their cloth padding the same red of the carpet. It all looked new and antiseptic, like those megachurches on TV.
Luke surveyed the room. βThis is probably the least welcominβ lookinβ church Iβve ever stepped foot in.β
I nodded, chewinβ on my bottom lip, an old nervous habit. I didnβt want to say what I was thinking, that it looked like we were inside something alive, something with blood and bone. I was thinking other things too, things I didnβt want to say out loud. I snapped out of it when I heard the doors rattling.
Luke pulled on the handles but they werenβt movinβ an inch.
βNo big surprise there,β he said. βWhatβs the plan then? Have a look around? βCause if thatβs what youβre thinkinβ then I gotta say thatβs an awful plan.β
βDonβt see that we have a whole hell of a lot of choices. Doorβs locked, and if you ainβt noticed yet, there ainβt any windows to speak of.β
He nodded slowly, then perked up and snapped his fingers. βCall the old man. See if he canβt send somebody out.β
And there it was just that quick, the thing I didnβt want to speak.
βNah, I…Look, even if somebody could get to us, they ainβt getting through that oily shit cominβ out of the woods.β
Luke stared at me, his eyes borinβ into me like a drill. βWhat ainβt you sayinβ, Eli? We ainβt twins, but I know your face and I know thereβs something youβre keeping to yourself.β
βI donβt know, Luke. Maybe callinβ Dad ainβt the best idea.β
βWhy?β
I thought about my next words carefully, trying my best not to sound crazy.
βThereβs no way I missed our turn, Luke. I didnβt even see the exit βtil it was in the rearview. Iβve been up and down this stretch of interstate hundreds of times.β
βYeah, but you said yourself you were tired as shit.β
βI wasnβt asleep at the wheel, shit, I was talkinβ to you when it happened! Iβve been hauling freight of one kind or another for damn near twenty years, and itβs been about that long since I missed an exit, any exit.β
βOkay, so whatβs it mean?β
βI think it was hidden,β I said. βLike the road outside is now. We canβt see it, we canβt get to it.β
He looked thoughtful. βYouβre probably right.β
I took a relieved breath. βGlad to hear it. I thought you were gonna think it was crazy.β
βShit, I ainβt about to discount anything about now, especially with fucking crawling shadows cominβ outta the woods.β
βThat ainβt the worst of it though. I think weβve been set up.β
Understanding made his eyebrows pop up. βYou think the old man did this?!β
βWhy else are we here, man? He calls me up, tells me to grab you and get down here as quick as shit. Then we get lost, and Gerold gives us directions right to New Bullshit Baptist Church!β
βIβm gonna fuckinβ kill the old prick,β Luke said, wringing his hands together. βIf heβs alive when we get outta here, I swear Iβm gonna kill him.β
βAnd Iβd tell the cops I didnβt see shit, but first we gotta get outta here.β
βWhatβs his game, Eli? Youβve talked to him more than I have the past ten years.β
βDonβt know, brother. To tell the truth Iβm more worried about how heβs doinβ it.β
βThe old bastardβs rich,β Luke said. βYou can do a lot of shit when youβre rich.β
βTrue,β I agreed. βAlright, letβs get movinβ.β
We moved down the aisle towards the altar, our footsteps muffled by the plush carpet. The podium was white pine too, standing up on top of a small set of stairs like an obelisk. Hanging above it was a life-sized crucifix, a wooden Jesus pinned to it, his carved muscles straining, his veiny arms forever frozen in the act of pulling away from the nails. I looked into His face, anticipating the look of grand suffering there.
But carved there was a rictus grin, pushing his polished cheeks up against eyes that gleamed with dark humor.
I swallowed hard, my throat dry and painful.
A voice boomed over unseen speakers.
βSERVANTS!β
Luke cried out, bending over with his hands clamped tight over his ears.
βJOIN US!β
That same tangled mess of a hymn started up again, trying to drown all thought outta my head.
I spied a door to our left. I tapped Luke on the shoulder and pointed the way. He nodded and rushed to it. We both went through and he slammed it shut behind us. The music became faint then was gone.
We were in some kind of hall. Wood paneling stretched down the corridor, and tube lights ran the length of the ceiling. The end was far enough away that I couldnβt see it.
I nodded to Luke, he returned the gesture and we began to walk. Every so often Iβd knock on the paneling, hoping Iβd get a hollow thump in return.
At some point, I broke the silence. βI feel like weβre being herded down a chute. Like sheep to slaughter.β
βThatβs what I needed to hear right now,β Luke said wryly. βIf youβve got any more motivational quotes, Iβm all ears.β
βNah, Iβll leave that to the old man. He always had some shit to spout, didnβt he?β
Luke lowered his voice and added a little rasp to it. ββAlways keep one eye to tomorrow, and one eye on your back.ββ
I laughed, and was a little unnerved as it echoed back at me from the hall. βYeah, he was a big fan of that one.β
βHe damn sure better watch his back now. Iβm almost happy about this, you know? It finally got me off my ass, made me come down here and ruin the asshole.β
βI know, after Jake diedββ
βAfter he went missing.β
βI mean, yeah, went missing.β
βYou donβt know if heβs dead, Eli,β Luke said, his voice stern. βNobody knows. Thatβs the whole fucking point. All of the old bastardβs money and resources and he didnβt do shit. He couldβve had helicopters fly over the whole goddamn state twenty-four hours a day, couldβve pulled some strings with his law enforcement buddies to canvas every square inch of woods between Gulf Shores and Huntsville. But he did nothinβ. Not a damn thing but wait. And here we are, still waiting.β
I wanted to hug him, tell him everything was going to be okay, but I couldnβt. I didnβt want to make either of us uncomfortable, or at least thatβs what I told myself. Instead, I reached out and squeezed his shoulder. It was the best I could manage right then.
We continued our trek, and Iβd knock every couple of steps.
Time passed, maybe ten minutes or so, and I was finally rewarded as one of my knocks reverberated behind the wall.
βHoly shit!β Luke said. βYou were right! Howβd you know?β
I shrugged, then ran my hands over the spot. βI didnβt, really. Just hoped. Figured weβve been walking for half an hour with no goddamn door in sight that there may be more to this. Here, you grab the edge up high and Iβll get low. Count to three and start pullinβ.β
We got into position, fingers dug into the slim crease where one wood panel met another.
βOne, two, three!β
The panel came off so easily that we both fell on our asses.
A cold breeze came out of the dark within, washing over us and making my skin break out into goosebumps.
βYou think it leads underground or something?β Luke said, standing slowly, one hand on the wall for balance.
I edged closer and peered in. βCanβt tell. I think thereβs a slope but itβs dark as shit.β
βI donβt think we should be traipsing around down there,β Luke said. βBut I also donβt know what the hell else weβre gonna do either.β
βWe just take it slow and easy,β I said, then trailed off.
A sound was cominβ up from below.
βWhat the hell?β Luke muttered. βSounds like footsteps.β
βToo fast,β I said, taking a step back. βSomethingβs runninβ.β
The sounds soon joined up with tremors, shaking the floor beneath our feet. The rows of tube lights overhead began to blink in and out with each shake, the intervals between light and dark getting shorter and shorter.
βGet back!β I cried and shoved Luke as far back as I could.
The small whole weβd made shattered into a hail of splintered wood as the thing busted through it.
It struck me full in the chest and drove me into the opposite wall and I could feel the paneling there crack with our weight. I only got glimpses of what it was as the lights cycled off and on, creating bursts like lightning. My fingers scrabbled over its knobby skin as I searched for somewhere to grab and push the thing away from me. Its breath was in my face as it growled, cold and wet, leaving droplets I could feel running into my beard.
I managed to find what I thought to be its neck and slid my hand beneath its chin, then pushed its face away from mine with a cry.
The lights flashed and I was pushing against my motherβs chin, her skin pale. The bruise around her neck from the noose sheβd used was a livid purple in the fluorescent light.
I screamed and the blessed dark washed over us again.
I was pressed back even further as Luke jumped onto its back.
βLet him go, motherfucker!β he cried. The weight pushing me against the wall lessened as Luke steered the thing away from me.
The lights flashed and Luke had both his arms around Jakeβs neck, their near-identical faces almost touching.
The hall went dark again. The thing roared and I heard Luke hit the wall. I grabbed for him and my hands brushed his jacket. I lunged forward and got two handfuls and pulled.
I hadnβt realized where exactly we were until we were tumbling down the steep incline inside the tunnel. I tried to shield Luke as best I could, wrapping my arms and legs around him as we fell. Thatβs all I remember before I hit my head and my lights went out.
* * * * * *
When I woke up, I was stiff, sore, and sitting upright. I shook my head to clear it which was a god-awful dumb thing to do. It felt like my brain was loose and slamming against the sides of my skull. I slowly opened my eyes.
I was sitting in a chair, my hands tied behind my back with what felt like some kind of soft cloth. The room around me was large and from what I could tell was shaped like an octagon. It was the same bone color as the church above, but carved deep into the wood were shapes and markings that made my eyes water to look at. One section was cut off from the rest by a curtain.
βTime to wake up,β a voice said from over my shoulder.
βWhereβs my brother?β I slurred as the man walked in front of me.
βRight here,β he said and laughed.
I looked up at him, and was about to call him Luke but realized that was wrong.
It was Jake. He was the mirror image of Luke, true, but you had to know where to look. The two freckles under his left eye, the tiny scar on his bottom lip where he fell on a toy chest when we were kids. It was him, no question.
βJake? What…what are you doing here?β
βAh, you know, Eli! A little bit of this, a little of that,β he said with a grin. βBetter question: what are you doing here?β
I tried to get my muddled thoughts together but couldnβt quite make it.
I answered honestly. βI donβt know.β
βWell, Iβm not surprised. Iβd blame it on the fact that you were always simple, but to be quite honest with you, the situation is definitely a tad complicated.β
I turned my head away from him, and spotted Luke lying on the floor.
βLuke!β I cried. βLuke!β
Luke stirred and opened his eyes, at first just a little then wider and wider as he saw Jake.
βWhat the fuck?β he said softly, and shook his head. βJake? Jesus Christ, Eli, Iβm hallucinating.β
Jake walked over and knelt beside him. βAfraid not, brother. Iβm very real.β
Lukeβs face changed, and it broke my heart to watch. His expression shifted from surprise and hope to outright fear within seconds. He pushed himself away, cringing against the wall.
βEli,β he said. βThis ainβt Jake, Eli.β
βWhat the hell are you talking about?β I said.
βI donβt know,β Luke said, tears welling up in his eyes. βBut that ainβt Jake.β
Jake sighed. βYou know, if you couldβve just believed for a few goddamned minutes it wouldβve made all this a lot easier. Now weβre going to have to bind you up, too.β
βDonβt bother,β Gerold said, stepping from behind the curtain, his slick, silver hair gleaming in the light. βI donβt have it in me to bind another one. Heβll behave. Wonβt you, Luke?β
Gerold drew the curtain back, the metal hooks squealing against the rod.
And there, laid up in a hospital bed, was my father. Tubes and wires hung between him and the machines keeping him alive. The vital signs monitor cast a greenish tint over his face, making him look worse than he already did. His small, dark eyes watched me.
βI knew it,β I said. βI goddamn knew it.β
The old man slowly removed the breathing mask from his face. βYouβve come home. To serve…your father, and…our god.β
βNice to meet you,β Jake said, flashing too-white teeth.
I couldnβt help but laugh. βWell, I always wondered which was gonna go first, your mind or your body, but I guess this answers that.β
βYou donβt believe your dear old dad?β Jake said with a pout. βHere, let me show you something.β
He was fast. So fast I didnβt see him move. One second he was in the middle of the room and the next he was in front of me with his hands on either side of my face. He locked his eyes onto mine and I…I went away.
The room was gone, and I was nowhere, and it was dark.
Jakeβs voice surrounded me.
βLook around, Eli. This is outside. Outside of time, outside everything. This is home. My home. Do you want a tour? Of course, you do!β
I spun, or at least it felt like spinninβ. Nothing was holding me, no gravity pinning me to anything. I was just floating in a black sea of nothing, its waves lapping against some unseen object.
βSee here? This is what you may call a wall, or a barrier, or anything else the pounds of salt and fat between your ears can come up with. But if you just give it a little pushβ¦β
The blackness opened and the light of ten thousand fires flooded in. I screamed at the shock of it, then stopped as I looked at what lay beyond the threshold.
The land was the no-color of ash, the sky a baleful orange. Every surface was covered with people, vast crowds as far as I could see. Some walked in circles staring at nothing, making swirling patterns in the multitude. A woman walked by muttering questions I couldnβt hear before a group leapt from the rest of the crowd and tore her apart with their nails and teeth and fists. Her blood seeped into the ash and was gone. I could see the bigger picture now, the random violence that erupted in clusters all over the land. Screams and curses rose up in a choir and I tried to shut my eyes against it but I didnβt have eyes in that place.
βYou know what their problem is?β Jake said. βBoredom. Absolute boredom. It breeds frustration, and they kill each other over and over again just to feel something for a few brief moments. Even the excruciating process of being remade doesnβt deter them. But even they have it better than me.β
The threshold collapsed, the dark retreated, and I was back in the room in front of Jake, sweating, and sucking in deep breaths like Iβd been drowning.
βSee,β he continued. βAt least they have something. Wailing and gnashing their teeth and all that. But you saw what was in my home. Nothing. Always nothing. And that is exactly why weβre all here.β
βWas that…was that Hell?β I asked. It was all I could say.
βYou want the truth?β Jake said. βI will absolutely tell you the one hundred percent truth, but I promise youβre not going to like the answer.β
I nodded, numb and spent.
βSimple answer: no,β he said with a lurid smile. βWhat you call Hell is much, much worse.β
βEnough,β my father hissed. βLetβs get on with it.β
βOn with what? Tell me!β I cried. βDonβt you think I deserve that much, you prick?!β
The old man sighed. βOut of the three of you, you have been the most dutiful. Very well, then. Do you know how old I am?β
I thought back. βNinety-three.β
βNo, son,β he said. βIβm nearly three hundred years old, though I forget the exact number.β
βWhat the fuck are you talkinβ about?β
βThe first time I was a young man I made our fortune in the slave trade. I met many…interesting people, from all over the world. One of which introduced me to our smiling friend here. A deal was struck. He gets to stay here in human form, and I get to live for a very long time.β
I didnβt want to believe a word of it, but I did. The things Iβd already seen… Yeah, I believed him.
The old man continued. βEvery time I reach middle age, I marry. Itβs usually quite easy with my wealth. A ritual is performed, the wife becomes pregnant, and I have a firstborn son. Then eventually twins. It has to be twins. It keeps me and our friend here connected. Iβve occasionally entertained the idea of having daughters, but if itβs one thing my long life has taught me, itβs that itβs much harder living as a woman. The firstborn β you, Eli β is the protector. Strong and hardy, to watch over your brothers, and to serve me.β
βSo, youβ¦ what? Grew me?β I said. βKnowing exactly how Iβd turn out?β
βYes, as I said, as a protector. And when we force you from your body, it will become Geroldβs vessel, so that he may continue to serve. Luke is my vessel. I will leave this frail flesh and live on in his body and identity. And I assume you can guess what becomes of the other vessel.β
The thing that was not Jake winked at me.
Luke spoke up. βAnd what if we say no?β
Dadβs lips spread into a tired grin. βIt doesnβt matter what you want. You were born to serve, then pushed through the crucible, made malleable and weak.β
βYour whole production here was to make us weak?β I said, shaking my head. βUntie me and letβs see how weak I am.β
βSpoken like a protector,β Dad said. βWhich is exactly why youβre bound.β
βMr. Harding, sir,β Gerold said, trying to keep his voice low. βWe really need to proceed.β
The old man spoke the Jake-thingβs name and I shuddered.
βArmaros,β he said. βIt is time.β
Armaros stood before me again. βItβs not so bad, really. One second youβll be here, and the next youβll be somewhere else. Who can say where, really? But I can say with absolute surety that I donβt give a shit.β
He held my face again, and I felt myself pulling away to…well, somewhere else. Things began to go dark like before but this time it was different. It felt final, and I knew it was over. I got tunnel vision as the dark ate at the edges of my sight.
Then the old man cried out.
βNo! Donβt touch them!β
Right before my vision gave out I watched as Luke barreled into Aramos. With the connection broken, I was returning to as close to normal as I was gonna get in that godforsaken place.
Luke was on top of the bastard wearing Jakeβs skin, both with their hands splayed on either side of each otherβs faces. There wasnβt lightning or fire or any other supernatural light shows but something was happening between them. They were stock-still, as motionless as marble statues.
Gerold ran toward them, arms stretched out. He placed his hands between the two, like he was gonna pull them apart, and it was the last thing the uppity prick ever did. He fell back, convulsing but still on his feet. Blood ran from his eyes, his ears, his mouth. He sprayed the shit everywhere as he screamed. I didnβt look away as his skin peeled back and shriveled like jerky, and I still kept watching as pieces of him rained down to the carpet.
And as the last of him tumbled down, whatever was holding my hands together loosened and fell away.
I bolted upright, every instinct tellinβ me to get to Luke, but one look at what was left of Gerold told me that may not be the best idea.
I walked towards my father on numb feet.
βEli,β he said. βHelp me, and you can take Geroldβs place by my side. Weβll live forever. Iβll show you wonders, tell you all things I couldnβt over the years.β
I reached his bedside. βYou know, Iβm about goddamn sick of you talking. Always talking. Always twisting things to get your way.β
βWhatever you want,β he said. βIt can be yours. Just say it.β
I tugged the pillow out from beneath his head.
βAll I want, is for you to shut the fuck up.β
I shoved the pillow over his face and pushed. He beat at my arms with his weak fists, dug his fingernails into the sleeves of my jacket. Didnβt do him any good. I kept pushinβ βtil he stopped moving.
I stepped back in a daze, the droning beep of the vital signs monitor filling my ears.
Luke and Not-Jake hadnβt moved a muscle, locked together, reflections in a mirror.
The room began to shake, a deep thrum all around us, pulsing hard enough to knock me down. I put my hands over my head as Dadβs IV pole fell over and bounced painfully off my elbow. Cracks began to run up the walls like lightning bolts.
βLuke!β I cried. βCome on, man! Snap out of it!β
Everything began to collapse as I crawled toward them. The sound of the building shaking itself apart reached an ear-splittinβ crescendo. I squeezed my eyes shut waiting for the first slab of earth to tumble down and crush me. I waited like that βtil I thought Iβd sprain my goddamn eyelids.
But the shaking stopped, and my skull was still in one piece.
I cautiously opened my eyes.
I was lyinβ flat on the gaudy, overpriced rug in my fatherβs bedroom. The tall curtains were closed but slivers of the morning light still found their way through.
Luke sat cross-legged in front of me, his eyes vacant.
I propped myself up on one elbow and reached out to him. His eyes focused and he took my hand in his.
βWhat happened, Luke?β I said. βJust what in the hell happened?β
βI found Jake,β he said. βThe real Jake. He was still in there, Eli. A prisoner in his own body for ten years. There wasnβt a lot of him left, to be honest. But he recognized me, and he helped me push that asshole out.β
My vision turned to prisms as tears welled up in my eyes.
βWhere is he now?β
Luke pinched the surface of the rug and brought up some dust or ash. I couldnβt tell which.
βThatβs all thatβs left of his body,β Luke explained. βBut he ainβt a prisoner anymore. He moved on to somewhere, I donβt know where, but he seemed happy about it.β
I squeezed his hand. βThatβs good then. Thatβs all that matters. Heβs free and happy.β
Luke nodded and his tears came as he broke into sobs. I sat up and grabbed him around the shoulders and pulled him to me.
We sat like that for a while, not talking, just being there for each other.
Just being brothers.
* * * * * *
Eventually, we got our wits about us and called the authorities about Dad. They collected his godforsaken carcass, and we both felt a hell of a lot better after that. We had a funeral a few days later. A big affair with all the trimmings. Itβs the South, and you gotta keep up appearances.
Things have been pretty good since. About a week after the funeral, we got a visit from the old manβs lawyers, and guess what? Luke was the sole beneficiary in dear old Dadβs will. He got the house, the money, everything Dad was planning on keeping for after he took Lukeβs body. It took hours for them to explain all the different places he had money socked away, how it was invested, and loads of other shit I donβt have the mind for. Luke says heβs gonna donate sacks full of cash to a bunch of shit Dad would hate. The NAACP, the ACLU, and some others that would really chap the bigoted bastardβs ass.
Weβre gonna sell the house, and find us a couple of places close to each other. I ainβt going to let him out of my sight again. I donβt know if itβs the ritual, the urge to protect that was put in me while I was still in the womb, but I donβt think so.
Heβs my family, the only one I got left, and I believe that means more than some bullshit magic spell.
I know now that there are places after this one, places after we die. I donβt know if Iβll ever see Jake again, but at least Iβll have all of this recorded to remind me, βcause no matter how shitty it was, I donβt want to forget.
Because for a brief moment he was there, and all of us were together again.
I love you, Jake. I couldnβt say the words while you were here, but Iβm sayinβ them now.
I love you.
π§ Available Audio Adaptations: None Available
Written by Ryan Harville Edited by Craig Groshek Thumbnail Art by Craig Groshek Narrated by N/Aπ More stories from author: Ryan Harville
Publisher's Notes: N/A Author's Notes: N/AMore Stories from Author Ryan Harville:
Related Stories:
You Might Also Enjoy:
Recommended Reading:
Copyright Statement: Unless explicitly stated, all stories published on CreepypastaStories.com are the property of (and under copyright to) their respective authors, and may not be narrated or performed, adapted to film, television or audio mediums, republished in a print or electronic book, reposted on any other website, blog, or online platform, or otherwise monetized without the express written consent of its author(s).