Chapter 10

Jayden's nose was bleeding. Marco and Jane were trying to clean the mess and stop the bleeding. Braylan was standing in he corner. It was really series now. The sooner they did something, the better.

After 10 long minutes, Jayden finally regained consciousness. He blinked his eyes several times and then-

"Dad? What happened?"

"We heard you shouting and the room was locked. Then we found you on the floor with bleeding nose." Marco replied. He glanced at the young boy who was now sitting with a deep frown.

He knew it wasn't Braylan. His brother would never do that to him. Besides his brother was not a shape shifter. So now these things are going to use people who are closest to him as disguise to come closer to him.

"So how did it happen?" Jane asked in a gentle voice. The frown grew deeper on the boy's face.

"I don't know! I felt all rigid and I don't remember anything else." Jayden replied with a meaningful glance at Braylan, who nodded understanding what he meant.

"Don't we have an appointment?" Jane spoke gently.

"Yeah! Jay, get yourself cleaned up. We have to be there in 20 minutes." Marco said.

"Ok dad" Jayden replied hopelessly.

***********

The moment Jayden and his parents left, Braylan ran out to Jacob's house. They had to start working.

"So I can't have these books for more than 3 days. That grumpy old hag won't let me." Braylan said bitterly.

" We will scan them." Jacob said smiling at Braylan's expression. The books were thick and they wanted each and every word to be clear. So they started working. Snaps after snaps, pages after pages. Minutes turned into hours. Finally after three hours, they managed to scan all the books.

"Mom and dad are probably back. I want to hear what happened to Jayden."

**************

The way to psychiatrist was a nightmare. Jayden could see his sweet little brother transforming into an adult who liked to hurt people. He was feeling terribly weak. His nose was still twitching and probably he sprained his ankle when he fainted. He really didn't get time to analyse all the damage on his body but he felt like someone pinched him on the back and there is for sure a big brusie. He heard that cold laughter again and again in his brain and he was afraid that he might actually loose his sanity.

The psychiatrist was kind and asked him about his story. He obviously lied and cooked some cock and bull story. He made it up on the way and as he was alone with the doctor, he lied and made a story that didn't give a hint about lost sanity or hallucinations. Nevertheless, the doctor asked him a lot of questions and then gave his parents a prescription and a schedule to follow.

If the way to the clinic was bad, it was nothing compared to the way back home. Jayden sat in the back seat playing game on his phone. He had a feeling of being watched. He ignored it for a long time and it was when something cold touched his neck that he turned to see.

************

Braylan came back and saw that his parents weren't home yet. Jacob was with him and Samuel had joined them too. The boys didn't say a word and decided that it will be Jayden who will decide weather or not Samuel will be with them in this secret. They came inside and nothing was out of ordinary. They walked upstairs, towards Braylan's room. They passed Jayden's room and the door was swinging like someone was playing with it. Braylan and Jacob exchanged looks and Samuel noticed it.

"What's wrong? What are you guys hiding?"

"Nothing Sam! C'mon let's sit in my ro.." Before Braylan could finish the sentence, the door slammed with a loud thud and opened again. The temperature around them dropped and the hallway was filled with the smell of rotten egg and socks.

"I think we should leave." Jacob said grabbing Braylan and Samuel. He started running towards the main door. There was no point staying in this house.

"You never said me your house was haunted!" Samuel complained.

"It is not haunted, Sam!"Braylan replied with a nervous glance at Jacob who shook his head and shrugged.

"What are you hiding?"

"Sam! We are best buddies. But I can't put you in danger." Braylan said, not meeting his friend's eyes. Samuel turned towards Jacob, who shrugged his shoulders even before he could open his mouth.

"Maybe I can help you in some way!" Samuel said after several minutes of silence. "Maybe I know what to do. You should atleast tell me!" He looked at Braylan, who looked like someone had drained all the blood from his face. He nodded and gulped in reply.

~Silence~

"Ok Sam! Braylan started with a sigh. "I trust you so I guess I can tell you. Jacob you should help me out." He gulped and then narrated all he knew with Jacob filling up what he forgot.

After the story was completed, Samuel sat in the chair, speechless. He tried to speak several times, failed and then he drank some water.

"That graveyard is haunted. I don't know why your parents didn't tell you this. One time my cousin went there and my aunt grounded her for two days. She was mad and was screaming her head out. "

"Dad mentioned about some kidnappings and said that if we ever step in that park, we are grounded!" Braylan said, remembering the rule.

"Yeah there have been kidnappings too. Dad said about it." Samuel said. His mom and dad were born and brought up in California and knew a lot about the locality.

"I think we should start collecting information now. We should know as much as we can so that we know what to do."Jacob said. "But Sam, remember, we are not going to tell Jayden that we are working. It's a secret."

"Ok! I won't tell a word to a soul. No one will know." With that said and a new helper found they busied themselves in the books, reading, pointing, and noting the points of importance, exchanging their notes evey 5 minutes or so, discussing and trying to fit in all the information they read. Something might come in use. They were preparing to free Jayden and help him out so that he will not suffer anymore.

*************

Sitting beside him was the red cloaked figure. He had never seen its face before and it's face was hiding even now. He didn't understand how its face was sill hidden. It was right beside him and it's hood covered it's forehead. Maybe it was because it's eyes were unnaturally red or maybe it was the ferocity of it's gaze. He didn't figure out. But it's fingers were ice cold and brittle. They seemed to crack any second but the grip didn't loosen. It's gaze was horrific. It was like the gaze was trying to suck all the energy and blood from his body. No, the gaze was actually sucking energy from his body.

Jayden's body was covered in cold sweat. He wanted to scream, but his voice was not working. He wanted to move, but his body was jammed. The cloaked figure's grip on the back of his neck gave him goosebumps. It's other hand came into live and he gripped his left shoulder.

It was end of the world for Jayden. His left arm was on fire. His bones were twisting, the blood was boiling and the gaze was intense. Jayden was in so much pain and felt so weak that he passed out for the second time.

**********

"Oh so you are up!" Exclaimed Jane.

"How long have I been... seeping?"

" Two hours or more I guess. Your dad had to do some stuff and we had to buy some new stationary for you both and some groceries. So we did that. We also ordered lunch and we are almost home."

Jayden nodded. So he was unconscious for two hours and for second time this day.

'Am I growing weak?' he thought. He felt shaken and felt that there is no energy left in him. It took a lot of effort to just keep his eyes open and keep sitting. He sat in the car thinking about his mysterious pass out, watching cars pass them, zooming, their drivers and passengers sitting, living a normal life with no soul sucking things to worry about. The psychiatrist's clinic was pretty far from their home. So it took 30 minutes to reach there and on the way back, they did some shopping so it means they would reach home in 10 to 15 minutes.

Then his thoughts turned to cloaked figure. But no one was in the car except for them. He absent-mindedly rubbed his left arm and expected it to be smooth. Except it wasn't. He could feel the rough scar. He glanced at his arm and saw that it looked raw. His mind went back to the cloaked figure andhe ft a chill pass through his spine. He was not sure if he wanted to share this with anyone. Things seemed to be going to fast. First Braylan, not actually Braylan, but something disguised as Braylan, came to him with the necklace and a dairy. He fainted. Then the cloaked figure appeared out of thick air, grabbed his left shoulder, hurted him and disappeared after he fainted again! It was really creepy for a thirteen-year-old boy. As if this wasn't enough, he had to visit a psychiatrist because his parents thought that he is loosing his sanity and just to satisfy them, he had to act like one and visit the doctor.

The car stopped infront of the house and Jayden got out quietly, unsure of weather he should confide this to his brother and friend or not. He simply walked inside the house, drank some water in the kitchen, walked up to his room to wash up and change, and maybe he could get sometime to stuff his mouth with chocolate or granola bar so he could regain a bit of his lost energy. Not knowing that greater horrors are stored for him and that when he enters the room, he might want to pass out once again...