Chapter 14
By Mare
phantasm
(phan-tazm)
1. An image
formed by the mind, and supposed to be real or material; a shadowy or airy
appearance; sometimes, an optical illusion; a phantom; a dream.
2. In
Platonic philosophy, objective reality as perceived and distorted by the five
senses.
He watched
with great relief when he saw that the chant Brian said seemed to get him out
of his dilemma. He watched with great interest as Chaucer, the man in white,
spoke to Brian telling him exactly how to ward off all the evil demons. His
heart fluttered with excitement at the site of Kevin carrying an unconscious
Nick and nearly exploded with laughter when he saw those evil clowns run out of
the Forrest chasing AJ and Howie.
He enjoyed
seeing the good Backstreet Boys conquer and wanted the evil ones to suffer. The
only thing he didn't understand was why Chaucer never talked to him. He had
seen Chaucer his whole life. He was there for every important thing that had
ever happened to him. Through the death of his parents, through the numerous
foster homes until finally landing with his sister, through the taunting and the
teasing at school. Chauser was there but only watched from a distance.
He clasped the
charm in his hand and uttered the chant. The chant that Chauser told Brian
about. The chant that would keep the real boys safe from harm.
"What are
you doing?" Gary turned around at the sound of his sister's voice.
"Nothing"
She walked over to his desk and grabbed the charm out of his hands, "Don't
tell me nothing! You're talking to him again aren't you?" She asked in a
cold hard voice. The voice of frustration. Gary looked away from her, ashamed.
Behind her was Chauser talking to Brian once again. He wasn't sure what they
were saying. His sister's voice overpowering theirs.
"Gary,
you have got to stop talking to these imaginary people. It's not right.
Remember what your psychiatrist said?" He was ignoring her, still trying
to make out what was going on behind her. She noticed he wasn't paying
attention and pulled his chin to meet her eyes. "There's nothing there
honey! It's all in your mind!"
"But
there is Desi, you just can't see them"
"You know
why I can't see them Gary? Because they don't exist. You made them up honey.
Haven't you been taking your meds?"
No, this is
where he had to ignore her, this clearly wasn't his real sister, but the evil
Desi. The evil Desi tried to drug him up so he couldn't see Chauser anymore.
The evil Desi had him put away in a mental hospital, the evil Desi refused to
let him talk about, hang posters up or buy anything Backstreet related. This
was the evil Desi!
He grabbed his
charm back from Desdemona "No! I can't listen to you! I have to help
Chauser and The Backstreet Boys!" Her blood went cold at the mention of
the singing group. She thought that by now, Gary would be done with his whole
obsession. Hoping the therapy and time on his medication would keep him from
thinking about them 24/7. When she heard him utter their names again she almost
cried. "Honey, what about the Backstreet Boys?" She sat down next to
him, still holding the balled up piece of paper, that Gary had referred to as his
charm, in her hands. "I have to help the real Backstreet Boys. The evil
ones are going to kill the good ones" He grabbed the charm back from his
sister and recited his chant once again while tears ran down her face.
"No Gary,
GOD not again. please honey come on" She said once again grabbing the
balled up piece of paper from his hands. She didn't want to go through this
again. She couldn't go through this again. He pushed her down to the ground
enraged.
"I don't
have to listen to you! You are NOT my real sister! You are her evil
double!" She panicked when he got like this. She scooted away from him
while still sitting on the floor. She knew she would have to call the hospital
and have him admitted again. He was a danger to himself and her. He sat back down,
holding the paper and staring at the wall intently.
She looked on,
her body trembling. The last time this happened, he was caught outside a hotel
that the Boys were staying at. It was maybe 1999. That time, he overheard
Chauser telling someone that Desdemona was planning on having one of her demons
attack Nick. So he waited outside the hotel for hours and when the blonde
superstar finally had made his way out into the crowd of screaming fans, he ran
with all his might and tackled the boy. Bringing security on top of him. That
led to a restraining order and a stay at the mental hospital. She knew he was
sick before, but it was that incident that made her realize her brother was
totally insane.
Gary sat and
listened to Chauser talking to Brian, he took a piece of paper and wrote every
word he heard.
Brian you did
an excellent job remember you just have to believe!
"Believe"
He uttered under his breath as he looked over at Howie still recovering from
seeing his sister. His sister. For just a moment his fantasy world disappeared
replaced by his empty wall, his sister's crying echoing through his room. He
turned to her, "Desi, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"
She looked to
him, lowering her voice to a whisper, "You are sick baby, you need to go
to the hospital" Her tender voice reminded him of Caroline's. The loving
way she talked to Howie, right before accusing him of not being there when she
died. Her eyes had turned red then. Now he looked at HIS sister and saw the
same thing. A red glare coming from her eyes. He jumped out of his seat in
fear.
"No! Stay
away from me!" He screamed at her, placing his hands in front of his face
to block out those eyes.
"That's
not your sister! That is her Gary. Desdemona!"
Gary turned
around shocked to hear those words spoken to him. He saw Howie standing there
next to Chauser.
"She is
evil, you need to kill her for us please!" Now Brian came into view,
"We are running out of time Gary. You have to kill her and then help me to
kill the others" He turned to his three phantasms and smiled,
"Me?"
"Yes
you!" Brain insisted. He walked over to the boys once again, "You
finally see me?"
"Of
course we do"
Desi looked on
in horror as her brother continued to talk to the wall as if there were people
standing there. He was so sick. She stood up and went for the phone that was
laying on his desk.
"What do
you need me to do? I will do anything you ask"
Chauser moved
forward and placed a firm but reassuring hand on Gary's shoulder. "You
need to kill Desdemona, than you can help Brian kill the others before it's too
late"
"But she
is my sister" That statement made Desi look at her brother with a new
found curiosity.
"NO she
isn't Gary. THAT is her, our enemy, OUR Desdemona. Kill her, you have to"
He tried to
ignore their words, tried to block them out completely but what if they were
right? He looked over at his sister who was fishing for something in her
pocket. "What are you looking for?" He asked her. She looked up and
with an air of deep regret said, "The phone number for Doctor Harris. You
need help honey. Help I can't give you" She finally found the card with
his number scribbled on it. She had had to call him once before when Gary
fantasized about Nick being in the hospital. She had caught him roaming through
the streets looking for the attacker.
"You
can't let her do that Gary! You have to stop her now!" Brian screamed.
"Kill her
quickly before it's too late" Howie yelled
"Do
it!" Chauser added.
He grabbed for
his sister's neck, watching her evil red eyes dull to brown before becoming
empty. She had scratched at him. His skin bleeding slightly, he dropped her
lifeless body to the floor. "You did the right thing" Brian said as
Gary took a blanket, the one his sister had made for him one Christmas, and gently
covered her body.
"Right
thing?" He asked them as he stood back wondering how the evil one could
look so similar to the one he had loved soo much.
"Yes, now
come on. We have to find the Backstreet Boys before it is to late. And
Gary?" Gary moved his eyes away from the still form lying in front of him.
"Yes
Chauser?"
"Bring
your gun!"
***
