Chapter 3

Elliot lay still on his bed on a cool night in autumn. His nice, upper-end apartment had little in the way of decorations in it. A bed, a few chairs, a television, and a small table were the only things of note. He never cared to heavily furnish or decorate his new living space, even after being there for almost a year. He didn’t really feel the need to do so. Why would he need a couch if no one would visit him? Portraits, posters, plants? All superficial nonsense, he thought. So, he was content with having little to his name. A young man with all the money he could ask for lay still on his full-sized bed, just a mattress on the floor with no sheets to even cover it, less than a week away from his eighteenth birthday. He’d spend it alone—while Main Street's lights would be lit with street vendors, mediums, ghost tours, and people dressed in various costumes, Elliot would be alone on the Day of the Dead. Just him and his waves, that seemed here to stay once again, filling his mind with thoughts and visions, usually a blurred mess of incomprehensible things.

He would have been fine with it, spending his birthday alone at least. But, the return of the waves had invaded his lonely domain—misery loves company was how the saying went, and Elliot would have that unwelcome company one way or the other. And with the return of the waves, once again, Elliot realized what a miserable, lonely life he created for himself. He was so lonely. Just reach out to them, to Mom, to Selly, to Corey, to Enid. They’d welcome you back with open arms after a while, wouldn’t they? They’d understand, right? Wouldn’t they? The waves were back either way, so he’d still suffer from that, but at least he wouldn’t have to suffer alone anymore, right? But, how much longer would he be able to take it? Suffering in silence, involuntarily peering into his loved ones’ minds, invading their privacy, their secrets?

Elliot had learned more than he’d ever liked to have known about his friends and family. Nothing bad, really, just the random, stupid things young people thought. He knew they didn’t mean it, but being called a coward and a loser, even indirectly, still kind of hurt coming from Corey and Selena. That feeling of betrayal that Enid felt after Elliot refused to believe in her imaginary friends any longer, that drifted them apart over the years. He still couldn’t comprehend what his twin sister was going through, and honestly, he thought she was sick in the head at some point. He told her just as much the day he left his home. She didn’t take it well and decked him in the face pretty hard. He couldn’t blame her. People would think Elliot was sick as well if he ever tried to explain his… gifts to others. But his were vivid and had all the proof in the world. At least, they did.

The only person who truly knew, the person who took advantage of those gifts so thoroughly, was gone. His Father, Julian Fencer, knew quite well about Elliot’s waves and used them to create generational wealth for his family. Julian Fencer, the most pragmatic person Elliot had ever met—when he peered into his father’s mind, it had only happened once. But what he found out about his father, when he was twelve years old, he had to tell his mother. He didn’t tell her how he knew; he just told her that secret. And, one year later, they were divorced, and Father had found a new bride in less than a year, and had his little brother, Eckhart, one year after that. Another reason to stay away from everyone he loved—he did not want to know. It was wrong to know, so very wrong. And it resulted in tearing his family apart.

The young man tossed and turned in his bed. It was well past midnight, and the waves had cooled down somewhat. But he was still having trouble sleeping. He got up, grabbed a cool glass of water straight from his kitchen sink, and stared outside his large window in his bedroom. He took in the nice view, many trees, with a deep crimson red lived outside his apartment.

It was a quiet neighborhood, in a gated community, and he had the best view he could ask for, honestly, nature. No cool buildings in a high-rise apartment to look at in a dense downtown city. Just a nice, humble apartment was all he wanted. And truthfully, he’d probably have to move to Savannah if he wanted something more fancy. But Bumble was a quiet, quaint, small town, with more of a rural, rustic appearance. There were some similarities between the two cities, but Savannah was much larger, and Bumble didn’t have a beach. But one thing the two cities had in common was their popularity with the paranormal attractions. Bumble was even more popular in that regard, and people from all over the country, even some from other countries, would come to Bumble to have their fortunes read or do a ghost tour. It had beaten out Savannah long ago in that regard.

But Elliot had more thoughts on his mind besides comparing two cities. He needed some damn sleep, and he still had school in the morning, unfortunately. He peered out his window for a while longer, sipping on some warm tea while listening to blues music, an earbud in only his left ear. He was self-conscious about needing to hear what was going on outside around him. The fire alarm could be going off, or an active shooter could be in the building. Nevertheless, he stood there for a few minutes longer and walked toward his bed again, hoping to get at least a bit of sleep that night. But, after his doorbell rang about five or six times in succession, his hopes of that happening waned just a little.

It was too late for visitors, Elliot thought. Hell, he never even had any visitors, so who in the hell would be knocking on his door this late? He tensed up a bit and walked slowly towards the door as it continued to knock. The knocks became louder and soon turned into pounding. Elliot, annoyed, shouted, “I’m coming, chill out,” and looked outside through the peephole. A familiar face looked back at him, and he unlocked and opened the door—Enid, his twin sister, stood there with a blank face. She’d grown out her hair, he noticed. A full, lush afro sat atop her head. She continued to stare at him blankly. Elliot was frozen in place for a while before he spoke up.

“E-Enid,” he said.

The twin stared a bit longer before she spoke again. She gave him a half-smile and responded. “Long time no see, Ellie,” she said, sounding chipper, opposite of her facial expression. “Pretty cold out tonight. Mind if I come in?”

Reluctantly, he let her in. She inspected his apartment with her mouth half open in surprise. Why had she come here? Elliot wondered. He thought his sister would have nothing but disdain for him after all this time had passed. Perhaps she still did, but she came to see him regardless, for some reason. She continued to look around, wide-eyed at his apartment, then addressed him, her voice still upbeat.

“Wow, I knew you weren’t much for decorations, but this place is really empty, man,” she said, grabbing a foldable lawn chair and sitting in it. “Come on, sit down. It’s been forever. We… should talk.”

Elliot obliged and pulled up a chair next… a few feet apart from his sister. He hunched down, looking at the floor as he spoke.

“How’d you find out where I stay?” he asked quietly. “I never told you or Mom.

“I have my ways,” she said, arms folded and legs crossed as she stared up at the ceiling.

“Ok… So, what’s up?”

“Oh, nothing much. Just checking up on you since you never bothered to visit,” she said, exasperated. “I’m doing fine by the way, so is Mom and Eck.”

“That’s good.”

She sighed again. “And how are you, Ellie?”

“I-I’m doing fine.”

“I see,” she said.

They sat in silence awkwardly for a while. Enid scrolled through her phone, Elliot looking around awkwardly. He had wanted to see his sister again. He wanted to see his family and friends again, but this was not how he envisioned their reunion. It was an awkward, stilted exchange between the two. When was the last time he even had a conversation with Enid? With anyone, for that matter. They had lived under the same roof, but they had grown apart. He had vowed himself to isolation, but the loneliness ate his heart up. The fear of what would happen, the panic pushed him further away.

The waves thrashed violently in his head, but he could not hear Enid’s thoughts. But what he could see was an incomprehensible mess. Masks, bloody masks etched into his mind. What was it? Was it the past or the future? What exactly did the visions he had received lately mean? The cradle? Mom and Dad, those… faces. Grinning faces—the cry for help. They just didn’t make any sense, no matter how much Elliot thought about it. They were just nonsense, nothing like Elliot had ever seen before. He could see movement; he could see outcomes if he focused enough. And when he looked at his family, his sister, his friends, Selly Corey, Mom, dad… All he could see was a pile of bones. Skeletons. After a long life. Or after an untimely demise?

Elliot tried to suppress the feeling, but he couldn’t help but think that one day, somehow, it would be his fault. He just couldn’t accept that. So, he walked away, turned his back on them all eventually. And that left an even bigger hole. So now, with his twin sister there, someone he used to be able to share everything with when they were kids, reaching out once more, Elliot thought, was it really okay? Could they really go back to being siblings, being normal around each other like all those years ago? Or would the waves consume him, and in turn, everyone around him?

They sat silently and awkwardly for a few more minutes until Enid finally broke the silence again.

“So, are you ever gonna talk about it? Or were you just planning to leave us hanging forever?” Enid asked.

“I-I don’t know,” Elliot hesitated. It was just time to move on, I guess.”

“Oh, cut the shit, Elle. Just talk to me, please,” she looked at him, finally changing the blank expression on her face to a frown. “It’s just you and me here. Just like old times, remember?”

“Yeah,” he nodded and tried his best to conjure up a smile. He could only manage a half-smile, though.

“I know it’s been a while, and I know that things.. Probably won’t go back to the way they used to be when we were kids. But, you’re still my brother, Elle. You’re my twin brother, so I know. I-I know something’s wrong. I can’t explain it, but I just know. You… haven’t been well lately, right?” She frowned at him, looking concerned.

Elliot’s eyes widened a bit at Enid’s comment.

“The big eighteen’s coming up soon. And you still never came back or reached out. You.. That’s gotta be hard for you. And, I know you’re doing it for a reason, but I want you to know, Elle, that I believe in you. “
Believe in what? Elliot thought.

Elliot didn’t even believe in himself. He didn’t know what he was doing. He just wanted to escape. Escape it all and start a new life. Get rid of the waves. Spare his loved ones from the disaster that he was. Sometimes, he thought he was going insane. There she was, Enid, still sitting right next to him. After all this time, no great calamity had fallen on any of his loved ones. They’re still doing fine. Life was still moving on for them. So why?

Why did Elliot feel like every single time he got near them, he was hastening their demise? After all this time, he still felt like it as he stared at Enid, the only person alive now, who could understand him—the person he swore to protect all those years ago. And, he had left her. Even when they lived together, he still left her long before that. And as he looked at his proud, unwavering twin sister, he felt shame.

Like Elliot, she was also a loner, but Enid hadn’t had any friends at all. And eventually, she had stopped going to school at all. She was homeschooled by her mom after the bullying had gotten out of hand. But she still stood firm, confident, no matter how odd she might seem. Enid was brave. Braver than Elliot ever could hope to be. And she still believed in her brother, whereas he stopped believing in her a long time ago. Elliot stared into the distance a bit longer, contemplating, stirring, and then looked up once more toward Enid, bashly.

“I-I’m sorry,” he said, quietly as ever. “I-I’ve been wanting to talk to you, to everyone. But, it’s been… hard for me.”

“I know,” she said carefully. “I know it all. You don’t think I remember fixing you up when we were kids after Dad… did what he did?” she frowned. “I should’ve known better.”

“We were kids,” Elliot said. “And Dad… was dad. It’s in the past, Enid.”

“Yeah, but still. It was fucked up. And, I know it still haunts you, right?”

“Yeah,” He nodded slowly.

“And I know your waves, or whatever you used to call them. They probably still haunt you, too, right?”

He shrugged his shoulders and smiled a bit. “You still remember that? That was so long ago. And you still think it was real? We were just being stupid kids, Enid. Remember you had that imaginary friend, Smoky or whatever?” he chuckled. “And you said he was scared of me, so he wouldn’t come out? Come on, that was just some kid stuff. Don’t tell me you still believe in that nonsense.”

Elliot tried to play it cool and wave off his sisters’ claims. But, he knew from the scowl she gave him, that she was dead serious.

“I know what you did for us,” Enid said quietly. “And, I’m grateful for it. Guess I never really thanked you for what you did, huh?” she smiled, looking downward. “I’m sorry.”

Elliot just shook his head and resigned. He gave his sister a pat on the shoulder. “It’s in the past,” he said. “And, it’s not your fault. But, how… did you know?” he hesitated. “How do you know it wasn’t just some silly things we said to each other as kids?”

Enid smiled and looked up at him. “Well, you’re my brother. Of course, I knew it was true. You really think Dad’s dumb ass could get rich by himself?”

That got a chuckle out of Elliot as he rubbed his chin. “Yeah, he was pretty stupid, huh?”

“There ya go. I knew there was still some character in there somewhere.”

Elliot punched her on the shoulder and glared. “Rude.” They both laughed a bit more. This… this was nice. Talking to someone again. Talking to Enid again.

“I’m still mad at you, though?” Enid said with a frown.

“I know. I… hurt you and Mom a lot. But, you really believed me? All this time, you thought your twin brother had psychic powers? Even if it adds up, that’s still a stretch for people our age, don’t you think?”

Enid shook her head in disappointment. “Yes, Elle. Of course I do.” She stared at him fiercely. “I’m mad because you didn’t believe in me.”

Elliot raised an eyebrow questioningly as Enid continued. “Aw, don’t tell me you still talk to Smoky or whatever?” Elliot said.

“Smoky’s real!” she yelled, pinching him on the ear as he winced.

“Hey, stop that,” he said, shoving her hand away. “Jesus, Enid. You gotta grow up.”

“I’m grown,” she frowned, standing to her feet. “And Smoky’s real. We made a bunch of new friends.”

There it was again, Elliot thought. That same childish, ignorant nature that always reared its head in Enid. Delusional, completely delusional, and… sad. He loved his sister, but that side of her, that… wondrous side of her, was another reason that made it so hard for him to keep talking to her. It was only one of many. Of course, the blame still mostly lay with him, but… his twin sister, Enid… was especially difficult and adamant when it came to the paranormal. He really should’ve told Mom about this. Did she really never notice? Enid was a good person by all means, but.. The girl needed help. At first, he thought it was just a face that would pass its course, but all these years later, Enid was still talking about “Smoky,” the friendly ghost. She was bullied at school, and holed herself up in her room all the time, much like Elliot, but at least Elliot didn’t drop out. Enid was forced to be homeschooled. She didn’t have many friends to begin with, but he knew that couldn’t be healthy. He noticed her sneaking out at night, though, many times in fact, when they lived together. Was she out hanging out with her imaginary friends all those times?

Elliot just sighed. He decided that this was it. He had to help his hallucinating sister finally get the help she needed. He was the older twin and made a vow to protect her. He needed to start actually acting like it again. So, he stood up as well and made up his mind. He’d get Enid help even if he had to drag her to a psychiatrist. And then… he’d need to help himself get better as well. But before Elliot could speak, Enid acted first and grabbed his wrist firmly.

“Elle, will you believe in me as I believed in you for so long?” She stared at him intensely and seriously; it felt like a laser was being pointed at him.

That gave Elliot pause as he stared back, dumbstruck and pondering. He knew there was no point, but he just sighed. Perhaps, if Enid could understand that no one could see her “friends” except for her, she’d be a bit more open to receiving the help she needed. So, he just nodded.

“Ok, I’ll…try to believe,” he said, mustering up a smile.

“Good,” she gave a bright smile back at him. “Let’s go meet Smoky!”