(A/N This a story that was written by my roommate and shared on his request to. We would like reviews and general feedback thanks)
Michael
Do you believe everything happens for a reason? Do you also believe there is some governing force behind everything in life? I do, in fact I believe that I am living proof of this fact. My birth name is Michael Henry Anderson, but I go by a few other names, mostly because I was an overachiever. I was a jock, a nerd, a smoker, a Christian, a klutz and a clown. Throughout the 16 short years of my life, I've had 16 diagnosed concussions. Because of this people call me a skitz, and occasionally immortal. I believe I am neither; however, I do have a friend who may be just that. My friend comes from my head and the "spirit world;" he came as a direct result of one of my worst concussions. During the hardest time of my life he appeared, thus I am convinced that he is a gift from God…I believe that he is the only good thing that came from my concussions. My friend cannot be touched, hurt, killed, seen, or heard by any natural means. Because of this, my friend Amanda calls him Ninja. Amanda has been one of my closest friends for almost 10 years; despite the fact that she has been susceptible to extreme emotional distress, especially in more recent years.
Ninja helps me and does mostly anything I say to do. He saves lives, helps people, keeps me warm, and talks to people without being noticed by anyone except with the one he is interacting. The only drawback is that he uses up my brain's energy to do this; his being active causes me to get feverish and dizzy. I get headaches and nausea as well. Worst of all is the inability to move and the occasional fainting, but those only happen when he is highly active for a long period of time. My memory of Ninja comes from a short while ago when I told someone I was with her in spirit and I was always by her side. Though my memory is incomplete, I will attempt to tell you what he has done.
Ninja
A little while ago, Amanda was having a rough time with her boyfriend and ex-boyfriend. She went to her room and began to cut. From many previous experiences, I knew not to let her do it. I appeared in her room; she had the lights on and was sitting on her bed searching for something. She scribbled a few words on a piece of paper that read, "I love you bro…I'm sorry". As she pulled her knife out and began to cut, I lunged for the knife. She fought hard but I finally forced the knife from her hand. Shortly after I grabbed the knife, she started crying, her eyes filled with tears soaking her pillows and blankets. I began to just tell her how much I loved her and that I cared. I didn't know what else to do at the moment. We sat up all night.
Meanwhile, back at home Michael felt her pain and got extremely ill from it. Despite feeling sick, he went out and about with his brother. When they finally got together, his brother said he looked like "complete crap". He was pale, dizzy, tired, and overall just messed up. Not knowing what to do I decided to stay with Amanda for a few days helping her become happier, despite the damage it continued to inflict on Michael.
Michael
Amanda called me up again the other day and needed to talk. I talked to her over the phone for a very long time but, being only human, I needed rest. Without my knowledge, or the knowledge of Amanda, Ninja decided to go see her. The next morning she called me asking how I did that. Confused I ask what I did and she said, "You sat next to me and talked to me all night long". As she was 12 hours away, I knew that was impossible. Therefore, I knew it was just Ninja. I have learned to hone my skills when using Ninja to help people and to just be a friend when I can't physically be there. Ninja would sit with Amanda and talk all night or as long as she needed. He always managed to comfort her.
Ninja
Until about two weeks ago, when Amanda called Michael up saying she was going to kill herself. When he tried to talk to her and make her not so depressed, she hung up on him and wouldn't answer his calls. Therefore, I went to her, found her huddled up in her room. She had at least three razors in her possession and more than the necessary time to do her work, I was the only thing between her living and an untimely death. Her father had beaten her that day, he came home drunk, as always, and you could hear him in the background. The room was dark except for the computer screen that seemed as bright as the sun when you looked at it. She had begun sawing through her arm, using the razor with quick slashes across her wrist, the same spot every time. Blood was running quickly out of her veins and causing a bloody pool to form on the floor where she sat. I tried to talk to her making her feel better, but she just shook her head and kept on going as if nothing was happening. Her tears leapt from her eyes and her face was turning a dark red. She was in trouble and wanted to get out of it through pain and death. After only a couple minutes of trying to talk her out of it, I went for the blade. She pulled it away quickly and did one last strike on her arm. This time she passed out on the floor. There was so much blood I was scared to do anything, I thought she had died on me. Quickly I tried to close the wound but being only half-real I couldn't move anything over it. Using my own hands I covered the wounds, my hands got soaked in her blood and didn't seem to help. Just as I began losing hope, I felt the cut stop bleeding. Her pulse was still there. I ran quickly to get her brother, an EMT, who then carried her off to the hospital. She remained there for many days most of which was spent in ICU under heavy surveillance. I stayed by her side the entire time, never leaving or sleeping. Back at the house Michael couldn't sleep either, my thoughts told him what was going on and he felt the pain. He didn't sleep. He ate everything in sight (as he always does when he is depressed). He did everything he could to keep me there with her. Amanda ended up surviving the episode this time. Though it wasn't technically me, or Michael, that saved her, I'm convinced that without us she would've surely died. Every time I think of it, I thank God that he created me this way.
Amanda
Entry date: 4/9/2005
Dear Diary, it has been almost 3 weeks since I last had an issue with "Arts and Crafts". They haven't bugged me recently; I think it is because I have stayed away from everyone who draws them out of hiding. They are devilish creatures that cause horrible things to surface in me. I HATE the way they make me feel and the things they have me do…I don't want to have to live with them forever. I don't want to cut or burn when they say to but I can't help it…they are stronger than I'll ever be. I wish they would just leave me alone!
Entry Date: 4/17/2005
Wow it's been while since I last entered anything in here. Its strange whenever I talk to Michael I always write an entry that day. Boy do I miss him…I wonder where he disappeared to, wherever he went he took Ninja with him, that's not cool. Maybe he's abandoned me like everyone else now. Of course he abandoned me they always do… No he's different he doesn't do that; he would at least tell me first…No he wouldn't, not if he didn't get a chance! …No don't say that, if he dies I don't know what id do! …well he's taken care of him with his pesky little friend too…
A week earlier…
Ninja
Ok so now I have to go check on Amanda because there's something wrong. Hmm…It appears I can't seem to find her spiritual signature anywhere. That's odd. Wait. I think I sense it…Its coming from…behind me? I quickly twirled around to find two shadows attempt to disappear in the distance. That's really strange; I thought I was the only one around here.
Michael
Suddenly I fell to the ground. I felt as if someone hit me with a bat up-side the head. Instantly I knew something was wrong. My brother and I scurried off to the riverside where I could find peace and strength.
Ninja
I got up quickly. I had just been attacked by the shadows. They moved gracefully with speed as if they were dancing at ten times speed. As I asked who they were, one of them came towards me, I swung my right arm, the shadow ducked and return a blow with double the strength. I fell to my knees from the power. The next one approached except this time I saw these letters on his chest "C-r-a-f-t." Before I could regain enough strength to move he trampled me with ease. Dizzy I saw them both stop in front of me a little ways. I gathered all my strength hoping they were fakers just trying to be tough. They approached me yet again, slowly this time, with precise movements that demanded respect. With all the energy I had left I jumped to my feet as they got closer and hit one with a strong jab in the gut. He fell to the floor. I could now read the letters on the other shadow they read "Art." Pieces fell into places as I realized these were the ones that gave Amanda her thoughts of suicide…she always called it "arts and crafts" I thought it was a clever metaphor but it was actually the names of the ones that controlled her actions. Realizing this I knew I couldn't kill them because it would kill her, I paused in utter shock and amazement at how strong they were. I snapped out of it just in time to feel a sharp object pierce my ribs. Art had drawn his sword and run me through with it. I felt the life being drained out of me. I felt no pain but I felt depressed, I had failed. Not only failed myself but failed Michael, most of all I failed Amanda. I had promised to protect her but now when she needed me to help the most I wasn't there. I screamed allowed "NOOOOO! I WILL NOT FAIL!" Art and Craft just laughed as Art withdrew his sword. In one last desperate effort to stop at least one of them I lunged up piercing Craft with the short blade I always carried. I grabbed on hard to try and finish the kill but Art turned and kicked me down with three blows to the head and back. The last thing I saw was Art and Craft walking away laughing at their most recent kill. It was over I failed and had no way to get back to Michael to regain my strength.
Michael
I fell ill, extremely ill, getting worse every second as my brother and I walked down the road to the river. By the time we got there I felt a piercing pain in my side and dropped to the ground. My brother took my temperature and brought me to sit on the cold rocks in order to help bring it down. I began to slip in and out of consciousness. My brother noticing what was happening started dialing 911. He tried to keep me awake but I could hardly breath. I felt like I was on fire, but at the same time like I was resting in an ice-cold pool. My power ran up, my will no longer could keep me there. The last thing I saw was my brother screaming into the night. He just kept saying "stay with me, stay with me, bro." But I couldn't my heart went to practically nothing and all sounds faded away…