Chapter 17: Beside Himself

AN HOUR LATER

It didn't take Simon long before he got tired of Dave' lecture on how he's been behaving lately, especially when his dad finally notices the hint of alcohol smell on his breath. It was like listening to a broken record, which was becoming irritating. Simon then decided to get up and storm out of the living room.

"Where do you think your going? I'm not finished talking to you, yet!" Dave yelled out to Simon.

"Yes you are, Dave! I'm not going to hear anymore of it!" Simon yells back as he enters the kitchen to get a bottle of water from the fridge. "I'll be dead before he'll finish 'talking' to me." He mutters under his breath as he twists off the cap of the bottle and tossed it on the counter. While taking a sip from the bottled water he recognized a door that would lead to the basement, to his old laboratory. He figured that would be the perfect place to hide out while Dave calms down.

Dave walked angrily into the kitchen, but arrived in time to notice the basement door closing shut. Again, Dave wondered what could have happened to Simon to cause him to behave like this. He tried to get him to talk about the experiences he had on the Island, but Simon would only answer that he simply does not remember. Dave sat on a chair that stood near him and rested both of his elbows on the kitchen table. He tries to massage a headache that was beginning to form.

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Meanwhile Simon walked down the stairs and observed his old lab that was now covered in dust and cobwebs. He turned to see his old couch where he'd sometimes sit and read or even nap while waiting for his chemistry experiments to set right.

As he sat on the couch and remembered the hours he'd spend down here. He realized now more then ever that he really missed those days. Simon sniffed back the tears, knowing all too well that those days would never come back. He finishes the last bit of water from the bottle and places the empty container beside the couch. 'Life was simpler back when I was a kid. Before this dreaded nightmare even started.' He thought as he closed his eyes and took in a deep breath.

Simon quickly opened his eyes when he heard a noise. Someone was in the room with him. How could that be without hearing the door up the stairs opening? He looked over to the table and saw a familiar looking figure. It was a little chipmunk boy humming a happy little tune as he played with the chemistry set on the table. The boy moved from end of the table to the other as he positioned each of the beakers. He wore big round glasses and a long blue turtleneck sweater that reached down to his little red sneakers.

It wasn't until the boy turned around that Simon saw the face of the boy and realized that he was looking at himself as a ten-year-old child. He looked exactly the same as he did the day before the Dean took him away from the Elementary school he went too over five years ago. Simon could feel his heart beating faster and his breathing quickening. He thought this was seeing things. Could be an effect caused by the alcohol he had earlier in the school's football field with Tom and Renee. Slowly Simon got up from the couch to get a closer look at this 'hallucination'.

The child looked up at Simon through his big round glasses and tried to give him a reassuring smile to convince his older self that it'll be all right. Unfortunately Simon didn't see it that way. "How could you stand there mocking me like this?" Simon growled. His face grew with intense angrier.

The little boy frowned and looked at the vial in his hands. He then held it up so Simon could see that there is hope. With all the knowledge he had he could create anything, even the cure to his illness. "How dare you torment me?" Simon again hissed. "Stop haunting me! Leave me alone! You're dead!!"

Simon quickly grabbed the chemistry set from the table and pulled it down on top of the ghost of his former self. The boy gave a gasping expression then disappeared before the vials and beakers crashed to the floor. Glass smashed all around Simon's feet as he lets out a growling scream.

Simon then slammed both of his hands on the table in order to stable his balance better. The room, without warning, began to spin. He breathed heavily as he suddenly received a major dizzy spell that nearly causes him to past out onto the shattered glass all around him. Closing his eyes and taking deep breaths through his mouth, Simon attempted to gain control of his balance again.

"What is going on down there?" Dave asked as he opens the door. "Simon, are you alright?"

"Get out!!" Simon snapped.

"But?"

"I said, get out!!" Simon screamed again as he picks up one of his chemistry beakers that happened to be sitting undamaged on the table and threw it up at Dave.

"Hay!" Dave barely had enough time to shut the door before the glass beaker would brake into a million pieces at his head; instead it broke at the edge of the door as he closes it quickly.

Simon stood in shock of what he just did. Finally he was able to move after the dizzy spell passed. The crunching sound of broken glass could be heard as he made his way from the table and back to the couch. He felt so guilty at what he just did to Dave, but soon was overcome with a serious headache. "Ow." Simon said as he sat down. The tears ran down his face as he held his head. Slowly he began to lie down on the couch in a fetal position. He closed his eye and mostly cried out of guilt and pain. It took a few minutes before he had cried himself to sleep.