A story about life, love, courage, and testing ultimate friendship. What happens to Beetlejuice and his friends when one of their own falls into despair and changes completely? Nothing will ever be the same. This story is an Alternate Universe set five years after Dark Shadows in the year 2008, and does not follow the intended story line. I repeat, this story does NOT follow the intended story line of the two stories (A New Beginning & Dark Shadows) included in my Beetlejuice Afterlife series, which is why it is simply titled "Mania" and not "Beetlejuice Afterlife – Mania". If I have someone ask me why I would put this as a sequel, I'll ignore them, because, right here it says: THIS STORY IS NOT A SEQUEL. This story was just bursting to be written, but I have no intention to make it part of my previous series. It just happens to use that series' events as a prelude. I hope there is no confusion.
Yay, more craziness! Hope insanity is enjoyable.
Thank you for reviews as well! It's so rare that I get them, especially for this story. --
Mania
Spencers13 – March 2003–March 2004
R – Drama – Angst
Chapter Nine – Confessions of A Viking
"Endriii!"
"Ennndriii!"
"Dammit, where is he?" Kyle grumbled, wandering through the halls and rooms of BJ's Roadhouse, looking for his apparently missing best friend.
It had been two days since the night they came together as brothers, and in Endri's case, the phrase could have been taken literally. Not much had changed since that incredibly emotional and intense night, but things couldn't be expected to be taken in leaps and bounds as far as Kyle was concerned. Even though he had watched his best friend almost mutilate himself—that in itself was "fucked up" in the human's mind—he thought everything went rather well.
The human paused in his searches outside the coat closet in the living room. He had a brother now. True, Endri wasn't born his brother, but as far as Kyle was concerned, he practically was. He smirked, just staring at the closet door before him, getting lost in thoughts. All those years, and he never once told the ghost how much he meant to him. Being able to the other night, felt like a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He felt as though he had been holding back, holding back like Endri had been for so many hundreds of years. If only the ghost had admitted a few things earlier, they might not be where they were now.
Sighing, Kyle blinked back into reality. How long had he been staring at that badly painted closet door? And where was Endri? He frowned. Knowing his poor, tormented friend, he could probably be anywhere, even in that closet. Who knew his reasons? The ghost did a lot of strange shit nowadays anyway.
Kyle shook his head. He was doing it again, losing himself in deep thought until he stared blankly. He was starting to act like Endri—staring at nothing for no reason. Briefly, he wondered if the Mania could be like a transmitted disease. The human certainly didn't want to catch a mental disorder, but he knew that was rather impossible.
At the end of that thought, Kyle reached for the door knob and twisted, yanking the overly painted door open. "AH—!"
CRASH—BANG—TUMBLE—B–KASH—KISSSHH!!——tink–tink—tink
A huge pile of junk covered half of the living room floor, and Kyle was nowhere in sight.
Jacques and Ginger ran in at the loud crashing and gasped, seeing the closet door still creaking open to gently bounce against the wall behind it.
"Looks like Be–atlejooze's closet 'as popped open again."
Ginger shook her small head. "Well, he's gonna be the one ta clean it up, the slob."
Both friends turned to leave, heading back for the kitchen, when the sound of muffled groans halted them in their tracks. They turned back to the junk pile, looking just a little nervous.
"Did you hear that?"
"I sink zat somesing 'as gained consciousness een zat closet again."
"Think we should run?"
"Let us see eef eet ees friendly or no."
Jacques and Ginger stared at the pile as it shifted from below. A hubcap tumbled down the trash heap revealing a trembling human hand, grasping in the air, trying to find purchase against something that would support it. The skeleton and spider gasped in surprise.
"Queekly!" Jacques shouted, dashing over to begin throwing handfuls of junk to the side. Ginger joined in as best she could, picking up only what she could lift with her small arms and tossing it back over her spider body. Of course, Jacques reached Kyle first, dragging the gasping human out by the arm.
"Oh, my! What were ya doin' in there, Kyle?!" Ginger shouted in her high–pitched Brooklyn accent.
"I was takin' a nap! What'd it look like?" the man grumbled, panting. He rubbed a hand through his hair, trying to get out the small bits of dirt and junk hiding there. His backside sat on the wooden floor of the living room, feet flat to the floorboards, legs bent toward the ceiling at the knees, and one arm propping him upright, supporting his weight. "I'm gonna kill Beetle when I get the chance. He said he cleaned that closet!"
Jacques crossed his bony arms and frowned, his hollow gaze still resting on the human. "Zat ghoul! 'E ees always saying ze lies!"
"Yeah," Ginger piped up, "he should be more careful with you livin' here, Kyle. I mean, you are—" Her mouth clamped shut, and her small eyes grew wide.
Kyle huffed, putting his elbows to his knees and staring at the floor between his feet. "What? Just a frail, little human?" he asked sarcastically.
The two ghoulish friends looked to each other guiltily.
"Never mind. Have either of you seen Endri? I can't find him."
"Sorry, but we 'ave not. 'Ave you checked 'is room?" Jacques asked.
"I looked everywhere. He's justgone! I'm really gettin' worried." Standing, Kyle brushed dust and dirt from his clothes, a few pieces of junk falling out of the creases in his shirt and jeans. "Thanks anyway, guys. I'd have suffocated in that shit by now."
The skeleton nodded. "You are welcome."
"Yeah. How long you guys visiting?"
"Just for another hour or so. Beetlejuice went ta get us a pizza. Ya want some when he gets back?" Ginger asked, shooting a line of her webbing up to the ceiling and climbing up level with Jacques shoulder.
Kyle licked his lips and rubbed a hand over his belly jokingly. "Mmm, Neitherworld pizza—packed full of stuff I'd rather not know from animal kingdoms I've never heard of. Thanks, guys, but I've got my own stash of food to eat. And I also have a blonde ghost to find, so if you'll excuse me." With that, he turned and strutted away toward the kitchen. He had already checked there, but felt the need to again, especially since the company of the skeleton and spider wasn't exactly desirable at the time.
He liked them, he really did. They were his friends, but he knew what they thought of him—a weak, little human who couldn't take care of himself in a place like the Neitherworld. They felt sorry for him. They treated hiim as though he were a child or a delicate flower. He may have been a human, but he wasn't a child, he wasn't weak, and he was definitely no flower. After all, one of the strongest ghosts in existence looked to him for almost everything, so how could he possibly be weak when he took care of that powerful ghost?
Jacques and Ginger watched the human walk off knowing they had hurt his feelings. At least Ginger had with that blatant comment. They looked to each other and sighed, deciding to recline on the couch to wait for Beetlejuice's return.
After a quick look around the kitchen, Kyle saw that his best friend still wasn't there. He sighed heavily, feeling worry grip his gut even tighter than before. Where could he be?! The human had only turned his back for a few minutes while working on that software program on his computer, and when he looked back, Endri was gone. The ghost was just like a big kid! Kyle seriously considered getting his friend a bungee leash. He chuckled at the idea, stepping back through the kitchen toward the small hallway leading to some spare first floor bedrooms and a bath. The thought was funny, but he would never actually do it. He already knew Endri felt bad enough as it was, but to truly treat him as though the ghost could do absolutely nothing would further degrade his mind.
As Kyle passed by the backdoor in the small hallway, he froze, feeling something wash over him. It was a strange feeling, like something was out of place or shouting out for his attention. It felt like his blood was humming. He had never felt anything like it before. No, that was wrong; he had felt something like that before. The night everything started, months ago, when he had gone to visit Endri after not seeing him for so long, he had felt it. It was like a sixth sense, calling out to him, telling him something was wrong with his best friend. Now, he felt it again. He hoped Endri was all right!
A sudden, unseen force grabbed his attention, and Kyle turned his head to the right and stared at the moth–eaten curtain covering the window on the backdoor. Following his instincts, he pulled the curtain to the side and looked out through the grungy window. Endri Juice lay on his stomach out in the backyard, his arms propped on his elbows and hands to his chin, holding his head up. Quickly, Kyle threw the door open and ran out.
"'Dri! There you are! I've been looking all over!" He knelt down next to his prone friend and looked him over from top to bottom. "Are you all right?"
"Shh!" the ghost hushed with a finger over his lips. "Look." He pointed with the same finger to a small Neitherworld Violet growing from the cracked earth of the backyard not a foot away. His green eyes never stopped staring at the purple petals.
"It'sa flower," Kyle observed, not really seeing anything too special about it.
"It's growing," Endri whispered in awe.
"UhI see that. But what are you doing?"
"Watching it grow."
Kyle blinked.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" the ghost went on, never looking away.
"It's just a flower, 'Dri."
"But it's growing."
Sighing, Kyle reached over to swipe his fingers over Endri's dingy cheek, getting no response from the motion. "You're filthy, 'Dri. Have you been rolling in the dirt? When was the last time you took a bath?"
"I've been watching it grow," the ghost replied, still staring with keen interest.
"Well, you can watch it grow some other time. Right now, you need a bath." The human hooked his hand under Endri's upper arm and stood, trying to pull the ghost up as well.
Endri got up with little resistance, but still gazed down at the little flower. "I have to go now. Keep growing!" he said cheerfully, grinning like a fool at something so simple as a flower.
Kyle sighed heavily and led his friend away, but before they entered the building, the ghost turned to look back. "'Bye, beautiful flower!" he called, waving. He was ushered into the Roadhouse and the door clicked shut behind the two friends.
No one was left outside to see the little Neitherworld Violet turn and wave a leaf goodbye.
Inside the Roadhouse, Kyle led Endri though the kitchen and around to the stairs, walking past Jacques and Ginger still waiting for Beetlejuice on the couch.
"It was so beautiful, wasn't it, Kyle?" Endri was mumbling, looking at nothing in particular as he allowed his friend to lead him wherever he pleased.
"Most beautiful flower I ever saw, 'Dri. Now, come–on. You need a bath," Kyle said, holding an arm around the ghost's back and ascending the stairs with him.
Jacques and Ginger stared at each other with wide eyes.
"And it was growing too!" Endri's enthusiastic voice floated down the stairs. "It was so happy and healthy! Can't I please go out and look again?"
"Not right now, Endri. You're dirty from laying on the ground. It'sit's bath–time now. 'Kay? Don't you wannaplay i–in the water?" Kyle stuttered. He found it very difficult to say child–like things to his grown best friend, but knew Endri wouldn't really listen to anything else. Grouchy orders didn't work on him.
"Okay, then," the ghost relented, child-like sadness dripping from the words.
No more speech resounded from upstairs, so Jacques and Ginger took the opportunity to jump up and dash out through the kitchen and outside. They stood around the Violet Endri had spoken of, gaping in awe.
"I–It's ait's af–f–f—" Ginger stuttered.
"Flowair!" Jacques finished for her, shouting in disbelief.
"A–And i–i–it'sg–g—"
"Groweeng!"
"A flower is growin' on Beetlejuice's property?!" Ginger practically screamed, tiny hands holding her head in exasperation.
The skeleton pointed, shouting, "Oui! Oui! Eet ees!"
Both friends stood rigidly, eyes staring, mouths gaping, and fingers pointing. Seconds later, they were both lying flat on the ground, unconscious.
While a skeleton and spider grappled with the concept of a flower actually growing on Beetlejuice's land, Kyle and Endri stepped through the upstairs bathroom door inside the Roadhouse.
The human flicked on the light switch with a quick swipe of his finger, saying, "Okay, now. Let's get you all cl—"
A strangled gasp erupted from Endri's throat, and he spun around. He tried to run out through the door, but Kyle's arm was secure around his back, and he was dragged along awkwardly. Covering his eyes with a hand, the ghost tripped over the doorjamb and stumbled back into the hallway with Kyle in tow, struggling to keep his footing. The human had to lean his back against the wall between the bathroom and Endri's bedroom and pull his friend to lean against him to regain any semblance of balance.
The ghost clutched to Kyle tightly, crying, "No! No!"
"Endri! Endri, what the hell is wrong with you!" The human managed to get Endri to stop squirming and grunted in annoyance when he chose not to answer, deciding instead to cower against him. An irritated sigh pushed past Kyle's lips to tickle the ghost's cheek, but instead of letting himself get too frustrated, he reached up to rub a hand over Endri's hair comfortingly. "Endri, I need you to calm down, all right? Can you do that for me? I need you to calmdown," he ordered slowly and precisely.
The ghost shivered. "N–Nocan't lookc–can't see" he whispered into the human's chest.
"What?"
"D–Don't make me go in there! I–I can't look! I can't see!"
Kyle reached around, trying to pry Endri's hand from his eyes. "Well, if you take your hand away, you can see."
"No! I'm not supposed to look!"
"Look at what?!" he shouted, letting his frustration get the best of him. He stopped grappling with the ghost's hands, finding his strength to be inadequate compared to his much stronger friend.
"Th–Themirror," Endri whispered, fear dripping from his words.
"The mirror?" Kyle looked back into the bathroom at the mirrored door on the medicine cabinet over the sink. "Why can't you look at the mirror?"
"T–Terrible things"
The human sighed with more irritation. "Endri, look at me."
The ghost refused with a shake of his head, his hand still covering his eyes.
"Look at me!"
The loud shout made Endri jump, and he slowly pulled his hand away, making sure to not look into the bathroom.
"Look at my eyes, Endri. Don't look at anything else, do you understand?"
The ghost stared into Kyle's blue pools and nodded, never even blinking. He trembled, almost afraid of Kyle for him being so stern.
"I want you to do exactly what I tell you; do you understand?"
Endri nodded.
"Endri, I need you to take a nice, deep breath—"
Rapidly, the ghost sucked in a lung–full.
"—slowly! Take a slow, deep breath."
He obeyed.
"Let all the tension in your body leave with that breath, Endri. Do you understand?"
Endri nodded, exhaling slowly. Kyle could feel his friend's muscles relaxing as the air left his lungs and smiled just slightly.
"Good. Now, keep staring at my eyes. You like them, don't you? You think they're like the color of the sky?"
With a nod, a light smile tugged at the ghost's lips, and Kyle couldn't help to smile a little more broadly.
"Now, listen to me carefully, Endri. I want you to calmly tell me why you cannot look into a mirror."
"Something bad happens when I look into a mirror," he blurted right away. "It's like I fall asleep and wake up somewhere different and can't remember how I got there or what I did."
Kyle's eyes widened in realization.
The door to Kyle's room flew open and Endri rushed inside, slamming it back shut again and leaning against it, bracing it. Sitting up in surprise, the human stared across the dimly–lit room at the ghost panting and holding the door shut as if his afterlife depended on it.
"Endri?!"
The ghost in question swung his head around in surprise. He looked as though he hadn't even known his friend was there. "Ky–chan?"
Frowning, Kyle reached over to click the bedside lamp on. The small light illuminated the room, but poorly, casting deep, tall shadows along the walls. "What the hell's goin' on?"
Endri visibly began to panic. "I–I'm sorry! I looked in a mirror!"
Kyle frowned again. "What?"
"I looked in a mirror and saw him again!"
"Saw who again?"
"H–He's after me!"
"Who's after you?!"
"Me!"
That must be it! When Endri sees his reflection in a mirror, he splits into his two opposite personalities! It makes sense, now. Both times he split, he was in the bathroomwhere the mirror is! Kyle looked to Endri as the ghost stared into his blue eyes, his green ones full of fear. Poor guy. Well, he won't be splitting apart again while I'm here.
"Endri, listen to me closely. Are you listening?"
The ghost nodded.
"I need you to stay right here and face the other end of the hall where my bedroom is. Can you do that?"
Endri nodded again, shakily.
"I need to leave you here so I can cover up the mirror, okay?"
"N–No, don't leave me!" the ghost shouted, digging his fingers into the man's red plaid shirt.
"Endri," Kyle grumbled, reprimanding. "Do you want to see the mirror?"
"No!"
"Then, I have to go cover it up. But you need to stay right here and face my bedroom so you won't look in and see it by accident, all right? Do you understand what I'm saying?"
Shakily, Endri nodded, his lavender tongue slipping out to wet his lips.
"Good. Now, turn and look at my door. I'll come get you in just a moment. All right?"
The ghost nodded in agreement again, swallowing. He slowly turned and locked his eyes to Kyle's door.
"Now, stay right there. I'll be right back," the man said soothingly, laying a gentle hand to Endri's shoulder and sliding it off as he turned and quickly headed into the bathroom. He searched with his eyes for something to cover the mirror and saw the hand towel on the towel rod next to the sink. Snatching it up, he opened the mirrored door on the medicine cabinet and draped the towel along the top. He closed it all up and inspected his handiwork. The towel covered the surface of the mirror nicely, not even a corner showing. Quickly, Kyle headed back out and put a hand to Endri's shoulder again.
"Okay, 'Dri. Everything's fixed. You can come in with me now."
The ghost shook his head, standing rigid. "N–No, please"
Frustration pushed through Kyle's lips in the form of a sigh again, and he frowned at his friend's back. "Endri, look at me."
The ghost obeyed, turning slowly to lock eyes with the human again.
"Would I ever lie to you?"
Endri shook his head.
"Then believe me when I tell you it is safe to go into the bathroom. You can't see the mirror anymore."
Green eyes quickly darted to the bathroom door and back. "No?"
"No."
The ghost took a deep breath. "O–Okay. I believe you, Kyle."
The man smiled. Finally. "Okay, let's go get a bath, huh?
Endri nodded with a light smile and allowed Kyle to lead him into the bathroom. He took notice to the towel covering the mirror and smiled more broadly at his friend. The human smiled back and motioned for Endri to sit on the toilet. He turned and bent to start the bath water, twisting the squeaky faucets to the "perfect temperature" position and waiting for the rust to clear from the thick flow before plugging up the drain. Letting the water run, Kyle turned back to his friend and helped to remove his dingy clothes, throwing each item into the hamper in the corner. He took off his own shirt and tossed it into the hamper as well, saving the time of rolling the sleeves and possibly getting the front wet.
While the water continued to fill the tub to a desirable level, Kyle knelt before Endri and reached up to his face. "Okay, let me check your eyes."
The ghost obediently held still while his friend lifted his eyelids to see the irises better. They still sparkled like always, but those red rings still circled around the entire iris and pupil—the sign of the Mania.
Kyle sighed at the lack of change in his friend and backed away to turn off the water. "'Kay, bath time, 'Dri. In ya go," he coaxed, his voice not its usual cheerfulness.
Stepping into the hot water, Endri sat down with a sigh and hunched his body forward, soaking in the relaxing steam. Kyle smirked, picking up an old plastic cup sitting next to the tub and dunking it in the water to fill it. Leaning over the rim, he poured the water over the ghost's head to get his long hair wet. The human washed the blonde locks slowly and thoroughly, massaging Endri's scalp beneath, relaxing him and building up a thick lather at the same time. He used the cup to pour more water over the ghost's head to wash out the shampoo, then pulled out a washcloth from the cabinet beside the tub and wetted it. After rubbing a bar of soap over the cloth, he ran it over Endri's cheeks, nose, forehead, and ears, washing away the grime from outside and about two weeks worth of build up. Since the ghost was so afraid of looking into the mirror, he had avoided the bathroom as much as possible, consequently avoiding taking a bath as well.
Again, Kyle dunked the cup under the water to fill it. "Close your eyes," he ordered gently. The ghost did as told, and the human poured the water over his face to wash away the soap. He pulled another dry washcloth from the cabinet and dabbed it over his friend's eyes to dry them, allowing Endri to open them again. Gently, Kyle ran the soapy washcloth down over the ghost's corded neck and broad shoulders.
As the human washed Endri's chest, the ghost looked up into his friend's face with a frown. "Kyle?"
"Mm?"
"Why am I in the bath again?"
Kyle froze. Slowly, he drew away and let the cloth slip from his limp fingers to drop into the soapy water, leaning his elbows on the rim of the tub and bowing his head way down between his shoulders sadly.
"Kyle?" Endri asked, tilting his head, trying to see the man's face. "What's wrong?"
The human sniffed and reached up to swipe a wet hand over his own forehead and white hair.
"You're upset," the ghost observed, sadness pervading his voice. "Was it something I said?" He tilted his head and bobbed it around, trying to look for the answer in his friend's face, still hidden. "Are you mad at me?"
Kyle took a steadying breath and looked up, tears swimming in his blue eyes. "No, no, 'Dri. I'm not mad at you." He sniffed again and opened his mouth to release a pent breath. One tear dripped into the bath water as he whispered, "I'm not mad."
"Thenwhy are you crying?" Endri asked again, looking utterly innocent and pure, like a small boy.
Kyle dipped his head back down for another second, sniffing again. He looked up as more tears fell and reached out, slowly brushing the bangs clinging to Endri's forehead away. "It's just that" the human took a breath, his lips trembling, "s–sometimesmiss you," he whispered.
The ghost tilted his head a bit to the side in question. "ButI'm right here."
Kyle took a whimpering sigh. "I know you are." He nodded slowly, the trembling in his lips continuing. "I know."
Leaning up, Endri hugged Kyle tight, and the human didn't even notice he was getting wet.
"Kyle?" the ghost's voice whispered at his friend's ear.
"Yeah?" Kyle whispered back.
"I'm not blind. I know you're angry at mefor being this way."
The human took a steadying breath and caressed the back of Endri's head. "No, 'Dri. I'm not angry. It's just thatI get a little frustrated. That's all."
"You wish I was normal again, don't you?"
Kyle bit his lip and buried his face into wet, blonde hair. "Does that make me a bad person?" he practically whimpered.
Endri paused before replying. "If it does, then I'm a bad person too."
His friend immediately hugged tighter. "No, no, no, Endri. You're not bad. You could never be."
The ghost pulled away slowly to sit back in the tub. Dipping his hands below the water, he stared into the depths, murky from the soap, shampoo, and dirt. "Thatisn't true."
"What do you mean?" Kyle leaned back on the rim, watching his friend closely.
"There was a time when I was a horrible person. You would never have recognized me."
A look of concern etched its way onto the human's features. "When was this?"
"A long" Endri's voice shook, "l–long time ago." He huffed for a steady breath, and Kyle offered a hand to his shoulder for support. The ghost calmed for a minute, then waved the hand away with a wary smile. "I'm all right."
The human remained quiet for a time, reaching into the water to find the washcloth and dunk it in and out slowly, absently. "Can you tell me why you think you were horrible?"
"I don't think I was, I know I was. But, I guess you have to understand where I came from." Pausing for a moment to collect his thoughts, Endri then took a steadying breath before beginning. "I was raised to think I was human by Humans for the first eight years of my existence. During then, they taught me everything about fighting and killing and hunting so I could survive in our harsh world and grow into a man to carry on the Viking bloodline. We didn't know our village was the very lasthidden in the woods in the New World.
"But that doesn't matter. What mattered was that when I discovered I was a ghostthat I couldn't be killedbecame unstoppablelike a madman. When I fought in battles, it was as if I was invincible. 'Endriethi the Viking', they called me." He swallowed with difficulty. "I–II killed, Kyle."
The human sat in silence, watching Endri the entire time, letting no emotions or expressions lay claim to his features. Truth be told, he had heard that confession once before, years ago. But at the time, he didn't know the ghost was a ghost, and he had no clue Endri had a dementia building. But he had seen the premise of it. His friend, after going almost off the deep end in anger and confessions, repressed an entire conversation to the point of forgetting it completely. If only Kyle had known.
"I killed so many. H–Hundreds. Thousands. And do you know what the sick part is?"
"What?"
"II enjoyed it. I loved it. The feeling of warm, human blood flowing over my own handsthrilled me." The ghost lifted his hand from the water, allowing the warm liquid to trickle back into the tub from between his fingers. He fisted his hand slowly, letting a few final drops of water to fall back to the bath from between the clenched digits. "I even loved the taste of it. Often, I would" He took a breath and stopped, dropping his hand back into the water.
"What? What did you do?" That was something new. He didn't remember his friend confessing something quite like that.
Endri shook his head. "You would never think of me the same way again."
Kyle laid a hand to his friend's forearm where it met the water. "Please?"
Sighing, the ghost still hesitated, but relented at the request of his friend. "Fine. I suppose I'll just say it." He paused for a moment anyway, letting the silence stretch for long seconds. "I would take humans, bite into them, slice them open, pierce their skin in any way just so I could put my mouth on them and drink their hot blood down like a fine wine, Kyle. It was because of me that a huge fear of vampires started in various places, you know. An incredibly pale man that apparently lived off of death and the blood of others. I–It was like I couldn't get enough! It tasted so good! It smelled so sweet! And when I swallowed it, it was like tasting life. It was the only waythe closest I could get to feeling what life was like. Having hot blood inside meby any meansmade me feel soalive." His eyes narrowed. "And they couldn't stop me either. I could bef–filled with arrows, daggers, swords, and bullets, but I would still not stop."
Concern pulled at Kyle's brows, but no more emotion slipped through. "Wouldn't that hurt?"
The ghost nodded. "Oh, yes. I felt the pain from every blow, every cut, every puncture." He ran his hands over his own upper arms in almost a self hug. "I felt everything." He wiped a trembling, wet hand over his face, and changed that subject a little too quickly. "When I wasn't in wars, I was doing what Vikings did best: pillaging villages and towns, killing the men and whoever else stood in my way. Do you know why I have so much money whenever I need it, Kyle?"
"Why?"
"Because I've amassed great, great wealth from almost 160 years of pillaging. Every time I use that moneyI think of all the blood still staining it. Sometimesit makes me so sick." Endri stared into the water, unable to make eye contact any longer. "But there is one thing that I'm proud of."
"What's that, 'Dri?" Kyle asked, voice barely showing any inflexion.
"No matter what happened, I never ever raped a single woman. The men who taught me about fighting, killing, and pillaging, also taught me that it was my right to take whatever I wanted. Even though I felt the needI never gave in. Something inside told me that using women like that would only result in my being weak, and I could never allow myself to have a weaknessnot afterwhat happened."
Kyle frowned a little, curious. "What do you mean—after what happened?" Endri's past seemed confusing at times.
The ghost shrunk down into himself a little. It was as if he was suddenly wary of speaking.
"After what happened, 'Dri?"
He swallowed heavily. "Aftershe left me."
"She who?"
"The one I gave my heart tothe first one"
Kyle suddenly remembered so long ago when Endri described his first love and how she ran away from him when he tried to be honest and reveal to her what he truly was. He cleared his throat quietly. "Wellsure, she left ya, 'Dri, but"
"She didn't just leave meshe ran away After time and again confessing her undying love to me. I was only twelve and she tore my heart out and crushed it in her hand right in front of my eyes, laughinigno, screaming the whole time! She was the first to ever destroy meand after thatno Human was safe from my angermy sword. They all would pay for what she did to me! She was humanshe destroyed meso all Humans could potentially do the same. I wouldn't take that risk. Besidesthey would all die eventually. Why not I hasten things along and put them out of their misery? I-It was fun anyway." He licked his dry lips and swallowed. "I never forgave hernever forgave any of them. Sh-Sheshe was the first human II ever slayed." He fell into silence, staring blankly into the dirty bathwater, bringing his anger under control after recounting such things.
Dunking the washcloth a few more times, Kyle again reached for the soap. "So, what changed you?"
Endri smiled down into the water. "Nippon."
"Nipple on what?" the human asked, quirking a white eyebrow.
Laughing, the ghost shook his head. "No, Nippon. Japan. I found my way there by accident. It was just after a great war in China, and I was so injured, I could barely move. I was able to launch a small boat into the ocean and just let myself be carried away. I didn't care where I ended up, just so long as I could heal my injuries in peace.
"When my boat washed ashore, and I first opened my eyes to see where I had landed, I was in awe. The land, the people, everything, humbled me...it took a while, but it did. It all made me think differently. I looked back at what I had done in the past and felt shame for it. I swore, never again would I kill another human being unless it was to preserve other's lives. I would never take what was not given to me. I was no longer consumed by greed and arrogance. I was changed, and could never, would never go back to how things were before." He chuckled softly. "And that was the very abridged version of it."
Endri looked over to Kyle, watching the man just lathering the washcloth with soap. "Kyle?"
The human looked up, putting the soap back in its caddy. "Mm?"
Looking back down into the water, the ghost realized it was getting cooler, but didn't let it weigh as heavily on his mind as his next question. "Areare you afraid of me?"
Kyle remained silent. He leaned in to rub the soapy cloth over Endri's chest and back again, getting what he missed the last time.
"You are."
"First of all, if I was afraid of you, I wouldn't still be bathing you. Secondly" he leaned in close, making sure the ghost saw his sincerity, "When I met you, you weren't 'Endriethi the Viking', you were 'Endri, the kindhearted man that helped me through my troubles and became my best friend'."
The ghost blinked. "Wow. That's a long title."
Kyle chuckled. "And nowyou're even more different. We're brothers now. And no matter what you've done in the past or will do in the futureI still care about you. Nothing will change that."
Endri grinned widely and fidgeted with his hands in the water, unsure of what to do with himself.
"What say we finish this bath, hm? Water's gettin' cold."
The blonde continued to smile and nodded, and Kyle ran the washcloth over his pale arms. The human's hand along with the cloth traveled down either side of the ghost's hips, and he lifted Endri's left leg into the air when he arrived there. He washed down to the tips of his pale toes and back up, then repeated for the right leg.
Once Kyle was finished, he dropped the washcloth into the water and rinsed his hands of the soapy suds before giving his friend a reassuring smile. "Okay, let's wash you off, then we'll be done. 'Kay?"
Endri nodded and sat, waiting for Kyle to use the old cup to pour water over his back and chest and down his legs.
"Swish yer butt around, an' stand up then."
Obeying, the ghost splashed the rest of the suds from his body and stood as Kyle let the dirty water out of the tub. The human stood and reached for a towel in the cabinet by the door, pulling out a fluffy white one and draping it over Endri's head.
"I think you can do this."
Reaching up, the ghost scrubbed the towel through his hair and over his face, then dried the rest of his body as Kyle searched out a comb. The human took his friend's towel and draped it over the toilet to sit on.
"Have a seat. Your hairstylist is ready to perform," he joked, twiddling the comb through his fingers.
Endri chuckled and stepped from the tub, sitting where his friend had indicated. Kyle ran the comb through his hair, catching some but not many knots.
"Manghosts need a lot of pampering," he mumbled, chuckling at his own comment.
Endri loosed a small laugh as well. "If you want me to stay soft and fresh, pamper me."
Both laughed aloud, feeling much better in the lighter mood, a welcome contrast to a few minutes ago.
When that was done and the ghost's hair was combed completely straight, the human backed away and observed his handiwork. Endri was clean and neatly groomed. That was good enough for him.
With a wave of his hand, Kyle indicated the ghost should follow him from the bathroom, and he did so, picking up his towel and securing it around his waist. They made their way into his bedroom where the human retrieved a few garments for him to wear. Endri donned them himself, refusing help that time, claiming with an almost angry tone that he could "do it himself".
His moods still swung errantly, but they weren't quite so bad anymore. And Kyle was very thankful for that. His brother seemed to be improving. He just hoped Endri would continue to improve.
Japanese / pronunciation / English Translation:
Nippon / neep-pon / Japan
Next...Visitations...
Yay, more craziness! Hope insanity is enjoyable.
Thank you for reviews as well! It's so rare that I get them, especially for this story. --
Spencers13 – March 2003–March 2004
R – Drama – Angst
Chapter Nine – Confessions of A Viking
"Endriii!"
"Ennndriii!"
"Dammit, where is he?" Kyle grumbled, wandering through the halls and rooms of BJ's Roadhouse, looking for his apparently missing best friend.
It had been two days since the night they came together as brothers, and in Endri's case, the phrase could have been taken literally. Not much had changed since that incredibly emotional and intense night, but things couldn't be expected to be taken in leaps and bounds as far as Kyle was concerned. Even though he had watched his best friend almost mutilate himself—that in itself was "fucked up" in the human's mind—he thought everything went rather well.
The human paused in his searches outside the coat closet in the living room. He had a brother now. True, Endri wasn't born his brother, but as far as Kyle was concerned, he practically was. He smirked, just staring at the closet door before him, getting lost in thoughts. All those years, and he never once told the ghost how much he meant to him. Being able to the other night, felt like a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He felt as though he had been holding back, holding back like Endri had been for so many hundreds of years. If only the ghost had admitted a few things earlier, they might not be where they were now.
Sighing, Kyle blinked back into reality. How long had he been staring at that badly painted closet door? And where was Endri? He frowned. Knowing his poor, tormented friend, he could probably be anywhere, even in that closet. Who knew his reasons? The ghost did a lot of strange shit nowadays anyway.
Kyle shook his head. He was doing it again, losing himself in deep thought until he stared blankly. He was starting to act like Endri—staring at nothing for no reason. Briefly, he wondered if the Mania could be like a transmitted disease. The human certainly didn't want to catch a mental disorder, but he knew that was rather impossible.
At the end of that thought, Kyle reached for the door knob and twisted, yanking the overly painted door open. "AH—!"
CRASH—BANG—TUMBLE—B–KASH—KISSSHH!!——tink–tink—tink
A huge pile of junk covered half of the living room floor, and Kyle was nowhere in sight.
Jacques and Ginger ran in at the loud crashing and gasped, seeing the closet door still creaking open to gently bounce against the wall behind it.
"Looks like Be–atlejooze's closet 'as popped open again."
Ginger shook her small head. "Well, he's gonna be the one ta clean it up, the slob."
Both friends turned to leave, heading back for the kitchen, when the sound of muffled groans halted them in their tracks. They turned back to the junk pile, looking just a little nervous.
"Did you hear that?"
"I sink zat somesing 'as gained consciousness een zat closet again."
"Think we should run?"
"Let us see eef eet ees friendly or no."
Jacques and Ginger stared at the pile as it shifted from below. A hubcap tumbled down the trash heap revealing a trembling human hand, grasping in the air, trying to find purchase against something that would support it. The skeleton and spider gasped in surprise.
"Queekly!" Jacques shouted, dashing over to begin throwing handfuls of junk to the side. Ginger joined in as best she could, picking up only what she could lift with her small arms and tossing it back over her spider body. Of course, Jacques reached Kyle first, dragging the gasping human out by the arm.
"Oh, my! What were ya doin' in there, Kyle?!" Ginger shouted in her high–pitched Brooklyn accent.
"I was takin' a nap! What'd it look like?" the man grumbled, panting. He rubbed a hand through his hair, trying to get out the small bits of dirt and junk hiding there. His backside sat on the wooden floor of the living room, feet flat to the floorboards, legs bent toward the ceiling at the knees, and one arm propping him upright, supporting his weight. "I'm gonna kill Beetle when I get the chance. He said he cleaned that closet!"
Jacques crossed his bony arms and frowned, his hollow gaze still resting on the human. "Zat ghoul! 'E ees always saying ze lies!"
"Yeah," Ginger piped up, "he should be more careful with you livin' here, Kyle. I mean, you are—" Her mouth clamped shut, and her small eyes grew wide.
Kyle huffed, putting his elbows to his knees and staring at the floor between his feet. "What? Just a frail, little human?" he asked sarcastically.
The two ghoulish friends looked to each other guiltily.
"Never mind. Have either of you seen Endri? I can't find him."
"Sorry, but we 'ave not. 'Ave you checked 'is room?" Jacques asked.
"I looked everywhere. He's justgone! I'm really gettin' worried." Standing, Kyle brushed dust and dirt from his clothes, a few pieces of junk falling out of the creases in his shirt and jeans. "Thanks anyway, guys. I'd have suffocated in that shit by now."
The skeleton nodded. "You are welcome."
"Yeah. How long you guys visiting?"
"Just for another hour or so. Beetlejuice went ta get us a pizza. Ya want some when he gets back?" Ginger asked, shooting a line of her webbing up to the ceiling and climbing up level with Jacques shoulder.
Kyle licked his lips and rubbed a hand over his belly jokingly. "Mmm, Neitherworld pizza—packed full of stuff I'd rather not know from animal kingdoms I've never heard of. Thanks, guys, but I've got my own stash of food to eat. And I also have a blonde ghost to find, so if you'll excuse me." With that, he turned and strutted away toward the kitchen. He had already checked there, but felt the need to again, especially since the company of the skeleton and spider wasn't exactly desirable at the time.
He liked them, he really did. They were his friends, but he knew what they thought of him—a weak, little human who couldn't take care of himself in a place like the Neitherworld. They felt sorry for him. They treated hiim as though he were a child or a delicate flower. He may have been a human, but he wasn't a child, he wasn't weak, and he was definitely no flower. After all, one of the strongest ghosts in existence looked to him for almost everything, so how could he possibly be weak when he took care of that powerful ghost?
Jacques and Ginger watched the human walk off knowing they had hurt his feelings. At least Ginger had with that blatant comment. They looked to each other and sighed, deciding to recline on the couch to wait for Beetlejuice's return.
After a quick look around the kitchen, Kyle saw that his best friend still wasn't there. He sighed heavily, feeling worry grip his gut even tighter than before. Where could he be?! The human had only turned his back for a few minutes while working on that software program on his computer, and when he looked back, Endri was gone. The ghost was just like a big kid! Kyle seriously considered getting his friend a bungee leash. He chuckled at the idea, stepping back through the kitchen toward the small hallway leading to some spare first floor bedrooms and a bath. The thought was funny, but he would never actually do it. He already knew Endri felt bad enough as it was, but to truly treat him as though the ghost could do absolutely nothing would further degrade his mind.
As Kyle passed by the backdoor in the small hallway, he froze, feeling something wash over him. It was a strange feeling, like something was out of place or shouting out for his attention. It felt like his blood was humming. He had never felt anything like it before. No, that was wrong; he had felt something like that before. The night everything started, months ago, when he had gone to visit Endri after not seeing him for so long, he had felt it. It was like a sixth sense, calling out to him, telling him something was wrong with his best friend. Now, he felt it again. He hoped Endri was all right!
A sudden, unseen force grabbed his attention, and Kyle turned his head to the right and stared at the moth–eaten curtain covering the window on the backdoor. Following his instincts, he pulled the curtain to the side and looked out through the grungy window. Endri Juice lay on his stomach out in the backyard, his arms propped on his elbows and hands to his chin, holding his head up. Quickly, Kyle threw the door open and ran out.
"'Dri! There you are! I've been looking all over!" He knelt down next to his prone friend and looked him over from top to bottom. "Are you all right?"
"Shh!" the ghost hushed with a finger over his lips. "Look." He pointed with the same finger to a small Neitherworld Violet growing from the cracked earth of the backyard not a foot away. His green eyes never stopped staring at the purple petals.
"It'sa flower," Kyle observed, not really seeing anything too special about it.
"It's growing," Endri whispered in awe.
"UhI see that. But what are you doing?"
"Watching it grow."
Kyle blinked.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" the ghost went on, never looking away.
"It's just a flower, 'Dri."
"But it's growing."
Sighing, Kyle reached over to swipe his fingers over Endri's dingy cheek, getting no response from the motion. "You're filthy, 'Dri. Have you been rolling in the dirt? When was the last time you took a bath?"
"I've been watching it grow," the ghost replied, still staring with keen interest.
"Well, you can watch it grow some other time. Right now, you need a bath." The human hooked his hand under Endri's upper arm and stood, trying to pull the ghost up as well.
Endri got up with little resistance, but still gazed down at the little flower. "I have to go now. Keep growing!" he said cheerfully, grinning like a fool at something so simple as a flower.
Kyle sighed heavily and led his friend away, but before they entered the building, the ghost turned to look back. "'Bye, beautiful flower!" he called, waving. He was ushered into the Roadhouse and the door clicked shut behind the two friends.
No one was left outside to see the little Neitherworld Violet turn and wave a leaf goodbye.
Inside the Roadhouse, Kyle led Endri though the kitchen and around to the stairs, walking past Jacques and Ginger still waiting for Beetlejuice on the couch.
"It was so beautiful, wasn't it, Kyle?" Endri was mumbling, looking at nothing in particular as he allowed his friend to lead him wherever he pleased.
"Most beautiful flower I ever saw, 'Dri. Now, come–on. You need a bath," Kyle said, holding an arm around the ghost's back and ascending the stairs with him.
Jacques and Ginger stared at each other with wide eyes.
"And it was growing too!" Endri's enthusiastic voice floated down the stairs. "It was so happy and healthy! Can't I please go out and look again?"
"Not right now, Endri. You're dirty from laying on the ground. It'sit's bath–time now. 'Kay? Don't you wannaplay i–in the water?" Kyle stuttered. He found it very difficult to say child–like things to his grown best friend, but knew Endri wouldn't really listen to anything else. Grouchy orders didn't work on him.
"Okay, then," the ghost relented, child-like sadness dripping from the words.
No more speech resounded from upstairs, so Jacques and Ginger took the opportunity to jump up and dash out through the kitchen and outside. They stood around the Violet Endri had spoken of, gaping in awe.
"I–It's ait's af–f–f—" Ginger stuttered.
"Flowair!" Jacques finished for her, shouting in disbelief.
"A–And i–i–it'sg–g—"
"Groweeng!"
"A flower is growin' on Beetlejuice's property?!" Ginger practically screamed, tiny hands holding her head in exasperation.
The skeleton pointed, shouting, "Oui! Oui! Eet ees!"
Both friends stood rigidly, eyes staring, mouths gaping, and fingers pointing. Seconds later, they were both lying flat on the ground, unconscious.
While a skeleton and spider grappled with the concept of a flower actually growing on Beetlejuice's land, Kyle and Endri stepped through the upstairs bathroom door inside the Roadhouse.
The human flicked on the light switch with a quick swipe of his finger, saying, "Okay, now. Let's get you all cl—"
A strangled gasp erupted from Endri's throat, and he spun around. He tried to run out through the door, but Kyle's arm was secure around his back, and he was dragged along awkwardly. Covering his eyes with a hand, the ghost tripped over the doorjamb and stumbled back into the hallway with Kyle in tow, struggling to keep his footing. The human had to lean his back against the wall between the bathroom and Endri's bedroom and pull his friend to lean against him to regain any semblance of balance.
The ghost clutched to Kyle tightly, crying, "No! No!"
"Endri! Endri, what the hell is wrong with you!" The human managed to get Endri to stop squirming and grunted in annoyance when he chose not to answer, deciding instead to cower against him. An irritated sigh pushed past Kyle's lips to tickle the ghost's cheek, but instead of letting himself get too frustrated, he reached up to rub a hand over Endri's hair comfortingly. "Endri, I need you to calm down, all right? Can you do that for me? I need you to calmdown," he ordered slowly and precisely.
The ghost shivered. "N–Nocan't lookc–can't see" he whispered into the human's chest.
"What?"
"D–Don't make me go in there! I–I can't look! I can't see!"
Kyle reached around, trying to pry Endri's hand from his eyes. "Well, if you take your hand away, you can see."
"No! I'm not supposed to look!"
"Look at what?!" he shouted, letting his frustration get the best of him. He stopped grappling with the ghost's hands, finding his strength to be inadequate compared to his much stronger friend.
"Th–Themirror," Endri whispered, fear dripping from his words.
"The mirror?" Kyle looked back into the bathroom at the mirrored door on the medicine cabinet over the sink. "Why can't you look at the mirror?"
"T–Terrible things"
The human sighed with more irritation. "Endri, look at me."
The ghost refused with a shake of his head, his hand still covering his eyes.
"Look at me!"
The loud shout made Endri jump, and he slowly pulled his hand away, making sure to not look into the bathroom.
"Look at my eyes, Endri. Don't look at anything else, do you understand?"
The ghost stared into Kyle's blue pools and nodded, never even blinking. He trembled, almost afraid of Kyle for him being so stern.
"I want you to do exactly what I tell you; do you understand?"
Endri nodded.
"Endri, I need you to take a nice, deep breath—"
Rapidly, the ghost sucked in a lung–full.
"—slowly! Take a slow, deep breath."
He obeyed.
"Let all the tension in your body leave with that breath, Endri. Do you understand?"
Endri nodded, exhaling slowly. Kyle could feel his friend's muscles relaxing as the air left his lungs and smiled just slightly.
"Good. Now, keep staring at my eyes. You like them, don't you? You think they're like the color of the sky?"
With a nod, a light smile tugged at the ghost's lips, and Kyle couldn't help to smile a little more broadly.
"Now, listen to me carefully, Endri. I want you to calmly tell me why you cannot look into a mirror."
"Something bad happens when I look into a mirror," he blurted right away. "It's like I fall asleep and wake up somewhere different and can't remember how I got there or what I did."
Kyle's eyes widened in realization.
The door to Kyle's room flew open and Endri rushed inside, slamming it back shut again and leaning against it, bracing it. Sitting up in surprise, the human stared across the dimly–lit room at the ghost panting and holding the door shut as if his afterlife depended on it.
"Endri?!"
The ghost in question swung his head around in surprise. He looked as though he hadn't even known his friend was there. "Ky–chan?"
Frowning, Kyle reached over to click the bedside lamp on. The small light illuminated the room, but poorly, casting deep, tall shadows along the walls. "What the hell's goin' on?"
Endri visibly began to panic. "I–I'm sorry! I looked in a mirror!"
Kyle frowned again. "What?"
"I looked in a mirror and saw him again!"
"Saw who again?"
"H–He's after me!"
"Who's after you?!"
"Me!"
That must be it! When Endri sees his reflection in a mirror, he splits into his two opposite personalities! It makes sense, now. Both times he split, he was in the bathroomwhere the mirror is! Kyle looked to Endri as the ghost stared into his blue eyes, his green ones full of fear. Poor guy. Well, he won't be splitting apart again while I'm here.
"Endri, listen to me closely. Are you listening?"
The ghost nodded.
"I need you to stay right here and face the other end of the hall where my bedroom is. Can you do that?"
Endri nodded again, shakily.
"I need to leave you here so I can cover up the mirror, okay?"
"N–No, don't leave me!" the ghost shouted, digging his fingers into the man's red plaid shirt.
"Endri," Kyle grumbled, reprimanding. "Do you want to see the mirror?"
"No!"
"Then, I have to go cover it up. But you need to stay right here and face my bedroom so you won't look in and see it by accident, all right? Do you understand what I'm saying?"
Shakily, Endri nodded, his lavender tongue slipping out to wet his lips.
"Good. Now, turn and look at my door. I'll come get you in just a moment. All right?"
The ghost nodded in agreement again, swallowing. He slowly turned and locked his eyes to Kyle's door.
"Now, stay right there. I'll be right back," the man said soothingly, laying a gentle hand to Endri's shoulder and sliding it off as he turned and quickly headed into the bathroom. He searched with his eyes for something to cover the mirror and saw the hand towel on the towel rod next to the sink. Snatching it up, he opened the mirrored door on the medicine cabinet and draped the towel along the top. He closed it all up and inspected his handiwork. The towel covered the surface of the mirror nicely, not even a corner showing. Quickly, Kyle headed back out and put a hand to Endri's shoulder again.
"Okay, 'Dri. Everything's fixed. You can come in with me now."
The ghost shook his head, standing rigid. "N–No, please"
Frustration pushed through Kyle's lips in the form of a sigh again, and he frowned at his friend's back. "Endri, look at me."
The ghost obeyed, turning slowly to lock eyes with the human again.
"Would I ever lie to you?"
Endri shook his head.
"Then believe me when I tell you it is safe to go into the bathroom. You can't see the mirror anymore."
Green eyes quickly darted to the bathroom door and back. "No?"
"No."
The ghost took a deep breath. "O–Okay. I believe you, Kyle."
The man smiled. Finally. "Okay, let's go get a bath, huh?
Endri nodded with a light smile and allowed Kyle to lead him into the bathroom. He took notice to the towel covering the mirror and smiled more broadly at his friend. The human smiled back and motioned for Endri to sit on the toilet. He turned and bent to start the bath water, twisting the squeaky faucets to the "perfect temperature" position and waiting for the rust to clear from the thick flow before plugging up the drain. Letting the water run, Kyle turned back to his friend and helped to remove his dingy clothes, throwing each item into the hamper in the corner. He took off his own shirt and tossed it into the hamper as well, saving the time of rolling the sleeves and possibly getting the front wet.
While the water continued to fill the tub to a desirable level, Kyle knelt before Endri and reached up to his face. "Okay, let me check your eyes."
The ghost obediently held still while his friend lifted his eyelids to see the irises better. They still sparkled like always, but those red rings still circled around the entire iris and pupil—the sign of the Mania.
Kyle sighed at the lack of change in his friend and backed away to turn off the water. "'Kay, bath time, 'Dri. In ya go," he coaxed, his voice not its usual cheerfulness.
Stepping into the hot water, Endri sat down with a sigh and hunched his body forward, soaking in the relaxing steam. Kyle smirked, picking up an old plastic cup sitting next to the tub and dunking it in the water to fill it. Leaning over the rim, he poured the water over the ghost's head to get his long hair wet. The human washed the blonde locks slowly and thoroughly, massaging Endri's scalp beneath, relaxing him and building up a thick lather at the same time. He used the cup to pour more water over the ghost's head to wash out the shampoo, then pulled out a washcloth from the cabinet beside the tub and wetted it. After rubbing a bar of soap over the cloth, he ran it over Endri's cheeks, nose, forehead, and ears, washing away the grime from outside and about two weeks worth of build up. Since the ghost was so afraid of looking into the mirror, he had avoided the bathroom as much as possible, consequently avoiding taking a bath as well.
Again, Kyle dunked the cup under the water to fill it. "Close your eyes," he ordered gently. The ghost did as told, and the human poured the water over his face to wash away the soap. He pulled another dry washcloth from the cabinet and dabbed it over his friend's eyes to dry them, allowing Endri to open them again. Gently, Kyle ran the soapy washcloth down over the ghost's corded neck and broad shoulders.
As the human washed Endri's chest, the ghost looked up into his friend's face with a frown. "Kyle?"
"Mm?"
"Why am I in the bath again?"
Kyle froze. Slowly, he drew away and let the cloth slip from his limp fingers to drop into the soapy water, leaning his elbows on the rim of the tub and bowing his head way down between his shoulders sadly.
"Kyle?" Endri asked, tilting his head, trying to see the man's face. "What's wrong?"
The human sniffed and reached up to swipe a wet hand over his own forehead and white hair.
"You're upset," the ghost observed, sadness pervading his voice. "Was it something I said?" He tilted his head and bobbed it around, trying to look for the answer in his friend's face, still hidden. "Are you mad at me?"
Kyle took a steadying breath and looked up, tears swimming in his blue eyes. "No, no, 'Dri. I'm not mad at you." He sniffed again and opened his mouth to release a pent breath. One tear dripped into the bath water as he whispered, "I'm not mad."
"Thenwhy are you crying?" Endri asked again, looking utterly innocent and pure, like a small boy.
Kyle dipped his head back down for another second, sniffing again. He looked up as more tears fell and reached out, slowly brushing the bangs clinging to Endri's forehead away. "It's just that" the human took a breath, his lips trembling, "s–sometimesmiss you," he whispered.
The ghost tilted his head a bit to the side in question. "ButI'm right here."
Kyle took a whimpering sigh. "I know you are." He nodded slowly, the trembling in his lips continuing. "I know."
Leaning up, Endri hugged Kyle tight, and the human didn't even notice he was getting wet.
"Kyle?" the ghost's voice whispered at his friend's ear.
"Yeah?" Kyle whispered back.
"I'm not blind. I know you're angry at mefor being this way."
The human took a steadying breath and caressed the back of Endri's head. "No, 'Dri. I'm not angry. It's just thatI get a little frustrated. That's all."
"You wish I was normal again, don't you?"
Kyle bit his lip and buried his face into wet, blonde hair. "Does that make me a bad person?" he practically whimpered.
Endri paused before replying. "If it does, then I'm a bad person too."
His friend immediately hugged tighter. "No, no, no, Endri. You're not bad. You could never be."
The ghost pulled away slowly to sit back in the tub. Dipping his hands below the water, he stared into the depths, murky from the soap, shampoo, and dirt. "Thatisn't true."
"What do you mean?" Kyle leaned back on the rim, watching his friend closely.
"There was a time when I was a horrible person. You would never have recognized me."
A look of concern etched its way onto the human's features. "When was this?"
"A long" Endri's voice shook, "l–long time ago." He huffed for a steady breath, and Kyle offered a hand to his shoulder for support. The ghost calmed for a minute, then waved the hand away with a wary smile. "I'm all right."
The human remained quiet for a time, reaching into the water to find the washcloth and dunk it in and out slowly, absently. "Can you tell me why you think you were horrible?"
"I don't think I was, I know I was. But, I guess you have to understand where I came from." Pausing for a moment to collect his thoughts, Endri then took a steadying breath before beginning. "I was raised to think I was human by Humans for the first eight years of my existence. During then, they taught me everything about fighting and killing and hunting so I could survive in our harsh world and grow into a man to carry on the Viking bloodline. We didn't know our village was the very lasthidden in the woods in the New World.
"But that doesn't matter. What mattered was that when I discovered I was a ghostthat I couldn't be killedbecame unstoppablelike a madman. When I fought in battles, it was as if I was invincible. 'Endriethi the Viking', they called me." He swallowed with difficulty. "I–II killed, Kyle."
The human sat in silence, watching Endri the entire time, letting no emotions or expressions lay claim to his features. Truth be told, he had heard that confession once before, years ago. But at the time, he didn't know the ghost was a ghost, and he had no clue Endri had a dementia building. But he had seen the premise of it. His friend, after going almost off the deep end in anger and confessions, repressed an entire conversation to the point of forgetting it completely. If only Kyle had known.
"I killed so many. H–Hundreds. Thousands. And do you know what the sick part is?"
"What?"
"II enjoyed it. I loved it. The feeling of warm, human blood flowing over my own handsthrilled me." The ghost lifted his hand from the water, allowing the warm liquid to trickle back into the tub from between his fingers. He fisted his hand slowly, letting a few final drops of water to fall back to the bath from between the clenched digits. "I even loved the taste of it. Often, I would" He took a breath and stopped, dropping his hand back into the water.
"What? What did you do?" That was something new. He didn't remember his friend confessing something quite like that.
Endri shook his head. "You would never think of me the same way again."
Kyle laid a hand to his friend's forearm where it met the water. "Please?"
Sighing, the ghost still hesitated, but relented at the request of his friend. "Fine. I suppose I'll just say it." He paused for a moment anyway, letting the silence stretch for long seconds. "I would take humans, bite into them, slice them open, pierce their skin in any way just so I could put my mouth on them and drink their hot blood down like a fine wine, Kyle. It was because of me that a huge fear of vampires started in various places, you know. An incredibly pale man that apparently lived off of death and the blood of others. I–It was like I couldn't get enough! It tasted so good! It smelled so sweet! And when I swallowed it, it was like tasting life. It was the only waythe closest I could get to feeling what life was like. Having hot blood inside meby any meansmade me feel soalive." His eyes narrowed. "And they couldn't stop me either. I could bef–filled with arrows, daggers, swords, and bullets, but I would still not stop."
Concern pulled at Kyle's brows, but no more emotion slipped through. "Wouldn't that hurt?"
The ghost nodded. "Oh, yes. I felt the pain from every blow, every cut, every puncture." He ran his hands over his own upper arms in almost a self hug. "I felt everything." He wiped a trembling, wet hand over his face, and changed that subject a little too quickly. "When I wasn't in wars, I was doing what Vikings did best: pillaging villages and towns, killing the men and whoever else stood in my way. Do you know why I have so much money whenever I need it, Kyle?"
"Why?"
"Because I've amassed great, great wealth from almost 160 years of pillaging. Every time I use that moneyI think of all the blood still staining it. Sometimesit makes me so sick." Endri stared into the water, unable to make eye contact any longer. "But there is one thing that I'm proud of."
"What's that, 'Dri?" Kyle asked, voice barely showing any inflexion.
"No matter what happened, I never ever raped a single woman. The men who taught me about fighting, killing, and pillaging, also taught me that it was my right to take whatever I wanted. Even though I felt the needI never gave in. Something inside told me that using women like that would only result in my being weak, and I could never allow myself to have a weaknessnot afterwhat happened."
Kyle frowned a little, curious. "What do you mean—after what happened?" Endri's past seemed confusing at times.
The ghost shrunk down into himself a little. It was as if he was suddenly wary of speaking.
"After what happened, 'Dri?"
He swallowed heavily. "Aftershe left me."
"She who?"
"The one I gave my heart tothe first one"
Kyle suddenly remembered so long ago when Endri described his first love and how she ran away from him when he tried to be honest and reveal to her what he truly was. He cleared his throat quietly. "Wellsure, she left ya, 'Dri, but"
"She didn't just leave meshe ran away After time and again confessing her undying love to me. I was only twelve and she tore my heart out and crushed it in her hand right in front of my eyes, laughinigno, screaming the whole time! She was the first to ever destroy meand after thatno Human was safe from my angermy sword. They all would pay for what she did to me! She was humanshe destroyed meso all Humans could potentially do the same. I wouldn't take that risk. Besidesthey would all die eventually. Why not I hasten things along and put them out of their misery? I-It was fun anyway." He licked his dry lips and swallowed. "I never forgave hernever forgave any of them. Sh-Sheshe was the first human II ever slayed." He fell into silence, staring blankly into the dirty bathwater, bringing his anger under control after recounting such things.
Dunking the washcloth a few more times, Kyle again reached for the soap. "So, what changed you?"
Endri smiled down into the water. "Nippon."
"Nipple on what?" the human asked, quirking a white eyebrow.
Laughing, the ghost shook his head. "No, Nippon. Japan. I found my way there by accident. It was just after a great war in China, and I was so injured, I could barely move. I was able to launch a small boat into the ocean and just let myself be carried away. I didn't care where I ended up, just so long as I could heal my injuries in peace.
"When my boat washed ashore, and I first opened my eyes to see where I had landed, I was in awe. The land, the people, everything, humbled me...it took a while, but it did. It all made me think differently. I looked back at what I had done in the past and felt shame for it. I swore, never again would I kill another human being unless it was to preserve other's lives. I would never take what was not given to me. I was no longer consumed by greed and arrogance. I was changed, and could never, would never go back to how things were before." He chuckled softly. "And that was the very abridged version of it."
Endri looked over to Kyle, watching the man just lathering the washcloth with soap. "Kyle?"
The human looked up, putting the soap back in its caddy. "Mm?"
Looking back down into the water, the ghost realized it was getting cooler, but didn't let it weigh as heavily on his mind as his next question. "Areare you afraid of me?"
Kyle remained silent. He leaned in to rub the soapy cloth over Endri's chest and back again, getting what he missed the last time.
"You are."
"First of all, if I was afraid of you, I wouldn't still be bathing you. Secondly" he leaned in close, making sure the ghost saw his sincerity, "When I met you, you weren't 'Endriethi the Viking', you were 'Endri, the kindhearted man that helped me through my troubles and became my best friend'."
The ghost blinked. "Wow. That's a long title."
Kyle chuckled. "And nowyou're even more different. We're brothers now. And no matter what you've done in the past or will do in the futureI still care about you. Nothing will change that."
Endri grinned widely and fidgeted with his hands in the water, unsure of what to do with himself.
"What say we finish this bath, hm? Water's gettin' cold."
The blonde continued to smile and nodded, and Kyle ran the washcloth over his pale arms. The human's hand along with the cloth traveled down either side of the ghost's hips, and he lifted Endri's left leg into the air when he arrived there. He washed down to the tips of his pale toes and back up, then repeated for the right leg.
Once Kyle was finished, he dropped the washcloth into the water and rinsed his hands of the soapy suds before giving his friend a reassuring smile. "Okay, let's wash you off, then we'll be done. 'Kay?"
Endri nodded and sat, waiting for Kyle to use the old cup to pour water over his back and chest and down his legs.
"Swish yer butt around, an' stand up then."
Obeying, the ghost splashed the rest of the suds from his body and stood as Kyle let the dirty water out of the tub. The human stood and reached for a towel in the cabinet by the door, pulling out a fluffy white one and draping it over Endri's head.
"I think you can do this."
Reaching up, the ghost scrubbed the towel through his hair and over his face, then dried the rest of his body as Kyle searched out a comb. The human took his friend's towel and draped it over the toilet to sit on.
"Have a seat. Your hairstylist is ready to perform," he joked, twiddling the comb through his fingers.
Endri chuckled and stepped from the tub, sitting where his friend had indicated. Kyle ran the comb through his hair, catching some but not many knots.
"Manghosts need a lot of pampering," he mumbled, chuckling at his own comment.
Endri loosed a small laugh as well. "If you want me to stay soft and fresh, pamper me."
Both laughed aloud, feeling much better in the lighter mood, a welcome contrast to a few minutes ago.
When that was done and the ghost's hair was combed completely straight, the human backed away and observed his handiwork. Endri was clean and neatly groomed. That was good enough for him.
With a wave of his hand, Kyle indicated the ghost should follow him from the bathroom, and he did so, picking up his towel and securing it around his waist. They made their way into his bedroom where the human retrieved a few garments for him to wear. Endri donned them himself, refusing help that time, claiming with an almost angry tone that he could "do it himself".
His moods still swung errantly, but they weren't quite so bad anymore. And Kyle was very thankful for that. His brother seemed to be improving. He just hoped Endri would continue to improve.
Japanese / pronunciation / English Translation:
Nippon / neep-pon / Japan
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