The sun had been set for a few hours now. Jake stared blankly into the fire. He knew he was very sick. He thought back on that night so many years ago. Lotte, how she coughed just like he had coughed earlier. He shuddered.
The similarities between his younger sister's and his younger brother's situations were not lost to Will. He had seen his suffering sister, his girl, and he let her die. Now he feared that the same thing was starting to take hold on Jake.
He was the oldest. It had been pre-determined that he look out for them at all costs. He let his sister down. Maybe that was why he had always kept Jake so close yet far away from him. Emotionally he tried for years to cut Jake off. After their first encounter on the forest he let his wall down. Now he was scared again, angry again.
"Will I think I'm going to sleep now. I'm feeling rather tired." He started to lie down on the ground.
"All right Jakob," Will thought how much his brother looked like a child. He glanced at the doctor who was already asleep then settled in himself.
'God, how is anyone supposed to sleep like this. I'm freezing!'
But soon enough his fears and worries faded into a comfortable sleep.
In the middle of the night in the center of the woods Jake was fighting with his subconscious.
In his sleep he was near the tower. It was collapsing all around him. The ground was shifting he could barely see or keep his balance.
"Oh God. Will!" He staggered around avoiding the falling debris. Suddenly he was face to face with a crypt. "No," he whispered.
The crypt slowly began to open and all the sounds were drowning out except for his own beating heart. A skeletal hand reached up from the grave. Horrified he finally saw the skull appear, grinning at him
"Jaaaakooob. Jaaaakooob. Jaaaakooob." The rotting skeleton climbed out of the grave.
Jake's eyes went wide, "no please no! I'm sorry." He screamed.
The scream jolted Will to life. He looked over at Jake who was trashing wildly. He stood half-asleep trying to catch his bearings.
Still asleep the panicked Jake got up from where he was lying and ran bumping into trees on his way.
"Jake, Jakob!" Will couldn't see a thing. He just now noticed the rain that was pouring down and heard the thunder.
'I've got to stop him.' He ran in the direction his brother had. The flashes of lighting were his only guide. The rain made the ground slippery.
Jakob was not too far ahead, all he knew was he a was running like mad to lose the skeleton. "Stop leave me alone, help me."
'He's in a trance of some sort.' Will tripped. In a split second he was on the ground. He looked up dazed, he could see Jake standing over a cliff.
Jake saw himself standing on the edge of a field. He glanced back, "Jaaaakooob, Jaaaakooob, Jaaaakooob don't run from me."
Jake put one foot into the field.
Will looked on in horror as his brother started to step over the edge.
"Jaaaakooob, you think you know you have no idea." The skeleton leaped for him.
"No, get off stop."
Will had his brother pinned to the ground wrestling with him. Jakob wouldn't stop struggling.
"Jake, it's O.K. it's me. Jakob! Wake up, wake up now!"
Will managed to flip Jake face up on his lap. The ailing man was screaming at the thunder. "Jakob please, calm down."
Jake started convulsing. "Oh my God Jake." He held him down trying to prevent him from causing him or himself any physical harm.
Will didn't know what to do. Tears welled up in his eyes at the sight of suffering. "Jake please," he was getting hysterical now.
He sat there holding him tightly begging him to hold on. 'Please Jake, please stop now. Come back please.'
After several minutes Jake finally eased up. The violent shaking had reduced to a slight shivering and his breathing was hard but steady. Will fought his emotions down and tightened his grip on Jake.
"Jakob, look at me. Look at me!" Jake's eyes focused on Will. It seemed to calm him.
Will smiled, "there you are. You're all right now."
Jake breathed, "I know where they have Anjelika."
"How? How could you know that?" Jake was too weak to answer.
Will stood himself and his brother up, "O.K. We can talk about it back at camp." He kept his brother close to him as they walked back. Will didn't know what to do, he couldn't leave Anjelika but something was seriously wrong with his brother. He brushed it away.
'Tomorrow, I'll deal with all of this tomorrow.'
Authors Note: I'm not sure if that was to confusing to follow or not. It was difficult to write. Any way I'd really appreciate some feedback. R&R. Oh, and to my new reviewers thanks buds! You guys rock.