Chapter Two – Just Another Morning

Chapter Two – Just Another Morning

Carol woke up early the next morning. It was still raining. After getting dressed and putting on her makeup to make her look as if she had gotten at lease some sleep she went downstairs. It was the usual scene when she walked down stairs. Mom was at the counter cleaning up the dishes she used to cook breakfast, Dad was sitting at the table reading his newspaper, Ben was shoveling spoonfuls of egg into his mouth, and Mike was gone. Carol tired not to appear too worried; after all, he hardly ever was home any more – especially in the mornings. As much as her parents tried to hide it, Carol knew her older brother didn't come home most nights.

"Good morning, sweetie!" Mrs. Seaver said, trying to appear cheery. Carol wanted to scream or throw something at her – or both. How dare she stand there cleaning and acting all cheery when her oldest son hadn't come home and could be dead in a ditch somewhere! Carol had begun to think she was the only one that was really concerned about Mike.

"Hi, Mom," she put on her best fake smile – she was used to fake smiles by now, "How did you sleep?"

"Pretty well, and you? That storm didn't keep you up too much did it?"

"No," Carol had also mastered the art of lying with the art of fake smiles.

"Well that's good. Do you want some pancakes and eggs?"

"No thanks, Mom," Carol grabbed an apple out of the fruit bowl on the table, "I'll just have this if you don't mind."

"Carol, you really should eat something," Dad stepped in.

"It's alright. I'm not hungry any…" Carol was interrupted by the back door opening and her older brother Mike Seaver slumping in. His brown jacket was sagging off his left shoulder, there was a stain on his bright blue shirt, and his hair was rumpled. Carol's heart ached to see her brother looking this bad. She longed to run to him and hug him but she knew it would only result in him yelling and cursing her.

"Mike!" Mrs. Seaver ran over to her son, "What happened?"

"Hm?" He shrugged his reply, "I…I don't 'member?"
"Mike, go upstairs and change," Mr. Seaver said, not even looking up from his paper, "We'll send some coffee up in a little bit."

"Thanks, Dad," Mike said and walked toward the stairs. Carol heard a thump and a grunt. He had tripped.

"Dad, shouldn't we do something?" Ben asked.

"Do what?" Mr. Seaver asked his son, "It won't do anything. He doesn't want help."

Carol sighed as she bit into her apple. It was just another morning at the Seaver house. She glanced up at the clock on the wall. She and Mike only had a few more minutes before leaving for school. She longed to go into his room and check on him, ask him if he was o.k. but she knew that wasn't possible. She wasn't ever allowed into Mike's room. No one was except maybe for their dad but that was only when he threatened to knock the door down.

"Carol, you better go brush finish getting ready. Ten minutes until you have to leave," Maggie Seaver warned her daughter.

Carol put down the apple which she had only taken two bites from and headed upstairs to her room. As she passed Mike's, she almost considered knocking on the door. After all, all she would have to tell him was that they had ten minutes before school…if he was even going to go. Mike had the habit of somehow disappearing between getting off the bus and going into the school. Carol finally worked up the courage and raised her fist to the door.

"Who is it?" Mike snarled from within the room.

"Me. Carol."

"Go away!"

"Mike…I-I was just wondering if you were coming to school today?" Carol asked, her voice shaking.

"How is that any of your business, Carol?" Mike asked, spitting out her name as if it acid in his mouth.

"It-it isn't."

There was a long pause and Carol was beginning to feel as if he had just brushed her off completely. As she was about to turn and head down the hall to her room, the door opened.

"Hey Carol, wanna see somethin'?" Mike asked. Something in his voice made Carol uneasy but she nodded and ducked underneath his arm and into his room, "Come 'ere. Sit down," Mike patted his mattress and Carol sat down next to him. Maybe he had changed. Maybe he was trying to quit… "Lookie here!" Mike shrugged out of the sleeves of his jacket and pointed at a gash going up the inside of his arm.

"My God!" Carol gasped, "What happened?"

"That's just the thing, Carol. I don't remember," his mouth turned upwards into a grin that startled Carol. He was something out of a horror film to her. All grinning evilly and as if that weren't enough, he started laughing!

"Mike…"

"Pretty neat-o, huh?"
"No! It could be infected! What if you get hepatitis or some other disease?" Carol shouted at the brother she no longer knew.

"Disease? Carol, I'm a walking disease!"

"Mike…" Carol was cut short as Mike began to trace his finger along the congealed gash.

"That's what they do to you – the drugs. They make you forget."

"Why do you want to forget, Mike? What is it that has been so terrible that you want to forget?" Carol's voice was quickening and she prayed he would answer and let her in a little further to his life.

"EVERYTHING!" Make roared.

Carol jumped up from the bed and looked at him with fear in her eyes. This was not her brother. This was a monster who had taken his place.

"Mike…"

"Carolie, Carolie, Carolie," Mike cooed as he went to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders tightly, "I didn't mean t' scare ya or anythin' it's just…well…"

"You lose control," Carol answered, knowing all to well this rehearsed speech of his.

"Yeah…" he nodded.

"I know," Carol nodded as well, "Look, I have to get ready for school."

"Always the good little student," Mike smiled at his sister – a smile that seemed almost familiar, almost like before.

"Always the troublemaker," Carol returned the smile before walking out of his bedroom and leaving him behind.