Page 50 of Shadow Seeking

“Kelvin! Stop!” I jumped forward, trying to grab hold of him.

But he was too quick for me and he darted back, surprisingly nimble. He dropped the dynamite but, as I leaped after him, he turned around, holding something else that I couldn’t quite catch a glimpse of. My first thought was that it was a gun, butthen I decided that, if hedidhave a gun, he would have already used it. Maybe it wasn’t logical, but that’s what was running through my mind.

“Kelvin, make it easier on yourself—” I said, but he rushed toward the freeway. “Stop! You’ll get hit?—”

“Better than a cage,” he shouted back. “Nobody wants to help me. Nobody gives a damn?—”

I slowed. Maybe if I stopped pursuing, he’d calm down and stop, too. “Kelvin—you heard Old Sarah. We’re not here to hurt you.”

He shook his head. “That’s what Tana said. Tana promised they’d help us but they made us leave the group home. They kicked us out of our home. They said I was violent. But I’m not—I…Roddy’sthe violent one and when he acts up, I can’t keep him under control anymore.”

I held up my hands, trying to process how to approach him. “Roddy? That’s your brother, right?”

“Yes,” he said. “My brother’s the one they want. I told him he needs to quit hurting people. He hurtso many peoplewhen he was in the service. He killedchildren, for the sake of the gods. And then, when he was discharged, he didn’t knowhowto stop hurting people. I kept him under control. I made him promise me that he wouldn’t hurt Tana. But he did.” He was crying now, breaking down into loud sobs. It was like he was melting in front of me.

I was beginning to understand. “Kelvin, hasRoddybeen with you ever since you got out of the service?”

His shoulders slumped. “Roddy said he’d stay with me forever. I took care of him in the service, and he’s trying to repay the favor. We were inseparable as kids…and he promised he’d stay with me until the day we die. He’s a good brother, but he can get angry when people treat me mean. I try to tell him it’s okay, that I understand. But he doesn’t.I’ll never leave youbehind, Kelvin, he tells me.I’ll never leave you behind. You didn’t leave me behind.”

He fell to his knees on the side of the road. Then, he leaned forward, covering his eyes as he whimpered. “I can’t do this anymore, Roddy. I need your help.”

As I watched, his face shifted and he looked up at me.

“What do you want, bitch? Leave my brother alone. He’s mine.” The voice was so different that it startled me.

I knelt. “Are you Roddy?”

“What’s it to you?” he snarled.

“I’m trying to help your brother. Kelvin’s in trouble and he’s only going to make things worse for himself if he resists.”

I caught a glint in his eyes that made me think this reallywasRoddy, speaking through Kelvin. Was his brother haunting him? Or was this a split personality, with Kelvin’s guilt over Roddy fueling it? I had no idea which one it was.

He laughed roughly. “Why should that bother me?”

At that moment, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. Thiswasa ghost—it was Roddy, all right. He blamed Kelvin for his death and was tormenting Kelvin’s already guilty soul.

I thought about trying to reason with the spirit, but that wouldn’t do any good if Roddy was out for revenge. I stood and turned to Orik and Dante, who were standing nearby, ready to jump in if need be.

“We have a problem. He’s possessed. His brother’s around, and he’s tormenting Kelvin.”

“I didn’t know you can feel ghosts,” Dante said.

“Not usually—or rather, not in any great detail. But Roddy’s malevolent. In fact, I’m not sure Roddy’s just a spirit.”

“Do you think that he’s even Roddy?” Orik asked.

“I’m not positive, no. But if the cops put Kelvin in a cell, he may try to find a way to kill himself,” I said, keeping my voicelow. At that moment, two cop cars pulled in. “Dante, go talk to them.”

I glanced at Kelvin, who—looking alarmed—stood, looking ready to run.

“No, Kelvin. Don’t do it. The cops could hurt you if you run. Stay, please,” I said, turning to Sarah. “Talk to him, please.”

“Kelvin, boy, do you hear me?” Sarah said, putting a hand on his arm.

He shivered, then the mean stare vanished and the confused look took over again. “I hear you, Old Sarah. Tell me what to do. What should I do?”

“You go with the police politely. They’ll take care of you, but youhave tocooperate. Don’t fight them. Don’t listen to Roddy.” Tears glistened in her eyes. She looked at me. “He needs help. Do you think I could go with them, to talk to them for him? I don’t know if he’ll be able to handle this alone.”

---