The Child's Cry

Amidst the rain and thunder, a child's cry was heard. The eight months old sat in the living room, near a puddle of blood of his own mother. She laid cold dead in front of him. He cried on top of his lungs.

***

"Sir!" someone's voice was heard.

He woke up and saw the bus conductor was calling him out. 

" It's the last stop sir." 

"Yeah I'll be getting off here" he said. He took his bag pack and left. 

A few steps and he was in front of his building. He was walking at his usual pace, with headphones on and head coverd with the hood. He generally never spoke to any of the people in building, except for Bethany. There was something special about her. The way she smiled, the way she twirled her hair would make his heart flutter. Fortunately she lived right next door and would bump into him more than twice a day. 

"Bethany!" he called her out as he walked down the hallway and saw Bethany holding a basket while closing her door. 

She looked at him and said, " Hey there! Where have you been?"

"Here and there," he said as he smiled at her, his heart filled with the same excitement. "What are you doing with that basket? Planning to kidnap a child?"

"Oh you know, I just might kidnap someday, but for now, I'm doing the usual laundry thing." 

A few more giggles and they said goodbye to each other. 

He unlocked his door and got inside. Threw his bag pack on couch and made himself coffee. 

***

Several minutes later, there was a knock on the door. He opened the door and saw a middle aged lady standing at the door. She had a gentle smile on her face.

"Dr. Laurel, good to see you." he said

"It's good to see you too." she said.

" Does Sammy have an appointment today? I'm sorry but he's not home at the moment." 

"Oh no. I came unannounced, just to check on him." 

" Would you like to come inside? Have some coffee?"

"Yeah sure." 

Dr. Laurel sat on couch and looked around. 

"Any idea where he might be?" she asked.

" No idea. Must be fooling around somewhere." He handed over the coffee, "Here's your coffee." 

"Thank you!" she smiled. "So where have you been? Haven't you seen him going out?"

"I was at a friend's place. He does that gaming stuff I like." 

"Really?! You're into gaming?" she laughed. 

"Yeah I mean, almost everybody does it nowadays so I guess.. yeah." 

"You know, we have never really known eachother, apart from the fact that I'm your elder brother's doctor and you're my client's younger brother Aiden." 

"I know right?!" he said, "Okay so, I have something to ask you."

"Ask away"

"Oh God, how do I say this?" he touched his temples. "How do you ask a girl out?"

"What?" Laurel laughed, "Out of all the questions?"

"I'm sorry, but I really need to know this. Besides I don't have any female friend to whom I can ask this." 

"And to whom do you wanna ask out?"

"Bethany," he blushed, "The girl next door. We've been friends for a long time and I really wanna ask her out, but I don't know how to do it."

Laurel laughed, "I don't know how it's done in your generation, but in my time, it was with the flowers."

"With the flowers huh? Isn't that just so.. romantic, I guess?"

"Yes, it is," she smiled and her gaze caught something slipping from his bag. It was a paper, with something written on it, but she couldn't make out what it said.

"What is that Aiden?" she asked. He followed her gaze. 

"It's nothing." he said.

"Show it to me."

"It's nothing Dr. Laurel.. really."

"Well then, let me see it" she insisted. "Is it the picture of that girl named Bethany?"

"No doctor, it's nothing," his tone became serious.

"I'm sorry," she said. "Thanks for the coffee, I'll leave now." She walked out.

"I'll tell Sammy you came by. Goodbye." And he closed the door.

He turned around and sighed. Dr. Laurel shouldn't know what was on that paper. If she would find out that he had not gone to his friend's place but to a cyber guy, it would create problems for Sammy. After all, Samuel needed this, he thought. 

***

Dr. Laurel was having a bad feeling. She needed to make sure that Samuel would be fine. 

When she reached the building gate, she went towards security guard's cabin. It was past 7 PM, the security guard had already arrived for his night shift. 

"Excuse me," Laurel called out.

"How may I help you?" he walked towards her.

"Hi, I'm Dr. Laurel." She shows her identity card, "My client resides in this building, in A36. His name is Samuel, do you happen to know him?"

"Of course, I do."

"Very well then, I need your help. Don't let him go out tonight, at any conditions."

"I'm sorry ma'am, but I cannot do that. If he complains against me, I would be in problem here."

"You need not worry about that. I'll talk to authorities. But please, do not let him out. It's for medical reasons."

The man nodded. 

***

The clock showed 9:33 PM. It was perfect time for him to slip away. No one would notice him. He looked at the address one more time.

42, Victoria Street

The place was not too far. He wore his hoodie, covered his head with hood, stepped out and locked the door. 

He could hear laughs from Bethany's place. Apparently she and Aiden were having a good time. 

He didn't stand there long and walked down the hallway. Soon he reached near the gate. 

The security guard on duty was enjoying his time smoking near his cabin. The sound of footsteps caught his attention. He recognised the man at once. 

"Don't let him out at any conditions." He recalled the conversation.

"Sir! Excuse me sir," he called out," I'm sorry but you can't go out."

"What? Why?"

"Apparently there's going to be a curfew tonight and I've been strictly ordered by the authorities to keep the gates closed."

"But I've got some urgent work. It cannot wait."

"I'm sorry sir, I'm afraid I can't help you."

"Bullshit!" And he went back.

***

9:45 PM. He was in the room. Aiden had not returned yet. He looked out of the window, planning his escape route. 

"Should I just jump off the wall?" he thought, "Yeah, I should jump off the wall."

Without any futher ado he rushed down.

Quietly making his way to the back of the building, he managed to find the ladder. He swiftly moved it against the wall and escaped.

***

The clock hanging on the wall showed 10:35 PM. It was time for Laurel to take her medics and sleep. She took a glass filled with water from the kitchen. While drinking, she heard the telephone ring from the next room.

"At this hour?" she thought.

She lowered the glass and went for the ringing phone.

"Hello?" she said.

"Laurel, it's me" 

"Samuel? Is it you?"

"Yes, it's me" he was shivering.

"Are you okay? Where are you?" Laurel could hear the rain pouring from his side.

"I need to talk to you, I've done something awful. But it.. it was only an accident. I.. I didn't mean to.."

"Okay.. okay calm down. Where are you?"

"I'm calling from a telephone booth at Victoria Street."

"Okay I'll come get you. Stay there."

And she hung up.

"Victoria Street.." Laurel thought," That could only mean one thing."

***

He was shivering from the rain. The thoughts of the incident kept coming back to his mind. The child's cry was echoing in his mind. And only one thought kept repeating in his mind- "I killed her!"

Soon he could see Dr. Laurel's car getting closer. She stopped the car and he got in without saying any word.

After he sat down, she began to drive again. 

"Doctor I.. I" he was stammering.

"Not now Sammy," her eyes were fixed on road and her tone was serious, "We'll talk about this once we get home."

He preferred stay silent for rest of the time.

***

Laurel parked the car in driveway. Samuel got down and followed Laurel as they walked in her house. Both of them were silent. Sammy was still shivering.

"Sit. I'll make you some coffee." Laurel said.

Sammy sat down on the sofa and kept looking down until Laurel was back with a mug in her hand.

She sat across the table before him.

"Tell me about it now." she said making eye contact with him.

"It was an accident Laurel.. I intend to do it."

"What did you do?"

"I killed her.." his face went dark.

"Tell me, what happened exactly." 

"I got her address from Aiden," he sighed, "He took it from a cyber guy. I didn't wanted to kill her, but she got all panicked and started screaming. I.. I.. didn't know what to do." He began to breathe faster.

"What happened then?" Laurel leaned forward.

"I hit her with the rod." He was silent for a second. "Her head hit the wall," he continued. " And then she fell on floor and then I saw blood coming from the back of her head. It was all over the floor. That's when I heard a child crying from the corner of the living room. He crawled towards his mother's dead body and shook her trying to wake her up. I couldn't stand there, so I got away before anyone could call police."  

He kept staring at coffee. "I didn't know who else to call. I wasn't sure if Aiden would be there.." he sighed. "I couldn't think of anyone else besides you." 

Laurel sighed. "Drink your coffee."

She got up and went towards the kitchen. Removing the phone from her pocket, she checked a text from Marshall, a lawyer. 

"Someone broke into Matthew's house." The text said.

"It was him." She replied back.

" It isn't getting any better, is it?" a new text beeps.

"Sorry to burden you Charles, but please handle the matter with police."

"That's my job." 

***

Laurel was back on her spot again. He had almost finished his coffee. 

"How are you feeling?" She asked.

"Not any better," he replied.

Laurel sighed. "Okay now, I'm gonna tell you something very important and you have to listen it carefully." 

"What it is Laurel?"

"Listen to me very carefully," she said. " Your name is Samuel Matthews."

"I already know that.." 

"Yes, but there's something you don't know. Or maybe I can say, you know, but you pretend that you don't."

"Don't talk in riddles Laurel. I can't understand what you're saying.."

"Listen Samuel," she leaned forward," the lady you think you killed today, is already dead."

"What you're talking about? That can't be, I killed her. Just an hour ago Laurel, you were there." 

"Samuel, Samuel, listen to me.." she took out an photo from a file that she had kept beside her. "Is this the woman you killed today?"

"Yes.. how did you.. know?"

"I told you Samuel, she's already dead. Two years ago."

He kept staring at the photo. 

"Her name is Charlotte," she said," She was your wife."

He looked at Laurel. She nodded. 

" I'm sorry to break it to you like this Samuel, but.. you have dissociative identity disorder. You assume yourself as other people when they don't even exist." 

"I can't believe.. what are you saying Laurel?"

"It's true. I'm sorry." she said. "I thought it would be better that you would remember this on your own, but it's getting worse. You're hallucinating."

He was confused at Laurel's words, he didn't know how to react. "So, what are my other personalities?"

"Aiden.." she said, "your younger brother. He died when he was fourteen. You were sixteen by then. His death had an significant impact on your mental health." 

"Aiden? That can't be. Aiden is.."

"Dead." She cut him off. "Also you have no neighbour named Bethany. Although you did had a young girl living next door named Bethany when Aiden died. She was his crush and you knew that. But the apartment besides yours now, is empty." 

"And what about the lady that I killed?"

"Charlotte was your wife Samuel. You both have a son. She was killed in a local burglary." Laurel said. "The burglar was caught and in his statement he stated that he was panicked and killed her accidentally by hitting her with rod. You were late for home due to office work the night she was killed. Ever since you blamed yourself for her death. Gradually, you thought yourself as the burglar that killed her. Her death, reminded you of Aiden's death and then he has been one of your personalities."

Images of past came across his eyes as Laurel was speaking. His head began to hurt. He held his head with hands

"I know it must be tough for you," she said, "but you have to recover Samuel. You have to stop living in past, you have stop keeping people alive in you who are long dead, you need to say goodbye them." 

"No.. no! This is not true!" 

"Why do think you would break into a house Samuel?"

"I.. I don't know. It's just.. I got her address from Aiden."

"You didn't get the address from Aiden. You always knew the address. It's your house, after all. Your brain knew the address. All those things, Aiden getting the address from a cyber guy, was nothing but a hallucination." 

By this time, he had a mental breakdown. 

"Where is my son?" 

"He has been living with his aunt, Charlotte's sister. Since you were not keeping well with your health after Charlotte's death, it was best to send him to his aunt."

"I thought it would be best to keep it from you, that you would recover slowly, on your own," she continued, "But things got worse and I'm afraid you will go too far that it would be impossible to bring the real Samuel back."

"So what now? How do you think I would recover? How do you know that I won't turn back to Aiden again? Or that burglar?"

"I don't know," Laurel said. "But we will try to give you our best medication. And I'm sure, you will recover, Samuel."

***