Nod Twice

“Um, he was average sized, not very muscular, kinda tall, he uh, he,” Tommy desperately tried to remember the crucial facts that would help the police. “He had these awful gashes and open wounds all over his body. I could have sworn he had a new layer of skin sitting on top of his own.” After all the boy had gone through prior that night, it was amazing that he was even able to let the tears fall down. “He was so terrifying,” his voice shook and grew softer with each word.

“Please son, tell us exactly what happened,” the sheriff asked, placing his hand on the boy’s shoulder.

“Okay,” Tommy whispered, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. “Me and my friend went out to a bar and we got really drunk. My friend Cayden suggested that we go over to some old house just out of town and try to spot Flesh,” he was cut off by the cop.

“You went to go see him? How damn stupid are you kids?”

“We were drunk!” Tommy looked down at his lap briefly before uttering, “Sir.”

“You should’ve never been drinking in the first place! How old are you, because I know you’re not twenty-one.”

“I’m nineteen,” Tommy looked down and could feel the tears trying to escape again.

“While I try to refrain myself from locking you up for not following the laws in the first place, please, tell me what happened next?” The cop had a forced smile on as he clenched his fist around the boy’s shoulder, digging into his skin.

“When we got there, Flesh was waiting I guess.”

“You guess?”

“Yeah, once we got there he instantly got Cayden. He dragged him away and I was frozen in place, so I wasn’t able to save him,” Tommy continued to cry. He shut his eyes tight and clenched his teeth. “He was my best friend, man; we knew each other since pre-K.”

“I’m sorry for you loss, now please go on with the story.”

“As Cayden was dragged away, he was screaming at me for…” Tommy stopped, not wanting to continue.

“What did he say?” The sheriff asked, shaking Tommy’s shoulder. “We need to know this in order to get on with the case.”

“I don’t want to talk about it; it’s personal shit.” Tommy’s voice was nearly back to normal, with the exception of a hiccup from time to time.

“Okay, but you need to tell us later on.” There was no response. “Okay?”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“Good, now just me one more thing.”

“What?” Tommy was indifferent now.

“Have you had any strong urges to…to,” He didn’t really seem how to put it.

“Any strong urges to what?”
“To kill, have you had any strong urges to kill?”

Tommy seemed taken aback by the question. “No,” Was his only answer.

“Are you sure? Because witnesses of killings have been know to start murdering from time to time.”

“Yeah, positive.”

“Alright, you may go back to your room, Tommy.”

“Thanks, I guess.”

“You sure like to say that don’t you?”

“Say what?”

“I guess.”

“I guess.” The cop chucked as Tommy was escorted back to his room by a guard. Ever since the incident five hours ago, Tommy had been locked up in “The Wisconsin Institution for the Mentally Unstable”. Everyone thought he was crazy because of the stories he had told about his experience. Some people even thought he was the one that took the life of his friend and that he was using Flesh’s reputation to cover it up.

Not that much was known about the serial killer Flesh, except that he killed anyone who intrudes his property, he mostly killed teenagers, and he would skin the victims for their flesh, hence the nickname. He liked to stitch it on over his own skin in order to act like a teen himself. No one really knew why he did this; they just knew he was insane and was never going to be able to be stopped. When the police were at his house those years ago, it was as if he had vanished into thin air. After that, the place was condemned and no living person was allowed onto or near the property.

Tommy sat alone in his room, not really knowing what to do. ‘Why did you do this, Cayden?’ Tommy thought to himself as he laid down on the bed. ‘If you had never suggested that we go spot Flesh then you would still be here and I wouldn’t be locked up in this awful place. Why did you leave me?’

‘I’m sorry,’ a voice in the back of Tommy’s mind whispered. He shot up in bed and listened intently for anything else.

“God, am I really insane? Now I’m hearing things!” Tommy held his head in his hands as he tried to comprehend what had just happened.

‘You’re not going insane,’ Tommy, the voice spoke again.

He had heard that voice before; it was so familiar. It sounded like Cayden, but that was impossible; Cayden was dead. Tommy had seen him being dragged away. “Ca-Cayden, is that you?” Tommy stuttered.

‘Well who else would it be?’

“But you’re dead, I gotta be going crazy,” Tommy got up and began to pace his room, “I saw you getting dragged away by Flesh, you’re dead!” He pulled on his hair and chewed on his bottom lip. “This isn’t happening.” He backed up into a wall and slid down, his body in a fetal position. “I’m going crazy,” he murmured more to himself then the voice in his head.

‘You’re right, Flesh did get me, but I came back. The afterlife really isn’t as strict as everyone thinks it is.’

Tommy looked up at his empty room, “Where are you?”

‘At your desk; I like your drawings. Especially the ones of me. Am I really this hot?’ A picture of Cayden levitated and Tommy gasped. ‘Opps sorry, I know that you’re not exactly used to this yet.’ The picture was placed back down.

Tommy got up and slowly walked over to his desk. “Can you show me exactly where you are?” A warm breeze blew past him as Cayden must have been near.

‘Right here,’ Tommy felt a hot hand touch his arm.

“Aren’t ghosts supposed to be really cold?” Tommy asked in the direction of the heat.

‘Only the ones that are trapped on Earth are cold. I’m free since I know and embrace that I’m no longer a part of the living world.’

Tommy’s face visibly fell, “God, you really are dead.”

‘But I’m not leaving you, please remember that.’

“I know, I just miss you being here, alive.”

‘I miss you too Tommy.’

Tommy reached over to where the heat was strongest and tried to find Cayden’s arm. Just as his fingers brushed against something hot, his door was opened to reveal a doctor. The heat disappeared and Cayden was gone. His head fell and his arm was pulled back.

“Thomas, lights out in five minutes; your belongings were placed in the closet during the police session.” He then left the room, locking the door from the outside.
* * * * *
A knock at the door, in the middle of the night, woke Tommy up from his deep slumber. He cracked his right eye open and yawned. Another knock came from the door. “Coming,” he croaked out, swinging his legs over the bed and stepping onto the cold, wooden floor. The knock came again. Tommy groggily walked over to the door and tied to open it, but it was locked. “You need to unlock it,” he said to the person on the other side.

A jingle of keys could be heard and then the sound of keys being dropped echoed throughout the hallway. Once they were picked up the lock groaned until the door was opened to reveal the same doctor holding a red envelope. “A letter for you was just received, Thomas.” He set it down in Tommy’s waiting hand. “You can read it, but after that please go back to bed.” The doctor smiled before he left the room and once again locked the door from his side.

Tommy looked at the letter and could tell instantly that it held bad news. The red was an eerie blood color, while the white, cursive writing was neat and perfect. Someone obviously spent some time on it. He ripped open the top of the envelope and pulled out the crisp, white paper. He threw the envelope in the garbage and sat down on his bed, his eyes on the letter.

Dear Tommy,
I saw you at my house yesterday. You and your friend were drunk. I got angered and decided to take him, since I needed new furniture and clothes anyways. Don’t worry, I knocked him out before my operation. I drilled three holes in his skull and then poured acid into his head. He was very calm while he died. I’m writing this letter while wearing his scalp and sitting on his torso and legs as a very comfortable chair. I still need to teach you a lesson, so I’m coming over soon. I know where you are and what room you are in at this very moment. I will see you soon. Please keep your skin moisturized so it is easier to peel off.
Your Truly,
Flesh

Tommy went wide eyed and dropped the letter. Flesh was coming for him. He may not even live to see morning. He would get holes drilled in his head and acid poured around his brain. He had to get away, to escape and hide. Tommy ran to the door and banged on it repeatedly. He had to leave. There was no answer, no jingling of keys and no outside noise. “Cayden where are you?” Tommy yelled into the empty room. There was no response. The room remained cold. “God, I’m gonna die,” he slid against the door and buried his head in his knees.

‘Look up,’ Cayden told Tommy. He lifted his head and looked around. The room had heated up and something hot was sitting next to him.

“You came back!” Tommy flung his arms around the ghost and was too relived that his friend came back that he didn’t pull away at the burning sensation all over his torso and neck.

‘Why were you crying, Tommy?’

“Flesh just sent me a letter about how he coming after me and going to kill me. I don’t want to die, Cayden.” His grip on his friend tightened before Cayden began to embrace him back.

‘I won’t let you die,’ he said before Tommy felt hot lips against his forehead. That was how Cayden would try to cheer up his friend whenever he was upset. They didn’t know if it was sexual and frankly, they didn’t care either. It helped both of them calm down and that was the point. ‘You need to leave. It’s not safe here anymore. I’ll make a distraction and when I tell you to leave, you leave. Do you understand me?’

“Yeah, please hurry, I’m already scared shitless.”

Cayden let go of Tommy and vanished out of the room. Tommy quickly got a suitcase from his closet and started to frantically rip clothes off their hangers and stuff them in the bag. He only had a few minutes. When his bag was full he blindly put on the warmest looking clothes he had. Baggy, black sweats; a blue, long-sleeved, cotton, hand-me-down shirt; and brown hiking shoes.

‘The coast is clear; I’ll meet you in the parking lot next to the big, stone sign that has the name of the hospital on it. Please be safe,’ Cayden said in an exhausted tone.

‘Can ghosts get tired?’ Tommy asked himself. He remembered Flesh and fled the room. Cayden must have unlocked the door. Tommy ran around the maze of rooms and offices until he found the main entrance leading out to the parking lot. He reached the sign and covered his face the best he could with his shirt collar. The wind was really strong and nearly knocked Tommy over. Thick clouds covered the sky and the promise of snow showed in the sky.

Cayden still wasn’t here and that was starting to worry Tommy. ‘What if he’s been sentenced back to Heaven or something?’ Tommy thought. After four minutes of waiting in the freezing cold, Tommy reluctantly decided to continue going. His life was more valuable than his dead friend’s.
He started walking, not entirely sure on where he was going. Flesh could have been at the hospital right now wondering where he was. He could have even been stalking him silently with Cayden’s spirit trapped somewhere. ‘I hope Cayden’s safe,’ Tommy thought to himself.

Tommy had been walking for at least an hour and his body hurt and ached. It had begun to snow ten minutes after he started and his fingers were blue and frozen. He would be lucky if they weren’t amputated. That is, if he survived at all. That skin wearing maniac said he would kill Tommy and he was not lying. All Tommy could do now was pray that Cayden got to him soon.

“Thomas,” a voice nonchalantly said behind him.

Tommy whirled around and tried to see through the thick falling snow. “Who’s there?”

“I think you can guess. Did you enjoy my letter?” The sound of snow crunching in the darkness echoed through Tommy’s ear.

“Stay the fuck away from me you murderer!” he screamed. “You may have gotten to Cayden, but you’re not getting me.”

“I oppose that, my dear child.” It was obvious he was getting closer because the crunching snow was growing louder.

“Where’s Cayden? What did you do to him?” Tommy’s fingers began to defrost.

“You really are a stupid boy, aren’t you?” Flesh’s voice was right next to Tommy’s ear. “I could reach out and rip your succulent scalp off right now and sew it onto your friend’s if I wanted to. Don’t forget that.”

Tommy’s other side was warming up, despite the extreme temperature he was exposed to. ‘Be strong,’ Cayden said, back once again.

‘Where were you?’ Tommy thought to Cayden, not wanting to give any hints to Flesh.

‘Flesh got to me after I knocked out the guards and trapped me in my old body. I escaped and headed straight to you.’

“Why so silent, Thomas?” Flesh reached out and touched Tommy’s cheek. “You have such soft skin, it would be a waste to let it stay on your body.”

“Get away from me, you bastard,” Tommy warned.

‘Don’t let him get to you,’ Cayden reminded his friend.

“I know you are scared, boy. Give your skins up to me and this will be all over. I’ll knock you out just like I did with your boyfriend and this will be all over.”

Tommy’s cheeks flushed a deep red as Flesh thought Cayden was his boyfriend. “We’re not dating.”

“Then why does he kiss you?” Tommy’s mind was swimming.

‘He’s just trying to get inside your head. Once you let him in, you’re done for,’ Cayden warned Tommy.

“Why were you so heartbroken when he died, Tommy?” Flesh prodded further.

‘Stay strong, he wants you to break,’ Cayden reassured his friend. Tommy began to sweat and breathe deeper.

“Do you love him? Do you love Cayden?” The maniac had moved over to where the ghost was.

‘Forget everything I said Tommy! Punch the bastard! Punch him now!’ Cayden screamed to his friend.

“I know you’re conflicted; I know you’re confused. Just let me have you easily and this will be at its end,” Flesh yelled softly.

‘Don’t do it!’

“Do it!”

‘Don’t listen to him!’

“Do as I say!”

“BOTH OF YOU SHUT THE FUCK UP!” Tommy screamed at the top of his lungs. “Aren’t I already crazy enough!?”

“Exactly, now just come with me,” Flesh said, grabbing Tommy’s arm.

“No,” Tommy told the killer, “I’m not going with you.”

“Then I’ll have to take you myself,” Flesh said before jumping at the nineteen year old. Tommy had been pulled away just in time by Cayden, but Flesh had ripped off his left shirt sleeve. Cayden pulled Tommy away as Flesh followed. “I’ll get you, Thomas!” Flesh exclaimed in the darkness. With his last cry, Flesh was silent. Tommy stopped and he and Cayden listened. There were no stomps in the snow or cold breaths in the air. He was gone, Flesh was gone.

“I left my bag behind,” Tommy told his friend.

‘Go get it, I’ll find a place for you to sleep and tell you where I am when you’re done,’ Cayden said.

“Okay, please choose somewhere with a heater.”

‘Can do.’

Tommy began to walk back to where the drama had begun. It was freezing cold without Cayden around and one of Tommy’s sleeves was missing. Once he was back to where his bag had been dropped, he found that it was no longer there. The only thing there was a red envelope with white cursive writing laying in the snow. “God no,” Tommy whispered to himself. He picked the letter up and ripped the top open. He then proceeded to read it.

Dear Tommy,
Did you think I had left? As I had asked you before, ‘How stupid are you?’ I wanted to tell you that I’m watching you right now. I can see you reading this at this very moment. Cayden is not where you think he is. I may have gotten to him. In fact, I did get to him. I’ve once again trapped him inside of his dead body. He is no help to you. I will let him free if you give in to me, though. You two will be together in the spirit world for all eternity. You will no longer feel pain or weakness. I am trying to help you. Nod twice if you give up. Nod once if you do not surrender and would rather me destroy Cayden’s body with him trapped inside. It’s your pick. Please choose wisely.
Your Truly,
Flesh

Hot tears emerged from Tommy’s eyes. He couldn’t choose. Flesh was tearing his life apart. Tommy dropped the letter and sat down on the snow. His body was numb, so the coldness of the snow was not sensible.

“Choose,” Flesh called out from somewhere around Tommy. He let out a sob as he thought about his choices. After a minute of weighting out the possibilities, Tommy took a deep breath and stood up. He closed his eyes and nodded. After a few seconds, he slowly nodded again. “Wonderful choice.”

“Wh-what do I do n-now?” Tommy asked, too upset to even speak normally.

“You come here.” Tommy stumbled over to the killer, his legs already starting to ice up. Once he was what he assumed to be where Flesh was, he kneeled down. He was too weak to stand. “This won’t hurt a bit,” the killer said before lifting a crow bar he had brought and slamming it down onto the boy’s dark drown hair.

The last thing Tommy remembered was seeing Flesh wear Cayden’s scalp over his own and how much he was looking forward to seeing his boyfriend again.