Doctor Cunningham

Jason Cunningham was a quiet child. He didn’t cry when he was born, or learn to speak until he was at least four years old. His parents found out what brought light into his eyes when he started kindergarten. He never paid much attention to or played with the other kids, but he would closely watch the wonders of the natural world around him. He would stare in awe as caterpillars cocooned in the schoolyard; he’d poke the earthworms he found burrowing into the dirt around the old oak tree, and flinch at the loud albeit happy chirps of the spring birdies and their proud mothers. His teacher brought up his tendencies to isolate himself from the other children and poke around in the dirt to his parents. Wendy, his mother, grew excited at the thought of her son breaking into the world of botany. She was a botanist who didn’t really stand out from the others, but she aspired to find unorthodox ways to utilize nature’s ferns and blossoms. Jack, his father, had a different idea. He was a biologist, and a brilliant one. While he was still recovering from an incident regarding a coworker stealing his ideas, he rarely surfaced from his study. He knew Jason had a knack for observing life and felt that the boy would thrive as a biologist. His little brother, Sebastian, was a sweet, sickly little boy. They would sit together in the yard in a tent at night and tell ghost stories. Eventually, they started going ghost hunting and seeking demons and other occult beings. It was mostly harmless, until the two were brought to Wendy’s office by the cops one night after they were caught digging up graves. They would get in trouble a lot, Jason more so than his little brother because of his father’s certainty that he was the ringleader.

 

At least Jack wasn’t wrong.

 

The biologist and his wife hoped that their son was going through one of his phases, where he’d fixate on something obsessively for a few months and lose interest. However, when Sebastian fell ill, Jason’s obsession grew more severe. His parents would see less of him, even when on break from their assignments. He’d turn up in Sebastian’s room, reading him stories or showing him pictures he drew. He was with Sebastian until the very end, when his brother finally ‘went to sleep’ in spite of everything the doctors tried. He decided that, no, the doctors didn’t try enough, and that he would become the doctor to cure all diseases. His parents supported him, but it was still obvious he was obsessed with that dark magic, considering he’d talk to himself over and over about ‘waking’ Sebastian.

 

Then, they wouldn’t see him for days at a time.

 

After reading the book night and day, he realized he had to wait until twilight to open it. When he parted to covers to the open air, the world around him blurred into a mess of color and sound. He could make out some whispers from a glowing spirit, and he kind of remembered drinking…something from her. He suddenly doubled over Sebastian’s grave, a black stream erupting from his maw and splashing against the tear-stained lens of his glasses.

 

Jason opened his eyes to a black voidscape. All was silent, save for a faint humming in his head. It was mid-pitched, and no matter how much he’d try to tune it out, it wouldn’t go away. In fact, the humming slurred into sleepy, ethereal giggles that threatened to mock him. “Mm–quiet,” he pleaded, squeezing his eyes shut. The laughter grew quieter, but refused to leave. It called out to him playfully, insisting that he remember who he was. “I have–things to do,” he gagged. He reached out in front of him where his computer would be, trembling as the cold air slipped between his shaking fingers. He couldn’t resist staring at his left hand, taking note of how it was wrapped in an oddly comfortable substance. He cradled this feeble hand with his dominant one, shivering at the warmth that the glove provided. With chattering teeth, he turned his attention to his sluggishly beating heart. “Please let me wake up,” he whimpered.

Suddenly, the world flashed into his sight. Colors were brighter and more vivid than before, the lights and shadows more distinct from one another. He found himself on the balcony of an unfathomably beautiful palace. It was grand in every way, especially in how it reflected the chilling moonlight along its crystal walls. Jason drank in the crisp air, the silent hums of the night, and the cool, gentle breeze that stirred his fluffy hair. He then turned to his left, startled at the sudden presence of his younger brother. “Seabass,” he sputtered, “you scared the shit out o’ me.”

“Sorry, man,” the younger brother replied. Even with his towering,monstrous appearance, he was still the meek little brother that Jason remembered. As the elder brother scanned Sebastian’s form, he felt a familiar sensation begin to take hold. He struggled to keep his balance and wound up sitting down, curling his arms around his abdomen. “Don’t worry about it,” he managed, burying his face in his scarf. “What–how do you feel?”

A devious grin cracked across Sebastian’s pale face. Even with his secluded features, Jason could still sense his brother’s twisted excitement. “Much, much better,” the creature purred. “You have some freaky powers there, bro. I feel so strong, yet so relaxed.”

Jason smiled darkly, trembling in his seat. He clutched his lab coat and closed his eyes. “Where are we?” he wondered aloud. “I’ve never seen a place like this before.” The creature struggled to answer. He also hadn’t a clue where he and his brother was, but he did feel an eerie connection to the place. He looked to the horizon and studied the brewing storm in the distance. “I think it’s your dream,” he guessed. The elder shuddered and shook his head in confusion. “It feels too real,” he panted as he brought his gloved hand to his mouth. He felt an odd coldness in his body, as if he were–

“Maybe I’m dead?”

He sensed Sebastian’s sudden nervousness and desperately tried to help calm him. “No no, I mean–well–”

“[You are not dead, Jason.]”

The boy glanced up towards the glass doors. They were slightly ajar and a breeze whistled between them. A tall, ominous figure stood still inside the dark room, arms folded behind his back as the stirring curtains obscured his identity. Jason felt the chills quickly rush through his body as he quickly panned his gaze to his brother, who was leaned over in an elegant bow. He shifted his attention back to the figure who remained still, save for a long, sleeved arm wrapped in a suit with golden, glistening cufflinks slowly rising from between parted curtains. He watched as the man’s index finger pointed toward his brother and quickly curl back into a lightly curled fist. “[Damn it, Sebastian, we’ve been over this,]” the figure croaked from behind the curtains. Jason heard his brother stiffly rise to attention and flinched as he witnessed a small tendril spill forth from his glove and rub the monster’s shoulders. “Relax, silly,” he sighed in tandem with the shadow. He gasped and slapped his hand over his mouth, unable to control his other arm. The tentacle slithered and retracted back into his glove. If he could feel his weak stomach, he would almost double over in nausea. He desperately tried to command his arm to come back to him, but it still pointed an outstretched hand towards his now relaxed (and no longer twisted) little brother. Finally his arm came back to him and he shrank away from the slightly ajar doors not far from where he stood. “Whhhh-who are you? What is–”

“[Jason Cunningham–I am you,]” the shadow cooed as his arm retreated back into the dark room. Jason shook his head and cradled his arms over his abdomen, a black ooze spilling from his mouth. “I–no way…” he sputtered, his trembling getting worse.

“[When you called upon the Lady to help you resurrect your brother, she fed you my essence in the form of that liquid],” the shadow chuckled as the boy coughed up more of the strange substance. “[So… ‘yes way’, we are one in the same.] I am you, and you are me.”

Jason found himself moaning the last few words along with the blackened figure and an odd chill flushed throughout his feeble body. He half-drunkenly gazed into the room, swaying slightly as two clawed hands gently push the glass doors open. A blonde-red-haired man stuck his face out from between the curtains, a goofy albeit devious sharp-toothed grin cracking his face in half. He pulled himself out of the doors and rose some four feet above the youth and his little brother. Dark red sneakers stopped just short of the black puddle and long hair dragged behind the looming stranger. Jason felt his throat tighten and his body quiver with excitement at the exact same time. He squinted up towards the creature’s face. He seemed human enough in appearance, but there was something about his eyes… those slitted pupils and piercing green irises sent a sharp chill down the boy’s spine. Jason blinked and doubled over, gagging as more of the black liquid splattered onto the ground. As the shadow lowered himself to be level with Jason, he placed a hand in the slime. The other hand gently rested on Jason’s shoulder. “[Jason, Darling. As time moves on, I’m sure you’ll realize that this isn’t so bad],” the devil croaked. The boy slowly and shakily took a deep breath as the puddle sprang to life and small black tendrils crept up his body. He squeezed his eyes shut, the chills becoming more overwhelming by the minute. He gnashed his teeth together when he felt the black, sticky tendrils creep up his neck. When the creeping vines passed over his face, he exhaled loudly and his tongue began to stretch and drip from his maw. He panted quietly, clawing at his neck and chest as his eyes shot open and revealed their transformation. Now, he too had the eyes that fired chills down the spines of anyone foolish enough to gaze into them. When the black slime finally settled, he searched for the strange man. The man was nowhere to be found, but he noticed just how much further he felt from the ground. He inspected his new body, gasping at the sight of his elongated features. His nails became sharp, black talons; his fingers and limbs felt like they were tugged and stretched. He felt an odd sensation, as if he were in a perpetual state of relaxation and the desire to share this feeling with others. He glanced over at Sebastian, who stared excitedly back at him, hands squished against his rosy cheeks. “Father has chosen you, Jason!” he squealed as he bounced towards his older brother.

“Indeed I have,” Jason sighed happily in the creature’s voice. He drowsily curled his arms around Sebastian and headed into the dark room. As the doors closed behind him, the creature’s deep, croaking laughter filled the air.