Falling Capricorn (15 page)

“Enough!” Christen suddenly yelled. Joey didn’t even respond as Eric looked over at Christen. She stared at Eric with eyes full of hurt. “Eric, stop forcing Joey to be stuck inside your own mind. Share him,” she said softly. Eric stared at her. He wondered just how damaged she was from the loss of Joey. He questioned if it had affected her to such a point that she couldn’t forget about him, no matter how hard she tried. Was her reality twisted that much?

To Eric it was twisted, but to Christen it made sense. It felt as though she was helpless between the two. It was such a miserable feeling. This misery was made worse by the fact that Eric wouldn’t allow her to talk to Joey, whom she craved to talk to. It was childish, but in these conditions she was known for being childish. It felt like Eric was keeping Joey all to himself. "He's your friend, Eric, but he's mine too...and my lover, my soulmate, my everything!"

“No Christen. He is not supposed to be here,” he muttered to her and then shook his head softly. He was dead; he is not supposed to be there anymore. He couldn’t get this through to the girl.  He just didn’t know how to comfort her, or cover up everything that had just gone on. He decided to tell it to her as straight up as he could. “Christen, Joey is dead. Even if I were to let him come out, it is not him completely. It is still me, as well,” Eric tried to explain.

“I don’t mind if you guys share a body,” she whimpered her reply with a thick sweetness coating the words. She honestly didn’t see what the big deal would be if they shared a body, a living body.

“Yes, I’m sure Roxie will just love that,” he stated.

“Why wouldn’t she be okay with that?” Christen asked. Eric stared at her with utter disbelief. He knew Roxie. Not only would she not he be okay with that, she wouldn’t even believe such a crazy story, either.

“Because, Christen. She isn’t going to believe that there are two souls in one body, nor is she going to be very keen to let us all share one man’s body. She’s just not that type of girl Christen. Honestly, I don’t think any woman is.” He grew weary as the alcohol and internal fight was starting to make him feel worn out and tired. The constant arguing with Christen and Joey was also making him feel rather sick. This constant feeling of different emotions at the same time… all of it was making him feel exhausted emotionally, physically, and mentally.

“Then make her believe, Eric.” Christen told him with a small glare. Eric gave her a fierce look. This was heading nowhere. It was not going to get better, only worse. He needed an out from this argument. He mentally thanked Kat a thousand times over when she knocked on the door and came inside with a disappointed scowl.

“I had a feeling I would find you here, Christen. I told you not to come here, but you never seem to listen to me.” Kat wrapped her arms around Christen’s shoulders. “I’ve come to take you home. I know you’re worn out and confused. I also know what a bad combination that is. Come along now Christen.” She spoke as a mother would. Christen just glanced around her. They stared eye to eye for a few moments before Christen gave a giant sigh. Her vision and mind were growing foggy. Her bout with alcohol and extreme turmoil started to take its toll.

“Okay…” She spoke like a pouting 4-year old, turning to give Kat a nice, big hug. Kat ran her hand through her hair, glancing at Eric. It wasn’t the normal glare or frown; it was a look of sympathy. He gave her a thankful smile as Kat lead Christen out the door. It left Eric and Joey alone for their battle inside.

Roxie wanted to interfere. She hated how he assumed that she wouldn’t understand. If anyone could understand troubling situations, it was her. This empathy was especially strong because of her past history that Eric accepted. He did it for her, and it hurt that he thought she could not do the same for him. It shouldn't surprise her, she knew. There was another deep feeling that she felt bad for having. It was pity; pity for the man who, for the first time she had ever seen, was breaking apart right in front of her eyes. The only part that stopped her from bursting into the open was the fear of him getting mad at her. She pressed herself against the door, still looking out at Eric.

Eric stood there and calmly walked to a mirror. Roxie covered her mouth in shock. Joey appeared, looking at Eric with hatred.

“What is your problem!?” Joey demanded, the lights flickering as he did so.

“I don’t have a problem. You’re the one that needs to fix your problem. You need to leave now.” Eric avoided eye contact, staring at the floor with a melancholic tone.

“WHAT!?” Joey yelled. A crack appeared on the mirror from the top to the bottom of it. More cracks slowly grew from the one that was straight down the middle, The growing cracks made a sound like ice crushing underneath someone’s feet. Eric still didn’t look up.

“You need to leave my mind. I can’t take this anymore.” Eric shielded his eyes as the mirror came crashing down onto the floor. A wild wind blew open the doors and windows. The wind continued and swirled around the room sending things flying around. The broken glass of the mirror and potion bottle, paperwork, books and anything small enough to be moved around was in flight.

Roxie’s door was slammed shut. She was thrown back. She stumbled on her heels and landed back on the bed. She took a sharp breath at her lucky fall. Her body trembled down to the bone from a sudden fear for Eric’s safety. With that thought, she bolted up and tried to open the door. The pressure of the other room made it nearly impossible for it to open from the inside. Roxie started slamming her fists against the door and called out to Eric. “Eric! Open the door! Please!”

Eric couldn’t hear Roxie as he avoided mirror shards and the books. The raging wind was too loud. That just made Roxie more determined. She looked around the room, thinking creatively. She eyed the night-stand next to the bed. She ran to the windows to hopefully balance out the pressures before she cleared off the table. Once it was bare, she grabbed it and slammed it into the door. The first time her efforts did nothing, but she kept on trying.

“GET RID OF ME!? WE HAD A DEAL!” he exclaimed. “YOU CAN NEVER GET RID OF ME! NOT UNLESS I COME BACK TO LIFE BECAUSE I AM NOT LEAVING CHRISTEN!” He screamed. Eric was sliding back from the strength of the wind that was pushing him away from where the mirror had originally had been. The broken glass pieces cut him and caused him to bleed with shallow wounds. Eric's eyes widened at the sight of the glass all coming together in a spear. “I DON’T NEED YOUR BODY THEN! I’LL JUST FIND SOMEONE ELSE!” Eric's eyes shut tightly, ready for the impact that he knew would kill him if it hit.

It never did, though. The smash rang through the house from Roxie slamming the table through the door. The sudden escape way for the wind sent her flying to the back of the room. She yelped as she slammed into the wall, crashing to the ground. She curled up from the wind that was knocked out of her. She could barely breathe as the thick air went pouring out of the room, and then out of the windows.

“NO!” Joey growled as Eric stood up straight. Eric glanced around confused and in a small daze. He didn’t know what had just happened, but he was safe in that moment. He felt a sudden anger toward Roxie, but then realized that Joey's eyes were glowering in the direction of Roxie’s room. “HOW DARE YOU!” Joey's eyes became poker-red with rage which he was trying to burn into Eric.

“Roxie!” Eric ran into the next room. Roxie lie on her back taking slow, deep breaths. Eric got to her side and knelt next to her with a very concerned expression. “Roxie, are you alright?” He pushed away any sort of anger or hate that Joey was trying to force upon him. He let his concern easily control Joey’s desire into a simple nonexistent fire. Roxie opened one eye before shaking her head.

“My body hurts. I think I just need to lay here for a while,” she told Eric with a sweet smile. “I’m okay though,” she added with a wince. “I just hurt at this moment. Eric smiled back slightly before looking up at Joey who had walked into the room. He shook his head. It was becoming apparent Joey could not see what he was doing was wrong. All he wanted to do was hold Roxie, put her head in his lap and just let her rest until she felt better.

Joey watched Eric worry about Roxie. He remembered how he used to do the same thing for Christen. He came to a sudden realization and his eyes widened in shock. This was what Eric was saying. Eric really seemed to be in love with this girl. He also felt aghast he had tried to destroy Eric. If it wasn’t for this woman who was so clueless, he would have killed Eric with no remorse or care. His brother's words echoed in his head. Was he starting to become an uncontrollable angry spirit?

“Eric I…” Joey started but stopped. There was nothing that would make what happened okay. What bothered him the most was that all his living life, he lived to be happy and to love. What could have changed him to become this cruel? “I’m sorry,” he murmured.

Eric looked back down at Roxie. Sorry? Eric slowly shook his head. He had been trying his best for Joey. He couldn’t take this anymore.

“Just go.” Eric's voice was low and smooth as he caressed Roxie’s cheek. “There is nothing more I can help you with,” he told him, staying rather composed. Joey didn’t get mad this time, but just gave a soft and sad smile. 

“I can’t just go, but I will leave you and her alone for now,” he told Eric and faded away. It was just Eric and Roxie now with the sound of the waves rolling outside.

“Eric...” Roxie spoke up, after what felt like hours. “What just happened?” She looked at him, moving her hands up to hold his face. “The truth and all of it,” she spoke tenderly. Eric placed a hand to one of hers, staring down into her eyes.

“Roxie…” he faltered before losing all of his composure. In one giant rush, his head was on her chest, sobbing his eyes out. “I can’t do this anymore Roxie! I should have told you sooner.” He cried harder. Roxie laid there completely and utterly bewildered. She felt a bit happy that he was finally sharing his emotions with her, but then again, not like this. She stared at him with a sympathetic look. It wasn’t him sharing with her, but rather a broken Eric pouring his soul out, as if bleeding out from a cut.

“What should you have told me?” she asked gently, running a hand through his hair. Eric looked up at her with red and tired eyes. He stood up pulling her with him. Roxie blinked as he took her by the hand outside. They passed over the things that were forced out of the house and stood on the beach. Roxie stayed poised slightly behind Eric.

“Roxie,” he said, letting go of her hand and turning to face her. “I love you.” Roxie looked at him carefully. Her head started to spin with questions. Where did that come from? Was he avoiding her question? She started to panic a little on the inside. Was he about to end it with her, or something? “I said all we needed was time. It was me who needed the time. You knew exactly how you felt, and I made it seem like I didn’t feel the same way. In truth, I didn't know how I really felt. But Roxie... this has finally shown me.” He motioned to the wreckage about them.

 She looked about at the wasteland of destruction. "Um...how romantic?" she grimaced.

Eric looked at her with a tired smirk and carried on. "I made a promise to Joey that I would take care of Christen if something bad were to happen to him. After he left this world, though, something happened to him all right. He decided I wasn't holding up my end of the bargain, or something. I don't know. Seems to me what he really was doing was trying to just be with Christen again. As far as I can tell, Joey got access to some otherworldly means to come back.  I don't understand the ins and outs of what happened, but it happened.

 I scoured my ancient texts trying to piece it together, but there is so much to go through. Joey got sucked into my body and has managed to stay here. I don’t know where his thoughts or emotions begin, and where mine end anymore. He’s been here for about a month now. There was a weird elixir left to me when this all first happened. It seemed to control Joey. But that's gone now, too. Meanwhile, every day, Joey is getting stronger and more unpredictable." Eric took a deep breath, reaching the end of his explanation. "I'm sorry. I should have told you sooner." Roxie took a moment to absorb what she had been told.

“So that really was Joey then? And he is using your body as a host?” Roxie ran up to Eric and hugged him tightly. “You’re right. You should have told me sooner, but I’m glad you are at least telling me this. You need to involve me more in this stuff; I don’t mind being your shield.”

Eric's legs finally gave out from exhaustion. It was now his time to be in the sand. He looked up at Roxie. “You understand then? I was so selfish not to tell you. I can't even fathom how cruelly treated Christen must feel.” Roxie only nodded her head since that was the best reply she could think of. She wanted to go back to him telling her how much he loved her. “I thought I could have done this by myself but I was wrong,” he added. “I should have had you help or talked it over with you. That was stupid on my part and now… and now…” he curled over his knees holding his head. “I TRIED SO HARD!” he suddenly screamed. Roxie's eyes widened at the sound. She saw him breaking in front of her. She looked around the beach. It nearly ripped her heart apart to see all these pieces of Eric scattering like everything else that was strewn carelessly about. “Roxie… I need to set things right… I need to set them free. I want to bring peace so I won’t be failing Christen and Joey anymore. To make this all stop!” He clutched onto his hair tightly and shook his head side to side.

“Set them free?” she asked softly. She couldn’t take seeing Eric like this. Not seeing him as solid as steel was killing her. “What do you mean by that, honey?” she feared what he was going to say to her. She had a feeling she knew exactly what he meant in this delicate state. What she feared proved correct.

“Kill Christen.” He looked at the ground with a pathetic look of resignation. Roxie watched Eric stare at the sand with nearly dead eyes. The triple threat of killing one of his good friends, failing to help Joey in his current state, and dishonoring the oath he originally swore to was not going to work. It was all overwhelming. Roxie knew from the bottom of her heart, that Eric would not be able to do such a thing. He would not be able to simply point a gun at Christen, or even injure her in any sense of the word. He was too close. Roxie, on the other hand, was not.