Sean and Charlie

“For this to work, we need to go back to the place where it all began.” Read the text message. Neither Sean nor Charlie wanted to visit that house again, there were too many painful memories there. But they both agree that it was necessary to end this at the same place where it all began. So after a quick glance at his younger brother, and uttering the words “they want us to go back home” Sean used his phone and texted their response to the old woman. After a few more text messages, the boys and the old woman decided to meet there as soon as possible. They agree to meet there three days from today. That was how long it would take the old woman to ready everything they would need and for the boys to drive all the way to their old house. Sean put the phone away and turned to his brother, who was currently sitting on the bed with his arms wrapped around his legs.
Charlie had finished taking his shoes and socks away while Sean was on the phone texting, he wasn’t able to know what his brother and the old lady were talking about. All he knew of their conversation were the words “they want us to go back home,” words that shook Charlie to the very core. Charlie was completely aware of everything that had happening to him and to his parents in the house. It was his fault, he told himself. If only he hadn’t been cursed his parent would still be alive today. But the two of them were dead; they died when he was eight and Sean twelve. And it was because of Charlie’s discovering of his unusual powers that their parents had paid with their lives. Thank God that Sean did not suffer their parents’ fate, but then again Sean had been cursed, just like him.
Charlie and Sean Manson shared a unique talent; they were both able to manipulate metal with their minds. While Charlie was able to move metal objects at will, Sean was able to lift all sorts of heavy things. Even thought their abilities were different, the rule was always the same the objects they indented to manipulate had to be made of metal or contain some metal in it. At first, neither one of them knew any of this, Sean’s power had manifested years after their parents’ death. And Charlie’s had first shown up when he was eight. At the time all he could do was move small things, like coins, utensils, toys, and tools. But with a few weeks of practice, his ability grew to allow him to lift heavier things like tables, cabinets and even their family car. It was shocking to see him lift heavy things several feet into the air without the smallest sign of strain.
Charlie’s parents took him to see all kinds of doctors, right after he first lifted the car. They were worried for their son and wanted to know how this was possible. After weeks of analysis, the doctors determine that Charlie’s body was emitting a small amount of radiation, which the doctors described as electromagnetism. In short, his body was like a magnet, and it was through the use of his magnetic abilities that he was able to manipulate metal objects. It was then that Charlie underwent several more tests, these test revealed that Charlie’s powers were increasing.
Charlie was a rare specimen indeed. The doctors were fascinated by him, but they started to treat him more as a lab rat than a confused little boy. They took blood samples, brain scans, hooked him to all sorts of machines that analyzed everything from his sleep waves, to brain patterns and his power output. The now twenty men and women doctors demanded test after test, after test. Charlie had become their greatest mystery and one they intended to unravel, for they considered Charlie the next step in human evolution. Thankfully, Charlie’s parents decided to stop all the testing and took their son home. It was a week after Charlie went home, that Sean and Charlie’s parents died in their own home.
Sean closed his eyes and opened them again; he took a deep breath and looked at his brother and tried to comfort him, as best as he could. “Listen, I know you want to blame yourself for what happened. But I won’t allow you to do so. It wasn’t your fault and we both know it.” Charlie tried to protest, but Sean cut him off. “What happened was not your fault!” He stated. “You didn’t ask for this, and is about time we find out why we’re both like this.”
“So is that why we are going home? To finally ask the voice in my head why she made us like this.” Charlie asked.
“Look, we didn’t ask for this. But it happened, and there is nothing we can do about it. But if that old woman and her group are right, we might be able to contact her and get some answers.”
“I know that, already.” Charlie replied. “But what if instead of helping us, they make things worse.”
“Meaning what?” Sean asked.
“Listen, I know you don’t like to hear this, but “She” still talks to me. I can hear her every time I try to sleep.” Charlie pause, he was afraid of saying any more. “And…and every time I hear her she tells me that this was a gift and that I must learn to control this. That people are going to be depending on me.”
“And you believe her?!” Sean was angry now. “She’s the reason our parents died!!”
“No, she is not.” Charlie Whispered. “I did it. I was the one that cause the fire.” Charlie’s voice was breaking and tears were forming in his eyes.”
Sean never blamed his brother, but he didn’t know how to reassure him. After all, there was some truth to that. “Listen, you know you can’t trust anything she says to you. Whatever she may be, she doesn’t what to help you or me. This…this…power… or “gift” of hers has brought nothing but misery to the two of us.”
“I know that, but I can’t help it.” It was then that Charlie used his hands to cover his ears and then look down on the bed. “When she talks to me, I just don’t hear her, I feel her. And I fear that everything she says is real.”
“And what exactly does she say?”
“That I need to be ready, that the world needs me. That millions are going to die. That time is running out.” Charlie turned to his brother. As always, Sean was analyzing every word, but Charlie knew he didn’t believe any of it. It was hard to comprehend something that was only in his brother’s head. After staring at his older brother for a while, Charlie was afraid to continue. “She also says that trying to meet her is dangerous. That what the old lady is wrong and that I…that I…should stop listening to you.” Charlie turned away from his brother. He didn’t want to let Sean see into his eyes and see that part of him believed in the voice inside his head.
“Well, Fuck Her!!!” Sean Yelled, and then he grabbed his brother by his shoulders and turned him to face each other. “She has no right to play God with out lives.”
“Sean,” Charlie whispered. “I don’t think you should talk like that.”
“Why?” He responded.
Charlie leaned in even closer to his brother. “Because… (Whispering) she can hear you.” And with that Charlie raised his head up and looked at the ceiling. “She’s here, and she has been listening to our conversations since before you received the text message.”
Sean had never been able to hear her voice, much less feel her presence. But he knew that his brother heard the woman’s voice almost every night. Usually, right after Charlie had fallen asleep, and all of their conversations had been inside his head. Charlie had never mentioned feeling her presence outside a dream. But now he claimed she was here listening in, spying on what they intended to do. Sean tried to find signs that an unknown presence was in that room with them, but there were no changes in the room. Everything was as it should be, but Sean trusted that his brother’s word. So with rage building up inside him, he got off the bed, stood up and yelled obscenities at the motel’s ceiling.