Chapter 50 - Beyond Reach

'I've imposed enough, Sam,' he said getting up.

'Just one, ninety-minute movie? It's not imposing, is it, dad?' She turned to her father for backup.

Mr. Patricks stood up. 'You two love birds do whatever you want. I'm going to bed.' His expression of grief and sorrow had suddenly disappeared and this relieved Brendan. Mr. Patricks left the dining room and headed for the stairs.

Samantha grabbed Brendan by the wrist and pulled him towards the living room; 'Come on…It's only one wittle movie,' she forcibly dragged him along. She pulled him along the passage of the house then turned left and after a short walk, they entered the living room.

Above the fireplace was a giant flat screen TV. This was the first object he noticed. To the left of the TV, hanging like a Picasso masterpiece on the wall, was a giant portrait of Samantha's entire family. Fred looked innocent in this portrait. The portrait must have been painted, Brendan thought, before Fred had made the deal with the Finch. Inside the room were other decorations: framed pictures, nature paintings, flowers and an unusually large clock.

'Never pay attention to what my dad says,' Samantha said as she switched on the TV. 'He tends to explore the limits of his jokes,' she continued.

'I think he's cool…A little weird but cool,' Brendan responded.

'Don't get your hopes up, he hasn't even started.' She flipped through some channels. 'Okay, you get yourself comfortable; I'm going back into the kitchen to help mom with the dishes. I'll be with you in a while.'

There were two couches in the room; one was a black leather couch big enough for four people. This one was facing the TV. A few feet away to the left was a grey sofa big enough for three people.

Samantha skipped her way out of the living room, heading for the kitchen.

As soon as she was gone, Brendan plunged into the leather couch and began observing all the expensive furniture around him. Very soon he would own furniture just like this. He was now a millionaire! However, these happy thoughts were drowned by the thoughts of the Flicker possibly coming back and the favor he owed the Finch. Both he and the Flicker had a debt to settle with the wicked witch. Brendan knew that if Flicker was still alive, then he would have no other option than to come back for Samantha and this time would surely kill her. The last time he had kidnapped his sister he had wanted to lure Brendan to their cause, this "Dawn" he had spoken of. But now that Brendan had declined the offer, Flicker could kill Samantha without even leaving the house and the debt he owed the Finch would be paid.

But Brendan decided he was not going to let that happen. He had to accept that what the Finch had said about him was true, that he was not human, at least not anymore. The gifts he had now compelled him to do whatever it took to stop the witch from turning his home into her personal slaughterhouse.

He eventually pushed these thoughts aside and started skimming through the TV channels. He had finally had a perfect meal after all these times he had been skipping meals and he felt better than ever before. His choice finally stopped at a sports channel but a few minutes later, sleep got the best of him and he dozed off.

It happened again. The light he had dreamt of earlier, Marauder, was appearing to him again. First, the cotton-sized ball of flame suspended in midair that eventually grew into a dark-eyed mirror version of Brendan.

'Back again?' Marauder asked him.

'I was about to ask you the same question,' he retaliated, still befuddled by the dream.

'You think it's coincidental?'

'You tell me,' Brendan snapped, 'I mean, actually I should tell myself since I am talking to myself after all, right?'

He chuckled, 'You've agreed to our union so fast?' he asked Brendan.

'I don't want anything from you. The only way I could accept this…this union with you is if you guarantee me total control over my mind and body.'

'Okay..,' he sighed, 'I'll give you ten percent control, take it or leave it.'

'No thanks.'

'Good luck with the Finch then, not that you'll need it but…she's going to snap you like an old pencil.'

'Brendan! Brendan! Brendan!' This was Samantha's voice waking him up.

When he woke up, Brendan shook violently.

'Dude, you sleep like you're dead!' she said looking relieved.

He rubbed his head and sat up straight. 'How long was I out?' he asked her.

'Maybe half an hour. Probably from the time I left for the kitchen.'

'That's odd,' he said looking surprised, 'it didn't seem that long to me.'

She sat beside him smiling from ear to ear and rubbing her bottom into the leather to make herself more comfortable. 'Which movie do you want to watch? We only have six movies: two horrors, two comedies and two action movies.' She stood up and opened the drawers below the TV set. 'This one looks perfect; "Blind Love", ' she read the title out loud.

'Let me guess…It's a romance movie?' he asked in a half knowing fashion.

'Yep.' She inserted the disc into the DVD player and grabbed a bowl of popcorn from the coffee table which he had not noticed till now.

The movie was thrilling and also quite sad: it was about a woman who was abducted by bandits but one of the bandits fell in love with her and betrayed the trust of his fellow men which led to the murder of him and the woman who was his lover and also the captive.

When it was over and the bowl of half eaten popcorn lay there between them, Samantha stood up and removed the disc from the DVD player then went to sit down again...