Hi Dad, I'm home," hollers Toby, with a bright and breezy tone.

Casey stands by the fridge, frozen in what appears to be shock. I sit on a worktop, resigned to the inevitable – we've been well and truly rumbled.

A mans voice hits us, "Welcome home son. I'm just dealing with The Association, I'll be down real soon – there's coffee in the kitchen." Casey throws me an open mouthed, questioning glance. I remain silent – I have no answer.

Toby enters the kitchen with a wide knowing smile, "Hi guys," he picks up a cup, rinses it, walks towards the stove and pours some coffee. After a mouthful, Toby looks at us both and says, "That’s so good, Hospital coffee tastes assholeushious!" He takes another gulp, "You guys should've told us you were coming, we could have tidied the place up, it's like a pig-pen in here." Casey's face crumples with confusion. 


……

A tall man enters the Kitchen, smart and smiley, he waves at me, "Hi Kirk." He turns to Casey and offers his hand, "Hello young lady, I'm Clark, Toby's Father, it's a pleasure to meet you."

I notice Casey's legs begin a slow wobble. I jump from the worktop and place a chair just in time for her booty to hit it. Toby looks concerned, "Are you OK Casey? You look like you've seen a ghost."


......

After a glug of coffee, Casey recovers enough to ask, "Who's the man who had a heart attack in the basement?" Toby looks aghast, "Mr Danver's had a Supersizer – that's too sad," he says, pulling back the shelving unit and disappearing behind them.

Clark takes a seat in front of Casey, "Mr Danver's a friend of ours, an old Associate. His heart was a ticking time bomb, I'm sorry you had to witness what you did, but he's at peace now, on the other side with his wife and family." He calls me over, "Come join us Kirk, you need to hear this as well."

......

"I'm a what?" asks Casey, pouring herself another coffee.

"You're a Category 6 Responsive. It's a Dimensional Scale, you're pretty high up. Put simply, it means you're more open to experience paranormal activity than a person who isn't on the scale. Your high ranking’s probably the main factor in your discovering Kirk's truth."

Casey lights up, "That explains so much, like why I have such vivid insights, and kinda know things...

...the shelving unit swings open and Toby interrupts, "Like how you knew Dale beat me with the Brass Knuckle."

"Exactly!" says Casey. Her tone turns towards anger, "But why didn't you tell the Police? Kirk and I were being blamed for that," she says.

"Because I didn't know at the time, you don't expect your cousin to floor you from behind. Dale's a dark soul, with dark forces on his side," says Toby. Clark turns to me, "If you're Dad hadn't found Jess, she would've died right where Dale left her." I lower my head in guilt – wish I hadn’t gagged and shackled Dad.

I note Casey's temper begin to flare, "Why didn't he bring her to Hospital? For freaks sake guys, Dale’s a psycho, you should’ve gone straight to the Police! Instead you bring Jess here and implicate us all in her abduction.” Casey shakes her head, “Look, I can't handle any more of this, I gotta do the right thing and inform the authorities." She storms towards the door with a determination I recognise and admire.

When the door slams shut, I feel a thud of emotion in the pit of my empty stomach - Casey didn't say goodbye to me.

......

Clark and Toby respectfully lay Mr Danver's body on the couch. The smell drives me insane with hunger. Toby notices my pre-feed twitches and leads me down to the basement, "Come on buddy, this could be your last supper."

I register what he says, but the urge to feed over-rides the need to know what he means by his statement.


......

Toby, dressed in waterproofs, prepares for my post feed purge. A nose-clip and facemask attempt to shield him from the stench that seeps from me. Despite these precautions, he still winces at the obscenity of my existence.

I kneel naked, ready to be hit by the cold jet of water that will rid me of the stinking sludge that seeps from my every orifice.

……

When Toby turns off the hose, I lift my sodden head, "So, why could that be my last supper? I ask"

He doesn’t answer, instead he takes off his mask, the nose-clip remains, I still stink bad. I sense him preparing to choose his words carefully.

The slow, steady sound of Jess's breathing surrounds the basement. Toby looks back at her, then begins to talk methodically, "Jess is a Category 1 Responsive. Her extrasensory perception is exemplary. She's on the verge of discovering your status. We're keeping her under to save you."

I shake my head, "No! Wake her. I can't let this happen, that's not the kind of person I was, it's not the kind of reanimate I am." I won't let an incredible energy like Jess be subdued to prolong my worthless existence.”

Toby kneels in front of me and removes his nose-clip – "Jeez man, you smell like old trash can juice!"

His tone turns earnest, "Kirk, you're a different kind of reanimate, you could be a force for good." He looks back at Jess, her body splutters and moves slightly. "You know Kirk, in our world, the world of greater knowing, we sometimes have to do wrong, to make something right."

Jess sighs loudly, her body turns, re-settles into sleep.

"Her sedatives wearing off, you sure you don't want me to re-administer?" asks Toby. 

"Absolutely – I'm sure!"

Toby stares at Jess, then me, I read a pleading look in his eyes. "What is it?" I ask. Tears collect in his eyes, "Casey wasn't on our radar, we didn’t see a category 6 Responsive as a real threat to your security."

Jess's body rises and falls, she throws the sheet off, splutters and falls back into slumber 

Toby’s eyes are wet with sadness, "I'm beat Kirk, just as drained as you – except I smell better," he says through chuckling tears.

I'm not sure how to react.

Jess sneezes, her eyes open, they struggle to focus, then slam back into sleep.

Toby observes her, "She's getting closer to consciousness.”

I read a tired resignation in Toby’s face, “Kirk, today's events were partly engineered by The Association; they have good insight into reanimate thinking – they knew you'd come here and bring Casey with you." His lip begins to tremble,  "Casey could have saved you Kirk. She was part of our plan, our way out of this mess!”

I wipe a final slither of seepage from my nose, “How could Casey help me?”

Toby fetches my clothes, then explains, “When a Responsive informs a fellow Responsive of a reanimate's status it saves them from triple discovery. We hoped Casey would be at Jess's re-awakening, so she could tell her about your truth before she discovered it herself.” Toby drops his head, “We could've been a great team; the four of us – could’ve been a good match for team Dale as well," he says, with defeat in his voice

Jess rises and turns twice, I note her eyes flicker open and search for focus before they close again.

I look at Jess, her movements are becoming consistent, I know her awakening is imminent. “Why didn’t you run after Casey, she would’ve come back, for sure,” I ask. Toby averts his eyes from mine, “Dad tried, she wouldn’t listen. He had to come back before she started making a scene on the street.”

Toby wipes his eyes, "This is difficult for me, I watched my sister go like this, now I'm about to lose you in the same way.”

……

Jess stretches her arms upwards; the sound of a huge yawn fills the basement.

……

I dress myself slowly. It's like I’m leaving a party that I’ve just started to enjoy. Moreover, I feel a soft sadness, or perhaps it’s a little hurt, maybe a bit of both, I can’t be sure – Casey’s the cause of this feeling, I’d like to see her again – to say goodbye.

Jess kicks her legs, coughs, and emits a long waking sigh.

Toby glances at her, then me, “I’m with you friend, right here, right till your end.”

I smile, “Thanks Toby.” This feeling still nibbles, gnaws me, “Toby, tell Casey I’ll always watch out for her – let her know I liked her as much as a reanimate can like a mortal being.”  

Jess sits up, rubs her eyes, wakes up…