The Human Mind and Caleb's Past

The human mind can be a strange, scary, and an unpredictable place. It becomes a balancing act for Henry, a psychopath, whose mind rests heavily on the brink of madness. He lives with his stepbrother Caleb, and both have been raised by an overbearing, selfish, and abusive mother. The small 4''x6'', dark room in the back of the basement brought back nothing but bad memories for Caleb. It was a secret room hidden behind some shelves that held canned fruit and vegetables. When Caleb's mother locked him in this room for any small discretion, he would try not to scream or yell, so that he could get something to eat. Mother told him if he was quiet, she would let Henry bring him some food. Henry would bring him two slices of bread and a mason jar of water once a day.

His mother had kept him in here as long as three days before. Caleb remembered how he sat in the middle of the room, on the dirt floor in the darkness and sang every song he knew until his mouth was so dry he could hardly swallow. He had to ration his water. He would count as far as he could until he couldn’t count anymore or lost track of what number he was on. He would recite Bible verses that he knew from reading them every night. He would get sleepy but he was afraid to go to sleep because he was afraid something would crawl on him. He got used to the blackness. In the blackness, he could let go of feelings he had. He could cry as much as he wanted without someone telling him to shut up. He cried over the punishments his mother gave him, he cried over the death of his father, he cried because no one loved him, he cried because he hated the darkness.

The kids at school made fun of him and called him fat. Sometimes he would pray and ask God to take him to heaven because he hated his life. Life at school was hard, then life at home was even harder. Why couldn’t his mother just love him like she loved Henry?

Henry's Obsession and the Chain of Events

Henry's obsession with Bryson, a local 18-year-old girl, is the catalyst for a series of events no one could predict. In his mind, she was the most beautiful girl in the world and she was his. He owned her, and no one else could ever have her. He vowed to kill anyone who stood in his way. He kidnapped Bryson and her twin sister Bria; the chain of events that follow will leave you glued to the story and wanting more.