Broken Bear (12 page)

And
with those words, Jett’s eyes shut and his body went limp.

“Jett, you are able to understand everything I say to you.” Dr. Mallory said. “You are conscious. You are relaxed and the way this makes your body feel is very pleasurable to you. Nod if you understand what I have just said to you, Jett.”

For a moment, he remained still and then nodded his head in a deliberate manner.

Dr. Mallory turned her attention to
Daniella and said, “Daniella, before we begin the session, I need to warn you about something.”

“Warn me?”

“Yes.” She said. “No two people are the same under hypnosis. There is always a risk that he could do or say something that might be upsetting to you. Ordinarily, I treat people in one-on-one sessions for just this reason. But, after hearing about his story, I felt that it would be all right if you stayed. Even so, I would be remiss in my duty if I didn’t make you aware of all possible outcomes.”

“I don’t understand what you mean.”
Daniella replied. “What would he do?”

“Well, that I couldn’t say but I wanted you to be aware that repressed thoughts and feelings can often be unleashed.” She said. “This is especially true when it comes to people afflicted with amnesia, like Jett.”

Daniella remained silent for a moment and looked at him. In the short period she’d known him, she’d never seen him look as peaceful and serene as he did at that instant. Deep down she knew that she had to stay here with him. She’d come all this way and if there was to be any hope to get to the truth about who he was, then she wasn’t about to miss it.

“
Daniella? Do you understand what I’ve said to you?” Dr. Mallory asked.

“Yes, I… I do.” She replied. “I want to stay.”

Dr. Mallory reached over and patted Daniella on the knee.

“Alright then,” she said.

“Okay, Jett, I need for you to listen to me.” She said. “Can you hear me alright?”

“Yes.” He replied.

For the next several minutes, Dr. Mallory asked Jett a series of basic questions about who he was, where he came from and what happened before the car crash. Time and again, his answer was only that he didn’t know.

“Hmm,” Dr. Mallory said as she turned and looked at
Daniella.

“What is it?”
Daniella asked. “What’s wrong?”

Dr. Mallory shook her head

“Well, I hoped that the memories would be more accessible right away.” She said. “He’s still blocking for some reason. I will need to take him deeper. It’s riskier but at this point, it’s our best chance.”

Daniella
nodded.

Dr. Mallory turned her attention back to Jett and got to work. She tried for at
least ten more minutes to get him into the most suggestible state she could but it made no difference. He remained unable to remember. After several more minutes of frustration, Dr. Mallory leaned back in her chair and exhaled.

She looked at
Daniella and said, “At this point, Jett does not appear to be willing to release the block.”

“What does that mean?”
Daniella asked.

“Well,” Dr. Mallory said. “My first inclination would be to try again.
There’s a good chance that his subconscious needs to learn to trust the process. Do you think you could come back again tomorrow?”

“Yes,”
Daniella said. “I…”

But
as she spoke, Jett’s head started to move back and forth.

“Wyatt…” he groaned.

Dr. Mallory’s eyes widened and she sat up in her seat.

“He’s said that name before in his dreams,”
Daniella whispered.

Dr. Mallory nodded and she turned her attention back towards him.

“Jett, can you tell me who Wyatt is?” she asked.

“He’s my brother.” Jett replied.

Brother?

Daniella
leaned in towards Dr. Mallory and said, “That’s the first time he’s said that. Do you think we are getting somewhere?”

Dr. Mallory nodded and said, “It’s possible but we need to see how much more he’s willing to relinquish.”

“Wyatt, no!!” Jett screamed.

The noise startled the women. Dr. Mallory looked at
Daniella and raised her index finger to her lips. Daniella nodded in understanding.

The doctor looked at him again and said, “Why are you upset, Jett? Are you angry at Wyatt?”

“No,” he said. “I didn’t do it. It wasn’t me…”

“What do you mean, Jett?” She said.

“They think that it was me.” He said. “That’s why they’re after me.”

“Who?” she said.
“Who is after you Jett?”

Jett went silent and still. It was eerie.

Dr. Mallory leaned forward and placed her hand on top of Jett’s palm.

“No!” he shouted. “Wyatt, no
!!!”

Suddenly, Jett’s entire body began to convulse. He started to seize and shake in place on the couch.

“Doctor!” Daniella shouted. “What’s happening?”

“Jett,” the d
octor said. “Everything is alright. Whatever you are experiencing cannot hurt you. Just let it happen. It’s only happening in your mind.”

“Wyatt!” he yelled
as he continued to thrash about on the sofa.

“Doctor, please,
” Daniella begged. “I don’t think it’s a good idea. He’s going to hurt himself!”

“
Daniella, I’ve been through these types of things before. He will be fine.” She said. “I warned you about this a few minutes ago. It’s no more harmful than a bad dream.”

But
it wasn’t long before both women realized what he was in the midst of was no dream. The ferocity of his convulsions began to increase when to their utter shock, his limbs and torso began to buckle and change shape right before their eyes.

“Jett!”
Daniella exclaimed. “Doctor, what is happening!?”

The hypnotist attempted to get up from her seat but as she did, it tumbled backwards onto the floor. In terror, she crawled away from Jett on her hands and knees.

As she scrambled to safety, she said, “Jesus! What is he doing?”

“I don’t know!”
Daniella cried as she rushed over to help her.

Meanwhile, Jett’s transformation continued…

His body swelled as a fine sheath of what looked to be fur erupted from his arms at a rapid rate. At the same time, his hands rounded and his fingers took on the shape of claws. Stunned and unable to speak, Daniella looked to Jett’s face as it disfigured. His skull narrowed and elongated. As it did, it sounded as if his bones crushed together.

While
the tumult unfolded in front of them, he let out a loud sound. It was just like the one Daniella heard that night we when she found him in the woods, covered in blood. It was a deep cry, almost like a roar. His face continued to change until the final evidence of what he was to become was obvious.

“Wyatt…” he groaned in a low voice.

Wide eyed, Dr. Mallory and Daniella both turned and looked at one another. Daniella could see terror in Dr. Mallory’s eyes as they exchanged glances.

“
Daniella,” she said. “What
is
he?”

Daniella
swallowed.

Stunned, she replied, “I… Jesus, I don’t know.”

Panic overwhelmed the doctor as she looked down at Jett’s inhuman shape.

“
Daniella,” she said in a desperate tone. “I am going to bring him out and I need you both to leave at once.”

“Oh please, no. Please.”
Daniella begged. “Is there any way to dig a little deeper, please? What’s happened to Wyatt could be the clue to everything. Please, I am begging you!”

“No.” She said. “I am sorry but if you don’t allow me to bring him out right away, I will be forced to call the police.”

“Police?” Daniella said. “For what?”

“I don’t know… trespassing.” Dr. Mallory replied. “I will make something up if I have to do it. I just want him,
that
, out of here.”

“Okay, okay. We’ll go.” She said. “Just please don’t call the police.”

Dr. Mallory took a few cautious steps in his direction.

“Jett,” she said as her voice trembled with fear. “Can you hear me?”

He grunted and moved his head from side to side. His breath was still labored and intense.

“Jett, listen to me…” she said. “The pictures you are seeing in your mind are fading away. They are going away… They are gone.”

His body motions started to slow as she spoke.

“Instead, you now see a summer meadow. It’s warm and the sun is shining on you.” She continued. “There is a breeze in the air. It feels wonderful and brings you peace. You are now feeling very peaceful.”

As Daniella looked on, she saw the angst that was present in Jett’s face moments earlier start to ease. His breath slowed and then almost at the same time, his body started to change as well.

His limbs, his torso and his face all reverted to their original human form. The whole process simply reversed itself. It was the most unbelieva
ble thing that Daniella witnessed in her life. Once he completed the transformation, Daniella and the doctor exchanged cautious glances with one another.

Dr. Mallory said, “Jett, I am going to count to three. Once
I have reached three, your eyes will open, you will awake and feel completely relaxed. Do you understand me?”

He nodded.

“One… two… three.” She said. “You are now awake and conscious.”

His eyes flipped open and the doctor got up to exit the office. On her way out, she leaned in to
Daniella and whispered, “You have five minutes to get out of here. One second longer and I call the police. Do you understand?”

Daniella
nodded but did not speak.

As the doctor exited, Jett appeared to be more lucid.

“What happened?” he said. “Did I remember anything while I was under? Where did the doctor go?”

“Yes,”
Daniella lied. “You did remember some things. Dr. Mallory had an emergency and said she would call us later to talk about everything. Right now, we need to leave.”

“Leave?” he said. “Where are we going? I thought we were here to get this figured out
once and for all. If there’s something that she wants me to know, I want to wait here.”

“Jett, no.”
Daniella snapped. “Now, we need to leave. I will explain everything in the car but for now, let’s do as the doctor asked. Please…”

With reluctance, Jett agreed and
ten minutes later, they were on their way back to Daniella’s house.

For the entire drive,
Daniella couldn’t speak. There was no frame of reference for her. She didn’t know what to say or even if she should speak at all. The experience had fascinated and horrified her like nothing in her life before it.

Jett was exhausted from the experience and slept the entire way.

Who was this man next to her?

What
was he?

What was she supposed to tell him about what happened?

Did he already know about it?

But
as baffled as she might have been, other things that happened made sense. For example, the rapid way that he healed from his injuries and the horrible noises he’d made at night.

Whoever he was,
whatever
he was, Daniella’s heart went out to him.

He was lost… alone… broken.

And now she knew that she was the only one who could help.

***

They reached her home after about twenty minutes. Daniella parked the car and woke Jett up. As they walked up the drive towards the house, a commotion in the bushes to the left startled her.

“Jesus,” she said. “What the hell is that?”

Jett snapped out of his stupor for a moment and looked in the direction of the noise.

“Wait here,” he said. “I’ll go find out.”

“Jett,” she said. “Be careful, please.”

“
Shh…” he replied.

Daniella
watched as he tiptoed towards the area of the noise. She could tell by the way the bushes moved it was large, whatever it was. After a moment, Jett made his way around the edge of the shrubbery, peered inside and jumped into them.

“Come here you!” He shouted.

“Jett!” Daniella yelled.

For several seconds,
Daniella heard nothing but the sounds of animal grunts and snapped branches until there was a high-pitched yelp.

“Gotcha!”
Jett said.

After few more gyrations, he emerged with Mrs. Ballston’s dog.

“Millicent!” Daniella exclaimed.

Jett held the dog by its collar and brought it over to
Daniella.