R: YOU ARE AN INSANE PSYCHOPATH!"

From Create Your Own Story

You decide to take him up on that challenge.

"You are an insane psychopath!" you gleefully cackle into the walkie-talkie. Before he can say a word in response, you add, "But I know how to cure you... brother."

That seems to unsettle him. "W-what?"

"I know I put you through hell when we were kids. But I also know how to make it better. Come on down and let's have a nice little chat, brother to brother." Your voice is as cool as the other side of a pillow.

There's a long pause. "You're not supposed to know who I am! You're not supposed to have the knowledge to psychoanalyze me!"

Your own voice is perfectly calm. "None of that matters now, bro. Come on down. I know how to heal you."

You hear the voice get up and leave the room. Five minutes later, you hear a rumbling noise. A concrete panel slides back, and your younger brother is staring at you.

"Richard, I don't know how you figured out it was me, but I don't think you can say anything to make things better."

You let out a hearty belly laugh. You remember your affectionate nickname for him from years ago: K. D., short for "kiddo." You only called him that in the rare moments you were treating him right.

You walk over to him and playfully muss his hair. "K. D., I'm sorry I cut you out of my life. I just didn't know how to make it up to you, didn't know if you would accept an apology. Truth be told... I missed you terribly." You pull him into a hug, and are surprised to find yourself crying.

A smile flickers across his face. "You called me K. D. just now."

"For five years I've tortured myself about this. I wanted to reconnect with you. I just didn't have the guts."

"So what do you think you can do?"

"We need a security expert at my job. You'd be perfect for the part. Let us all go and we'll forget this ever happened. And I know a doctor who can get you proper mood-leveling drugs. Your brain will finally be normal, K. D. There's an apartment in the complex I live in that's going to open up at the end of the month. May and I will have you over for dinner at least twice a month, and you and I can hang out. We'll really be brothers now."

He looks at you. "How do I know you'll do what you say?"

You make a crossing-heart gesture. "Come on, K.D. It'll be great. I don't like the unbalanced version of you. I want my brother back."

He ponders for a long moment, then leads you to the control room. You can see May and William, sitting in their cells and wondering why everything's gone quiet. And probably where K. D. went.

"If you mess this up, Richard, I swear I'll bring you right back in here."

"Trust me, K. D. It'll all be fine."

He pushes two buttons, and a concrete panel opens in both cells. He activates the walkie-talkie. "You are both free to leave. But say one word about this to anyone, and you go right back in here." Then he disconnects the system before they can respond.

William, regrettably, was broken by his experience and was shortly thereafter committed to an insane asylum. May, however, recovered with no ill effects. K. D. was the best man at your wedding to May a year later.