“Just by being here and away from his structured routine at the halfway house, has caused Lux much distress. If you factor in him being without his medication, and now the social requirements he is trying to establish when he is very unfamiliar with such situations, his symptoms of both disorders are in full flare. I can help to get these symptoms under control but it will take some time and persistence.” Zexich said as he sat down at his desk. He opened his computer and began to type.

  “What are you going to do to help him?” Remington asked.

  “He needs to go back on whatever medication he was previously on, if he can remember what it is. It was most likely an antipsychotic, and possibly an SSRI. I don't usually keep much stock of most of these on hand as our members have no need for them until now. Along with medication I do think he should be put under strict ISRT. Interpersonal and Social Rhythm Therapy. People with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia respond much better when placed on a strict and predictable routine everyday. As far as his efforts to be more social, I think it is a good idea to practice with someone that he is somewhat comfortable with. I just want you to be patient with him as he has obviously felt distressed over certain things he believes and certain thought patterns he has. For example; he believes you are perfect. I know you are familiar with how it feels to believe others are perfect while you feel inadequate. Correct?” Zexich paused for response. Remington only nodded. “…while you were able to shift the way you feel, perhaps you still feel like this in some way but it is not quite as substantial as it was before, correct?” Zexich paused again.

  “I struggle with it still but sometimes I feel better about myself and people around me do not look quite so perfect, but more human than before.” Remington answered solemnly.

  “Exactly. For Lux it is different. If he believes you are perfect it will be much harder for him to believe otherwise especially when he is feeling stressed out it will make it even harder for him to feel open to shifting his beliefs. You challenged his thought pattern of his beliefs, and for him it was nearly like an attack on his peace of mind. Of course his reaction was to become defensive and angry, as if to protect his mind from having to adjust to the new idea that perhaps you, in fact, are not perfect. Other people would simply disagree and move on with their day. Lux however did not know how to move on from that moment of disagreement as he has very little social skills. He also has been environmentally conditioned to believe that when people challenge his unusual behavior they will most likely react with violence towards him. This also aggravates his symptoms even further because now he expects to be physically harmed every time you challenge his behavior. This sparked a low or depressive state because of his bipolar disorder. So collectively it was sort of like a chain reaction that he could not stop.” Zexich explained.

  “But Vezaias seemed to be able to challenge him when they reunited for that brief amount of time.” Remington highlighted.

  “He had a much different dynamic with Vezaias than he has with you, probably a different amount of trust, a different sort of expectation, perhaps Vezaias’s reactions would be easier for him to predict than yours. He knew how to interact better with Vezaias, and Vezaias seemed very accustomed to handling Lux’s behavior, and he seemed to know the precise amount of challenge while still keeping Lux in his own comfort zone. As much as I hate to admit it, I feel as if Vezaias was a genius with a high IQ and very keen perception. Lux’s relationship with you is much newer and less predictable for him than his relationship with Vezaias, so he will be much more cautious and defensive until he can learn how you will react to his behavior especially considering you have admitted you did not like him and held a certain amount of aggression towards him upon first meeting him. This reinforced the perception that he should react defensively towards you. It may take some time for him as he is still expecting you to suddenly become hostile. If you want to build a positive relationship with him then he will thrive off of; structure, repetition, predictability, and reinforcement. If you repeatedly show him kindness no matter what his behavior is, he will learn to expect kindness from you, this will help him bond with you. If your reaction is always frantic or negative this will cause his reaction to be frantic and negative. It is also better not to directly challenge his beliefs but perhaps guide him into feeling more positive about whatever it is that he believes. Do you understand?” Zexich explained.

  “Yeah. I will try my best.” Remington said solemnly.

  “I want you to encourage him to stay on a routine, perhaps take him along with you on your routine, go to the morning briefing, come to our meals, take his medication once I have it, and maybe work in some gym time for an hour a day. Always do things at the same time to keep his schedule predictable. If he has a negative moment such as this always react predictably with kindness and compassion. Try to be straightforward with your expectations so he is not left guessing whatever it is that you want from your social interactions with him. I am going to find out if he remembers what medication he was taking then I am going to recommend that you take him to his room and make sure he goes to sleep at a certain time and he must stick to this time every night.” Zexich said firmly. Remington nodded.

  “Maybe I should leave, go back to prison where I belong.” Lux said as Remington guided him to the bed.

  “I would miss you too much. I would much rather you stay here with me.” Remington said softly. Lux sighed deeply and looked up at Remington with his icy blue eyes soaking in sadness.

  “Fine but…” Lux paused then looked distracted. “……only because we have shit to accomplish.” Lux said looking irritated.

  “As long as I get more time to spend with you. I will be satisfied.” Remington said. Lux looked contemplative. Remington turned to leave the bedroom now.

  “Will you be alright until tomorrow?” Remington asked as he put his hand on the door to exit. Lux looked as if he wanted to say something but remained silent. “What is it, Lux? If you need something you can tell me.” Remington said softly.

  “I don't want to be alone.” Lux said quickly. Remington smiled and walked back over to the bed.

  “I will stay but we really need to get some rest. We have shit to do, remember?” Remington said mildly. Lux nodded. Remington pulled off his shirt and slipped off his pants until he was down to his boxers. He gathered himself into the bed next to Lux.

  “Has Vezaias talked to you lately?” Remington asked.

  “No….he only talked to me enough to give me directions, once he was finished he stopped and I haven't heard from him since.” Lux said unhappily.

  “Maybe I will get to see him in my Mindscape. Don't worry, I'm sure there is a reason we have been able to talk to him.” Remington said mildly.

  “He could at least do a better job at explaining himself.” Lux said with a sigh. He then seemed to relax more and roll towards Remington.

  “Tomorrow will you go with me to do my daily schedule?” Remington asked. “….because I really want you to be there with me.” Remington asked.

  “Sure I guess…” Lux mumbled. He began to look sleepy.

  “Okay good. I really like having you around, you know.” Remington said happily.

  “I don't understand why.” Lux said drowsily.

  “Because I like you.” Remington said factually.

  “But why.” Lux said asked.

  “Because I do, alright?” Remington pressed. Lux sighed deeply. It was quiet for a long moment. “Lux? Can I ask you something?” Remington asked.

  “What is it?” Lux said curiously.

  “Why do you want to learn to be more social with me?” Remington asked.

  “Vezaias told me we would be working together often to achieve his goals. I told him I wasn't good at being social so he said it would be best if I learned how to be social with you. So I’m trying.” Lux said mildly. “I'm not sure how well it's working out.” Lux added.

  “You are doing fine Lux. Go to sleep, it's getting late.” Remington said.

  “Sure…” Lux said and not long after he was asleep. Remington watched him sleep for a long while before slowly drifting off himself and coming into the Mindscape. He looked around wondering what he should do while he was here and then wondered if Vezaias would show up again. He turned to look at the control terminal, noticing how things looked. There was still a button labeled 'Mission' and Remington pressed it, which provided the same screen with information as last time.

  Mission #1 accomplished.

  Mission #2: accomplished.

  Mission #3: Unlocked

  If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

  Objective: Manifest

  Mission #4: Locked

  He was soon wondering what 'manifest' meant and how to accomplish it. Of course it would be easier just to ask Vezaias what this meant but so far he hadn't shown up. He waited for a long time and finally sank to the floor as his depression seemed to saturate him now that he had an idle moment to himself. He began to cry wishing that Vezaias would show up and feeling the weight of the things that he was supposed to be accomplishing without clear guidance as to how to go about this confidently.

  “Zay…..where are you…….please…….I need to see you..…….I'm just suffocating right now…….” Remington pouted with tears gushing out as he was slowly overwhelmed by the crushing emptiness he felt. His soft weeping and rubbing his tears from his only eye with a knuckle when suddenly he was interrupted by a pair of golden eyes looking down at him.

  “Zay!” Remington jumped to his feet desperately trying not to tackle Vezaias because he assumed he wasn't physically really present. “I'm so glad you are here!”

  “Yeah, you said you needed to see me, and you were suffocating, so here I am.” Vezaias said mildly with a smile on his face.

  “Are you really here though??” Remington asked quickly, trying not to get his hopes up.

  “Nah, I told you I'm totally dead, remember? The fuck you think I can just spring back to life all on my own?” Vezaias said with an amusing chuckle. Remington wilted at this notion.

  “Well no…I just…..” He wiped more tears away and sighed. “…..I miss you so much…..and I don't want to live without you……and I am struggling to accomplish the things I think that you wanted me to do because you're not here to guide me…..I feel like I'm lost in a maze of your expectations and I don't even know if what I am doing is what you wanted….” Remington began to weep softly again.

  “Aww Rem, don't cry. Trust me. You know more about this than you feel like you do. You are doing perfectly. Besides I'm dead, remember? How could you possibly disappoint a dead guy?” Vezaias soothed him looking amused.

  “I just wish you could tell me what it is you’re planning, what it is you’re trying to accomplish….and why!” Remington cried.

  “Absolutely nothing Rem. I told you that I’m dead, and dead guys can't accomplish anything, dead guys can't have goals. Remember?” Vezaias said, looking mildly at him. Remington was quiet. “So how are things with Lux? Is he warming up to you yet?”

  “Well I'm not sure. He is not very social. It seems like if I left right now he wouldn't even care, and that hurts because I….” Remington stopped talking abruptly. Was he going to say that he cared about Lux? Remington grimaced at this notion.

  “You what Rem?” Vezaias asked smoothly.

  “Uh! Because I am starting to care about him….” Remington said. He was afraid to tell Vezaias what his feelings were but he didn't want to hide them either. Vezaias raised an eyebrow at this admission.

  “Rem, I know that you grow feelings for people faster than an unkept lawn grows weeds.” Vezaias said seriously. Remington looked upset now. “It's alright Rem. I'm not mad about it. I'm dead, how could I possibly have a problem with it?” Vezaias said, looking amused.

  “I know that you get jealous.” Remington said meekly.

  “Of course I'm jealous! That should be me holding you all night! Not Lux!” Vezaias nearly shouted in anger. Remington flinched at the tone and covered his face reflexively as if Vezaias would attack him over this, even if he knew logically this was impossible. Vezaias softened.

  “Of course, I think if it had to be anyone else in the world, to be there for you right now….I'm glad that it's Lux. He is a really great guy. I think since I am not there……you both really need each other.” Vezaias said, looking away and unhappy. “Just do me a favor and take care of him. He really needs someone to stick by him, no matter how manic and unstable he gets.” Vezaias said solemnly. “Promise?” Vezaias said as if it were his dying request.

  “Promise.” Remington said softly. It was quiet now for a moment. “Um…Zay?” Remington cut through the downcast.

  “Hm?” Vezaias hummed without looking up.

  “What does the objective 'manifest' mean?” Remington asked meekly.

  “I can't really explain it to you Rem, you know that. All I can tell you is that you should spend more time with Lux, and trust him no matter what.” Vezaias said seriously.

  “But Zay, I have no idea what….!” Remington began.

  BUZZZZZ

  Remington jolted out of the Mindscape and back into consciousness in bed next to Lux who was still fast asleep. Remington quickly shut off the alarm and plopped back onto the pillow. He now shifted to look at Lux who was starting to wake.

  “Ugh, can't it wait….I'm not motivated at all for this.” Lux mumbled to himself as he rolled to his stomach and snuggled into the pillow. Remington felt his cheeks flush as he felt bare skin under the blankets pressing against him. He decided to let Lux sleep for a few more minutes but that was short lived.

  “Please leave me alone. I want to sleep.” Lux mumbled putting the pillow over his head as if to muffle out any unwanted noise. “You can kiss my ass.” He mumbled from under the pillow. Lux paused as if listening to something. “…..Pfff, just because I am a zombie doesn't mean that I'm some sort of slave….” Lux mumbled now sounding irritated. He paused again as if hearing a reply. “What?! Alright! Fine, I'm awake! Fuck!” Lux suddenly pushed himself up and exited the bed to go sit at the desk. He sat down and pulled out a cigarette and lit it, sucking it down in irritation. He put his face in his hands and acted as if he were pouting quietly to himself.

  “Lux?” Remington asked meekly from the bed. Lux didn't seem to respond to this. Remington waited a few moments before speaking again. “Are you alright?” Lux still did not respond. Remington considered what to do to help him. He took a deep breath before he spoke again. “You are in need of emotional support, true or false?” Remington said gently. Lux was quietly brooding but slowly looked up at Remington. It was as if he was unsure of which response to answer.

  “Socializing is a two way street Lux.” Remington said meekly. Lux looked like he was considering this now.

  “True?” He paused. “I think.” He paused again. “I'm not happy at all and I just want to sleep.” Lux took another drag of his cigarette and withered in his seat unhappily. Remington got up out of bed and walked over to Lux and pulled him out of the chair giving him just enough time to put out his cigarette before pulling him to the bed. Remington was soon holding him tightly against his chest which made him begin to sob and gush tears wetting Remington's bare skin. He cried for several minutes before quieting down to soft pouting.

  “What did the voices say this time?” Remington asked softly. Lux studied his breathing before answering.

  “They said I am a slave and I have to do what I'm told to do.“ Lux paused, looking very unhappy. “He will never let me go free. Not that it matters I guess.” Lux mumbled. Remington wasn't sure what he meant by this but he had to try and make him feel better somehow.

  “Who are you a slave to?” Remington asked mildly.

  “Right now it's you.” Lux said with a sigh.

  “Me?” Remington questioned. Lux seemed to pull away from him as if to resist the incredulous conversation. “It's okay Lux….if you are my slave then I will be there next to you, and I promise I will be a good owner, alright?” Remington tried to sound as reassuring as he could and pulled him closer. Lux nodded, looking very ashamed. Remington held him for a long moment.

  “Remington?” Lux said softly.

  “Yeah?” Remington asked, at near a whisper.

  “Can you help me do something today?” Lux asked. It was hard to place his mood, possibly anxiousness?

  ”Of course. What is it?” Remington asked mildly.

  “I need to talk to Ava. I want to apologize for yesterday, and I want to socialize with him just like I am trying to socialize with you. I am just not sure how to go about it in any normal way.” Lux said. He was starting to look very embarrassed now as if not knowing basic social skills was a shameful thing.

  “Yes, I can help you do this. Let's go on our morning routine, then we will find Ava and ask him to come to your room to talk. Sound good?” Remington tried to sound as upbeat as possible.

  “Mm, sure…what kind of routine are we doing?” Lux asked, looking apprehensive now.

  “Gym, shower, training, briefing, breakfast, then whatever assignment I am supposed to do, then free time until the next meal, then I usually go back to my room and hang out until bedtime.” Remington said as mildly as he could. Lux seemed to become distracted now. “Is that okay with you?” Remington asked.

  “I have to leave this room?” Lux looked anxious now.

  “Yeah, but I will be there with you the whole time and if you feel overwhelmed we can always come back here and take a break.” Remington said, trying to ease his worries.

  “I will need a smoke break often.” Lux said, starting to fidget. “Or I will get irritable.” Lux said looking sheepish now.

  “Sure, Lux. I will make sure we take breaks between our activities. If you start to feel overwhelmed just tell me alright?” Remington said.

  “Okay I am feeling overwhelmed.” Lux said very suddenly.

  “Take some time and have a cigarette, then we will go to the gym okay?” Remington said.

  “Sure.” He said nervously. He sat and lit up a cigarette and smoked it slowly as if to prolong their departure. It was much sooner than tolerable before they were headed to the gym and Lux was suddenly full of energy. Remington went to his usual gym locker and got ready for the work out. Lux only seemed to pace back an fourth in the locker room as if wanting to escape the situation. Remington tried to remain as aloof to this behavior as possible.

  “Do you want some work out clothes?” Remington asked him softly.

  “Are they necessary?” Lux asked quickly, looking frantic.

  “Well it would be more comfortable to work out in, but you don't have to wear them.” Remington said.

  “I don't know. I'm going to say maybe.” Lux said quickly. Remington led him over to the closet and dug around for some clothes.

  “Look these are brand new. A pair of jogger pants and a shirt. You can keep them forever if you want.” Remington said. Lux looked at the clothes as if they were insulting him.

  “I don't know.” He said uneasily.

  “Okay well I will bring them over here and if you decide you want to keep them you can have them.” Remington said. Lux wandered over to the lockers now looking aloof and stressed but eventually decided to put the new athletic clothes on. Remington looked satisfied with his progress and pulled him towards the gym now.

  “We can start with cardio. Okay?” He helped Lux turn the treadmill on to a brisk walk.

  “If you want to jog or run just tap this to make it go faster, and this will adjust the incline, and this is how you cancel your session.” Remington explained to him. Lux seemed aloof to the explanation but began to walk on the treadmill and soon they were both at a steady jog. Lux seemed to completely zone out as he ran, which was a positive sign as he could benefit from doing such a mindless physical activity the same way Remington seemed to benefit from it, but it was completely thrown off course once Rocks showed up. Lux stopped his machine now and watched Rocks very suspiciously as he got onto his own treadmill and began to run.