Cameron awoke suddenly in a cold sweat. It was always someplace different. This time he awoke to find himself laying in the gravel of a deserted side-street in the middle of the night. This was the third time it's happened. He stood up, brushed himself off, and started walking towards home. Luckily he never woke up too far from his apartment, and since he lived alone no one would question his absence. That reminded Cameron to check his messages when he got home, seeing as he neglected to the day before. He put out an ad in the newspaper a week ago for a roommate. Times were tough and money was tight, especially since it seemed Cameron was always missing money. On his way home he tried not to think about the blackouts. He was always one to take things as they come, and not worry about things he could do nothing about. But this particular reoccurance would always remain in the back of his mind, at least until the mystery was solved.2
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"So do we have everything settled?"6
"Yep, you can move in whenever you want." 7
"How about tomorrow?"8
"Works for me." Cameron stood up, and the man previously sitting beside him followed suit. Cameron smiled and shook the man's hand. "Well, I'll see you later, Garrison. You have a key so feel free to start moving in whenever you want tomorrow. I'll be at work most of the day, but I'll be back around nine or so. In the past two weeks of us getting to know each other you have gained my trust, so make yourself at home."9
"Thank you, Cameron." Garrison opened the door to leave. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow then."10
"Alright, bye for now." After Garrison left, Cameron closed the door and sat back down on the couch. Cameron was excited to finally find a roommate, and one he got along so well with. Garrison was extremely polite, easy to trust, and very responsible as far as Cameron could tell. Garrison seemed to be the perfect roommate. All of a sudden the phone rang.11
"Hello?"12
"Hey, it's me. Are you holding?"13
"Am I what? Who is this?" Cameron had a slightly annoyed tone in his voice.14
"You know who this is. Are you holding or not, cause if you are then I'm buying."15
"I'm sorry, I think you have the wrong number."16
Heavy breathing. "No, no, no, I don't. I recognize your voice. You know what? Screw you. You just lost a buyer."17
"Okay, thank you." Cameron decided he was finished with this conversation.18
"What?! What do you mean thank you?" Click.19
Cameron pressed the button on his phone to block that caller's number. He didn't even bother to wonder about the strange call, it was already over and done with. Instead he thought about his new friend Garrison and how things were going to work out with them living together.20
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Cold sweat. Cool night air. Confusion. Cameron opened his eyes and sat up. Sitting in the middle of a large cornfield, Cameron was more lost than he's even been. The blackouts haven't taken him out of the town until now. Cameron stood up. "Hello?" 24
"Cameron? Where are you?"25
"I'm over here Garrison, what happened?" Cameron stayed where he was as he saw Garrison's silhouette emerging from the corn.26
"What do you mean what happened? Are you okay?" 27
"Yeah, I'm fine. My head hurts."28
"Well it should, that guy hit you pretty hard."29
"What guy?" Cameron rubbed the back of his head. He noticed a large lump accompanied by a small amount of blood. "What the..."30
"Cameron, do you remember what happened?"31
"No, can we get out of here?"32
"Yeah, I left the car on the side of the road, it's only about a five minute walk." Garrison began walking in the opposite direction he originally came, and Cameron followed.33
Once in the car, Garrison handed some napkins over to Cameron. "So you really don't remember anything?"34
"No, I get blackouts sometimes when I'm sleeping."35
"Cameron, you weren't sleeping. You weren't unconscious until you hit the ground."36
"Garrison, what are you talking about? The last thing I remember is going to bed, and then I was in that cornfield. I sleepwalk sometimes."37
"You're not listening. Cameron, after you went to bed you got a phone call. You left in a hurry and didn't tell me where you were going. It was so unlike you, so I felt it'd be safer if I followed you to make sure you were okay. I'm sorry, but if I hadn't you'd still be in the field."38
"I left? Where did I go?" Cameron was still nursing the wound to the back of his head.39
"You went to some guy's house, there were a lot of people there. I didn't go in, I just waited outside in the car. About ten minutes later I heard a lot of yelling coming from inside the house. You came running out, and some guy was chasing you with a baseball bat. He smashed it on the back of your head and you fell. He was yelling something about you selling him bad hash. After that a bunch of guys helped him load you into a car and they drove away. I followed the car, then found you in the cornfield."40
Cameron was at a loss for words for a few seconds. "You mean...I went to a party, I sold someone drugs, and they beat me up?"41
"Basically. Cameron, you have a problem. This drug thing has gotten way out of hand. Now, I haven't said anything about it before because you're a good guy and it was only at the apartment, but c'mon. I didn't know you were dealing."42
"What are you talking about, Garrison?! I don't do drugs! I've never even smoked a cigarette before!"43
"You don't believe me? I'll show you." Seconds later Garrison was pulling into the parking lot. They both got out of the car, and Cameron followed Garrison into the apartment. "Alright Cameron, go in your room and flip over your mattress."44
"Fine." Cameron went into his room and did just what Garrison said. On the other side of the mattress, Cameron saw a large gash in the very center.45
"Put your hand in there and see what inside." Garrison watched as Cameron pulled out a large bag of small pills, all different colors.46
"What is this? Did you put this here?" Cameron put the bag down on the mattress.47
"That is Ecstasy, Cameron. Hundreds of dollars worth. And c'mon, why would I put those there, what would I have to gain?"48
"I don't know. This is crazy. What is going on here?"49
"Cameron. You are a drug addict. You do some type of drug almost every night before you go to sleep. The drugs must have messed up your mind so much that you totally forget that you even do them."50
"No, that's not possible. I won't accept that."51
"You have to, Cameron. I don't know why you're realizing all this now. Do you even remember going to the doctor?"52
"What?"53
"Cameron, please, tell me you remember going.54
"No, I don't." Cameron noticed Garrison expression change from slight frustration and worry to complete sorrow. "Garrison, what is it, what's wrong?"55
"Cameron, you're dying." Garrison sat on the mattress and put his face in his hands. "My gosh, Cameron. I didn't think you could forget that. It's your heart. It could fail at any time from all the pills you've been taking. It's all the Ecstasy, Cameron. The doctor said the amount of time you have left was undetermined. That's why I didn't say anything before, I know the Ecstasy made it so you wouldn't think about death."56
Cameron just stood there, staring at the bag of pills on the mattress. "I'm dying?" 57
"I am so sorry." Tears began to well in Garrison's eyes.58
Cameron could do nothing but stand there in a deep, blank stare. How could his whole world be totally turned upside down so quick that it made him physically nauseous? What could he do? Cameron was dying and he knew there was nothing he could do about it. At least before he thought he had control over his life, but now that was tainted forever. He couldn't control his life anymore than he could control his death...control his death? Cameron's eyes suddenly lit up. Maybe he couldn't control the fact that he was going to die, but it didn't have to be as painful as heart failure, did it? Cameron took the bag of pills off the mattress. "Garrison, I want to feel good. I don't want to die, but if I have to I might as well make it feel good, right?"59
"Cameron, what are you talking about? Don't do anything stupid, c'mon, put the bag down. Cameron, Cameron!" Garrison watched as Cameron ran out the door into the cool night air.60
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Garrison found Cameron an hour later behind some bushes in the park. Cameron was dead. The whole bag of pills was gone. Garrison looked down at Cameron's lifeless body and couldn't help but to...smile. Garrison turned around and began to walk back into the night. He thought about all he had accomplished. It was the perfect plan. Befriend a sleepwalker, convince him he's a drug addict and dying, supply him with a bag of poison made to look like Ecstasy, and let the sleepwalker do the rest. It all fell together like a perfectly pieced puzzle.64
Garrison hoped his friends didn't get lost trying to find the place. Garrison had called them when Cameron ran out, telling them to meet him at the apartment in an hour with the van. If the police came while they were taking all of Cameron's possessions, Garrison would just tell them he was moving. He would also tell them to check the lease for his name, if they wished. Then he and his friends would drive off into the night, being long gone before someone found Cameron's body. Sure, Garrison could have had his friends come for the stuff while Cameron was at work, but where's the fun in that? Life seems a lot less boring when you're working on a project, especially one that spans over several months. Though Garrison was more than happy with his success, he had to wonder how someone could be so gullible. He was able to convince Cameron, the most straight edge person Garrison has ever met, that he was addicted to drugs. He couldn't help but to laugh to himself. 65
So Garrison walked on through the night. His only company was the shifting shadows that danced on the ground in front of him, but he didn't care. Soon he would be back to the apartment, and from then on, who knows? Maybe he'll lay low and enjoy his wealth while he can. Maybe he'll stay in town, steal Cameron's identity, and see if Cameron has anything else to offer. Or maybe he'll try to set another trap for some poor, unsuspecting individual. Yes, Garrison thought, that sounds like fun. Repeat the cycle all over again with someone new, a new challenge. After all, life seems a lot less boring if you spend your time on one worthwhile project, especially if it takes months, or even years to finish. 66
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